With Spring Break on the near horizon, you might find yourself with down time – long car rides, airplane flights, up early before the rest of your family (that’s my deal, for sure!). What better way to pass the time than by reading a great book! If you need a few ideas, here is my Spring Break reading list.
#1 – The Invention of Miracles: Language, Power, and Alexander Graham Bell’s Quest to End Deafness, Katie Booth
A fascinating book about Alexander Graham Bell’s attempt to eliminate American Sign Language (ASL). Little did I know of his connection to the deaf community – he was the son of a deaf women & married to a deaf woman – and little did I know that his most notable invention (the telephone) sprang out of his work on a machine designed to teach anyone (blind, deaf, poor, uneducated) to talk. As with many things in life, the stories we learn about famous people are so often white-washed & tidy. Booth digs into the complicated parts revealing a man whose good intentions ended up doing significant damage to an entire group of people.
#2 – The World’s Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America’s First Black Sports Hero, Michael Kranish
This book details the story of Major Tayor, a young black man, who became a world champion in the nation’s mostly white sport of cycling. It takes place in the 1890’s &, although Civil War had ended slavery, Jim Crow laws effectively kept whites & blacks separated. Taylor faced racism at every turn, often from the white athletes he raced against. With the help of several key white elites, he persevered & went on to become one of the first black athletes to achieve national renown. In addition to Taylor’s amazing story, the book describes the significance that the invention of the bicycle had on minorities & the lower classes at a time when the three most popular sports were baseball, boxing & bicycle racing.
#3 – Bach, Beethoven and the Boys: Music History as It Ought to be Taught, David W. Barber
If you like music at all, this is the book for you! An absolutely delightful (and totally funny!) book about the lives of the great (and not-so-great) composers. It’s filled with interesting facts & trivia that bring a human quality to these seemingly untouchable people. Not to mention great jokes like: “When it came to singing, the Gregorians left nothing to chance.” Classic!!! And this little book covers all of music history from Gregorian chant (see above joke) to current day. So much fun!
#4 – Ready to Run: Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally, Dr. Kelly Starrett
An excellent book written by a physical therapist that addresses the reasons why more than three out of four runners experience at least one injury per year. Our modern world full of too much sitting & too much time in less-than-optimal shoes has resulted in lots of lower back problems, chronic knee injuries, & debilitating foot pain. Starrett details 12 performance standards that, if worked on regularly, can bring us closer to a lifetime of pain-free running & help us access our true running potential. Additionally, he lists a host of mobility exercises designed to restore optimal function & range of motion to all your important postural & running joints.
#5 – ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life, Dr. Stacy Sims
“Women are not small men. Stop eating and training like one.”
Dr. Stacy Sims
The above quote is the big take-away from this fascinating book. Because most nutrition products & training plans are designed for men, it’s no wonder that many female athletes struggle to reach their full potential. Exercise physiologist & nutrition scientist, Dr. Sims’ ground-breaking research on female athletes has produced specific physiology-based nutrition & training recommendations designed to help women stay strong & active throughout life. Because women’s physiology changes over time (puberty to pregnancy to menopause), the recommendations adapt to the various stages of life. This book gives you detailed info on how you can make your nutrition, hydration & training work with, rather than against, your female physiology.
To see all of my reading lists, check out: