KnowledgeNudge 2019 Summer Reading List
--
The sun is shining, the temperature is rising, the beach is calling and its time for vacation. What does that mean for you? Is it relaxing lakeside, like so many Canadians right now? Is it catching up on Netflix in an air-conditioned condo? Maybe it means gardening and spending time with kids, or going on a daily run/hike/bike ride. For some of us, its a chance to catch up on reading that we wouldn’t normally make time for in our day-to-day lives.
This summer, take some time to sit back with a good book or two, recommended by our own Knowledge Translation platform here at the George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation (CHI).
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
Recommended by Carly Leggett (CHI’s Knowledge Translation Manager & Practice Lead)
What It’s About:
Quiet discusses how Western society has emphasized the “myth of the extrovert ideal,” beginning in the 20th century, how deeply the idea is entrenched in today’s culture, and how we miss out on valuable insight and contributions when we undervalue people who are introverted. Scientific definitions of introversion and extroversion are used to discuss preferences of the two ‘temperaments’ for varying levels of stimulation. Cain shares stories of highly successful people who identify as introverts (which surprisingly include a public speaker and a recording-breaking salesman) in an effort to shift our perspective on the value and meaning of what it is to be introverted (and extroverted).
Why I Love It:
As an extrovert myself, this book had me rethinking my leadership style, my management abilities, and my interactions with colleagues and friends alike (both introverts and extroverts). At the surface level, the world of knowledge translation (with its similarities to communications, marketing, and sales) can be seen as a ‘paradise’ for people who are extroverted. However, this book made me second-guess that assumption — it led me to reflect more deeply on the relationships that myself and others have with the people that I work with; their individual personalities, work styles, and insights; and how I as a leader can encourage them to utilize their strengths to succeed and excel in their roles.
Research as Resistance, Second Edition: Revisiting Critical, Indigenous, and Anti-Oppressive Approaches, edited by Leslie Brown and Susan Strega
Recommended by Carolyn Shimmin, CHI’s Patient and Public Engagement Lead
What It’s About:
Though aimed at social science research, the second edition of Research as Resistance is an incredible tool for health researchers (especially those working in patient and public engagement and knowledge translation). This text helps guide readers through the theory and practice of resistance-based research and its methods, drawing from feminist, Indigenous, and critical race scholarship. Exploring the theory and practice of anti-oppressive research, the book highlights the importance of critical reflexive practice and participatory methods.
Why I Love It:
Much of our focus in patient and public engagement at CHI is in bringing a social justice and health equity lens to health research. This means ensuring inclusivity and diversity in research — ensuring the voices that are often less heard in health research are brought to the forefront. This often means challenging the status quo’ of research and engagement, as well as the homogenization of the conceptualization of ‘patients’ and medicalization of people who are differently located. This text helps researchers practice critical reflexivity and understand the importance of inclusive, safe, and meaningful participatory methods in research.
Can’t Hurt Me, by David Goggins
Recommended by Trish Roche (CHI Patient Engagement Knowledge Broker)
What It’s About:
David Goggins grew up in poverty, suffering abuse and prejudice, to become an overweight and depressed young man with no real goals in life. One day he decided to change everything, and set his sights on becoming a Navy SEAL. Goggins pushed himself through starvation, broken bones, and near death in excruciating SEALS training, a 24-hour marathon, and other incredible feats of strength and endurance to become a U.S. Armed Forces icon and what Outside magazine calls “The Fittest (Real) Man in America.” In Can’t Hurt Me, Goggins shares his story and challenges readers to face their fears, set big goals, and get real with themselves and what they’re truly capable of.
Why I Love It:
As someone who has mainly focused on mental, intellectual, and psychological health and fitness, my newfound love of weightlifting has taken me down an entirely different path. With newfound body awareness, I’ve become more cognizant of the connection between mind and body — and have begun to learn that limits your mind sets don’t necessarily equate to those that exist in the body. Goggins has really hit this message home with Can’t Hurt Me (though in an extreme and masochistic manner). The challenges throughout the book and his message really hit home — not just in physical endeavours, but in all things in life —to get past your limits, you’re going to have to do new things, struggle, push through pain, and get uncomfortable. Goggins’ story helps you recognize when you’re just whining about “being tired” or “not having time” and forces you to come to terms with yourself regarding how badly you want something and how hard you’re going to work for it.
The Pomodoro Technique, by Francesco Cirillo
Recommended by Mercy Magundayao (CHI’s Communications Specialist)
What It’s About:
The Pomodoro Technique is a timer-based productivity method. It breaks down To Do lists and work into short chunks of time and prioritizes components of planning, tracking, recording, and processing. The goal is to reduce distractions (internal and external) and maximize flow. If you do happen to get distracted (by a phone call, for example), you either record that task and put it on your To Do list for later, or abandon the Pomodoro you were working on.
To summarize:
- Choose a task from your To Do list;
- Set a timer for 25 minutes;
- Work until the timer rings, then put a checkmark on a piece of paper to track your ‘Pomodoros’;
- Take a short 5 minute break;
- Repeat until you have four checkmarks (‘Pomodoros’) completed;
- Every fourth ‘Pomodoro’, take a longer (15–30 minute break) before starting the next task to let your brain rest and assimilate new information.
Why I Love It:
Though the Pomodoro Technique might not work for everyone (especially when writing), for me it’s great to use when I have a huge task list with tight deadlines. I find it helps streamline my focus and more easily switch gears between projects. For a timer, I just use something free and online like Tomato Timer (which is fitting, as pomodoro is Italian for tomato, based on the author’s use of a tomato-shaped kitchen timer as a student).
The Break, by Katherena Vermette
Recommended by Ogai Sherzoi, CHI Patient Engagement Knowledge Broker
What It’s About:
The Break begins with a Métis mother named Stella reporting a possible crime in the empty field outside her home (called the Break). The book is a saga that unfolds through shifting narratives of people connected (directly or indirectly) to the victim. Through these fictional stories, Vermette exposes a larger and more complex narrative of the lives of people living in Winnipeg’s North End and their experiences. As one review in the Globe and Mail states: “In many ways, this is a novel about the fear every woman carries with her, whether she has experienced violence first-hand or not.”
Why I Love It:
This is actually on my own reading list for the summer, though I have heard it is a devastating and painful collection of stories. Through these narratives, the author will explore broader themes of connection with family, culture, history, and the land when coping with challenges of urban life. The use of storytelling is so important for understanding each other, our lives, our contexts, and our experiences, so we can heal ourselves and help others heal.
Thanks to these Knowledge Translation platform members for sharing some of their favourite reads (and ‘want to reads’)! Let us know what’s on your summer reading list, whether it’s related to knowledge translation, patient engagement, research, or simply for enjoyment!
