READING L.A.

Teresa A. Holden, hotel sales director:

“Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand (Signet).

“This has long been a favorite of mine. While I don’t subscribe to all facets of her philosophy, Rand’s celebration of the human spirit is an inspiration. Her characters eloquently communicated her belief in the equality of men and women before it was fashionable.”

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Larry Stevens, singer:

“Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom (Doubleday).

“Albom’s story--about the friendship he renewed with a professor of his, a man dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease--tugs at the heartstrings. Albom teaches you how to be human and relate to others in a loving, courageous way.”

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Robert C. Maxson, president, Cal State Long Beach:

“Pillar of Fire” by Taylor Branch (Simon & Schuster).

“Branch’s riveting book on the King years of the civil rights movement, 1963-65. Reads like fiction but is true. His first book on the King years up to 1963 won the Pulitzer Prize. Another great book!”

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Claudia M. Alleyne, physician:

“Black No More” by George Schuyler (Northeastern University Press).

“What would happen to American society if African Americans disappeared? Schuyler, a conservative satirist writing during the Harlem Renaissance, uses this premise to make scathing observations about American racism and obsession with skin color.”