From Bob McKinnon comes this modern retelling of the beloved classic, Little Engine that Could, that asks young readers, “How does your journey differ from others?” It also serves as a thank you letter to all the parents, teachers, role models, and even strangers, who help to clear the storm or pull the tree trunk from their track.
Available in your favorite bookstores.
Have you ever asked yourself this question? Or wondered why your life turned differently than you expected or from others you know. On this site, you’ll find tools, writing and podcast episodes that explores this question and others. Watch Bob’s TEDx talk to learn about his journey and the science behind how we see our lives and those of others.
Children’s Books
I think I can, I think I can, I think I… can’t? What’s an Engine to do when even believing in yourself won’t get you to the top of the mountain? In this modern retelling of the beloved The Little Engine That Could, The Little Blue Engine and her friends attempt to reach the town on the other side of the mountain, but they quickly realize that not every engine is on the same track, and they all face different obstacles in their journey. In Three Little Engines author Bob McKinnon asks young readers: How does your journey differ from others?
While paying homage to the beloved classic, author Bob McKinnon acknowledges that although positive thinking and confidence are important, they are not always enough to help you succeed. In many instances, success requires a helping hand. This book is a gentle introduction to the idea of socioeconomic mobility and inequality in America. Heavily inspired by his own experiences, McKinnon teaches the youngest of readers how to recognize opportunity and inequality in the American Dream, and, most importantly, how to extend a helping hand to those on different tracks of life. At its heart, Three Little Engines is a thank you letter to all the parents, teachers, role models, and even strangers, who help to clear the storm or pull the tree trunk from your track.
Three Little Engines is now a New York Times best seller! Order your copy today from your favorite online bookseller or your local bookstore:
What is Your American Dream Score
Newsletter
Weather
This morning I read a story about Captain James Stagg, the chief meteorological advisor to General Eisenhower and the man responsible for making the “go” or “no go” call for the invasion of Normandy. As the article lays out it was an incredibly complex decision not merely dependent on “good weather” on the day of the invasion but required various favorable conditions related to visibility, low tides, phase of the moon, and wind speeds over the course of multiple days. The odds of all of these factors aligning correctly was 13-1. As fate, science and good judgment would have it, Stagg made the right call. Delaying the invasion one day and no more – as had it been delayed longer the invasion would have been met with the worst storm in the English Channel in two decades.
After reading this story, I went down a meteorological rabbit hole. Learning that Aristotle is considered the father of meteorology, based largely on observations (many of which still hold true today). A man named Luke Howard, a chemist and pharmacist by trade, married more science to observation, creating the classification system for clouds we still use today and the first urban climate studies based on his work in London.
If I thought about it I probably should have realized this but both means for measuring temperature, Celsius and Fahrenheit were named after the people who invented them. Anders Celsius was a Swedish astronomer. Gabriel Fahrenheit was a German glassblower
I share these names at a time when we go to an app on our phone and check the weather with little regard for the people who made our understanding of weather possible in the first place or those who bring us that data today. Including scientists who help fortell the weather that brings natural disasters. These meteorologists save lives.
This makes it particularly alarming to learn that the current administration has already cut 2,000 jobs from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “the agency whose weather and climate research touches almost every facet of American life,” In addition, they are considering cutting up to 75% of its research budget.
It is without a doubt that a similar de-valuing of meteorology would have doomed the D-Day invasion to failure, altering history in unthinkable ways. Looking forward as severe climate events are on the rise, we can only imagine and brace ourselves for the unnecessary damage and loss to come from these capricious cuts.
When we read about budget cuts, many see dollars – when instead we should see people. Many of whom go to work each day searching for ways to make the world a safer and better place for others. When they lose their jobs, we all stand to lose even more.
This Week’s Recommendation. In my latest episode of Attribution, I interviewed Adam Chandler whose new book, 99% Perspiration looks at our relationship to work and what we value. It was a pretty telling conversation and one worth checking out if you’ve ever questioned your own relationship to work and wondered how it came to be and whether it has to stay that way.
Consider sharing this with someone whose work you value but largely goes unsung.
Monday Morning Notes
Delivered to your mailbox each Monday morning, these short notes offer an opportunity each week to reflect on who and what contributes to where we end up in life. Readers tell us it’s a great way to start their week on a positive note. See the latest note below:
Weather
This morning I read a story about Captain James Stagg, the chief meteorological advisor to General Eisenhower and the man responsible for making the “go” or “no go” call for the invasion of Normandy. As the article lays out it was an incredibly complex decision not merely dependent on “good weather” on the day of …
Attribution with Bob McKinnon
Attribution is a podcast, where people from all walks of life, reflect on who and what has contributed to where they ended up. Our hope is after each episode, you feel a little more inspired, grateful, or supported, then when you first hit play. Check out the latest episode below:
Episode 33: Mattering w/ Jennifer B. Wallace
Jennifer B. Wallace is an award-winning journalist and author of Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It. She is also founder of The Mattering Institute, whose mission is to create cultures of mattering in homes, workplaces, and communities. This was a truly eye-opening conversation that I hope you find of value.
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