SMART Reading Program – Forkover Friday Week 4
This last week, I gave to a cause that I love and have previously volunteered with: SMART — Start Making A Reader Today.
What is SMART?
The SMART program helps elementary students become confident readers by pairing them with volunteers for one-on-one attention. They also provide books for the kids to take home (and keep) on a frequent basis, which is really helpful as a lot of the kids in this program come from families that aren’t supporting them in this area already, so having new and fun books to take home as their own creates an excitement around learning and reading which is really fun to see.
How we can help:
1. Donate online to SMART.
2. Volunteer to be a reader.
Forkover Friday Week 4
Who it helps: students
What non-profit: SMART
Where: Portland, Oregon
Why: I volunteered with SMART as a reader and it was a wonderful experience to watch the kids progress and learn to love reading. Photo: mikefats
Where should I give next week?
#57: Read Seth Godin Books That I Haven’t Read
#57 on my 101 Things in 1,001 Days List was to read all of Seth Godin’s books. I was already about halfway done, when I added this to my list, but then he just kept on writing books! Give a girl a break, and let me catch up! ;) If you’re unfamiliar with Godin, he’s a best-selling marketing and business author who writes “bite size” marketing books and a blog.
My favorite book of the 12 is Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas. I like how this book is divided into alphabetized one page blurbs. While not all 183 are “remarkable” ideas, it’s a great way to bring you out of the details of getting things done on a day-to-day basis. It adds a little caffeine to your marketing day. This book is better listened to than read. I really enjoy listening to an audio book that’s narrated by the author, because it’s much more personal and you feel like you’re getting the right tone/inflections.
I just finished his last book, Tribes — We Need You to Lead Us. As usual, it was a quick read and resonated with me in a Gandhi sort of way, “be the change you want to see in the world”. This book isn’t on how to be a better leader, just about deciding to lead. I think my favorite thing was going to read the review on Amazon and finding this in the Editorial Review section:
“The advice found in this book should be used with caution. Change isn’t made by asking permission, Godin says. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later. That may be true, but in this economy and in certain corporations, it may also be a good way to lose a job.” –Publishers Weekly
Hilarious! Seth Godin, are you laughing?
My only critique with Godin’s writing is that he’s often too quick to dismiss stable and “boring” businesses. There’s a time and place for unconventional (that’s why it’s not called “conventional”). For example, I don’t want my toilet paper to be hip and clever– it’s just toilet paper. And it doesn’t matter how “outside the box” your company is if you’re still unprofitable. I am a huge fan of his books though, I just like to take everything with a grain of salt. :)
#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 17 – Eat, Pray, Love
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia just didn’t do it for me. The title is probably the best thing about the book, but I guess that’s why you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s title (or featured destinations). I really tried to be interested in this book, but the author’s perspective just really rubbed me the wrong way. It was too whiny and forced, and it’s not like I couldn’t have identified with it, I just didn’t. I wish I would have checked this out at the library instead of purchasing it. Now I’m starting to sound whiny!
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 16 – The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle is an emotional, but exceptional book. Yes, many families have their own Rex Walls, and the accuracy of the author’s childhood memories could be questioned, but that really wasn’t the point of the book for me. This memoir is about family and acceptance. While I can’t claim to have had such a harsh childhood as the author, I could identify with the book. There’s a lesson to be learned of distancing and accepting family, and in that order.
#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 13 – Getting Things Done
You either love or hate GTD (Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
But I had forgotten how time consuming some of the “lists” are. Last year, I stopped using 3-4 different lists (waiting for, someday/maybe etc) and just started using Remember The Milk instead. This is way less time consuming. I’ll be detailing my “Getting Things Done: Take 2″ in a later post.
If the GTD method escapes you, you can always try the WSD method.
Things I ♥: travel, food (I'm a pescatarian), the Pacific Northwest, bikes (I ride an orange mixte), beer (IPAs), summer, coffee, lists, and kittehs. Travel enthusiast, dabbler, and product manager at BootsnAll Travel Network.
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