2022 SRAI Summer Reading List
The thermostat is rising in much of the world and summer travel plans are well underway! The Catalyst Committee recently asked SRAI Membership what books would you recommend from your reading lists?
Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything
By: B.J. Fogg
Praised as picking up where Atomic Habits left off, this New York Times bestseller is an easy read, presenting a simple, practical method for quickly building habits. Life changing for me.
- Rebecca Claycamp, MS, CRA, Consultant in Research Administration
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
By: David Epstein
“The main reason specialization isn’t ideal is that the world is far more unpredictable than we’d like to believe.” In April, I had the pleasure of leading a small discussion group called What Are You Reading?: Personal Development as Professional Development at the Northeast/Southern Section meeting in my hometown of Philadelphia. This is one of the great books recommended from that session.
- Tania Johnson, CRA, Director of Sponsored Programs, Swarthmore College
Dire Consequences: A Kelly Murdoch Adventure
By: Diane Beeson
I plan on re-reading a great book a friend recommended a few years ago, Dire Consequences: A Kelly Murdoch Adventure. It is fun, fast-paced and laugh out loud funny! I even unexpectedly enjoyed the creepy Dogman character.
- Jill Morris, M.Ed, CRA, Senior Grants Specialist, The Ohio State University, Institute for Population Research
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less
By: Terry Ryan
This is a memoir that was turned into a movie, although I found the book to be much better. It’s about a housewife in the 1950’s-1960’s who entered her jingles, rhymes, and poems to contests that offered prize money in order to help support her family. Many times I found myself laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes! I highly recommend it.
- Catherine Thompson, CRA, Pre-Award Research Administrator, University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development
Legendborn
By: Tracy Deonn
It is a retelling of the story of King Arthur and his knights. The action and storyline was wonderfully written and stayed with you from start to finish. The second book in the series, Bloodmarked, comes out in October 2022, and I cannot wait to read it.
- Carly Pigg, CRA, Coordinator of Grants and Development, Chair, Staff Council, LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing
Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
By: Tiago Forte
This was a “light” summer read, but had many takeaways in how to think and go about organizing your digital life. With much (if not almost all) of research administration being in the digital world, there were many ideas and practices that could be useful in rethinking more effective and efficient ways of working remotely or hybrid. The main theme(s) is the power of writing and note-taking and organizing for actionability.
- Ella Christiansen, Director, Office of Research – College of Health Sciences, Boise State University
True Biz
By: Sara Novic
I recently read True Biz which is a coming of age story set in the deaf community. I loved it because I like to read in order to learn about perspectives that I know little about. I learned about deaf culture, the grammatical rules of sign language, the history of sign language and disability protests leading to the ADA. I really appreciate learning more about what daily activities might be like in a society that assumes everyone hears equally, how different deafness might be for different people, or what family dynamics might be like between deaf and hearing family members. It can be a little gritty but if the topic interests you, it’s well worth reading.
- Erika Wright, Research Development Lead, Cal Poly Humboldt
The Beauty in Breaking
By: Michele Harper
This is about the self-healing process/path to recuperation. Fear and how to let it go even when uncertain of the future.
- Rebecca Rosales, MBA, CRA, Chief Executive Officer, NCIRE – Northern California Institute for Research and Education, Inc.
Hamilton
By: Ron Chernow
This book gives you a great understanding of American History and the overall influence of Alexander Hamilton. All 800 pages are well worth the read, especially if you have experienced Hamilton the musical.
- Gina Cuevas Snyder, CAPM, Program Manager, SRA International
All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business
By: Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks spent the pandemic going back over his very long career to find and share all the great stories and anecdotes across his career, from his time working with Sid Caesar, developing the “2000-year Old Man” record and the “Get Smart” TV show, to every one of his timeless films. Mel Brooks provided an interesting look at how he loves and respects each film genre he parodies. I definitely went back to watch a few Mel Brooks movies right after finishing it!.
- Deborah Appler, Executive Office Administrator, SRA International
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