It's a book about 'quality of character' when decisions are hard and character matters. If you don't ask, 'what kind of person do I want to be?' at the end of this book, you've never struggled to get to where you wanted to go and had to dig deep to find out what you were made of. That's why I love this book.

I chose Tarunabh Khaitan, A Theory of Discrimination Law (2015), because it has strongly influenced my research interests. The book is intriguing and represents a masterful effort to theorize and synthesize the field of discrimination law across five culturally-conversant, common law democracies (Canada, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the Unites States).

It is a foundational text that has informed all of my scholarship.

I read "White by Law" shortly after starting my career in academia, and it was my first experience with a critical discussion of the legal meaning of whiteness in the United States. Since then, I've often referred to it over the course of my career, and I can't count the number of times I've recommended it to students. As a multi-racial person who looks white, I've always been keenly aware of the privilege provided by my skin color. But Haney Lopez's book broadened my vocabulary concerning skin privilege and inspired me to further examine the malleable definition of "white."

The Country of the Pointed Firs' is a quiet book that's been a reminder to me while navigating the tenure track of the value in stepping away from your desk to take part in the world beyond it. As the narrator comes to see, there's much to be gained through observing, engaging with, listening to, and learning from those around her whose stories might otherwise go unnoticed.

Where the Sidewalk Ends takes back to a time of wonder, when I felt anything was possible. It inspires me to dream.