Book Pick of the Week: Be a Scribe

Be a Scribe!

This is an extraordinary translation of a papyrus dating from ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom era by Michael Hoffen, the 16-year-old author of Be a Scribe! with the help of co-authors Dr. Christian Casey and Dr. Jen Thum.

Michael Hoffen became fascinated by the text, known as The Instruction of Khety, when he learned that it tells the tale of a teenage boy living almost 4,000 years ago—Pepi.

Pepi wonders what career path he should choose, an important matter still contemplated today by millions of teenagers forty centuries later. His father Khety takes him on a long journey up the Nile to enroll him in a school far away from home, where Pepi will learn to read and write. Along the way, Khety explains 18 other terrible jobs Pepi could end up having to work at if he is not hired as a scribe.

This tale of a teenage boy in ancient Egypt shows readers that working for a living has never been easy!

Sail up the Nile with an ancient Egyptian father and son and discover what daily life was like along the way. Experience the wonderful world of ancient Egypt with the help of countless artifacts and paintings. Delight in four-thousand-year-old humor and immerse yourself in the choices facing a teenage boy in Egypt then.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/SCRIBE-Working-Better-Ancient-Egypt/dp/B0CCZF76SJ

Kindle Pick of the Week: Coffee Magic for the Modern Witch

In time for Halloween.

Elsie Wild is a writer and witch haunting the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. She is the author of Herbal Tea Magic for the Modern Witch and Herbal Tea Magic for the Modern Witch Oracle Deck. A lifelong student of divination, Wild practices herbalism, astrology, numerology, and tarot, writing about them for various publications. When not writing, Wild is drinking coffee and making terrible puns.

https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Magic-Modern-Witch-Divination-ebook/dp/B0BV11C713/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Book Pick of the Week: Now is Better

Stefan Sagmeister’s newest project encourages long-term thinking and reminds us that many things in the world are improving

Initially conceived in 2020 as the world entered pandemic lockdown, Stefan Sagmeister has created a book that looks at the state of the world today, illuminating, through collected data, how far we’ve come, and encouraging us to think about where we can go from here. Statistics are vividly brought to life, as numbers are transformed into graphs, inlaid into nineteenth-century paintings, embroidered canvases, lenticular prints, and hand-painted water glasses. The book includes a foreword from psychologist and leading authority on language and the mind, Steven Pinker; a featured essay by graphic designer and historian Steven Heller; and a conversation between Sagmeister and Hans Ulrich Obrist, curator and artistic director of Serpentine Galleries in London and will appeal to all visually minded readers, providing a positive reaction to the tumultuous news cycle of recent years. Published in softcover with flaps Now is Better is contained within a die-cut slipcase and accompanied by a lenticular print designed by Sagmeister. Now is Better is an intriguing and thoughtful visual meditation on our daily lives.

https://www.amazon.com/Now-Better-Stefan-Sagmeister/dp/1838666966

Kindle Pick of the Week: These Things Happen

Daniel Zimmer will do almost anything to end his pain—except for the one thing that might work.
Growing up in 1970s Brooklyn under the shadow of his tyrannical father and against the backdrop of the Son of Sam murders, the Karen Ann Quinlan tragedy, and the New York Yankee’s back-to-back championship seasons, Daniel Zimmer struggles to find a sense of safety and belonging. Daniel and his brother Max find moments of solace in the rebellious rhythms of early punk and metal bands like the Ramones and Judas Priest. But when faced with an unexpected family tragedy—for which he feels responsible—Daniel discovers the magical escape that alcohol can provide, numbing his pain and guilt.

Carrying the trauma of his youth into adulthood, Daniel falls deeper into alcoholism as he fights to face life on life’s terms. Then, just as he finally begins to embrace sobriety, Max attempts suicide and Daniel’s ex-fiancée makes an unexpected reappearance. Forced to face his demons head-on, Daniel struggles to take it “one day at a time.”

Book Pick of the Week: Tech-Life Balance: 101 Ways to Thrive in a Digital World

Tech-Life Balance: 101 Ways to Thrive in a Digital World is for you.

Written by digital wellness expert and founder of Phone Free Day, Taíno Bendz, and drawing on his research and first-hand experiences, Tech-Life Balance looks into all the ways we have been tethered by technology and how to fix it with creative and strategic ideas.

tech-life balance
also tech/life balance (noun)
using technology in a way that doesn’t
have a negative effect on your personal
life or relationships


How often do you look at your phone? Does it feel like you can’t go five minutes without browsing social media, checking your email, or sending a text?

In the modern digital age, being connected 24/7 is more than a habit—it seems like a necessity. Tech-Life Balance tackles the very real issue of being addicted to our devices with 101 easy-to-implement life hacks to rein in your tech use, reclaim your life and achieve digital wellness.

With Tech-Life Balance, you’ll learn to:
• Set personal boundaries, designating specific spaces and times as “tech-free”
• Manage screen time and your social media presence to limit mindless scrolling
• Adopt productive work habits to stay focused and on-task
• Improve personal relationships by minimizing tech clutter
• Become healthier and more active, just by putting your phone away
• Identify tech-life balance promoting apps to help you organize your time

By following the practices in this book, you can improve your health, sharpen your focus and learn to experience life in a whole new way.

Taíno Bendz is the founder of Phone Free Day and his own consulting business, and his message on mindful and intentional technology usage has reached and inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the world. He is a public speaker, workshop facilitator, and conducts research on digital technology usage. Taíno holds a Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management and has spent the last 10 years working in technology sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare IT, and software automation. He currently lives in Sweden with his partner and two young sons.

https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Life-Balance-Control-Digital-Sanity-ebook/dp/B09R6SNBJG