Read. Think. Act.

Catherine Read

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His Other Life – Melanie McCabe

His Other Life (March 2020) This book was captivating. A real page turner. I love the writing and following Melanie McCabe through her journey as a novice researcher. I’m delighted to know that she is a local English teacher in Arlington, Virginia, and that a writer of such talent teaches creative writing in a public high school. How fortunate her students are to learn the craft from someone so accomplished.

The premise of the book is intriguing. It certainly makes me consider how little we know about who our parents were before they were our parents. In this instance, Melanie’s father Terrence McCabe, had an interesting connection to the playwright Tennessee Williams. The elusive Hazel Kramer, loved by both men, passed away young and tragically. I can appreciate how invested the author came to be in giving her a voice and a presence that is now capture for posterity along with a fuller portrait of the father she lost at such a young age.

It’s a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

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The Art of Gathering – Priya Parker

Art of Gathering (Jan 2020) This book is a must read. For everyone. From dinner parties and staff meetings to holiday gatherings and funerals, we all spend so much time at “gatherings” that are organized by someone.

Priya Parker points out that surprisingly little thought is given to the structure of gatherings. Because of that, many of us spend inordinate amounts of time in boring time wasters that are often tedious and quite forgettable.

This book changes how to think about the purpose of gatherings – absolutely all gatherings. With each chapter I had “aha moments” that made we wonder why I had not thought about this before.

I will also say that this book should be added to every reading list for leadership development programs, courses and seminars. Same for corporate retreats and strategy sessions. Constructing a meaningful gathering with purpose *is* a core leadership skill. Parker’s examples of the gatherings she has facilitated in her career are fascinating. It also makes the book more of a “show” than a “tell.” Once she tells the story of a particular gathering, she breaks down how and why it worked so well.

I think we all need to incorporate the format of 15 Toasts regularly into our dinner gatherings. Of all the concepts she introduced, I really loved this one. While “communication” takes place at gatherings, it does not always lead to meaningful connection among people. And why would you pursue the first if not for the purpose of the latter? I highly recommend this book. It will change the way you think about how we spend our time with one another and how with the smallest amount of effort it could be so much more meaningful.