Friday Feature: When and Why

Not too long ago, I finished listening to Daniel Pink's book When -- a book recommended by a friend that turned out to be one of my favorites. As I prepare to talk to my students about procrastination and time management, two topics that continue to be highly relevant to me, I'm revisiting the book. I'm particularly excited to share parts of the "Time Hacker's Handbook," -- a PDF that was included with the audiobook -- with my freshmen.

Then this morning, I found an article in Quartz about a few of the hows and whys surrounding Pink's writing of this particular book. I completely identified with the idea of writing about a topic that was not only relevant in my own life but something of a weakness as well. This, after all, was the impetus behind Know Thyself as I moved from one office to another and adopted a quest for sustainable organization in the process. Now, like Pink, I find that I'm in a better place when it comes to the very topic I write about.

I've never been one to seek out the origin stories of the fiction I read but I find a strange sense of satisfaction when the writer of a nonfiction book I've enjoyed turns out to be struggling with the same things I am. It forges a kind of connection between us, as though we're travelers on the same road which is, despite our new understanding of things, still rocky in places.

I like Pink's writing voice -- at once approachable and informed -- and suspect I'll seek out other books of his to listen to as well. Meanwhile, I'm seeking to apply what I've learned from When and to share Pink's concepts with my students.

What subject would you like to learn more about?