According to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey, about a quarter of American adults report they have not read a book — in whole or in part — in the past year. Here at PSC, that’s hard to imagine; reading is such an integral part of our work days, home lives and hallway discussions. We tend to read voraciously, always looking for new ways to make sense of the world, improve our work and enhance our lifestyles. Books and articles are right up there with food, water and shelter as basic necessities.

As fuel for conversations of your own, we offer you some of our recent favorites. They don’t represent the views of the company — just fodder we use as individuals to inform our thinking, challenge our assumptions and spark engaging and meaningful discussions.

If you would like to talk with us about our recommendations, simply click on our names and shoot us an email. We’d love to hear your thoughts and swap ideas.

Happy reading!   

Share:

Julie Metty Bennett, Senior Vice President

“Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol Dweck

This book changed the way I work, lead and parent. It shows that the power of mindset — how we think about our talent and abilities — can dramatically influence our success in all aspects of life. I work to have a growth mindset every day and encourage the same in my coworkers and family. After reading this book, you will too.

Chris Dorle, Senior Consultant

“The Right Stuff” by Tom Wolfe

This is not just a story of the first astronauts capturing the headlines and imaginations of generations. It is also the story of those quiet professionals behind the scenes, including Chuck Yeager and the test pilots at Edwards Air Force Base, who pushed the envelope of American aviation. They risked their lives, challenged what was possible and then got up and did it again the next day.

Sarah Himes Greer, Program Assistant

“Up Close: Thurgood Marshall” by Chris Crowe 

A compelling look at Jim Crow-era America, this easy-to-read biography takes a deep dive into Thurgood Marshall’s work for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case he brought to the United States Supreme Court — to which he would later be appointed as the first African-American Supreme Court justice. This is a great portrait of one man’s tireless efforts to improve our country and the lives of its residents.

Amanda Menzies, Vice President

“Overcoming Challenges to Medicaid Investments in Social Determinants of Health” by Enrique Martinez-Vidal, Debbie I. Chang, and Tricia McGinnis

A lot of healthcare needs are influenced by factors that are far upstream from the doctor’s office or pharmacy. Housing, transportation, food security — these are just a few of the social determinants of health that state Medicaid programs across the country seek to address through innovative partnerships and payment strategies. This Health Affairs blog post highlights several promising approaches identified through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Payment Reform for Population Health initiative.

Jeff Williams, CEO

“March” by John Lewis

I just started this graphic novel trilogy about John Lewis and the civil rights movement in the United States. I’ve studied and read about Congressman Lewis before, but a friend was raving about the power of his story in graphic novel format. Having just finished wonking out with Nassim Taleb’s “Skin in the Game,” I thought words and pictures would be a nice change of pace!