2019 Ensworth faculty bookshelf

Faculty Bookshelf — Summer 2019 Ensights

by Editorial Staff
What did the Ensworth faculty read this summer?
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Liz Atwood

Lower School Reading Teacher

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake

Looking for the perfect book for a long plane ride or lazy day at the beach? Author Sarah Blake delivers a sweeping American saga that causes the reader to look past the shallow first impressions of the WASP main characters. The Milton family, fortified in old money, is awash in secrets. Three generations sail the waters of Penobscot Bay, sip scotch on the porch, and uncover the cracks in the moral code of a golden family.

Hayley Brantley

Middle School Service Learning Coordinator and History Teacher

Where the Crawdad Sings by Delia Owens

This is a beautifully written novel that has so many incredible layers to it. Plus, it covers a range of genres and topics that will make it appealing to almost anyone-- it's a coming of age novel, a mystery novel, a sweet love novel, a courtroom drama novel, and a novel that addresses hard issues like race, class, gender equality, and what it means to belong. It is poignant, funny, and heartbreaking, all at the same time. I cannot recommend it enough!

David Chanaca

High School History

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

This is a story of two sisters who grew up in German-occupied France during WWII. Too often we only see war from a male soldier's perspective as if they were the only ones that needed to survive war. Instead, this novel takes a very intimate look at two women who had the courage and self-determination to survive the war even though their approaches were so very different. It is a fast-paced page turner that is rich in accurate history that goes beyond the everyday battles and famous people of WWII. It shows the emotions of fear, love, and loneliness of everyday people who are forced to live in the despicable world of German occupation.

Trey House

Middle School Latin Teacher

Impossible Owls: Essays by Brian Phillips

One of my favorite writers for a long time, this book contains eight essays. Among them are an adventure tracking the Iditarod via a two-man prop plane in Alaska, visiting a tiger preserve in India, a profile of both Queen Elizabeth II and Kate Middleton, and delving into the mysteries of an oil tycoon in his rural Oklahoma hometown. Each essay crackles with warmth, humor, empathy, and thoughtfulness. No matter how exotic the topic or locale, Phillips is able to reveal the universal humanity within each story.

Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal

This book details the radical, organizational overhaul that General McChrystal began and completed while he was in charge of a special task force fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq in 2004. The powerful message of this work: the world is and continues to grow ever more complex. In order to thrive in this environment, great organizations work to demolish silos, be transparent with information, and allow small groups to exercise more autonomy in pursuit of a shared vision. A great framing of successful collaboration that has helped me with my work as a teacher.

Whitney Johnson

Director of Finance and Operations

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins

The key premise of this book is that for a company (or school) to go from good to great, you need disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action. Good is the enemy of great, and many people and companies settle for good because it’s easier. They're not striving to be the best in the industry, which opens the door to competitors. Being the best means there is absolutely no room for mediocre thinking. As a school, we must use our talents to the fullest and always strive for greatness.

Bobby Mirzaie

Director of Curriculum and Instruction

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

The author takes you back to 1986 and lures you into the real crime mystery surrounding the epic fire that destroyed the Los Angeles downtown library; however, the true heart of the story comes from the author's vivid stories of how a public library serves society with resources and builds community with support for the underserved. And in return, you will be delighted in learning how the community of Los Angeles works to rebuild the downtown library for future generations.

Rich Mischinski

High School English Teacher

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, this bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours.

Brooke Morgan

High School Seminar Department Chair

Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.

From the back cover: “Letting Go describes a simple and effective means by which to let go of the obstacles to Enlightenment and become free of negativity. During the many decades of the author's clinical psychiatric practice, the primary aim was to seek the most effective ways to relieve human suffering in all of its many forms. The inner mechanism of surrender was found to be of great practical benefit and is described in this book."

Scott Sanders

High School Facilities Staff

The Source by James Michener

The novel is about an archeological dig in Israel with a fictional storyline interwoven into the plot—educational , interesting, and thought-provoking.

J.K. Scott

Middle School History Teacher

A Praying Life by Paul Miller

No other book in my walk with Jesus has impacted me more internally than Paul Miller's book, A Praying Life. I can't begin to tell you the amount of work the Holy Spirit did within me while reading and discussing this book on prayer. Paul Miller is anointed with the ability to share his real-life laments and victories in a way that did nothing but make me actually want to pray.
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