Welcome to 2020! Submitted here for your consideration - a Studio E Architects Reading List. We polled our staff for their favorite reads of the past year and are recommending these titles to you! So buy, borrow or download something from our list and let us know what you think!
Invisible Women. Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez
"Enlightening, and wonderfully terryfying, the book presents well-rounded insights into how desegregated gender data collection influences the lives of half of the world's population. It brings into the light the negative implications of ignoring the needs of women in terms of design, policy, education, and the social realm. It’s hard to read the book without exploring and analyzing our own biases, which makes it absolutely important. The research and facts are overwhelming, and it has changed the way I look at and operate in the world around me."
– Marcela Gracia
Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin
“If you enjoy science fiction, fantasy, and wildly imaginative ideas that also hit close to reality this is the series for you. Without giving much away, the earth acts as the main antagonist in this post-apocalyptic world and the protagonist is a strong female character.” – Alina Prassas
Factfulness by Hans Roesling
“The subtitle is - Ten Reasons Why We’re Wrong About the World and Why Things are Better Than You Think. Eye opening, paradigm shifting and often witty this might be the best thing I’ve read in a decade. I actually listened to it as an audible book and found the author’s Swedish accent and sense of humor highly entertaining. Be prepared to press the Reset button on many assumptions you may be harboring. For a quick preview check out Hans in one of his many TED talks.” - John Sheehan
Bright From the Start by Jill Stamm, Ph.D.
“A great easy read for anyone with young children. This book explains the science and long term value of how you interacting with children when they are babies and toddlers. Communication and bonding at this young age is critical to their long term brain development. There are multiple suggestions for interactive games, books, songs and simple toys to keep your little one engaged and curious.” – Charity Dunphy
The Revolt of the Public: And the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium by Martin Gurri
“A great dissection of the nature of authority in contemporary society and politics by a former CIA analyst.” – Chris Haack
AwkwardSD - Best and Worst of the Decade 2009-2019 by Ryan Bradford in the now defunct CityBeat
"Bradford is an award-winning humor columnist (and CB’s brightest star) before the alt weekly’s dismantling in late 2019. Ryan keeps the spirit of CityBeat alive in a weekly online newsletter. This piece is a high water mark and a fascinating retrospective of the weird events that defined San Diego since I became a functioning adult." – Kevin Bussett
Dear Sugars: The Invisible Work (Most) Women Do - podcast
“I recommend this podcast because it brings awareness to all the potentially unrecognized tasks people do to manage life, whether that be personally or professionally. And with awareness can come better communication and better balance. While the podcast focuses mostly on family and married life, it can inform all areas of our lives where invisible labor may be dragging one side of the room down. I found the podcast to be uplifting and hopeful that through balancing the labor, everyone can be empowered.” - Mathilda Bialk
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
“It made my list because the story is told through the eyes of the dog. This perspective into how humans interact was incredibly unique and provided several funny moments.” – Vince Rosato
The Sun is a Compass by Caroline van Hemert
“If you crave adventure and ponder the bounds of the human mind/body, then read this book and read it in one night. A beautifully written and insightful chronicle of a modern 4,000 mile human powered expedition across seas, mountains, rivers and places unmapped, the Sun is a Compass will take you along and refocus your gaze on your next adventure – personal, professional, whatever it may be.” – Jennifer Mayfield
Island by Aldous Huxley
“The last book Aldous Huxley wrote before he died, this book is an optimistic summary of his utopian philosophy that presents a counterpoint to his more well- known dystopian masterpiece "A Brave New World". Here, a Western Surgeon is shipwrecked on the tropical Island of Pala and discovers a society that has blended Western pragmatism with Eastern mysticism in an illuminating and entertaining allegory that will challenge your assumptions of social progress and order. Anyone interested in political science, social engineering, Eastern philosophy, or urban planning will find this book a fascinating and thought-provoking read." - Bruno Larios
Flow: The Psychology of the Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
"The book explains how, by constantly challenging ourselves, we can maximize a sense of happiness and fulfilment. A valuable roadmap for those times in life when you find it difficult to stay engaged." – Nate Vandermeulen
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
"It's a very interesting book because the author (who is a neuroscientist) explains how sleep or lack thereof, affects our daily cognitive and physical performance in both short and long term. He explains things from how our body reacts to pulling all-nighters (so common when we were in school), to how the lack of sleep can affect memory in the elderly population." – Marta Navarro
Happy New Year and happy reading (or listening)!
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