Last Minute Book Gift Idea

If you are looking for a last minute gift idea and you think a book might work, I have two ideas for you.

The first is This I Believe. Released last August, the book is a compilation of the NPR project by the same name. Edward R. Murrow in the 1950's went out and asked people, famous and everyday, to write a short essay about their core values. The series was revived in the last few years using the same process. I read the book cover to cover over the holidays last year. I found the writing powerful and moving. I highly recommend it. A paperback version is available now for $14.

The second is a parallel and equally interesting book called Listening Is an Act of Love. This is the bound version of selected works accumulated by Story Corps, a non-profit initiative to capture oral history in America. A person brings a partner to one of Story Corps' stations and records a 40 minute interview. The partners are given a copy of the interview and a second copy is sent to and stored at the Library of Congress. Taking spoken word and presenting it in a written form is challenging, but I like the stories and sentiments shared. You might buy the audiobook in this case to hear the stories from the original people.

If you need them for next week, I would recommend a visit your local bookshop.

P.S. For all the locals, there is a Story Corps outpost in Milwaukee.