Take the Lead: Hanging On, Letting Go, and Conquering Life's Hardest Climbs tells the story of world champion climber Sasha DiGiulian – from coming of age under the scrutiny of social media to navigating a male-dominated sport and tackling her most heart-stopping climbs. To purchase a copy of the book, click here.
Alumni Authors
Potomac has a rich literary tradition. Below are some books written by our alumni.
The Jury: A Very Short Introduction charts the global use of juries throughout history. It considers the benefits and the challenges of using juries and analyses why the jury trial has declined in English-speaking countries. To purchase a copy of the book, click here.
Becoming FDR tells the story of the years when Roosevelt’s genius was made, when, at the age of 39, his life was turned upside down by polio. The illness that ravaged his body seemed the certain end of his political career. Instead, polio remade FDR, creating the man who would lead his country through the Depression and World War II. You can purchase the book here.
Understanding Bollywood: The Grammar of Hindi Cinema – This book offers an introduction to a genre that has a massive fanbase but is often misunderstood by critics, and provides insight on topics of political and social significance. You can purchase the book here.
The Man Who Loved His Wife – Whether in Tel Aviv, suburban New Jersey, or the Deep South, the characters who populate this book of short stories grapple with God, their loved ones, fate, death, hope, Hitler, transcendence, and the 4,000 year old history of Judaism. You can purchase the book here.
10 Hidden Heroes – This seek-and-find book from New York Times best-selling author Mark K. Shriver helps kids develop counting skills and learn how to be heroes in their everyday lives. You can purchase the book here.
A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, Sargent Shriver – After a lifetime searching for the path to his father's success in the public arena, Mark turns instead to a search for the secret of his father's joy, his devotion to others, and his sense of purpose. You can purchase the book here.
Fightnomics – Part Freakonomics and part Moneyball, Fightnomics is a statistical spotlight on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the fighters who compete in the Octagon. You can purchase the book here.
Wall of Wonder: Cornell Women Leading the Way in Science, Technology, and Engineering – This book celebrates Cornell University alumnae who have made significant impacts on society through science, technology, and engineering. You can purchase the book here.
In the Flow: Passion, Purpose, and the Power of Mindfulness – New theories in the science of mindfulness, revealing how simple practices are able to help remove roadblocks to health and happiness. You can purchase the book here.
Antebellum – A thought-provoking novel about African-American culture seen through the eyes of a famous rapper who is transported to the days of slavery and forced to experience it firsthand.
You can purchase the book here.
Light: Stories of Urban Resurrection – A collection of powerful short stories that dig deep into the realm of urban culture. You can purchase the book here.
The Seven Days – The prequel to the critically acclaimed Antebellum tells the powerful story of what happens when a man in modern society is possessed by the spirits of dead slaves.
You can purchase the book here.
Non-Obvious: How to Think Different, Curate Ideas, and Predict The Future – A brutally honest look back at more than 60 previous trends from past years, providing an honest assessment of what came true, what was a dud, and why it matters. You can purchase the book here.
Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption – Part love story, part political manifesto about "living with conviction in a cynical time," this memoir traces the development of DJ, a boy written off as profoundly retarded and now, six years later, earning all "As" at a regular school. You can purchase the book here.
Healing Light: Thirty Messages of Love, Hope, and Courage – A book of poetry based on the Ten Worlds of Buddhist philosophy and illustrated with seventeenth-century Japanese art. You can purchase the book here.
The Art of Dumpster Diving – Sixteen-year-old James and his little brother, Danny, live in Crystal Springs, Louisiana, with their grandmother, mother, and first cousin, Lila. But when Grandma dies and Lila runs away, things begin to go terribly wrong. You can purchase the book here.
Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction – In this groundbreaking investigation, Derek Thompson uncovers the hidden psychology of why we like what we like and reveals the economics of cultural markets that invisibly shape our lives. You can purchase the book here.
Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard – Losers turns the art of sports writing on its head and proves that there is inspiration to be found in stories of risk, resilience, and getting up after you've been knocked down. You can purchase the book here.
Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football – The story of a life balanced between two passions. You can purchase the book here.
Two Soldiers, Two Pacifists, One Family: A Test of Will and Faith in World War I – An account of the remarkable Thomas brothers at the turn of the twentieth century. You can purchase the book here.
Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams – An intimate portrait of Louisa Catherine Adams, the wife of John Quincy Adams, who witnessed firsthand the greatest transformations of her time. You can purchase the book here.
Thomas Creeper and the Gloomsbury Secret – A rich and haunting alternative to Hogwarts, filled with captivating characters and enthralling mysteries. You can purchase the book here.
The Book of Eating – a hilarious and irreverent memoir of a globe-trotting life lived meal-to-meal by an influential and respected food critic. You can purchase the book here.
Picture Perfect! The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Photos – A compact, easy-to-read, step-by-step guide. You can purchase the book here.