Editor’s Note: As Californians continue to stay at home during the Coronavirus crisis, CapRadio Reads has had to postpone some of its live author interviews. Like the rest of the world, we're unsure when those events will return, but in the meantime, we know that books can provide an escape or comfort in trying times. Join Host Donna Apidone as she talks with authors and others about the books that keep us going.
Last week, I featured books about compassion and inspiration by well-known authors. This week’s titles are on similar topics, but the writers are not household names.
Chris Meyer’s work as a funeral director put him face to face with people in their vulnerable moments of shock and grief. As he watched family and friends deal with grief, Meyer discovered what he values in life. His book, “Life in 20 Lessons,” offers his own lessons, with stories about the situations that inspired them. The author points out that this is not a funeral book – it’s a book about living.
Adam Braun toured the world by asking children in every country one question: “If you could have anything in the world, what would you want most?” The most inspiring response came from a little boy who just wanted a pencil. Braun realized that pencils are the universal starting point of education. School lessons in all languages start with the need to write - and to erase what you’ve written. Adam Braun invested $25, started a non-profit organization called Pencils of Promise, and reminded a lot of people that we can have a huge impact on the world. The book is “The Promise of A Pencil.”
A year ago, someone gave me a copy of “Cultivating Courage,” and I saved it until I really needed some courage. The author, Dr. Mary Maaga, walks us through finding fear and knowing it’s normal, and the processes of caring and crying to take us into happier times. It’s not the only book on this topic, but we need a variety of tools.
What books or authors do you turn to for inspiration? Let me know: [email protected]pradio.org
The Books
- “Life in 20 Lessons: What A Funeral Guy Discovered About Life From Death,” Chris Meyer
- “The Promise of A Pencil,” Eric Braun
- “Cultivating Courage,” Mary M. Maaga, PhD