A Must Read Book!

For those of you that don't know, I received a grant this summer that funds my research into the key players that use the arts as a tool for economic development.  This research requires LOTS and LOTS of reading, but it has not dissuaded me from reading for pleasure, it is after all summer.  I've read several good books including Room, The Kite Runner, and Falling Home, however my most recent read takes first place.

After reading Lisa Bloom's article "How to Talk to Little Girls,"  and seeing that 25% of young American women would rather win America's Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize, I knew I needed to read her book Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World. Thanks to my NookColor, wi-fi and a sleepless night, I downloaded and began to read this book from the comfort of my bedroom chair. Lisa Bloom argues that the women and girls of today excel in education at every level and outperform their male counterparts in employment, but at the same time obsess over celebrity gossip and plastic surgery.  Bloom is concerned that we are living in a "dumbed down" world where we forget to think, or are not required to think, for ourselves.   Her book is very humorous and candid, at the same time making you question and think.

It was a highly enjoyable, but educational read that really made me question my own life and how I interact within society and within a larger world.  As a result, I have cancelled my Nook eMagazine subscription to Cosmo (we'll see how long this one lasts!), and have added several of Bloom's recommended reading to my "To Read" list.  (She highly recommends Geraldine Brook's Nine Parts of Desire and thanks to Ms. Berini, my 11th grade English teacher, I have already read that one!) 

If you are looking for a non-fiction, but enjoyable, funny, thought-provoking book to read consider Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World.