This year was full of half-read books, tons of audiobooks, and plenty of research. Out of the books I read and finished, these are the ones that made the cut. Below is this year’s list of one sentence reviews of the best reads of 2016.

Check out previous years here:

Professional Development: Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your Classroom Will Improve Student Learning by Jose Antonio Bowen

Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your Classroom Will Improve Student Learning

Any book on technology will grow outdated fairly quickly, however, this book teaches some core concepts that allow you to connect with your students inside the college classroom and design tech-related learning experiences outside the classroom.


Fiction: When Nietzsche Wept: A Novel of Obsession by Irvin D. Yalom 

When Nietzsche Wept: A Novel of Obsession by Irvin D. Yalom

Aside from the fun of name dropping in historical fiction, this book humanized Nietzsche and spoke to fascinating intersections of philosophy and psychology during the late 1800s. Read more HERE.


Non-Fiction: Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss 

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depends On It by Chris Voss

Written by the former leading negotiator for the FBI, the author teaches counterintuitive strategies for persuasion that deal with psychological triggers and human behavior.


Classic: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
I suspect the emotional and psychological turmoil that Esther Greenwood felt during a really formative time (her late teens/early 20s) comforted an entire generation of women trying to cope with similar thoughts. Read more HERE.


Christian: Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work by Timothy Keller

Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work by Timothy Keller
The publisher says it better than I could: “the Christian view of work—that we work to serve others, not ourselves—can provide the foundation of a thriving professional and balanced personal life; Keller shows how excellence, integrity, discipline, creativity, and passion in the workplace can help others and even be considered acts of worship—not just of self-interest.”


Parenting: All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior 

All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior

This book will transform the way you see parenting and encourage you to suspend your criticism and judgment of the parents around you, which is a pretty incredible accomplishment.


Children: Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Goodnight, Goodnight, Constructions Site by Sherri Dusky Rinker

Bulldozer, Excavator, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, and Crane Truck are all tired after a long day of working together on the job site and ready for bed so they can wake up and play again tomorrow.


Personal Development: Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality by Scott Belksy

Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality by Scott Belsky

Timing is everything with personal development books and this one taught me how to organize, cultivate, and execute my ideas during a season when I need direction and advice and this book provided that.


One Sentence Reviews of the Best Reads of 2016

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