“One of the greatest gifts adults can give—to their offspring and to their society—is to read to children. —Carl Sagan”

My 2 Cents

Students enroll in our programs because they are eager to work to make their best better. Toni and Brian, our founders, are on a constant journey to do the same. At a business leader’s conference Tim Sanders the former Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo and its Leadership Coach was the keynote speaker.

He offers several strategies to success; one was increase the positive content in your life. For starters, he recommends starting the day with 30-45 minutes of mindful reading from a book. Sanders says,

“We know breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. It’s also important for your mind, because what you feed your mind first thing in the morning influences your mood for the entire day.”

Thus, he suggests, “For a few minutes each morning, read from a book that helps you be better at what you do. All the great leaders from the past were avid readers – it fills your mind with confidence.

This strategy has been a tradition with our programs from the beginning; it is one of our daily core routines. We all learned originally to walk by watching those around us walk and then we worked at walkin, falling – failing – doing it over and over. We laughed; sometimes cried, often reaching up to those we trust for help; eventually we earned mastery mostly because we wanted to get to somewhere we weren’t; we learned to run because it was fun; we learned to run through play. There were no lectures on the forms of running, no worksheets, no drills, no testing; yet we learned to walk and run. We learned to talk the same way; listing to our parents talking to us, listing to them talk to each other. We worked at talking; listening to ourselves making those sounds – failing – doing it over and over. Again we laughed; sometime cried because we could not be understood, but were rewarded by being able to share our needs to others; share our thoughts to others. Reading is best leaned the same way; others modeling to us, reading to themselves silently, reading to us, and us reading; not with lectures, worksheets, drills, or test. As we fail at reading certain words, in a small safe mixed age groups that include others that are better readers than ourselves, we ask for help; our written lexicon grows.

Each and every morning all staff and students read from a book of our own choice, journaling it, writing down a passage that resonates with us, and reading it out loud to the others in mixed age groups young and old learning from each other. In this way we all learn to write from the modeling of authors. We develop our own philosophy from the works of those greater then ourselves. We develop skills from those that have experiences beyond our own. We have fun sharing and laughing. We parse out fact from fiction, misconception from reality, practice divergent and critical thinking skills, as we all become much better educated.

Each and every book listed has been read by Brian and/or Toni. Many were originally suggested by one or more of Brian or Toni’s own mentors, many were referenced in other readings, and be it books or research papers. The authors’ of some have contacted Brian and Toni, and asked them to review their books. If they found the books of value to our staff, parents, or students they made it here on this List.

Recorded Lectures, Talks, and Documentaries Is Time Well Spent

Hearing the voice of the writer can make a greater impact than simply reading the words. In his teens and twenties, Brian would go to sleep at night listing to the lectures of Alan Watts, Joseph Campbell, and Carl Sagan. These lectures help mold his thinking; the texture and infection brought clarity and more meaning to their words and in retrospect was time well spent.

The internet now has given access to everyone graduate level content in lectures, talks, and documentaries at any time of the week or day. At no time in the development of man has it been so easy for people to better themselves through education. Daily Brian and Toni are given suggestions of content to view from kids to elders, those friends that share common interest with us, those that are in formal mentorship roles, and from those I have never met but follow what we are doing.

Each Thursday Brian starts his day with the milky way still visible early to watch or listen the latest TED Talks or RSA lectures, or any other recorded material that has come to his attention, those that he finds of value to you he adds to this list.

This is our list of preferred reading and videos suggested by the director for the staff, parents, and students. Check back often. If you have any suggested books please email me.

Some Content Here Supports What We Do.

If you are a parent pondering if Northwestern Outdoor Leadership Institute is a good fit please read (watch) the books (videos) marked with an *, those books videos ether describe a major feature or issues in traditional schools that we address.

This is a Living Document

As you come across content that you think we would resonate, make us think, or even make our blood boil please share it with us.