On our bookshelf (and in our queue)
At this moment when so much seems urgent – we at Omaha by Design believe it’s essential that we make time for thought, reflection, and even a good laugh.
Always a reader, I find I’m reading more. Perhaps you are too. And if you’re open to recommendations, have we got a list for you!
The Omaha by Design team has taken pleasure in hand-picking a few favorites we think you might enjoy. Have a look or listen, and let us know what’s on your list!
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Scott’s Pick: for COLLABORATIVE CITIES
In a time when top-down, national solutions are characterized by gridlock, urban experts Bruce Katz and Jeremy Nowak point to the emerging strength of local and regional cooperation in addressing our cities’ social, economic, and environmental challenges.
available on amazon.com
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Keegan’s Pick: for GUIDANCE IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY
NPR’s Life Kit produces a multitude of short (~15 minute) productions dedicated to helping you navigate life. This week in particular, Life Kit focuses on tips for working from home (WFH), homeschooling your kids, and other tips for surviving our current reality.
streaming on npr.org
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Scott’s Pick: for ACTIONABLE URBAN DESIGN
If there’s one book that should be required reading for city builders, this is it. Renowned urban planner Jeff Speck lays a roadmap for cities and citizens as we prepare for the infrastructure investments sure to accompany the inevitable recovery. (His TED Talk is also highly recommended.)
available on amazon.com
Keegan’s Pick: for GROWING EMPATHY
In 1961, author Lois Mark Stalvey assumed that Omaha, Nebraska was a progressive city where racism and prejudice no longer held sway. Little did she know that her education was just beginning. This is a great non-fiction read for anyone interested in learning more about redlining practices and how they impacted cities like Omaha across the United States.
available on amazon.com
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Scott’s Pick: for LEADERSHIP IN CRISIS
Non-fiction but penned with the drama of a novel, Erik Lawson (author of The Devil in the White City) paints a portrait of Winston Churchill’s steady-handed leadership in a time of true national crisis. While bombs rain down nightly on London, Churchill responds with courage, eloquence, and clarity of purpose.
available on amazon.com
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Keegan’s Pick: for SMART JOKES ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS
News got you down? Don’t worry. Trevor Noah’s The Daily Show is accessible to all, even without cable TV. This daily podcast pulls from the best of the previous evening’s broadcast. Currently identifying as “The Daily Social Distancing Show – Ears Edition,” Noah is even serving up digestible commentary from his couch at home.
available from Comedy Central on Apple Podcasts
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Scott’s Pick: for A SHOT OF DESIGN INSPIRATION
A lively, curious, hopeful take on the future of cities, Urbanized has something for the urban design novice and professional alike. Catch it now, along with filmmaker Gary Hustwit’s documentary trilogy on the role of design in the modern world, streaming FREE during the COVID-19 crisis.
streaming on hustwit.com
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Keegan’s Pick: for LAUGHING THROUGH THE CHAOS
Laughing through a crisis may not be your cup of tea, but it is certainly mine. Will Forte and many others survive a pandemic of epic proportions in this fictional series. All the while, they learn to rebuild social norms, community, and friendship with laughs and nonsense along the way.
streaming on hulu.com
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Scott’s Pick: for A BIT OF CHARMING ESCAPISM
Never mind the big name actors and director – the real star of Midnight in Paris is the city itself. Gorgeously filmed in its golden, luminescent hues, this time-traveling literary journey through the back alleys will make you forget all your troubles. Cue this one up for date night.
available on iTunes
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Scott’s Pick: for SINGING ALONG WITH THE KIDS
You homeschool heros have earned a break. While not everything about Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic The Sound of Music has aged well, it’s Salzburg setting remains as iconic as ever – particularly the imposing arches of the film’s climactic theater carved into solid rock.
streaming on disney+