Character education: Books about Cooperation

SRCSA’s character-education focus for March 2025 is “Cooperation.” Here are books from the school library, which address the character trait of Cooperation.
https://youtu.be/c87v7MpKU0o

‘Cats vs. Robots,’ free giveaway copy arrives

Readers may recall that I won a Goodreads Giveaway of Cats vs. Robots #1, This Is War. It arrived this week, and my verdict is that the book is a delightful and entertaining read.

It’s the first book in a new children’s book series by Margaret Stohl and Lewis Peterson.

The story centers around two galactic empires that consist of seemingly polar opposites — the Robots, or “Binars,” who are obsessed with order and rules, and the Cats, for whom rules are “generally meant to be followed — but only if you felt like it.”

These civilizations’ epic battle is now coming to Earth — specifically, to the home of a human family, where husband-and-wife scientists have invented a “Singularity Chip” that can enable cats to live past their nine lives or grant robots eternal battery life. Each side of the conflict is determined that the chip must not fall into the enemy’s paws — or grasping appendages.

Body language sends subtle messages

In an online forum, a classmate raises a point about the importance of body language, especially its subliminal messaging.

Just say no, Adam Bryant, to scary face-vibe

Adam Bryant on LinkedIn

I have mixed feelings about a post by Adam Bryant on LinkedIn about nonverbal cues. A subordinate asked Bryant, “Are you mad at me,” reaching this conclusion based upon something he or she had read in Bryant’s face.

From the incident, Bryant said he learned “a memorable lesson that day about how people can read so much into subtle, and often unintended, cues. From that moment on, I found myself making much more of an effort to be aware of my body language, particularly with the team of reporters I was leading, and to always show energy, confidence and optimism, even if I was on a tight deadline and wrestling with a difficult problem.”

I think Bryant is correct that people will look to a leader for guidance and watch his or her every move. And being aware of the impression you are making is certainly good advice.

I have severe misgivings, however, about “picking a face” and then consistently displaying that same face all the time.

I have a difficult enough time interpreting nonverbal cues from facial expressions and body language without their being compounded by an unnaturally blank expression or one that appears not to quite fit with what’s going on. A furrowed brow is less ambiguous even if my conclusion is wrong.

Your carefully neutral expression will more likely give off the scary face-vibe and then I’ll really wonder if you’re angry at me.

I was directed to Bryant’s post via a blog entry by Steve Buttry.

Emotional Intelligence

I recently finished reading a book called Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. Written in 1995, what I thought intriguing about the book was that it described individual traits that today are recognized among tendencies attributed to Asperger’s syndrome.

Alexithymia, for instance, from the Greek: a- for “lack,” lexis for “word” and thymos for “emotion.” People with this tendency have difficulty expressing their emotions.

Psychologists also applied the term dyssemia, from the Greek: dys for “difficulty" and semes for “signal.” The condition is a learning disability in the realm of nonverbal language.

The book was written in 1995, immediately prior to Asperger’s syndrome becoming a recognized diagnosis in the DSM IV.

I’ve now begun reading Social Intelligence, which is by the same author but was published 11 years later. What a difference those 11 years make! Asperger’s syndrome is referenced by name in Goleman’s later book.

Transcribed from a personal journal