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Mo Yee Lee, College of Social Work

Posted on | November 18, 2009 | 1,367 views |

Mo Yee Lee is a professor in the College of Social Work and recently co-authored the book Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Social Work: An Empirically Based Approach to Assessment and Treatment.

What are your five favorite books and why?

On Creativity by David Bohm
David Bohm describes creativity as a state of the mind rather than talents or special talents or abilities belonging to a few. We usually think of the creative process as complex and extraordinary. Instead, Bohm suggests a person creates by the everyday, fundamental, simple and ordinary process of “trying something out and seeing what happens, then modifying what one does (or thinks) in accordance with what has actually happened.” What distinguishes a creative person from others is the ability to maintain an extremely perceptive state of intense passion and high energy that dissolves the take-it-for-granted assumptions of commonly accepted knowledge and enables him or her to see something in a new or unfamiliar way that extends the frontiers of knowledge. I appreciate such a perception of creativity, as it is inclusive and also insightful.

No Boundary by Kenneth Wilber
Ken Wilber convincingly speaks about the problem of creating an imaginary boundary between the “self” and the “not-self.” I guess this is a by-product of a linear and reductionistic thinking style that permeates our culture. While this boundary creates a sense of self-identity for individuals and also advances knowledge in useful ways, it also leads to polarities, oppositions and conflicts. He speaks insightfully about the idea of “shadows” that exists in every phenomenon when we try to create a boundary, to define what is right or wrong, good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, etc. To me, the idea of “shadows” reminds me to be more humble, embrace differences, and be appreciative of the dynamic balance of diverse forces in life that help us to change and grow.

The Seven Life Lessons of Chaos by John Briggs and David Peat
John Briggs and David Peat are both interested in chaos theory. The Seven Life Lessons of Chaos is a thoughtful translation of the principles and ideas of chaos theory into everyday life. The courage to embrace and appreciate uncertainty and even crisis as a window for change is uplifting.

The Song of the Bird by Anthony de Mello
This is a book that I read when I was younger. However, the simple but thought-provoking stories still challenge me to revisit assumptions about life, religion, knowledge, etc.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
This is the inspiring story of Greg Mortenson, a mountaineer, who, after getting lost in a failed K2 expedition, was saved by locals of a small Pakistani village, and then promised to build them schools. He kept his promise to build schools, especially for girls, in the remote region of Pakistan’s Karakoram Himalaya. It is the courageous story of how an ordinary person can change the world, and how one can change the world in a different way. To me, it is also a story of a man who carefully makes a promise and actually keeps his promise despite difficulties. I think that this is an inspiring reminder for us in our hyper-speed world where we hastily make all kinds of promises and are not always able to live by them.

To nominate an Ohio State faculty or staff person for a future Booktalk column, e-mail harris.587@osu.edu.

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