Throughout her career, Yale bioengineer and inventor Anjelica Gonzalez has learned that success “requires a great level of risk, failure, and resilience” — a lesson also imparted by one of her picks for summer reading, along with reimaginings of Greek mythology and stories that reflect the depth of college friendships.
Gonzalez is the Raymond John Wean Professor of Biomedical Engineering in Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science and faculty director of the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale. She is also the head of Davenport College, and inventor of PremieBreathe, a low-cost, mobile neonatal respiratory device.
Anjelica Gonzalez
What’s your ‘beach read’ this summer?
Anjelica Gonzalez: I’ve spent much of the spring and summer reading up on Greek mythology in preparation for the new film, “The Odyssey.” Rather than Homer’s original works, I’ve enjoyed reading modern and playful interpretations of the origin of the gods (“Mythos”), the triumphs and downfalls of mortals as they challenge monsters (“Heroes”), the stories of strategy and resilience that describe the humanity of Trojan War (“Troy”), and ultimately the retelling of Odysseus’ journey after the fall of Troy (“Odyssey”), each by Stephen Fry. He does an amazing job of providing relevant backstory and foreshadowing where necessary, and his writing makes rather complex relationships between mythical mortals, gods, and everything in between seem accessible.
In the vein of reimagining major characters of Greek mythology, a great summer read has been Ayana Gray’s “I, Medusa.” This book beautifully tells the story of a young (in my mind, college-aged) Medusa (Meddy) who leaves home to be trained by the goddess Athena. From brilliant student to vilified monster, the challenges and transitions that Meddy undergoes in this book are enraging, heartbreaking, and inspiring.
Is there anything you’re reading for your area of expertise?
Gonzalez: When I think of readings that are relevant to my area of expertise, I mostly rely on primary research articles, reports on issues in higher education, and news related to innovation in the technology space. But I recently picked up a book that was a great read and reminded me that success in any endeavor, and particularly in science and entrepreneurship, requires a great level of risk, failure, and resilience. “From Mistakes to Meaning: Owning Your Past So It Doesn’t Own You” is a series of stories detailing the biggest mistakes (and recoveries) made by highly successful leaders from Hollywood to the White House.
Whether in the classroom or in the lab, I have to remind myself and my students that mistakes are not permanent, but analyzing them, understanding the entirety of the outcome, and recovering your ability to do better afterwards is ultimately the kind of success that you want. This book does a great job of reinforcing the idea that living in the shame of one’s mistakes serves no one, but growing from them can have life-changing outcomes.
Do you have a favorite book that you wish more people had read?
Gonzalez: There are two books that I think about often, especially when we approach the beginning of a new academic year: “The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness and the Tragedy of Good Intentions,” by Jonathan Rosen, and “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace,” by Jeff Hobbs. I think about these books because many from outside of Yale assume that students who come to Yale are largely a monolith who were always destined for an Ivy League education, and I wish more people would read these books to understand the variety of backgrounds that compose Yale’s community. These books describe the true stories of two students who come from vastly different walks of life, arrive at Yale, learn more about their own abilities and weaknesses, find unexpected friends and mentors, and go on to have lives with both extreme highs and devastating lows.
What is notable about each of these books is that they are narratives composed by the friends of the main characters and a true testament to the life-long relationships that are built between Yale students. Having been at Yale for some time now, I have an understanding that everyone comes here with their own remarkable story, which is what makes the university a great place for us to learn from one another.
