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In a world increasingly divided by politics and social issues, we need Mister Rogers more than ever. And though he is no longer with us, we can all adopt his attitudes and actions as models for our own lives. Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley shows us how to use the transformative psychological principles that Mister Rogers masterfully employed to make a difference in our own neighborhoods. Principles such as: listening for discovery, validating feelings, expressing gratitude, exercising empathy, practicing radical acceptance, and using expressions of care. Sound heavenly? Neighborly? It all starts with you.
Happy Friday! Lots going on for sure, so take care of yourself this weekend. Possibly by reading a book? We’ve got a whole new themed list to march into the weekend with: true crime, but true crime NOT focused on murder. Here we go:
Diamond Doris: The True Story of the World’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief by Doris Payne
Payne was a jewel thief for over 60 years, once arrested “after stealing a diamond ring in Monte Carlo that was valued at more than half a million dollars.” But then she broke out of jail with the help of nuns? This story sounds extremely fun and good for a winter read.
The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell: A Dyslexic Traitor, an Unbreakable Code, and the FBI’s Hunt for America’s Stolen Secrets by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee
In 2000, the FBI received a package. It was “a series of coded letters from an anonymous sender to the Libyan consulate, offering to sell classified United States intelligence.” What made the code much harder to crack was the sender had dyslexia. This is is billed as a “true-life spy thriller,” which is excellent, and is great for all you code-crackers out there.
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson
A flautist breaks into a museum and steals hundreds of bird skins. Why? Fly fishing. “What?” you correctly say. This not only goes into that super-weird story, but also the history of the man who collected some of the skins in the first place, Alfred Russel Wallace, who was perhaps equally weird (but not in a necessarily bad way).
American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI by Kate Winkler Dawson
Ok sure, murder’s in the title, but it’s not the POINT of the book. It’s all about the “American Sherlock Holmes,” Edward Oscar Heinrich. Using forensics (in the 1930s and beyond), he solved over two thousand cases! It’s pretty satisfying to read about how someone found clues and deduced answers, especially in this time of chaos in which we all find ourselves. Facts! How comforting.
Have an excellent weekend! You can find me on social media @itsalicetime and co-hosting the nonfiction For Real podcast with Kim here at Book Riot. Until next time, enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.