Seven Summer Reads from Ohio State Online Students

Summer may be halfway over, but there’s still time to pick up a new book for a little poolside reading. Need some inspiration? Check out these recommendations from Ohio State Online students.

1. “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End," by Atul Gawande. Dr. Gawande shares research and personal stories relating to the patient’s end of life care and how we can work together to accept the reality of aging, suffering and death. This book is insightful, funny at times and ignites a desire for a good life all the way to your final days. - Hannah Hendricks, online Master of Healthcare Innovation
    
2. I recently finished "Amish Grace" by Donald Kraybill, Steven Nolt and David Weaver-Zercher. It’s a simple, plaintive-yet-hopeful, true story about forgiveness after a massacre of Amish children at their Pennsylvania school. I’m also reading"The Friendly Orange Glow" by Brian Dear. It walks us through the beginnings of the computer age and introduces lesser-known characters in the history of technology. Reading the two within a short time frame offered great perspective regarding activities on the internet – the Amish way of life may be the only guarantee of privacy in this age of security concerns – they are completely unplugged.” - Vicki Simmerman, online Master of Learning Technologies
    
3. "The Cost of Cutting: A Surgeon Reveals the Truth Behind a Multibillion-Dollar Industry" by Paul Ruggieri. This book was recommended to me by a fellow Master of Healthcare Innovation student. It’s about flaws in our healthcare system and sheds light on the actual costs of surgery from a surgeon’s perspective. - Emily Caudill, Master of Healthcare Innovation      
    
4. I am reading "The Bishop's Pawn" by Steve Berry. It is a novel about the inner circle of Martin Luther King. All of his novels are great and contain significant historical facts. He weaves this historical fact and fiction together to make excellent stories. - Brad Wine, online Bachelor of Science in Nursing
    
5. "Power and Purpose of Vision" by Dr. Myles Munroe. It is part of a three-book series that teaches you how to create and achieve your vision. In this series, you learn how to understand your potential, release your potential and eventually maximize your potential. - Audra Hanners, Doctor of Nursing Practice Clinical Nurse Executive
    
6. The three-part Kingsbridge series by Ken Follett. Set in the fictional city of Kingsbridge, this immersive and epic saga is full of ambition, love, power and family conflict. The saga begins in "The Pillars of the Earth," continues two centuries later with the sequel, "World Without End," and continues in the third novel, "A Column of Fire," set during the reign of Elizabeth Tudor. - Amy Deem, online Master of Healthcare Innovation
    
7. "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng is a charming book set in Shaker Heights, Ohio –  where I live right now! It's a great but complex story, fun to read and hard to put down. Bonus: it is Reese Witherspoon's next TV series project with Kerry Washington. So read before it comes out! - Shanna Botos, Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Executive