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Lifelong learning is a core value here at Ashton College. We believe in the importance of continual development and pursuing knowledge throughout your career. Our passion for education is entrenched in our personal interests and our leisure time, so it should come as no surprise that we love reading! To support the continual pursuit of knowledge, we connected with members of our educational community and curated a list of recommended books for you. We invite you to explore our list of recommendations from faculty, alumni, students and staff members. We hope these titles will inspire, educate, surprise, delight and challenge you as you continue along the path of lifelong learning.
If you are looking for inspiration and insight on immigration matters, we recommend exploring these powerful memoirs from diverse voices around the world.
Trying to educate yourself about specific immigration legal matters? Check out these highly educational reads from our faculty:
Whether you are an education assistant or a parent, You Are Your Child's First Teacher is a wonderful and informative book about child development. Through her clear and concise writing, Rahima Baldwin Dancy addresses everything “from language and cognitive development to appropriate toys and nourishing… artistic abilities.”
Look no further than The Lean Startup for an excellent resource on how to create a successful business. The book addresses how to operate your business efficiently and introduces key entrepreneurial principles such as validated learning, innovative accounting and the continual process of building, measuring and learning along the way.
Do you love philosophical questions about health and life? Then you will love When Breath Becomes Air. The book is a profoundly moving and exquisite memoir about a young neurosurgeon grappling with his terminal cancer diagnosis. Throughout the memoir, Kalanithi attempts to answer the question of what makes a life worth living. Whether your work in healthcare or simply have a curiosity about the meaning of life, this is a fantastic read.
Through witty dialogue, The Tao of Pooh teaches us to be receptive to new ideas and experiences, but not to be burdened by them. The book is a powerful allegory about the Eastern belief of Taoism and it cleverly incorporates the characters of Winnie the Pooh. Pessimistic Eeyore illustrates cynics and constant complainers, alongside uptight Rabbit with his obsession around rules and order.
There are so many benefits to reading, regardless of your career path or interests. Educating yourself outside of your typical industry can help expand your thinking and enrich your life. Having a broader scope can also increase your critical thinking skills and help you tackle unexpected hurdles in any work environment. What does this look like in practice? Biologists can read about financing in order to expand their thinking. Counsellors can study anthropology in order to shift understanding and inspire new thought patterns. The idea may sound radical, but there is plenty of evidence to support it. In an article for Harvard Business Review, author John Coleman describes how “broad reading habits are often a defining characteristic of our greatest leaders and can catalyze insight, innovation, empathy, and personal effectiveness.” Overall, crossing genres and stepping outside your comfort zone encourages ingenuity and novelty.
A love of reading does wonders for lifelong learning and continuing your education. What books are you currently reading? Or, what books do you wish you had more time to read? We would love to hear about your experiences and recommendations. We are continually updating and expanding our recommended reading lists, so be sure to check back regularly for more updates.
The information contained in this post is considered true and accurate as of the publication date. However, the accuracy of this information may be impacted by changes in circumstances that occur after the time of publication. Ashton College assumes no liability for any error or omissions in the information contained in this post or any other post in our blog.
