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Recognizing outstanding works of literature, The OWL Book Award highlights titles that are changing the way organizations do business, educators create and teach curriculum, and communities understand and pursue well-being.

We had many great submissions for this year's OWL Book Awards. See which 15 made the cut:

Education

 

1. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

Take a peek into one of the most urgent issues facing America today: extreme poverty and economic exploitation. Desmond takes the reader to the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee to tell the story of eight families on the edge.

2. The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race by Jesmyn Ward

This New York Times best seller brings together the most important voices of a new generation to speak on racism. Eighteen essays and poems make up this collection that shines a light on the past, present, and future of American race relations.

3. How Do You Say I Love You? by Hannah Eliot

Rhyming text and sweet artwork teach children how to say "I love you" in ten different languages. This board book features phonetic pronunciations to help young readers sound out each phrase.

4. Right Where You Left Me by Calla Devlin

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte's life is turned upside down after her journalist father goes missing while on assignment in Ukraine. She and her mother work to overcome their differences and find a way to rescue him.

5. We Found A Hat by Jon Klassen

Two turtles have found a hat. The hat looks good on both of them. But there are two turtles and only one hat. Who will end up with the hat? Deadpan prose and simple illustrations make this picture book a must for young readers.

Business

 

1. Geek Girl Rising: Inside the Sisterhood Shaking Up Tech by Heather Cabot and Samantha Walravens

Meet the stereotype-shattering women who are building the next generation of tech startups and inspiring girls worldwide to join the digital revolution. These rebels prove that a female point of view matters in this age of technology and that women can be highly successful in the tech world.

2. The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Best-selling authors Chip and Dan Heath explore why certain brief experiences can change us forever. Learn how elevation, insight, pride, and connection create our most memorable positive moments in life. Why leave these moments to chance when you can create them yourself?

3. Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, shares a unique set of principles he believes are the reason behind his success. He lays out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams through hundreds of practical lessons.

4. Solve For Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy by Mo Gawdat

Mo Gawdat, Chief Business Officer of the Google [X] program, applies his analytical skills to the issue of happiness. In Solve for Happy, he proposes an algorithm based on the brain’s processing of joy and sadness and then solves for happy.

5. Thank You For Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations by Thomas L. Friedman

Learn how the planet’s three largest forces — technology, globalization, and climate change — are accelerating all at once and how they are transforming five key realms: the workplace, politics, geopolitics, ethics, and community.

Health

 

1. Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink

Former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink uses his experiences to provide a guide for achieving freedom through discipline. This manual includes strategies and tactics for conquering weakness, procrastination, and fear; physical training tips; and the best sleep habits and food intake for optimal performance.

2. The Gene Machine: How Genetic Technologies Are Changing the Way We Have Kids -- And the Kids We Have by Bonnie Rochman

Award-winning journalist Bonnie Rochman explores the promise and peril of having children in the age of genetic tests and interventions. This guidebook is for the person who wants a deeper understanding of all the amazing things this technology can do and why you should think twice when considering them.

3. No Barriers: A Blind Man's Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon by Erik Weihenmayer and Buddy Levy

Adventurer Erik Weihenmayer is the first and only blind person to summit Mt. Everest. In this memoir, Weihenmayer chronicles his journey since descending the highest point on Earth in 2001, from leading expeditions around the world to kayaking solo through the rapids of the Grand Canyon.

4. Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

Sandberg partners with friend and psychologist Adam Grant to share insights and research on finding strength in the face of adversity. The book features stories from Sandberg and others who have recovered from loss, including illness, injury, divorce, job loss, assault, and imprisonment.

5. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

After being diagnosed with cancer, neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi adjusts from the role of a doctor treating the dying to a patient struggling to survive. He provides a reflection on the challenges of facing death and the relationship between doctor and patient - in which he became both.

 

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This post was written by Megan Habel, the marketing associate at BookPal. She is currently reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.