MY FAVORITE BOOKS
.png)
The Power of Storytelling
Some of the best lessons in life begin with a simple, "Let me tell you a story!" Narratives retold in paper books, brought to life in audio recordings, or illustrated in movies evoke our emotional response, which can trigger a behavior change we all strive to achieve through learning. That’s why, along with all the fancy L&D technology on my Portfolio, I wanted to save space for the books I love.
"Lying on the Couch" by Irvin Yalom
Irvin Yalom is not only my favorite author but also a role model in using storytelling to present information. All his books, including "Lying on the Couch" educate readers on the elaborate science of psychotherapy while gripping our attention with an elaborate storyline to such an extent that you cannot put the book down until you reach the last page.
.png)
Books on L&D
With my first MA in Psychology, I am wired to see the world through the lenses of human behavior, cognition, and emotions, which are influenced by a combination of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. In the century of mind-blowing technological progress, we must be acutely aware of the centuries-long laws governing our growth, survival and mental health.
These are three books that built a bridge for me from the Science of Psychology to that of Instructional Design: "How people learn" by Nick Shackleton-Jones, "Design for how people learn" by Julie Dirksen, and "e-Learning and the Science of Instruction" by Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer.
"Map IT" by Kathy Moore
I once saved one of our clients thousands of dollars by refusing to blindly implement his initial request for ESL training for his team during our kick-off meeting. At first, he wanted us to "teach his call center agents some grammar". If I had agreed, it would have guaranteed my language studio classes for years to come, as English grammar is quite intricate, but it would not have helped him achieve his business goal. Through an elaborate series of Why-s and What for-s, as well as questions about his final goals and role-plays of possible call center interactions, we completely re-designed his company's recruiting procedures, which saved him money, brought profit in the long run and reinforced our language school reputation as a reliable partner.
"The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig
This book is an example of the power of storytelling. We are increasingly aware of the importance of mental health, but simple awareness alone does not always lead to changes in lifestyles or long-standing bad habits. We may read a book with a list of 10 tips on how to become happy and go to bed feeling absolutely miserable. Ever felt that way? "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig is an uplifting and inspiring story of accepting and cherishing life as is in the present here and now even though the book itself starts with an attempted suicide.
"Hello Beautiful" by Ann Napolitano
Irvin Yalom is not only my favorite author but also a role model in terms of using the art of storytelling to present information. All his books, including "Lying on the Couch" educate readers on the elaborate science of psychotherapy while gripping our attention with an elaborate storyline to such an extent that you cannot put the book down until you reach the last page.
.png)
"What I wish I knew before becoming an ID" by Dr. L.Hobson
With a wide range of widely acclaimed books on E-Learning and Instructional Design, I wanted to highlight a new book release by Dr. Luke Hobson. I was lucky to win a copy as part of the author's promotional campaign on LinkedIn and I really enjoyed it. It is a sincere story of the journey that he took to become an ID and is full of useful tips.
"The Things We Cannot Say" by Kelly Rimmer
I was lucky to have been raised in a family with three generations of parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Two older generations lived through World War II. They rarely shared the atrocities of war, though their eyes spoke volumes. What they did pass on was hope that it would never repeat again. Unfortunately, it did happen, and my home country is at war. But like my grand and great parents, I want to believe that the more people read books like "The things we cannot say", the more chances there are that kindness and compassion will never surrender.
.png)
"Wild Symphony" by Dan Brown
With Learning styles scientifically proven to be a myth, we should anyway be mindful of the multi-sensory channels that we use to process information. Dan Brown does a terrific job illustrating the power of uniting both visual, audio and even spatial-kinethetic stimuli in just one print book, which makes ita model for my own learning design. And if you get to read the book, remember to decipher some hidden codes !