Throughout Wily’s 10 year history, there have been a number of books that have continued to inspire the Wily Pack and we wanted to share some of our favorites with you. The works we have selected have been particularly impactful on Staff and Scholars alike. This selected crop of memoirs, fables, and studies all embody Wily’s Core Values and illustrate some of the obstacles Wily Scholars often face.
Find another collection of a Scholar’s favorite reads here!
We hope that these books may inspire you as they have inspired us.
Feel free to share your favorites with the Wily Pack on Instagram or Facebook @thewilynetwork!
Acceptance by Emi Nietfeld
A hard-hitting and hilarious memoir of ambition, desperation, and the dark side of grit:
“Growing up in a house filled with dirty feather boas and fearless mice, Emi Nietfeld dreams of escaping to the Ivy League. Emi’s single mom believes in her, but can’t stop hoarding—catapulting Emi into the underworld of troubled teen treatment, foster care, and homelessness. When her shot arrives to trade sleeping in her car for the hallowed halls of an elite college, Emi must decide: How far will she go to market herself as a perfect “overcomer” when her problems are far from over? And what will it cost to maintain that illusion at Harvard and into adulthood?”
https://www.eminietfeld.com/books
Featured in 2023 an Evening with Emi Nietfeld
A Chance in The World by Steve Pemberton
“Pemberton’s beautifully told story is a rags to riches journey–beginning in a place and with a jarring set of experiences that could have destroyed his life. But Steve’s refusal to give in to those forces, and his resolve to create a better life, shows a courage and resilience that is an example for many of us to follow.” – Stedman Graham, Author, Educator
https://www.stevepemberton.io/a-chance-in-the-world-book
Authored by Wily Advisory Council Member
A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind
“A Hope in the Unseen chronicles Cedric’s odyssey during his last two years of high school, follows him through his difficult first year at Brown, and tells the story of his subsequent successes in college and the world of work. Eye-opening, sometimes humorous, and often deeply moving, A Hope in the Unseen weaves a crucial new thread into the rich and ongoing narrative of the American experience.”
https://ronsuskind.com/portfolio/a-hope-in-the-unseen/
Referenced in Wily staff training
Class Dismissed by Anthony Abraham Jack
“A provocative and much-needed book, Class Dismissed paints an intimate and unflinchingly candid portrait of the challenges of undergraduate life for disadvantaged students even in elite schools that invest millions to diversify their student body. Moreover, Jack offers guidance on how to make students’ path to graduation less treacherous—guidance colleges would be wise to follow.”
https://anthonyabrahamjack.com/class-dismissed-1
Authored by feature Wily graduation speaker in 2025
On the Road Less Traveled by Ed Hajim
“In a memoir filled with human drama, wisdom and timeless life lessons, Ed Hajim tells his improbable story of how he bounced from foster homes to orphanages, in a daily struggle to survive, to living the American dream as an accomplished Wall Street executive and model family man with great moral fiber and the means to give back to a world that seemed intent on rejecting him.”
https://www.edhajim.com/on-the-road-less-traveled
Authored by Honorary Wily Board Member
The Island of the Four Ps by Ed Hajim
An inspiring and motivational guide, told through an allegorical tale.
“The Island of the Four Ps, is a story told in two parts. The first is a modern fable, inspired by that experience, and the second is the author’s personal story, which draws upon his own hard-won life lessons. Performed by six award-winning actors in a full cast recording, the fable treats listeners to an immersive experience, as Marketus, a young man leaving home for the first time, embarks on a spiritual quest that will provide the foundation for, and a pathway to, a meaningful and fulfilling life.”
https://www.edhajim.com/island-of-the-4-ps
Featuring a special note from Wily’s founder and Executive Director, Judi Alperin King
