Being retired from teaching and faculty meetings leaves time to do other things.  (Have you noticed that teaching and faculty meetings take a lot of time?)

In recent years, I have been reading books for pleasure, something I rarely did when I was employed.  I particularly like to read histories and biographies, though I read some fiction, humor, the news, and other things too.

Following in the footsteps of my fellow-blogger, Jen Reynolds, who organized a series of programs at the ABA SDR annual conferences where panelists described what they were reading, I am initiating an occasional series of posts about what I have been reading.  Like Jen, I am not limiting this to books and certainly not DR tomes.  Indeed, I may write about articles, movies, podcasts, TV series or anything I think that others might be interested in.  So this series would more accurately be called “What I’m Reading, Watching, Listening to, or Whatever.”  But I am calling it “What I’m Reading” for short.

I especially like to listen to audiobooks.  I enjoy the experience of hearing stories, and some of them feature incredible performances by the narrators.  I have listened to a bunch of “Great Courses” on Audible, so I have been going back to college – but with no exams, grades, or tuition.  These courses are presented by faculty, who are not professional narrators reading scripts, so there are verbal glitches like “um”s, repetitions, and pauses – which make me feel better about my own presentations.  These courses also provide handy outlines summarizing the main points.

As I wrote new posts, I added links to them on this post, so this is like an index to the series that you could bookmark.  It’s gotten so long that I stopped adding things in August 2022.

As part of an update of the Indisputably website, I updated the name of these posts to “Did You Hear About …?”  You still can click on the “Did You Hear About …?” tag to see the posts, starting with the most recent one.

Over the years, I have written posts that would fit into this series (though many are about, yawn, academic analyses of dispute resolution), which I list below.  To keep this list from getting completely out of hand, I am omitting things like announcements, lists of award-winning publications, symposia, reports, webinars, presentations, resources, bibliographies, and my own publications.

Books

America’s Peacemakers:  The Community Relations Service and Civil Rights (Bertram Levine and Grande Lum) (2020)

The Art of the Deal (Donald J. Trump) (2016)

Becoming (Michelle Obama) (2019)

Being Mortal:  Medicine and What Matters in the End (Atul Gawande) (2019)

Building a Successful Collaborative Family Law Practice (Forrest S. “Woody” Mosten and Adam Brian Cordover) (2018)

Collateral Damage of War (discussing War and World History by Jonathan P. Roth;  Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes;  Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq by “Riverbend”;   The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War by Craig Whitlock)  (2021)

The Continuing Cold War (discussing A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles; Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator by Oleg Khlevniuk; A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre; The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War by Nicholas Thompson; The Cold War: A World History, by Odd Arne Westad) (2022)

Dear Committee Members (Julie Schumacher) (2020)

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (Patrick Radden Keefe) (2021)

EU Cross-Border Commercial Mediation: Listening to Disputants – Changing the Frame; Framing the Changes (Anna Howard) (2021)

Family Conflict During a Pandemic:  Stories of Struggles and Hope (Michael Lang and Peter Nicholson, eds.) (2021)

Following the Science of Heuristics and Biases – and a Tragic Love Story (discussing The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds, by Michael Lewis; Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman; The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas S. Kuhn) (2022)

Heidi Brown’s Books Promoting Flourishing and Effective Practitioners (discussing The Introverted Lawyer: A Seven-Step Journey Toward Authentically Empowered Advocacy; Untangling Fear in Lawyering: A Four-Step Journey Toward Powerful Advocacy; and The Flourishing Lawyer: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Performance and Well-Being) (2022)

Industrial-Strength Denial: Eight Stories of Corporations Defending the Indefensible, from the Slave Trade to Climate Change (Barbara Freese, aka Jim Coben’s wife) (2020)

Introversion, the Legal Profession, and Dispute Resolution (discussing  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain; The Introverted Lawyer: A Seven-Step Journey Toward Authentically Empowered Advocacy by Heidi K. Brown; Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come: One Introvert’s Year of Saying Yes by Jessica Pan; Playing with Myself by Randy Rainbow) (2022)

Living, Dying, and Life After Death (discussing Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor, and The Legacies Of Law Professors by Lawprofblog) (2022)

Love Your Enemies (Arthur Brooks) (2020)

A Man Called Ove and Anxious People (Fredrik Backman) (2021)

The New Handshake: Online Dispute Resolution and the Future of Consumer Protection (Amy J. Schmitz and Colin Rule) (2018)

Psychology for Lawyers: Understanding the Human Factors in Negotiation, Litigation, and Decision Making (Jennifer K. Robbennolt and Jean R. Sternlight) (2021)

Seven Essentials for Business Success: Lessons from Legendary Professors (George Seidel) (2022)

Soft Skills for the Effective Lawyer (Randall Kiser) (2017)

Some History of Racial Issues in the US (discussing Plain, Honest Men:  The Making of the American Constitution by Richard Beeman; The Fiery Trial:  Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner; The Impeachers:  The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation by Brenda Wineapple; Grant by Ron Chernow, and Reconstruction:  America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (Updated Edition) by Eric Foner) (2020)

Structured Negotiation: A Winning Alternative to Lawsuits (Lainey Feingold) (2016)

Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well … even when it is off base, unfair, poorly delivered, and, frankly, you’re not in the mood (Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen) (2021)

Think Again:  The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know (Adam Grant) (2021)

Unbundled Legal Services: A Family Lawyer’s Guide (Forrest S. “Woody” Mosten and Elizabeth Potter Scully) (2017)

The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization (Peter Coleman) (2021)

Articles in a Wide Range of Publications

Bar Exam Does Little to Ensure Attorney Competence, Say Lawyers in Diploma Privilege State (Stephanie Francis Ward) (2020)

The Business of Reopening Colleges and Universities in a Pandemic (Ben Davis) (2020)

Can We Get Past the Idea That Politics Is a Reality Show? Not If CNN Has Anything to Do with It (Hank Stuever) (2019)

Conservatives Hope to Turn Back the Cultural Clock. Can They Succeed? (Paul Starr) (2022)

The Continuing Cold War (discussing Putin to Ukraine: ‘Marry Me or I’ll Kill You’ by Thomas L. Friedman; Putin Has the U.S. Right Where He Wants It by Fiona Hill; Vladimir Putin Does Not Think Like We Do by Michael McFaul) (2022)

Cooking Up a Deal: Negotiation Recipes for Success (a cast of thousands) (2015)

Donald Trump Has Used A Secretive Justice System To Keep Lawsuits Against Him Out Of Court (Zoe Tillman) (2019)

Donald Trump’s Deals Rely on Being Creative With the Truth (David Barstow) (2016)

The Dying Art of Disagreement (Bret Stephens) (2017)

Elizabeth Warren Faced Sexism, Shed a Husband and Found Her Voice Teaching Law in Houston (Holly Bailey) (2019)

The End of Law Schools: Legal Education in the Era of Legal Service Businesses (Ray Worthy Campbell) (2014)

Evolving New Normals of Social Relationships (Brad Stulberg) (2022)

Facts Straight from Mueller’s Mouth? They Won’t Put out the Gaslighting Fire (Eric Beerbohm and Ryan Davis) (2019)

5 People Who Can Help You Strengthen Your Empathy Muscle (Emma Pattee) (2020)

Five Things Worth Knowing About Empathy (Katherine Ellison) (2021)

How Lawyers Can Turn Fear into an Ally (Kevin Davis) (2015)

How Litigants View the ADR Options in Courts (Alice Albl) (2020)

How to Get People to Pitch In (Erez Yoeli, Syon Bhanot, Gordon Kraft-Todd and David Rand) (2015)

How to Make Facebook’s ‘Supreme Court’ Work (Kate Klonick and Thomas Kadri) (2018)

How Many Friends Do You Really Need? (Catherine Pearson) (2022)

I Actually Like Teaching on Zoom (Viet Thanh Nguyen) (2021)

I Do. Take 2 (Tammy La Gorce) (2020)

“I Sometimes Catch Myself Looking Angry or Tired …”  The Impact of Mediating by Zoom (Dwight Golann) (2021)

I’m a Black Feminist. I Think Call-Out Culture Is Toxic and Speaking Up Without Tearing Down (Loretta J. Ross) (2021)

I’m a Democrat and a Feminist. And I Support Betsy DeVos’s Title IX Reforms (Lara Bazelon) (2018)

An Innovative Matrix for Dispute Resolution: The Dubai World Tribunal and the Global Insolvency Crisis (Jayanth K. Krishnan and Harold Koster) (2016)

Inside the Mind of the Client:  An Analysis of Litigants’ Decision Criteria for Choosing Procedures (Donna Shestowsky) (2018)

Intelligence: Stagnant or Malleable? Exploring Formative Assessment (Carrie Sperling) (2017)

Intelligent Legal Tech to Empower Self-Represented Litigants (Amy Schmitz and John Zeleznikow (2021)

An Iran Nuclear Deal Built on Coffee, All-Nighters and Compromise (David E. Sanger and Michael R. Gordon) (2015)

Is the World Really Falling Apart, or Does It Just Feel That Way? (Max Fisher) (2022)

Is Zoom Good Enough for Mediation? (Rick Weiler) (2020)

Lessons in the Delicate Art of Confronting Offensive Speech (Benedict Carey and Jan Hoffman) (2016)

Let Go of Your Grudges. They’re Doing You No Good (Tim Herrera) (2019)

Litigation as Violence (Vincent Cardi)

Louis C.K.’s Apology Is Imperfect. But it Is Still Important (Nancy D. Wadsworth) (2017)

July 4, 2020: How Will We Celebrate? (Cheryl L. Wade and Elayne E. Greenberg) (2020)

Lawyers of the Future on Mediation: Threat or a Promise? (Charlie Irvine) (2015)

Marriage Story: A Tale of Divorce, Love … and the Law (Mary Pat Treuthart) (2021)

Mea Culpa. Kinda Sorta (New York Times) (2017)

Measurement Matters: The Key to Police Reform (Ava Abramowitz) (2020)

Mediation in the World of Commercial Dispute Litigation: An Inside Look at the Challenges for Counsel, Mediators, and Insurance Claims Professionals (Jeff Trueman) (2020)

Mediating a Family: The Use of Mediation in the Formation and Enforcement of Post-Adoption Contacts Agreements (Sophie Mashburn) (2016)

Megan Ganz on Dan Harmon’s Apology: ‘I Felt Vindicated’ (Jonah Engel Bromwich) (2018)

Midlands Voices: Here Are Ways That the Academic Community Can Promote Racial Equality (Jacqueline N. Font-Guzmán) (2020)

Negotiation is Changing (Noam Ebner) (2017)

The Nuclear Deal, Through Iranians’ Eyes (Ako Salemi) (2016)

Obama Says Thought and Compromise Are Key to Bringing Change (Michael D. Shear) (2016)

Online Resources and Implementing Parenting & Financial Plans (Kristen Blankley) (2020)

Our Divided Times Are an Opportunity for Empathy. Really (Jamil Zaki, Robb Willer, Jan Gerrit Voelkel, and Luiza Santos) (2020)

Planned Early Dispute Resolution Systems and Elements: Experiences and the Promise of Technology (Dilyara Nigmatullina) (2021)

Please Laugh About My Abortion With Me (Alison Leiby) (2022)

Puerto Ricans Are Hardly U.S. Citizens. They Are Colonial Subjects (Jacqueline N. Font-Guzmán) (2017)

The Rationality of Rage (Matthew Hutson) (2015)

Reclaiming Attention in the Digital Generation Negotiator (Lauren Newell) (2016)

The Reconciliation Must Be Televised (Wesley Morris) (2020)

Rising to Your Level of Misery at Work (Arthur C. Brooks) (2015)

Staying with Conflict – The Election Edition:  A Conflict Practitioner’s Lens on the US Election (Bernie Mayer) (2016)

Stressing Out in Law School is a Matter of Choice (Lawrence Krieger) (2015)

Teaching a New Negotiation Skills Paradigm [originally titled “Labels Suck”] (Andrea Schneider) (2014)

Ted Yoho’s Apology to AOC, Offered as a Master Class (Alexandra Petri) (2020)

There is No Conservative Legal Movement (Adrian Vermeule) (2022)

Trump Budget Would End Agency That Resolves Differences in a Time of Deep Division (Grande Lum) (2018)

The 2015 University of Missouri Protests and their Lessons for Higher Education Policy and Administration (Ben Trachtenberg) (2018)

“We Found Our Groove in Splitting Up.”  If My Husband and I Weren’t Going to Succeed at Marriage, Then We Were Going to Excel at Divorce (David Valdes) (2018)

Wells Fargo Warned Workers Against Sham Accounts, but ‘They Needed a Paycheck’ (Michael Corkery and Stacy Cowley) (2016)

What Makes Lawyers Happy?: A Data-Driven Prescription to Redefine Professional Success (Lawrence S. Krieger and Kennon M. Sheldon) (2015)

When Caring Costs You: Lawyers Can Experience Vicarious Trauma from Work (Jeena Cho) (2020)

Where My Research Has Taken Me Lately (Jamelle Bouie) (2022)

The Whistle-Blower Knows How to Write (Jane Rosenzweig) (2019)

Why Client Expectations of Legal Procedures Must Be Managed to Achieve Settlement Satisfaction (Donna Shestowsky) (2022)

Why Some Teams Are Smarter Than Others (Anita Woolley, Thomas W. Malone and Christopher F. Chabris) (2015)

You’re Probably Making Incorrect Assumptions about Your Opposing Political Party (Arthur C. Brooks) (2019)

Zoom Just Failed Its Biggest Test.  Its Apology Is an Extraordinary Example of Emotional Intelligence (Jason Aten) (2020)

Films, TV Programs, and Podcasts

The Act of Listening (Story Corp podcast) (2016)

Alive Inside (film) (2015)

Becoming (film) (2020)

Changing Our Minds (podcast) (2021)

Dopesick (TV series) (2021)

Five Women (This American Life podcast) (2018)

HBO Documentary on Social Critic George Carlin (2022)

Heartstopper (TV series) (2022)

Inside Out (film) (2015)

129 Cars (This American Life podcast) (2017)

Lawyers as Peacemakers. Really?!? Yes, Really (David Hoffman TED Talk) (2016)

Marriage Story (film) (2020)

The Mediator with Ice-T (TV series) (2020)

Overfed On A Mother’s Affection (Modern Love podcast) (2018)

Red Joan (film) (2022)

S-Town (Serial podcast) (2017)

Serial (podcast) (2016)

Sex Education (TV series) (2021)

The Social Dilemma (film) (2021)

Take My Course, Please! The Philosophy of Humor (audio “Great Course”) (2022)

The Theory of Everything (film) (2014)

William Randolph Hearst (PBS documentary) (2021)

Worth (film) (2021)

Here’s a post that lists links to my posts about good friends and colleagues in our field.