343: What and Why We Read
"We don’t need a list of rights and wrongs, tables of dos and don’ts: We need books, time, and silence. ‘Thou shalt not’ is soon forgotten, but ‘Once upon a time’ lasts forever." – author Philip Pullman
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The Castle (2007) is a project by Mexican artist Jorge Méndez Blake that examines the impact of a single outside force. For the installation, he constructed a mortar-less brick wall that balances on top of a copy of Franz Kafka’s The Castle. The wall bulges at the text's site and extends to the top of the structure.
Summary
In this episode, I reflect on how books have impacted my life and why standing up to book censorship is essential. Given my interest in books, I was curious to know what some of my colleagues, friends, and family members read in 2024 and what they will read in 2025. So, I contacted more than 40 of them, asking them for a brief bio, their books of choice, and why a given title found its way to their bookshelf and nightstand. See their suggestions below.
Three Major Takeaways
Books as Lifelong Companions: Jeff's "next" shelf symbolizes curiosity, learning, and discovery throughout life.
Reading as Resistance: Championing books combats censorship and fosters critical thinking.
Power of Storytelling: Great books connect us to history, nature, and universal truths, shaping perspectives and fostering empathy.
What we read in 2024—What we’ll read in 2025
Angela DiMarco: I authentically share stories of personal growth journeys through my podcast and publishing company.
My book of choice in 2024: I Am the Captain by Angela DiMarco (that's me!) with artwork by Dana Sardano
Why: By authentically sharing the overcoming of everyday experiences such as divorce, childhood trauma, PTSD, miscarriage, friendships, surviving cancer, and entrepreneurship, I hope that people who see themselves in similar situations will be inspired to dive into their overcoming as well.
My book of choice in 2025: You Cracked the Code, The Woo Is You by Dana Sardano (title subject to change, due to publish early 2025)
Why: This is the final book in Dana's Ten Recommandments for Personal Empowerment trilogy. The first book was about getting your head out of your ass and doing the work. Beyond the Ten, Decoding the Woo Woo is all about the spiritual journey. The Woo Is You is all about understanding the nature of your reality and how you can utilize this information to manifest the life you truly desire. I'm getting bits and pieces of it in real time as she writes it and it is the best of the three, but that is because this is where I am currently residing. This is such a powerful body of work that the world now seems to be ready for!
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Annette Taylor: I am insatiably curious about how humans evolved and how the conditions we experienced for hundreds of thousands of years have affected our current psychology.
My book of choice in 2024: Origins by Jennifer Raff
Why: Jennifer Raff (Professor of Archaeology at Kansas State University) focused her attention to how and when human beings came to inhabit the American Continent…and I want to know what she learned!
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Bill Whiteside: Wrapping up a book about Winston Churchill and the unlikely clash between the British and French Navies in July 1940.
My book of choice in 2024: The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, a War Story, A Love Story by Mark Helprin
Why: I simply wanted to treat myself to this new novel from one of the greatest writers on the planet, and I was not disappointed.
My book of choice in 2025: The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1977-1780 by Rick Atkinson
Why: After reading his WWII trilogy and the first book in his American Revolution trilogy, I’m looking forward to another masterpiece.
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Charlotte Wittenkamp: Bridge builder
My book of choice in 2024: Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O'Neill
Why: AI is becoming ubiquitous without any transparency or accountability for what criteria are used to put almost all of us into Team A or Team B-Z. Some of the underlying data are illegally used for disqualifying clients/employees, some data are harvested unlawfully, most of it is sloppily applied with no chance to review the correctness of data, and nobody using the algorithms fully knows the process.
My book of choice in 2025: Either Or by Soren Kierkegaard
Why: I picked up a stack of books when emptying my mother's condo. It is a disgrace that I have never really read Kierkegaard, considering that people learn my language just to be able to do so. I hope I am ready by now to dive in. He was a bit over my head in high school.
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Chris Mason: The founder and senior scholar at the Center for Educational Improvement and author of nine recent books on mindfulness, compassion, leadership, and student well-being.
My book of choice in 2024: The Labyrinth of Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón Part of a Gothic Cemetery of Forgotten books series by a master storyteller.
Why: Set in Barcelona and Madrid, in this haunting novel, the heroine, who had lost her parents when fascists bombed Barcelona, becomes an investigator for the Spanish secret police, from which she finds it nearly impossible to escape.
My book of choice in 2025: The Unfolding poems by Rosemary Wahtola Trommer
Why: Given the chaotic state of events in the US right now, I was looking for something for my soul and something to share with others.There are times when it is best to wait rather than react or jump into action. Many of us are feeling a profound sense of loss and grief. Here’s a line: “My grief has inside it a forest, thriving, evergreens of all ages, each tree grown from a seed of gratitude… And so I keep planting trees. I am learning to trust the shade…”
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Cindy House: Author of Mother Noise, regular opener for David Sedaris
My book of choice in 2024: Orbital by Samantha Harvey, winner of the Booker Prize
Why: It was the first book I read after the election, and it gave me perspective and reminded me of how small we are, how the world is bigger than our momentary anxiety and fear, and that everything changes.
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Diane Wyzga: Avid reader concerned about the five pillars of civilization wants to know how we got ourselves here
My book of choice in 2024: Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein
Why: Because Thom Hartmann read a section on his program, it sounded fascinating beyond the "usual" explanations I want to grasp/wrestle with this perilous moment - especially if it means this union is meant to split - and Klein is a clear, concise & cogent writer/thinker of merit.
My book of choice in 2025: The Story Paradox by Jonathan Gottschall
Why: Because Gottschall is a distinguished researcher and writer who is paradoxically exploring the dark side of the stories we tell and what, if anything, can be done given how we've gotten ourselves here
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Jeff Ikler: I encourage curiosity through my podcast and weekly Substack.
My book of choice in 2024: Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It
Why: Teens are under increasing pressure to excel in academics and extracurricular activities, and doing so plays hell with their mental health and well-being. Educators and parents can help in several ways.
My book of choice in 2024: Crossings–How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb. To say that Goldfarb’s prose was an eye-opener on the impact of roads on our ecology almost doesn’t do his writing justice. This is an eloquently crafted narrative. One of the best books I’ve ever read.
My book of choice in 2025: Cold Crematorium by József Debreczeni
Why: “First published in Hungarian in 1950, it was never translated into a world language due to McCarthyism, Cold War hostilities, and antisemitism.” (NY Times review) That’s almost reason enough to read it, but I’m also interested in this memoir coming from the pen of a Hungarian poet and journalist.
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Julie Ikler: I work at a small, non-traditional high school in Boulder, CO. I’m curious about the book titles our amazing teachers use in their classrooms.
My book of choice: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Why: It's hard to say I enjoyed The Nickel Boys as it is a very heavy and intense story, but I'm very interested in the history of the South and racism.
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Mac Bogert: I'm infernally curious and love challenges. Maggie's back2different podcast, "The Islands of our Knowledge," kicked my mental and emotional butt!
My book of choice in 2024: Uncertain by Maggie Jackson
Why: "It is the fear of uncertainty that sets you back, not uncertainty itself." -and- "The unease of uncertainty is actually a gift."
My book of choice in 2025: The Nihilist's Pocket Survival Guide to Modern Society by Tungyn Cheque
Why: Written by a dear friend who knows his craft. I read an excerpt and was immediately hooked.
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Mark Reid: I (hopefully) amuse and (occasionally) inspire independent thinkers on the Zen Sammich podcast.
My book of choice in 2025: Zen: The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyō Masuno.
Why: Sometimes you have to get back to your roots. We all become experts on whatever we may be passionate about, but sometimes we "get too big for our britches" (as they used to say where I'm from). I aim to get back to a "beginner's mind" and re-learn the beauty of simplicity and slow living.
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Paul McNicholls: Historian and author
My book of choice in 2024: Fire Over the Rock: The Great Siege of Gibraltar 1779-1783 by James Falkner.
Why: The study of places is enhanced by understanding their geography and histories. Everything else seems to fall into place when you attune yourself to these. I like to read a few books each year outside my research or main areas of interest. The author has written extensively on the wars in Europe at that time and knows the subject matter. I was also on the cusp of visiting Gibraltar as I was reading through the book. It was an informative read and excellent preparation for my stay on The Rock.
My book of choice in 2025: Empires in the Balance by H.P. Willmott
Why: History does not provide a roadmap to the future, but it certainly contains indicators. It is difficult to properly grasp where we are likely to be going if we don't know where we are coming from. The Indo-Pacific region is an important one and it's only going to become more so. It's time for me to up my game.
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Rich Gassen: Creating possibilities for greatness
My book of choice in 2024: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Why: Our lives are filled with alternate endings based on every decision we make at any moment. This book allows you to explore Nora Seed’s journey into multiple different possibilities in her life.
My book of choice in 2024: The Fisherman’s Path to Leadership by Oleg Konovalov
Why: In this book, the author relates his experiences on a fishing boat crew and in streams to the path of a leader in such eloquent ways. Suitable for anyone in the leadership space or those who love fishing and the outdoors.
My book of choice in 2025: Restoring Sanity - Practices to Awaken Generosity, Creativity, and Kindness in Ourselves and Our Organizations
Why: Our servant leader group at UW-Madison will feature this book for participants to awaken the human spirit in our leadership and promote more creativity in our work.
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Sarah Elkins: I am a workplace communication trainer and storytelling coach. My podcast and book are titled “Your stories don't define you how you tell them will”
My Book of choice in 2024: When by Daniel Pink
Why: This book continues to shape how I schedule my days. I'm much more aware now about the kind of energy I can expect from myself throughout the day and which activities and tasks require which kinds of energy.
My books of choice in 2025: I am going to read more novels written by people with significantly different lived experiences from my own. In mid-2024, I found myself scrolling social media far too often, feeling my energy sink the more time I spent on those platforms. So, I started going to the library each week to pick up a variety of novels by authors of color, authors in the LGBTQ community, and authors outside of the US. I carried a book with me all over the place, and every time I found myself scrolling mindlessly, I'd stop, I'd put my phone down, and I'd pick up my book and read a few pages. I've read dozens of books since then, so I'll keep doing that into 2025 to reduce my screen time while learning about the lives of people with different experiences from my own.
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Steve Ehrlich: I am a lifelong angler and educator, retired psychology teacher and continuing education dean. In his next act of work and life, Steve presents classes, book clubs, and retreats on the literature and lessons of fly fishing, and he is a coordinator for the Missouri chapter of Reel Recovery, a nonprofit that conducts fly fishing retreats for men with cancer.
My book of choice in 2025: Re-read Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, and Habits of the Heart by Robert Bellah et. al.
Why: The history and culture of America--people and institutions--is loaded with paradoxes and contradictions, the most significant and confounding of which is individual interest v. social responsibility, evident throughout our history, most recently in the current election and our divided nation. How do we best understand and navigate this dynamic, and how can we move forward?
About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits
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