Alexandra Horowitz’s On Looking: A Walker’s Guide to the Art of Observation is an exploration of how much of the world we miss in our daily lives. The premise is simple but compelling: Horowitz walks the same city block multiple times with different companions (a geologist, a dog trainer, an artist, a blind woman, and others) and discovers how each person notices entirely different aspects of the same environment. The book’s greatest strength is its reminder that paying attention matters. We often move through familiar places on autopilot, seeing only what we expect to see. Horowitz encourages readers to slow down and observe more carefully. Her walks reveal hidden details, overlooked patterns, and small moments of beauty that are always present but rarely noticed. The book makes a convincing case that the world becomes richer when we actively engage with it rather than merely pass through it. Reading On Looking can change the way you experience everyday life. After spending time wit...

  When I wrote my first book on neighboring,  I was trying to help people rediscover something that has always had the power to change lives: being an engaged neighbor. Today, I’m grateful to celebrate an exciting milestone. Together, my first two books have sold more than 750 copies , reaching readers across Missouri, throughout the United States, and beyond. Every copy represents someone who believes neighborhoods matter and that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference by connecting with those around them. My first book, Neighborhood Mission Trips for Everyday Christians , encourages Christians to view their own neighborhoods as places where faith can be lived out every day. Rather than waiting for opportunities far from home, the book invites readers to recognize that some of the most meaningful ministry opportunities may exist just across the street. My second book, The Neighboring Playbook , grew out of years of community development work, research, and the c...

Dr. Emily Smith’s The Science of the Good Samaritan: Thinking Bigger about Loving Our Neighbors is a thoughtful exploration of the psychology and social science behind compassion, empathy, and helping others. Drawing on a wide range of research, Smith demonstrates how our brains, environments, and habits influence whether we notice and respond to the needs of those around us. The book is well-researched and offers practical insights for anyone seeking to become more attentive and compassionate. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its ability to translate scientific research into practical application. Smith highlights how busyness, distraction, and the “bystander effect” often keep people from noticing opportunities to help others. She also emphasizes that intentional habits of slowing down, paying attention, and practicing empathy make us more likely to respond when someone is in need. These findings are valuable reminders that loving our neighbors requires more than good intenti...

Nobody Starts Ready: How Ordinary People Make a Real Difference Where They Live by C. L. Huckaby is a practical and encouraging book focused on community engagement. Rather than celebrating famous changemakers or extraordinary leaders, Huckaby reminds us that meaningful change is almost always started by ordinary people who simply decide to take the first step. The central message is both refreshing and liberating: you do not have to feel ready before you begin.  Plus, she profiles me in the book.  What makes this book especially compelling is its reliance on real stories. Huckaby draws from interviews with community leaders, volunteers, city officials, nonprofit professionals, and everyday residents from across North America to demonstrate that civic leadership is rarely planned. Again and again, readers see people who stumbled into opportunities, learned as they went, and gradually discovered their ability to make a difference. These stories feel authentic because they are ...

Alone Together is one of the most important cultural analyses of the digital age. In this compelling and carefully researched book, Sherry Turkle — a sociologist and psychologist at MIT — examines how technology, particularly social media, smartphones, and relational AI, is reshaping human relationships. Her central question is both simple and unsettling: Are we becoming more connected — or more alone? The book is 16 years old (as of 2026) and that question has never been more important, or more relevant. Turkle does not approach technology as a technophobe. Instead, she offers a careful, compassionate, and research-based reflection on how our digital tools are influencing identity, intimacy, and community. The result is not alarmist — it is sobering. Structure of the Book The book unfolds in two major sections: The Robotic Moment Turkle examines how humans relate to machines — particularly social robots like Tamagotchis, robotic pets, and eldercare robots. She asks: Why do we form em...

  Neighborhood Mission Trips for Everyday Christians , reimagines the mission trip not as a distant excursion but as a walk across the street. It’s a book for ordinary Christians who want to live missionally, starting in their neighborhood.  This book is a practical, devotional-style guide that empowers Christians to see their own neighborhood as a meaningful mission field. Written for individuals, small groups, and churches seeking to reimagine outreach, this book brings the structure of a short-term mission trip into everyday life—without passports or plane tickets. Combining Scripture, personal stories, devotionals, and practical guides, this book equips individuals and churches to cultivate deeper relationships, overcome social isolation, and love their literal neighbors in tangible ways. This is not a theological treatise or a feel-good collection of ideas. It’s a blueprint. Readers are walked through a week-long neighborhood mission trip complete with daily themes, ...

"Fans Have More Friends" is a refreshing and insightful book that reframes how we think about sports fandom, community, and human connection. With a blend of solid research, engaging storytelling, and practical insights, authors Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak make a compelling case that being part of a fan community isn’t just fun — it’s good for our social lives and overall well-being. From the outset, the book’s central premise feels both surprising and intuitive: that fans tend to have stronger social connections, deeper friendships, and a greater sense of belonging than those who aren’t engaged in fandom. Through extensive surveys, interviews, and personal stories gathered over years of research, Valenta and Sikorjak demonstrate that fandom can act as an antidote to loneliness and social isolation — a particularly resonant message in a world where many people report feeling disconnected. What makes 'Fans Have More Friends" especially compelling is how it bala...

  Jeff Siegler’s Your City Is Sick: How We Can Improve the Economic, Social, Mental and Physical Health of Millions by Treating Our Cities Like People , was published in 2023: Overview & Premise Siegler—urban planner, civic pride consultant (founder of Revitalize, or Die), and Pittsburgh resident—argues that the physical, social, mental, and economic health of individuals is deeply shaped by the places they inhabit. Like a physician treats a sick patient, Siegler believes cities must be diagnosed and treated holistically to revitalize struggling communities. The book contains several sentences that should be printed large and framed in city hall as a reminder for city officials about their role and city residents their own role in overcoming toxic civic relationships and building a sense of community belonging. Siegler encourages readers to start doing the work to improve their city and says that work falls into the following five categories: building community, improve aesthet...

In Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, authors Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler explore how our social networks, even the ones we don’t always notice, can influence almost everything in our lives. From our health and emotions to the choices we make, our social connections shape us in ways we often don’t realize. This book is a fascinating look into how deeply connected we all really are, and it’s perfect for anyone interested in understanding the surprising impact that our relationships can have on our lives. What the Book is About At its core, Connected is all about how people are linked together, even in ways we don’t think about. Christakis and Fowler explain that our connections go far beyond just our immediate circle of friends or family. The book dives into the idea that your friends’ friends’ friends can influence your life too. They use examples from science and real-world research to show how these connections affe...