Dr. Seuss’s “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” has become as much a fixture of graduations as a bride’s white dress at a wedding. Commencement speakers quote from it; relatives give the book as a gift; parents read it aloud to their high school and college graduates.
“Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” is a fine piece of poetry, packed with the rollicking rhythms and rhymes of The Great Seuss, and designed to inspire readers of all ages.
Here, in no particular order, are some other books, old and new, you might want to consider giving to a graduate this spring.
“Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” is a fine piece of poetry, packed with the rollicking rhythms and rhymes of The Great Seuss, and designed to inspire readers of all ages.
Here, in no particular order, are some other books, old and new, you might want to consider giving to a graduate this spring.
First up on the list is Charles Murray’s The Curmudgeon’s Guide To Getting Ahead: Dos and Don’ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living A Good Life (Crown Publishers, 142 pages). In addition to sharing advice such as “Excise the word ‘like’ from your spoken English,” “Confront your inner hothouse flower,” and “Show Up,” this small book contains a short but excellent primer on writing well. (I am also recommending it here because Murray advises his readers to “Watch ‘Groundhog Day’ repeatedly.” Groundhog Day is a film about success and becoming a better person, and Murray is correct: it should be watched repeatedly.)
A Man, A Can, A Plan: 50 Great Guy Meals Even You Can Make (Rodale Press, 44 pages) is short because authors David Joachim and the editors of Men’s Health Magazine wisely made it a board book, built for abuse, grease, and spaghetti sauce. Here the most ignorant of cooks (I own a copy) can whip up dishes that delight the eye and palate. The authors include pictures of which cans to use, how the dish will look when served, simple recipes, and a breakdown of calories, fat, fiber, and sodium. If you know any young man—or woman, for that matter—who is about to set out into the world without a clue as to how to cook, this is the perfect book.
Another practical guide for living, especially for young people who will be moving out of the house into their own place, is Marie Kondo’s classic The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (Ten Speed Press, 210 pages). Kondo has a long list of clients who, by following her directions for decluttering and simplifying their home organization, find their lives changed in other ways. The act of getting rid of stuff and organizing what they retain spills over into their work and their relationships with people.
I have only skimmed Martin Yate’s The Ultimate Job Search Guide (Adams Media, 399 pages), but am highly impressed. Not only does Yate show job seekers how to create the best resume and how to negotiate salary and benefits packages, but he also instructs his readers in the minutiae that can make or break finding a good job. (Don’t order salad if you are doing an interview over lunch; it’s too messy.) Completely updated just last year, The Ultimate Job Search Guide covers everything from using Tweets and Google+ to the accessories men and women should wear for an interview.
With Love And Prayers: A Headmaster Speaks To The Next Generation (David R. Godine, Publisher, 344 pages) is a collection of talks made to his students by F. Washington Jarvis, former headmaster of Boston’s Roxbury Latin School, the oldest school in continuous existence in North America. For six years, I used this book of inspirational yet practical essays in my high school literature and composition classes, and found every year that most of my students, and many of their parents, truly enjoyed reading these short pieces. Each essay has a main point like honor or courage, which Jarvis then discusses using examples taken from literature and history, and anecdotes from his personal life as an Episcopalian priest and teacher. High marks on this one.
Finally, consider giving the recent graduate a book about finance: establishing credit, managing debt, buying a car or renting an apartment, the value of a budget. Sheryl Garret’s On The Road: Starting Out (Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2006) is no longer in print but still available from online suppliers and used bookstores. This handy little book gives young readers all sorts of handy financial advice.
In Financial Success Starts…Now!: The Young Person’s Guide to Money in America (Steven Bealey, 2017, 132 pages) CEO Steve Bealey offers a concise and easy-to-use guide to money for those graduating high school and college. In a prose style aimed at those just starting to make their way financially in the world, Bealey covers such concepts as cash flow, net worth, and cash reserve.
Although not aimed directly at the graduate, Jesse Mecham’s You Need A Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want (HarperCollins Publishers, 2017, 207 pages) is a wonderful financial tool. Mecham, founder and CEO of You Need A Budget, a software company designed to help people with their money, has in YNAB given a great gift to all who find themselves near the end of the month scratching their heads and wondering where all the money went. Mecham shows his readers that sticking to a budget won’t restrict them, but will, to the contrary, set them free.
Dr. Seuss tells young people “You’re off to Great Places!”
These books will help them make that journey.
A Man, A Can, A Plan: 50 Great Guy Meals Even You Can Make (Rodale Press, 44 pages) is short because authors David Joachim and the editors of Men’s Health Magazine wisely made it a board book, built for abuse, grease, and spaghetti sauce. Here the most ignorant of cooks (I own a copy) can whip up dishes that delight the eye and palate. The authors include pictures of which cans to use, how the dish will look when served, simple recipes, and a breakdown of calories, fat, fiber, and sodium. If you know any young man—or woman, for that matter—who is about to set out into the world without a clue as to how to cook, this is the perfect book.
Another practical guide for living, especially for young people who will be moving out of the house into their own place, is Marie Kondo’s classic The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (Ten Speed Press, 210 pages). Kondo has a long list of clients who, by following her directions for decluttering and simplifying their home organization, find their lives changed in other ways. The act of getting rid of stuff and organizing what they retain spills over into their work and their relationships with people.
I have only skimmed Martin Yate’s The Ultimate Job Search Guide (Adams Media, 399 pages), but am highly impressed. Not only does Yate show job seekers how to create the best resume and how to negotiate salary and benefits packages, but he also instructs his readers in the minutiae that can make or break finding a good job. (Don’t order salad if you are doing an interview over lunch; it’s too messy.) Completely updated just last year, The Ultimate Job Search Guide covers everything from using Tweets and Google+ to the accessories men and women should wear for an interview.
With Love And Prayers: A Headmaster Speaks To The Next Generation (David R. Godine, Publisher, 344 pages) is a collection of talks made to his students by F. Washington Jarvis, former headmaster of Boston’s Roxbury Latin School, the oldest school in continuous existence in North America. For six years, I used this book of inspirational yet practical essays in my high school literature and composition classes, and found every year that most of my students, and many of their parents, truly enjoyed reading these short pieces. Each essay has a main point like honor or courage, which Jarvis then discusses using examples taken from literature and history, and anecdotes from his personal life as an Episcopalian priest and teacher. High marks on this one.
Finally, consider giving the recent graduate a book about finance: establishing credit, managing debt, buying a car or renting an apartment, the value of a budget. Sheryl Garret’s On The Road: Starting Out (Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2006) is no longer in print but still available from online suppliers and used bookstores. This handy little book gives young readers all sorts of handy financial advice.
In Financial Success Starts…Now!: The Young Person’s Guide to Money in America (Steven Bealey, 2017, 132 pages) CEO Steve Bealey offers a concise and easy-to-use guide to money for those graduating high school and college. In a prose style aimed at those just starting to make their way financially in the world, Bealey covers such concepts as cash flow, net worth, and cash reserve.
Although not aimed directly at the graduate, Jesse Mecham’s You Need A Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want (HarperCollins Publishers, 2017, 207 pages) is a wonderful financial tool. Mecham, founder and CEO of You Need A Budget, a software company designed to help people with their money, has in YNAB given a great gift to all who find themselves near the end of the month scratching their heads and wondering where all the money went. Mecham shows his readers that sticking to a budget won’t restrict them, but will, to the contrary, set them free.
Dr. Seuss tells young people “You’re off to Great Places!”
These books will help them make that journey.