Killing Brendan (I go, Ego, We go) - Audio Excerpt from Beginnings, Middles, & Ends

Listen to an excerpt from the book, Beginnings, Middles, & Ends: Sideways Stories on the Art & Soul of Social Work, read by the author, Ogden Rogers. This story, titled "Killing Brendan (I go, Ego, We go)," is from the "Ends" section of the book and addresses a moment at which the author realizes there is a dark place within himself as a parent, leading to insight, empathy, and a precious moment.

This story is one of 99 included in the book of stories about a life in social work. Here's what one reader, a well-known social work textbook author, recently said about the book:

Many textbooks, including my own, carefully describe social work and what social workers do. Few of these books, however, capture art and heart required when applying the knowledge, values, and skills of this important profession. Ogden Rogers, in Beginnings, Middles, & Ends: Sideways Stories on the Art & Soul of Social Work, provides a masterful complement to the existing texts. Although usually not labeled as such, in each of his stories a critical value, principle, or guideline for social work practice is illustrated. My thought after reading each story was, “Yes!!! That is what social work is all about.” Further, Rogers’ unabashed enthusiasm for this profession is indeed a welcome addition to the social work literature.

Bradford W. Sheafor, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Colorado State University

This book of 99 stories reads easily, and the author tells tales that operate at many levels. The stories exemplify role modeling and transformational learning theories, and  readers are encouraged to reflect and consider their own thoughts and reactions to each piece. It's written in an easy, non-linear style that is filled with wit, wisdom, and drama. In many ways, it is a book that looks at social work from the inside out, and seeks to provide the reader with opportunities for validation, surprise, critique, and reading enjoyment.

For more information and to buy the book, see:

Listen to another excerpt here.