Dads Read Too

JER: “ Penguin Problems ” by author Jory John and illustrator Lane Smith feels relevant for our times, i.e. a pandemic, collapsed economy, and political/social polarization.  It is easy for my mind to gravitate to despair and pinpointing all the reasons to be pessimistic about life right now.  But there are always reasons to be grateful.  As the walrus says, “I wouldn’t trade my life for any other”. • A gift from my Mother

JER: “Duck! Rabbit!” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld masterfully displays the connection between perspective and cognitive bias.  The human brain is a magical meaning-making machine.  As explained by the books “The Righteous Mind” and “Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)” , the human brain is programmed to react based on emotions and justify those actions to convince ourselves that we have made the right decisions.   I want to believe that “free will” exists, and that I am in control of my decisions, but there is growing research that helps demonstrate that humans can see, think, and feel that mutually exclusive realities exist based on their perspectives.  The 2020 Presidential Election is an example.  Some people, government officials included, claim that there was rampant, significant voter fraud that “stole” the election.  Other people, government officials included, claim that the election was the “most secure in history” . This event s...