This week we spoke to Quentin L. Samuels, Candler’s Assistant Director of Student Life. Quentin has several inspiring book suggestions that will help incoming students develop clear, coherent questions about their calling and purpose.
First, Quentin suggests A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas (Bloomsbury, 2014) available in print at Emory and as an audiobook on Amazon. In this book, investigative journalist and innovation expert Warren Berger invites us to consider the powerful force of using questions to identify and solve problems, despite our frequent reluctance to ask “why?”.
Second, Quentin recommends Learning to Walk in the Dark (HarperOne, 2014) by Barbara Brown Taylor, available in print and online at Emory.
this book, Barbara Brown Taylor introduces a path to spirituality for those who don’t yet have all the answers.
Visit a Fulton County Public Library near you to find these next two items (ps. privileges are free for Emory students, faculty, and staff!). Quentin suggests The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do (HarperCollins Leadership, 2015) by Jeff Goins and The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion (Workman Publishing, 2015) by Elle Luna as excellent resources to consider how purpose and passion can influence your future.
Finally, for those with long road trips or layovers, Quentin invites you to listen in on a podcast that he hosts with Candler alum, Jamaar Pye called We Come as Equals.This series focuses on “extraordinary people having extraordinary conversations.” Quentin explains that the podcast “covers a wide range of topics, but at its core are complex questions about common ideas and experiences.” This podcast is available on Apple Podcast, Spotify and SoundCloud.
Stay tuned next week for recommendations from Candler’s Associate Professor of American Religious History, Dr. Alison Greene!