I recently finished printing a 3D model of Mister Rogers’ neighborhood trolley.  It brought me a strange sense of joy to think of the little trolley that transported viewers from the real world of Mister Rogers’ house to the make-believe world.  Both ends of the trolley track ended in places of kindness and wonder.  Kindness and Wonder: Why Mister Rogers Matters Now More Than Ever is an exploration of how he wove principles and values into the social and emotional education of children. The Helpers I mentioned in my review of The Good Neighbor how Rogers’ mother implored him to ..read more

It’s Joanne Rogers’ wisdom that starts The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember.  Written the year of his death, his grieving wife was able to share her vision of Fred Rogers in a way that no other could – except perhaps Fred himself. Courage, Love, and Discipline These are the words that Joanne used to describe her husband.  Courage is too often reduced to a fearless movement forward, but that’s not Rogers.  He reportedly did have fears – but he chose to move forward when he felt them, demonstrating true courage.  (See Find Your Courage.) Love is ..read more

It’s fitting that Joanne Rogers, Fred Roger’s wife, would open Life’s Journeys According to Mister Rogers.  Written in 2005, two years after Fred’s death and using his quotes, the book pays homage to his wisdom.  However, It’s Joanne’s wisdom and peace that is striking.  “When the day turns into night, / And you are way beyond my sight, / I think of you.”  As openings go, it’s powerful.  It sets the tone for a journey through Fred’s beliefs and his view of life. Fascinating Journeys One of the resounding thoughts that comes across, both here and in other works written ..read more

The actual source of my memory is lost to the sands of time.  We lived in a few houses during the first few years of my life.  I can remember seeing Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – but I can’t remember which home I was at.  I never knew Mister Rogers as a Presbyterian minister.  What I missed in my early experiences was The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers: Spiritual Insights from the World’s Most Beloved Neighbor. By Actions There are only a few books that I remember where I was introduced to them.  Heroic Leadership is one of those books.  That plane ride and the sim ..read more

I’m pleased to announce that AIIM and I have partnered together to produce a draft white paper, “Organizational Readiness for Generative AI,” which is now available for review and feedback. Most leaders recognize the impact that generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, can have on employee productivity and organizational performance. But those benefits aren’t guaranteed. This white paper will outline content’s role in GenAI, the ability to use content as a competitive advantage, and the three factors for success in enabling GenAI in your organization. You can get the white paper right now ..read more

There aren’t that many television shows I remember from my childhood.  Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is one of them.  In The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, Maxwell King speaks of the man behind the scenes.  The story is of a man who, though not perfect, lived out his life caring for and educating children on the most important parts of life, their emotions. Sissy Fred Rogers had his fans, but he had his critics, too.  People who felt that he wasn’t masculine enough.  People who felt all this talk about feelings made him – and the kids who watched – into ..read more

It’s an unfortunate reality that we can’t escape.  The odds are likely that you’ll know someone who dies by suicide – even if you don’t know their death was suicide.  The truth is that we’ve had A Sadly Troubled History with suicide.  For centuries, we’ve grappled with our inability to predict who will die by suicide and who will not.  We’ve struggled to understand what drives some to suicide and others away from it even amidst anguish.  This 2009 book doesn’t offer clear answers, but it does provide more clues that will hopefully, one day, allow us to reduce the pain ..read more

A disproportionate number of the books that I read are written by American authors.  This is particularly true when it comes to books on suicide.  Even though the London Anti-Suicide Bureau opened nearly six decades earlier than the Los Angeles suicide prevention center, the work seems centered around America.  That one of the reasons why I was interested in Suicide: A Modern Obsession: it was written by a pair of authors from Ireland.  I could get a different perspective. The Questioning For professionals who encounter patients that attempt or die by suicide, questions abo ..read more

Suicide is the most destructive thing that most people will encounter.  It can destroy families.  But It can save others.  It can also be a powerful statement that can be used to transform the world.  The question that Suicide: The Social Causes of Self-Destruction aims to answer are the motivations and desired outcomes people have for ending their lives. Cry for Help Attempted suicide is a cry for help.  Signals sent about suicidal ideation are a cry for help.  The question is what is it a cry for help for?  In other words, what is it that the person is seek ..read more

I’ve never met a suicide survivor who wanted to congratulate the person they lost on a great decision.  Universally, the word that they wanted to tell them was “Stay.”  That’s why Stay: A History of Suicide and Philosophies Against It was so interesting.  What has history said about suicide and its acceptability to society? Jennifer Hecht, who also wrote Doubt, starts by recounting a few of the influential people in her life whom she’s lost and some of the impact on her.  She longingly calls out to the people she’s lost to stay. Suffering I firmly believe that people who di ..read more