2012 Holiday Reading List

The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined by Salman Khan. It started like many ingenious ideas do—out of necessity. Engineer by training and hedge fund trader by day, Salman Khan simply wanted to tutor his cousin in math. He recorded his sessions and soon had an online following of students and teachers worldwide. With 3,000 videos on topics from basic to complex algorithms, Khan Academy is redefining how students learn and teachers teach. Kahn’s One World Schoolhouse chronicles his vision for reimagining how we all learn.

Almost Home: Helping Kids Move from Homelessness to Hopeby Kevin Ryan. Resiliency is just one core−and critical−character trait of the youth you will meet in Almost Home. Authored by a former reporter and current president of Covenant House, the largest charity serving homeless and runaway youth in North America, this book details the challenges and hopes of six teenagers living on the streets. Ryan leads us on a journey marked by despair and inspiration, compassion and strength—and reminds us how individuals and communities can come together to address serious, long-standing challenges.

A Million Little Bricks: The Unofficial Illustrated History of the LEGO Phenomenon by Sarah Herman. This is the tale of LEGO toys, and the archetype for entrepreneurs everywhere. Beginning in the workshop of a Danish carpenter, LEGOs can be found in children’s playrooms around the world. Brick by brick, Herman shares the history of the LEGO Group and builds the case for the greatest toy of all time. Both nostalgic and contemporary, A Million Little Bricks details the company’s innovative and captivating products—and its success in captivating youngsters for decades.

Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson. From Ethiopia to Sweden and the epicenters of epicurean delight around the world, Marcus Samuelsson is lauded as a standout chef. His passion for all things culinary was born from Saturdays spent in the kitchen with his grandmother. His story is an inspiration to the next generation of business moguls and entrepreneurs anxious to make their mark on world. Travel with Samuelson on two journeys—one into the highs and lows of the competitive world of restaurants, another more personal as he searches for the father he never knew as a young boy. Yes, Chef is a rare and raw look into what drives and defines one of today’s most revered chefs.

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe. The bond between mother and son is celebrated—and grows deeper over a shared love of the literature. Books, and the stories and characters they reveal, provide a meaningful point of connection for Will Schwalbe and his mother Mary Anne as she battles pancreatic cancer. Schwalbe’s tribute to his mother—a petite yet fierce advocate for refugees and other community causes who once served as the director of admissions at Harvard—is a memorable springboard for discussions about life, and living it fully.

Rhapsody by Kelly Wearstler. Design trendsetter Kelly Wearstler offers insights into the thoughts and ideas that have shaped her renowned interiors, which grace homes and hotels throughout the world. Terrific for readers thinking of buying a new home, or renovating a current one, Rhapsody shines a spotlight on the tastes, textures and talents that make up the Los Angeles-based designer’s repertoire. Captured in stunning detail, Wearstler’s interiors come to life and reveal her artistic brilliance.

The Mastaba Project for Abu Dhabi by Christo and Jeanne Claude. Daring and sometimes controversial, the artist duo of Christo and Jeanne Claude challenge our notions of art and our environment. From wrapping Paris’ Pont Neuf to the memorable orange gates dotting New York’s Central Park in the winter, the artists now have their sights creating the world’s largest sculpture—The Mastaba in Abu Dhabi. With photos by Wolfgang Volz, this volume—written in both English and Arabic—provides a captivating look at their magnificent project, including the 410,000-plus multi-colored barrels being used to form a bright, colorful mosaic that echoes the lines and beauty of the surrounding Islamic architecture.