Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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ReadOasis Step 3 We are far into "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" when Albus Dumbledore says, "Dark and difficult times lie ahead." But they lie behind us too. And these dark and difficult times have caught our imagination since the beginning of Harry Potter. But this fourth... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Censorship and 1984 Winston is an editor. Every day he works with words. His hands are soft, and he is not strong. He does not do hard physical labor. But his job is challenging and even dangerous. He works for the government of Oceania. Every day,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 5 "Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." This is the... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 George turned over in bed and covered his head with a pillow. The alarm clock had been ringing on and off for a long time. It was noisy. The neighbors could hear it through the walls. George finally opened his eyes and looked at the clock... Read more
Culture of Innovation (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3(Part 1) It was 5 o’clock on a warm summer evening in July 2008. In a busy part of Tokyo, people were leaving their places of work. Some were going home, and others were going out to enjoy the nightlife. It was an ordinary night. But in... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. Pablo Picasso, Artist. It is a basic secret of success. To get skill, we need to do new things. Depending on the task, doing something new can... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 An old man was fishing alone in a small boat. He was off the coast of Cuba near the town of Cabanas. He hooked a marlin, a great fish with a long, sharp spear for a nose. The powerful fish pulled the small boat out to... Read more
Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 A manager at a company was interviewing a job candidate. The manager said, “We need a very responsible person for this job. We need someone who can take charge.” The candidate’s eyes lit up, and he responded with great enthusiasm. “Sir, your search ends here! I’m... Read more
Big Thinkers Win (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 George turned over in bed and went back to sleep. The alarm kept ringing. It was noisy. The neighbors could hear it through the walls. It kept ringing, so George finally opened his eyes and looked at the clock. The green numbers shined: "9:17 a.m." He... Read more
Playing Global Business on a Level Field
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ReadOasis Step 3 A Review of The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century By Thomas L. Friedman. We are entering a new era where the world is one massive marketplace. Old powers had the advantage, but the playing field is leveling now. New powers are... Read more
Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 A manager at a company was interviewing a job candidate. The manager said, “We need a very responsible person for this job. We need someone who can take charge.” The candidate’s eyes lit up, and he answered with great confidence. “Sir, your search ends here! I’m... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Charles Dickens (1786-1851) Most people know Charles Dickens for his famous ghost story: A Christmas Carol. But many people don’t realize that Dickens was the most notable English author of the Victorian period... Read more
The Rules of Elite Success
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ReadOasis Step 2 The computer sat in a funny little room at the Lakeside School in Seattle. It was a gift from the Mother’s Club. Costing $3,000, it was expensive at the time. But the mothers wanted the students to have a computer so they could have a computer... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Viktor had just married Tilly. She was the love of his life. He was a young doctor in Vienna, Austria. And Viktor and Tilly should have expected a bright future together. But Nazi Germany was in control of Austria, and Viktor and Tilly were Jewish. In... Read more
Unforgettable Communication
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ReadOasis Step 3 You are in class. The teacher is speaking, but you only hear noise, like hot air and wind. We often hear, and sadly speak, boring ideas. But can we learn to communicate successful and unforgettable ideas? Authors Chip and Dan Heath wrote the book, “Made to... Read more
How to Know if a Book’s Level is Right for You
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By Randall Short ReadOasis Step 1 At ReadOasis, you can read lots of short stories. Short stories are great because you can read to the end without stopping. You may keep on reading even if the words are difficult and the story is hard to understand. You know that... Read more
Music as Medicine (Part 2)
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ReadOasis Step 3 Levitin recorded these people singing. Then he played the recordings along with the original songs. The people sounded like they were singing along with the original. The point is this. Over time, memories generally break down. They become unfocused and unclear. But in this experiment, people... Read more
Culture of Innovation (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3(Part 2) Honda's Asimo Robot Innovation is hard work. An innovator could easily stop creating new things. Many people and companies rest on their past successes. But how can we keep innovating? Can we learn techniques and styles to improve our ability to innovate? For one example,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3(Part 3) Another type of innovator is the Cross-Pollinator. Bees pollinate flowers when they carry the “seed powder” from one flower to another. But cross-pollination occurs when this powder is taken from one plant to a different kind of plant. The Cross-Pollinator takes various concepts and mixes... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3(Part 4) In The Ten Faces of Innovation, the final four innovators are Builders. First is the Experience Architect. An architect designs buildings. But the Experience Architect creates remarkable experiences. This innovator excels at creating positive experiences with products, services, places, or events. He can take an... Read more