Category Archives: BookNotes

Learn How to Use the Power of Mise-en-place in Your Place

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Despite how it may feel, competition for the spiritual attention and Sunday attendance of today’s family is not with the growing church down the road. Church leadership must redirect energy from being “bigger and better” than other churches, and instead see those places that provide “WOW! Experiences” as the real points of comparison among first time guests.

While that may seem impossible to achieve, this present reality can also be turned into a positive. Churches must start LEARNING from those top-notch places and their leaders.

Eating out at one-of-a-kind experiences has never been more popular or accessible. Celebrity chefs and buzz-creating restaurants are literally popping up in cities across the country, large and small. In the world of hospitality, the culinary segment has unique applications to the Guest Experience ministries of a church. The dining experience at a four-star restaurant provides excellent lessons for welcoming ministries in your church.

With input from one son who began making pizzas in high school working his way up to general manager and regional trainer of a national fast casual franchise location and another with a culinary and food service degree who is now an events planner at a university, today’s post explores what leaders can learn from the food industry.

Develop the art of mise-en-place.

THE QUICK SUMMARY – Work Clean, by Dan Charnas

The first organizational book inspired by the culinary world, taking mise-en-place outside the kitchen.

Every day, chefs across the globe churn out enormous amounts of high-quality work with efficiency using a system called mise-en-place―a French culinary term that means “putting in place” and signifies an entire lifestyle of readiness and engagement. In “Work Clean,” Dan Charnas reveals how to apply mise-en-place outside the kitchen, in any kind of work.

Culled from dozens of interviews with culinary professionals and executives, including world-renowned chefs like Thomas Keller and Alfred Portale, this essential guide offers a simple system to focus your actions and accomplish your work. Charnas spells out the 10 major principles of mise-en-place for chefs and non chefs alike: (1) planning is prime; (2) arranging spaces and perfecting movements; (3) cleaning as you go; (4) making first moves; (5) finishing actions; (6) slowing down to speed up; (7) call and callback; (8) open ears and eyes; (9) inspect and correct; (10) total utilization.

This journey into the world of chefs and cooks shows you how each principle works in the kitchen, office, home, and virtually any other setting.

A SIMPLE SOLUTION

Every day, chefs across the globe put out enormous amounts of high quality work with efficiency using a system called mise-en-place – a French culinary term that means “putting in place” and signifies an entire lifestyle of readiness and engagement.

For the culinary student, it is usually the beginning point of their career. But it is a beginning point that is repeated every day of their career – it’s the first thing they will do at the start of each day’s work.

Mise-en-place means far more than simply assembling all the ingredients, pots and pans, plates, and serving pieces needed for a particular period. Mise-en-place is also a state of mind. Someone who has truly grasped the concept is able to keep many tasks in mind simultaneously, weighing and assigning each its proper value and priority. This assures that the chef has anticipated and prepared for every situation that could logically occur during a service period.

Mise-en-place as a simple guide to focusing your actions and accomplishing your work is a necessary first step on the way to an exceptional guest experience.

Mise-en-place comprises three central values: preparation, process, and presence. When practiced by great chefs, these three mundane words become profound. The byproduct of these values may be wealth or productivity, but the true goal is excellence.

Preparation Chefs commit to a life where preparation is central, not an add-on or an afterthought. To become a chef is to accept the fact that you will always have to think ahead, and to be a chef means that thinking and preparation are as integral to the job as cooking. For the chef, cooking comes second. Cooking can’t happen without prep coming first. Embracing preparation also means jettisoning the notion that prep work is somehow menial, beneath us. Your preparation – and its intellectual cousin, planning – thus becomes a kind of spiritual practice: humble, tireless, and nonnegotiable.

Process Preparation and planning along are not enough to create excellence. Chefs must also execute that prepared plan in an excellent way. S they ensure excellent execution by tenacious pursuit of the bet process to do just about everything. A commitment to process doesn’t mean following tedious procedures and guidelines for their own sake. It’s not about turning humans into hyper-efficient robots. Process is, quite the contrary, about becoming a high-functioning human being and being happier for it. Excellence arises from refining good process – how can I do this better or easier, or with less waste? It’s a job, like preparation, that never ends.

Presence Chefs commit to being present in ways from the mundane to the sublime. After months and years of repeated prep and process, the cook acquires a deeper kind of presence – becoming one with the work, and the work becoming kind of meditation. “Kitchen awareness” demands that one not only be “with” the work, but also “with” your comrades and their work at the same time. This kind of awareness isn’t scatteredness. It is, quite the contrary, something closer to what the Eastern traditions call mindfulness. Presence in all its forms – getting there, staying there, being focused, being open, and cultivating boundaries – helps us adjust our preparation and process as the circumstances shift around us.

Dan Charnas, Work Clean – What Great Chefs Can Teach Us About Organization

A NEXT STEP

The three values listed above – preparation, process, and presence– aren’t ideals to admire and applaud. They must be practiced – and can be, by anyone, anywhere.

To apply the values listed above to your hospitality ministry, begin by creating three chart tablets, writing the values above, one word per page.

Read the descriptions listed for each value.

In a discussion with your team, walk through your Guest Experience from beginning to end, and list each action on the appropriate page. If it fits on more than one page, put it on the page it makes most sense, or is strongest.

Review the lists with your team.

  • What’s missing? Write it in, and assign it to a leader, along with a timeline, for development.
  • What needs to be made stronger? Write it in, and assign it to a leader, along with a timeline, for strengthening.
  • What’s unnecessary? Remove it from the list, and your regular activities.

A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions

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Jesus is Lord of Neighborhoods and Networks

We need vintage forms of church to engage our neighborhoods and fresh forms of church to engage the networks all around us. Further, one professional clergy person growing his or her flock is a bankrupt concept. The new missional frontier requires the whole people of God, the “priesthood of all believers.” Every Christian may invite others in their relational sphere to live under the Lordship of Jesus.

Michael Adam Beck and Jorge Acevedo

As consultants who work nationwide and as innovative pastors, authors Michael Adam Beck and Jorge Acevedo awaken congregational leaders and ministry teams to a distinctive Wesleyan approach for the Fresh Expressions movement. In A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions, they show congregations how to cultivate and customize fresh expressions that fit their local context. They motivate ministry teams to take risks, experiment, and when necessary, fail well.

According to authors Beck and Acevedo, in the emerging Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century, John Wesley was leveraging the power of first, second, and third places (home, work, and public places). Not only did he understand the importance of embodying the gospel in the places where people lived, he also had the contextual intelligence to adapt to the rhythms of their lives.

Through relationships with real people in the “nodes” (physical places) we spread the Christian faith like a good virus in the entry points that spreads through the “flows” (digital channels of connectivity).

The authors encourage us to prayerfully seek what and where the Spirit is leading us. Ask what the Spirit is up to in the places where people do life. What are the rhythms of people’s lives in our contexts? How are we engaging the neighborhoods of our communities? How are we engaging the complex system of networks? In what ways are we utilizing the flow that connect people across geographies?

Fresh Expressions epitomize a form of church suited to our evolving culture:

1. Missional: Inspired by the Spirit to reach those who aren’t yet part of the Christian community.

2. Contextual: Tailored to fit the needs and characteristics of the local community.

3. Formational: Centered on the formation of disciples.

4. Ecclesial: A complete expression of “church” rather than a transitional phase leading to an established congregation.

There’s no idealized past to return to. The existing system falls short in reaching the majority of people. We’ve transitioned beyond the information age into an era of globalization, where interconnectedness prevails. For individuals under 30, online communities are integral to daily life, blurring the lines between virtual and physical reality. Shared interests, not geographic proximity, unite people. The prevalent wound of our time is isolation.

The Fresh Expressions movement mirrors the early Methodist reliance on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. To adapt to the new reality, we must be missional in engaging people in their spaces—be it home, work, school, or communal settings like cafes, pubs, or parks. Traditional methods like door-to-door evangelism are ineffective. Instead, we should gather with others in places where they naturally congregate, identifying potential “Holy Spirit Hot Spots.”

Disruption isn’t about creating a product but a process aimed at reaching marginalized segments of society. Examples from companies like Netflix and Amazon illustrate this approach. Failure is to be anticipated, and a bold vision is necessary to engage those who wouldn’t typically step foot in a church. The church must transition from passive observers in seats to active participants in the streets.

People bond over shared interests and activities. Establishing new expressions of the church within these communities can transform practices profoundly. It goes beyond merely mimicking church rituals in trendy locations; God’s grace works through these interactions with non-Christians.

The Methodist Revival, spearheaded by John Wesley, arose amidst immense societal challenges, including high child mortality rates and rampant exploitation in cities like London. Wesley deliberately engaged with the marginalized and suffering, claiming to experience God’s presence amid their struggles.

To engage non-Christians, the unaffiliated, or those disenchanted with organized religion, questions about scripture can serve as entry points for meaningful conversations. Objects with symbolic significance within the church can also spark dialogue with those outside the faith.

inspired and adapted from A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions, by Michael Adam Beck and Jorge Acevedo

Your Hospitality Personality

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How to Confidently Create Connection and Community

You have a hospitality personality, and it impacts how you approach hosting.

Morgan Tyree

Does the thought of hosting a dinner send you into spasms of delight or spirals of dismay? Do you love opening your home to others? Or do you dread even the planning it takes to get a group of friends to arrive at the same restaurant at the same time?

We each have our own unique hospitality personality. And when you tap into yours, you’ll find a lot more blessing with a lot less stressing.

With personal assessments, encouraging stories, and plenty of practical ideas, in Your Hospitality Personality, author Morgan Tyree shows you how to identify and embrace your hospitality personality so you can stop worrying and start enjoying yourself and your guests. She helps you understand your hospitality habits, hurdles, and hang-ups, then offers real-life solutions that fit you.

According to author Morgan Tyree, you have a unique and God-given way of interacting with others; don’t fight against your tendencies. If you do, you’ll only be limiting your potential reach, and wouldn’t that be a disservice?

Tyree also believes that you were specifically and individually created to effectively impact your circles of influence. Press into this truth. Seek out all the possibilities around you, and make sure to let your hospitality personality shine!

Do not waste any moment wishing for a different wiring. The world eagerly awaits your unique and invaluable gifts of hospitality.

Embrace your distinct, God-given manner of engaging with others; don’t resist your inclinations. Suppressing them would only curtail your potential impact, which would be a disservice, wouldn’t it?

You were meticulously crafted to make a significant difference within your spheres of influence. Embrace this reality. Explore the myriad opportunities around you and allow your hospitable nature to radiate!

Understanding your identity and aligning your actions with your hospitality traits will enable you to thrive as a host. Whether in your home or elsewhere, adhere to healthy hospitality practices. Commit to discerning which hospitality habits to retain and which to refine. Approach each aspect of hosting thoughtfully and tactfully, considering the who, what, where, when, and why. Design hosting experiences that alleviate any reservations you may have by purposefully arranging details in a manner that puts you most at ease. Make it your goal to enhance blessings while reducing stress.

Author Tyree outlines four primary hospitality personalities in her book:

  • Leaders: “The Director”
  • Entertainers: “The Socializer”
  • Includers: “The Supporter”
  • Organizers: “The Planner”

Regardless of your type, embrace the people placed in your life by God. Each of your circles craves your presence and attention – they need YOU. Plan your hospitality endeavors, and remember to sprinkle in spontaneous acts of kindness – it’s rewarding!

In her book Daring to Be Yourself, Alexandra Stoddard wisely states, “When you give your presence, you are giving the most. Ultimately, time is all you have. When you pay attention to someone else, you honor that person and the other person can honor you. You act not out of duty, but because you want to.”

Remember – your hospitality personality is a gift – the present of being present. Make sure to give it away!

inspired & adapted from Your Hospitality Personality: How to Confidently Create Connection and Community by Morgan Tyree

Discovering the Joy of Reading: Insights from “Why We Read”

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Most weeks on Wednesday you’ll find posts about books here, part of an ongoing series entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader.

I often post about books on Instagram, and from time to time I will write on the topic of books about reading and books. For example:

Here’s a view of my “books about books” bookshelf:

You are probably getting the picture that books and reading are not just pastimes for me – they are my passion.

Today’s post is about a book that beautifully captures the passion of reading.

We read to escape, to learn, to find love, to feel seen. We read to encounter new worlds, to discover new recipes, to find connection across difference, or simply to pass a rainy afternoon. No matter the reason, books have the power to keep us safe, to challenge us, and perhaps most importantly, to make us more fully human.

Shannon Reed, a longtime teacher, lifelong reader, and New Yorker contributor, gets it. With one simple goal in mind, she makes the case that we should read for pleasure above all else.

In this whip-smart, laugh-out-loud-funny collection entitled Why We Read, Reed shares surprising stories from her life as a reader and the poignant ways in which books have impacted her students. From the varied novels she cherishes (Gone Girl, Their Eyes Were Watching God) to the ones she didn’t (Tess of the d’Urbervilles), Reed takes us on a rollicking tour through the comforting world of literature, celebrating the books we love, the readers who love them, and the ways in which literature can transform us for the better.

Listen to Reed’s passion for reading:

I have never lost my affection for and dependency on books. This is where I pull away from the pack of fellow bookworms, I sense. Much as I like videos and reels and whatever new thing has been invented by the time this goes to print, I’m always reaching back to the OG form, the book, looking for what I can read to help me understand.

Reading a book is quiet, clear, and organized. It’s not hard.

It waits until I am ready, pauses when I need a break, and is still happy to repeat. Reading absolutely never says “Just forget it” when I need clarification. It doesn’t care how I pronounce the words in my head (or aloud, for that matter). It never makes me feel worse and rarely makes me feel lonely.

Reading gives me the world.

And that, friends, is why I read.

If you are fortunate to be inspired to buy and read Shannon’s book, you will enjoy the closing chapter as she pays homage to the amazing literary journey she is on. I won’t spoil your reading pleasure by quoting any of it – except the last two sentences:

Without ever really experiencing any of it, I know it all.

Because books taught me.

Part of a regular series on 27gen, entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader.

During my elementary school years one of the things I looked forward to the most was the delivery of “My Weekly Reader,” a weekly educational magazine designed for children and containing news-based, current events.

It became a regular part of my love for reading, and helped develop my curiosity about the world around us.

Sidewalks in the Kingdom

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New Urbanism and the Christian Faith

The virtue of neighborliness is not only something I want for my neighborhood, but is something I want deeply for every residential area. I can practice neighborliness in my context while advocating for a return to neighborliness in every context.

Eric O. Jacobsen

Christians often talk about claiming our cities for Christ and the need to address urban concerns. But according to Eric Jacobsen, this discussion has remained far too abstract. Sidewalks in the Kingdom challenges Christians to gain an informed vision for the physical layout and structure of the city.

Jacobsen emphasizes the need to preserve the nourishing characteristics of traditional city life, including shared public spaces, thriving neighborhoods, and a well-supported local economy. He explains how urban settings create unexpected and natural opportunities to initiate friendship and share faith in Christ.

Helpful features include a glossary, a bibliography, and a description of New Urbanism. Pastors, city-dwellers, and those interested in urban ministry and development will be encouraged by Sidewalks in the Kingdom.

According to author Eric O. Jacobsen, the most meaningful way to define a city he has found is to say that you tend to know when you are in one. While it may sound like a cop-out, this is one area where our intuition might really be our most reliable guide.

To be more specific, there are six general features that would indicate to a visitor that he or she is in a city. These features can be understood as six distinct markers of the city.

  • Public spaces
  • Mixed-use zoning
  • Local economy
  • Beauty and quality in the built environment
  • Critical Mass
  • Presence of strangers

Jacobsen believes that a familiarity with these makers gives us handles upon which to hang our impressions of the communities in which we live, whether or not they qualify as cities. They also help focus and clarify our discussion about the merits of city life.

inspired by & adapted from Sidewalks in the Kingdom, by Eric O. Jacobsen

Words That Work: Unlocking the Science of Persuasion and Effective Communication

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In the final post of a four-part mini-series revolving around books, there was a look at the history of the library, the role of books in both shaping conflict and being shaped by conflict, how book design impacts the reading experience, and now some closing thoughts on words themselves.

Almost everything we do involves words. Words are how we persuade, communicate, and connect. They’re how leaders lead, salespeople sell, and parents parent. They’re how teachers teach, policymakers govern, and doctors explain. Even our private thoughts rely on language.

But certain words are more impactful than others. They’re better at changing minds, engaging audiences, and driving action. What are these magic words, and how can we take advantage of their power?

In Magic Words, internationally bestselling author Jonah Berger gives you an inside look at the new science of language and how you can use it. Technological advances in machine learning, computational linguistics, and natural language processing, combined with the digitization of everything from cover letters to conversations, have yielded unprecedented insights.

Learn how salespeople convince clients, lawyers persuade juries, and storytellers captivate audiences; how teachers get kids to help and service representatives increase customer satisfaction; how startup founders secure funding, musicians make hits, and psychologists identified a Shakespearean manuscript without ever reading a play.

This book is designed for anyone who wants to increase their impact. It provides a powerful toolkit and actionable techniques that can lead to extraordinary results. Whether you’re trying to persuade a client, motivate a team, or get a whole organization to see things differently, this book will show you how to leverage the power of magic words.

Magic Words, authored by Jonah Berger, delves into the concealed mechanisms governing language and, more significantly, delineates strategies for employing it more persuasively, nurturing relationships, and achieving success in both personal and professional realms.

The book explores six categories of influential words, devoting a chapter to each of these areas:

Activating Identity and Agency: Words that delineate authority, responsibility, and engagement in actions. This chapter delves into the profound impact subtle alterations in language can have, such as the efficacy of using nouns over verbs in persuasion, mastering the art of refusing to advance towards goals, and adopting specific interrogative phrases to enhance creativity and problem-solving. Furthermore, it discusses how speaking in the third person can mitigate anxiety and enhance communication, along with the nuanced effects of pronouns like “you” on social interactions and empathy.

Conveying Confidence: Language not only communicates information but also conveys the speaker’s confidence, thereby influencing perceptions and sway. This chapter explores how eliminating certain words transformed an underperforming salesperson into a top achiever, the significance of linguistic style in legal discourse, and linguistic cues that enhance credibility and authority. It also delves into the allure of certainty and the strategic use of uncertainty in communication to foster trust and receptivity.

Asking the Right Questions: This chapter delves into the science behind effective questioning, revealing why seeking advice enhances perceived intelligence and increases the likelihood of securing subsequent dates. It elucidates the types and timing of questions for optimal outcomes, strategies for deflecting challenging inquiries, and techniques for fostering deeper social connections through inquiry.

Leveraging Concreteness: Highlighting the potency of concrete language, this chapter reveals how specific words convey attentive listening and why emphasizing “fixing” rather than “solving” problems enhances customer satisfaction. It explores instances where abstract language may be advantageous, signaling authority and leadership, and discusses its role in fundraising for startups.

Employing Emotion: Exploring the emotive dimension of language, this chapter unveils how emotional language enhances engagement across various contexts. It narrates anecdotes, such as the success story of a young intern who built a podcasting empire by mastering storytelling principles. Additionally, it delves into the interplay between negative and positive emotions in enhancing enjoyment and boosting sales, offering insights into captivating audience attention and managing emotional responses.

Harnessing Similarity and Difference: This section explains the significance of linguistic similarity in interpersonal dynamics, explaining its impact on social connections, promotions, and friendships. It also explores scenarios where embracing difference proves advantageous, citing examples from music popularity trends and artificial intelligence research.

The book concludes by emphasizing the universal role of language in everyday communication, whether through written correspondence or oral discourse. It underscores the importance of mastering language for effective communication, persuasion, and relationship-building, positing that linguistic proficiency is a skill that can be learned and honed over time, empowering individuals to achieve their communication goals effectively.

Part of a regular series on 27gen, entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader.

During my elementary school years one of the things I looked forward to the most was the delivery of “My Weekly Reader,” a weekly educational magazine designed for children and containing news-based, current events.

It became a regular part of my love for reading, and helped develop my curiosity about the world around us.

From Concept to Cover: Navigating the Design Journey of Books

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This mini-series about books started off with the history of the library, then went to books at war, and now comes down to the book itself – or rather, how important the design of a book is to the reader.

Design is central to the appeal, messaging, and usefulness of books, but to most readers, it’s mysterious or even invisible. Through interiors as well as covers, designers provide structure and information that shape the meaning and experience of books. In The Design of Books, Debbie Berne shines a light on the conventions and processes of her profession, revealing both the aesthetic and market-driven decisions designers consider to make books readable and beautiful. In clear, unstuffy language, Berne reveals how books are put together, with discussions of production considerations, typography and fonts, page layouts, use of images and color, special issues for ebooks, and the very face of each book: the cover.  

The Design of Books speaks to readers and directly to books’ creators—authors, editors, and other publishing professionals—helping them to become more informed partners in the design of their projects. Berne lays out the practical steps at each stage of the design process, providing insight into who does what when and offering advice for authors on how to be effective advocates for their ideas while also letting go and trusting their manuscripts with teams of professionals. She includes guidance as well for self-publishing authors, including where to find a designer, what to expect from that relationship, and how to art direct your own book.

Throughout, Berne teaches how understanding the whats, hows, and whys of book design heightens our appreciation of these cherished objects and helps everyone involved in the process to create more functional, desirable, and wonderful books.

Berne embarked on the journey of writing this book because she sensed a gap in understanding among the authors and editors she collaborated with regarding book design. It seemed there was a lack of accessible resources for them to grasp the intricacies of design. Traditional books on design target designers themselves, while online explanations often offer fragmented and bewildering information, focusing on the “what” rather than the “why.” Berne’s aim was to equip those on the editorial side with not only the vocabulary and techniques of design but also the underlying rationale behind design decisions. This endeavor wasn’t solely for enjoyment, although design can indeed be enjoyable, but rather to facilitate more meaningful discussions, enriched experiences, and ultimately, better books.

The Design of Books provides the reader with insights into the mechanics of typography and the significance of factors like line length. It will heighten your awareness of the nuances of headings and how the choice of words influences cover design. Above all, it will enhance your perception of design and its contributions.

As a book designer turned author, Berne advocates for the importance of design in publishing and emphasizes the significance of incorporating the voice and ideas of the designer early in the process. Often, design is an afterthought, introduced late in the game, leading to a discord between the materials provided and the expectations for their presentation. Authors should consider how the design will complement the content from the outset, including collaboration with designers during the developmental stages. Effective design should intertwine seamlessly with the content; attempting to apply it as an afterthought overlooks its essence.

Design inside a book creates order and bestows authority. Reading a badly designed book is like driving over a crumbling road, potholes everywhere.

Debbie Berne

Part of a regular series on 27gen, entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader.

During my elementary school years one of the things I looked forward to the most was the delivery of “My Weekly Reader,” a weekly educational magazine designed for children and containing news-based, current events.

It became a regular part of my love for reading, and helped develop my curiosity about the world around us.

Palaces for the People

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How Social Infrastructure Can Help People Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life

The social and physical environment shapes our behavior in ways we’ve failed to recognize; it helps make us who we are and determines how we live.

Eric Klinenberg

We are living in a time of deep divisions. Americans are sorting themselves along racial, religious, and cultural lines, leading to a level of polarization that the country hasn’t seen since the Civil War. Pundits and politicians are calling for us to come together and find common purpose. But how, exactly, can this be done?

In Palaces for the People, Eric Klinenberg suggests a way forward. He believes that the future of democratic societies rests not simply on shared values but on shared spaces: the libraries, childcare centers, churches, and parks where crucial connections are formed. Interweaving his own research with examples from around the globe, Klinenberg shows how “social infrastructure” is helping to solve some of our most pressing societal challenges. Richly reported and ultimately uplifting, Palaces for the People offers a blueprint for bridging our seemingly unbridgeable divides.

According to author Eric Klinenberg, social infrastructure is not “social capital” – a concept commonly used to measure people’s relationships and interpersonal networks – but the physical conditions that determine whether social capital develops.

When social infrastructure is robust, it fosters contact, mutual support, and collaboration among friends and neighbors; when degraded, it inhibits social activity, leaving families and individuals to fend for themselves.

Social infrastructure is crucially important, because local, face-to-face interactions – at the school, the playground, and the corner diner – are the building blocks of all public life.

People forge bonds in places that have healthy social infrastructures – not because they set out to build community, but because when people engage in sustained, recurrent interaction, particularly while doing things they enjoy, relationships inevitably grow.

inspired by Palaces for the People, by Eric Klinenberg

Turning the Pages of War and Peace

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In a follow-up to last week’s look at the history of the library, a companion post: the role of books in both shaping conflict and being shaped by conflict (the very appropriate subtitle of the book).

Print, in all its rich variety, will continue to play a part in human interactions through the globe, in war as in peacetime… When books go to war, others stay behind, a reminder of the better times when conflict can be banished to the edge of our consciousness, if never wholly eradicated.

Andrew Pettegree

We tend not to talk about books and war in the same breath – one ranks among humanity’s greatest inventions, the other among its most terrible. But as esteemed literary historian Andrew Pettegree demonstrates, the two are deeply intertwined. 

The Book at War explores the various roles that books have played in conflicts throughout the globe. Winston Churchill used a travel guide to plan the invasion of Norway, lonely families turned to libraries while their loved ones were fighting in the trenches, and during the Cold War both sides used books to spread their visions of how the world should be run. As solace or instruction manual, as critique or propaganda, books have shaped modern military history – for both good and ill. 

With precise historical analysis and sparkling prose, The Book at War accounts for the power – and the ambivalence – of words at war.

In May 1933, news of widespread book burnings orchestrated by the Nazis in Germany triggered a swift and impassioned response in the United States. Almost 200,000 people took to the streets in cities across the country to protest this censorship. Authors, some of whose works had been burned, strongly condemned the actions. President Franklin D. Roosevelt incorporated the imagery of the smoldering pyres into his speeches, emphasizing the importance of preserving freedom and civil liberties.

Nearly a century later, book burnings during the Nazi era remain a powerful symbol, partly due to their impact at the time. Many Americans saw them as emblematic of the German regime, serving as a forewarning of future atrocities. However, Andrew Pettegree’s extensive cultural history, The Book at War: How Reading Shaped Conflict and Conflict Shaped Reading, reveals a surprising twist. Less than two decades before the Nazi book burnings, during periods of wartime chauvinism, Americans themselves fervently burned German books, with librarians leading the way.

Pettegree, a professor of modern history at Scotland’s University of St Andrews, delves into the intricate relationship between printed media, books, and war. He argues that books have played a crucial role in conditioning readers to expect and support conflicts, serving as carriers of ideology and spoils for victors. Yet, they have also provided solace and solidarity during times of combat, offering comfort to civilians in hiding and soldiers on the front lines.

While Pettegree’s depth of knowledge and skillful storytelling are evident throughout, he reaches a high-water mark when detailing the literary toll of war, providing acute actuarial insights into the destruction of books during World War II. The loss of over 500 million books in Europe, including the ransacking of Jewish libraries and the devastation in Poland, underscores the profound impact on cultural heritage.

A fascinating thread weaves through what Pettegree calls “warrior authors” – the great leaders of the world powers who found themselves in opposition not only on the battlefield, but also on the written page. Here are a few examples:

  • Winston Churchill – Writing was in his blood; his first autobiography “My Early Life” was from his adventures in India and Africa during Britain’s various wars in the region. Prior to his ascendancy to become Prime Minister, writing and journalism kept him ahead of his mounting debts. After WWII, he would win the Nobel Prize for Literature, for his oratory and historical writing.
  • Adolf Hitler – The most notorious text of the twentieth century, “Mein Kampf” laid out in remarkable detail his program for Germany and the fate that awaited its enemies. He was also a discerning reader and collector, particularly of architectural and history books, appropriated by American soldiers in 1945 and now in the Library of Congress.
  • Joseph Stalin – Belying his reputation as crude and uneducated, he was a deeply literate and thoughtful reader and lover of books. His carefully curated library of over 15,000 volumes carried over into his involvement with some of the major writing projects of the Soviet state, influencing a war of ideas in Communist countries around the world.
  • Charles de Gaulle – A lonely symbol of French defiance during most of WWII, he first came to prominence as an author of aa widely admired text on armored warfare that crossed international boundaries and was quickly translated into both German and Russian.

The Book at War not only examines the destructive power of war on literature but also highlights how books have provided comfort to individuals enduring conflict. The accounts of Allied soldiers receiving cartons of paperbacks after storming Normandy’s beaches and Anne Frank finding solace in books while hiding from the Germans in Amsterdam are particularly poignant. These stories prompt reflection on how books continue to influence those facing conflict today.

On a personal note, my father was a WWII veteran who loved to read. Much later in life – his early 80s – he shared with me both stories and a few books that he had saved from his time in service. In addition, he had a highly curated selection of books by and about some of the great leaders of that generation, particularly Dwight Eisenhower. Upon is passing, I was fortunate to bring several of those into my personal library.

Part of a regular series on 27gen, entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader.

During my elementary school years one of the things I looked forward to the most was the delivery of “My Weekly Reader,” a weekly educational magazine designed for children and containing news-based, current events.

It became a regular part of my love for reading, and helped develop my curiosity about the world around us.

The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Seen

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When I was young, I wanted to be knowledgeable, but as I got older, I wanted to be wise. Wise people don’t just possess information; they possess a compassionate understanding of other people. They know about life.

David Brooks

Along the journey of becoming a Modern Elder, I want to become more present with people, have bigger conversations, and find deep pleasure in human connection.

As a textbook introvert, I struggle with the previous sentence, but there’s always hope…

…especially when I read How to Know a Person by David Brooks.

David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen – to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”

And yet we humans don’t do this well. All around us are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. In How to Know a Person, Brooks sets out to help us do better, posing questions that are essential for all of us: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person’s story should you pay attention to?

Driven by his trademark sense of curiosity and his determination to grow as a person, Brooks draws from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and from the worlds of theater, philosophy, history, and education to present a welcoming, hopeful, integrated approach to human connection. How to Know a Person helps readers become more understanding and considerate toward others, and to find the joy that comes from being seen. Along the way it offers a possible remedy for a society that is riven by fragmentation, hostility, and misperception.

The act of seeing another person, Brooks argues, is profoundly creative: How can we look somebody in the eye and see something large in them, and in turn, see something larger in ourselves? How to Know a Person is for anyone searching for connection, and yearning to be understood.

Building meaningful relationships and fostering a sense of community boils down to mastering a series of small, tangible social skills. It’s about navigating disagreements without damaging connections, gradually unveiling vulnerability, being an attentive listener, gracefully concluding conversations, seeking forgiveness when needed, gently turning down others without causing heartbreak, comforting those in distress, and hosting gatherings where everyone feels embraced. It’s also about the ability to empathize and see things from another’s perspective.

Within any group, there are two types of individuals: Diminishers and illuminators. Diminishers focus on themselves, making others feel insignificant through stereotypes and assumptions. On the flip side, illuminators exhibit a persistent curiosity about others, asking the right questions to understand different viewpoints. They shine a light on people, making them feel respected and valued.

Despite being crucial life skills, these aren’t typically taught in schools, leaving a gap in practical knowledge about offering the rich attention we all crave. At the core of a healthy person, family, school, organization, or society lies a fundamental skill: the ability to deeply see and make others feel seen, to understand and value them.

This goes beyond mastering a set of techniques; it’s a way of life. To truly know someone, you need to grasp how they perceive the world, experiencing it through their eyes. Building relationships is an ongoing effort to understand others on a profound level and let them feel heard, valued, and comprehended. It’s about knowing how they know you.

Some people are much better at seeing people than others are. In any collection of humans, there are diminishers and there are illuminators. Diminishers are so into themselves, they make others feel insignificant. They stereotype and label. If they learn one thing about you, they proceed to make a series of assumptions about who you must be.
Illuminators, on the other hand, have a persistent curiosity about other people. They have been trained or have trained themselves in the craft of understanding others. They know how to ask the right questions at the right times — so that they can see things, at least a bit, from another’s point of view. They shine the brightness of their care on people and make them feel bigger, respected, lit up.

David Brooks

Take a look at some of the following characteristics of Diminishers and Illuminators as developed by Brooks. Do you recognize yourself in any of them?

Diminisher Tactics

  • First Impressions: It’s that quick sizing-up moment when you meet someone, where you open your eyes, direct your gaze, and take them in.
  • Egotism: Some folks struggle to step outside their own viewpoints. They just aren’t curious about others.
  • Anxiety: Ever met someone drowning in the noise of their thoughts? It’s like they’ve got a whole party in their head, and they can’t quite tune into what’s happening in yours.
  • Naïve Realism: Ever thought your perspective was the one true reality, assuming everyone sees the world just as you do? That’s naive realism in action.
  • The Lesser-Minds Problem: While we’re privy to our thoughts, we only catch a snippet of what’s happening in other minds. This leads to the perception that our inner world is far more intricate than theirs.
  • Objectivism: Picture someone adopting a detached, dispassionate stance to understand entire populations but missing the individual stories.
  • Essentialism: Ever grouped people together, thinking they’re more similar than they really are? Or believed others from different groups are fundamentally different from “us”? That’s essentialism.
  • The Static Mindset: Imagine forming fixed perceptions of people, maybe based on past encounters, and not bothering to update them to reflect who they are now. That’s the static mindset in action.

The Illuminator’s Look

  • Gentleness: It’s about having a genuine emotional concern for others, recognizing the ties that bind us and the commonalities we share.
  • Openness: Pushing aside insecurities and self-absorption to fully engage in the experience of someone else.
  • Curiosity in Action: Cultivating the spirit of an explorer and honing the skill of imagining to truly see others.
  • Warmth: While some treat understanding as an intellectual exercise, for many, it’s a whole-body experience filled with emotion and affection.
  • Kindness: A generous spirit that looks for the best in people.
  • A Complete View: It’s easy to misjudge when you only see a fragment of someone rather than their whole being.

Striving to cast an illuminating gaze that is tender, generous, and open, we set ourselves on the right path. This approach helps us move beyond the clichéd character types we often lazily assign to people, ultimately enhancing how we present ourselves to the world.

The real process of, say, building a friendship or creating a community involves performing a series of small, concrete actions well: being curious about other people; disagreeing without poisoning relationships; revealing vulnerability at an appropriate pace; being a good listener; knowing how to ask for and offer forgiveness; knowing how to host a gathering where everyone feels embraced; knowing how to see things from another’s point of view.

David Brooks