I always enjoy a good book and am continually trying to learn and better myself as a person. Here’s a few books I’ve read recently and a few that are in the on deck circle to be read…
- Drive by Daniel Pink – The subtitle is “the surprising truth about what motivates us,” which is a good summary. For the longest time, people have been motivated by what Pink describes as carrots and sticks. Do something good, you get a carrot (i.e. money). Do something bad, you get a stick (i.e. written up at work). But in today’s world, we’re motivated less by carrots and sticks and more by doing work that matters, working autonomously, and achieving mastery in our work. Great read. Also pick up A Whole New Mind and Free Agent Nation by Pink.
- Linchpin by Seth Godin – I’ve read most of the books Godin has put out and am a big fan of his blog. This book was basically about how to become indispensable in what you do and focusing on work that’s important. I thought it was a solid read, but I think it was a little wordy and repetitive at times, which is unusual because his blog posts do an extremely good job of cutting the fluff and getting right to the point in a short, simple way. Nonetheless, I still thought it was a good read.
- A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller – Donald Miller is a unique writer that really can cause people to think. This was an interesting book because of how it was written. It’s the story of Miller working with a couple of film guys to develop a screenplay for his life. So it’s basically a reflective book of the author evaluating and examining his own life and challenging the reader to the do the same.
On the soon-to-be-read pile…
- Buyology by Martin Lindstrom – I’ve had this book recommended to me by a couple of different people. It’s basically answering the question “why we buy?” Looking forward to it.
- Switch by Chip & Dan Heath – I read the Heath brothers first book Made To Stick and like most others who’ve read it, I would rank it in the top 10 books I own. So naturally, anything else they put out I’m assuming will be good.
- Just Don’t Fall by Josh Sundquist - Josh is a good friend and a fellow youth speaker and has an amazing story. The nutshell is he found out he had cancer in his left leg when he was nine, had to have his leg amputated, and eventually went on to compete four years ago as a downhill ski racer in the 2006 Paralympic Olympics in Italy. The book shares his journey and story throughout all this. I’ve known Josh personally for a few years now and while I know his story is powerful, I know the guy is the real deal. Super cool, down-to-earth dude who wants to make a difference.
Anything you’ve read or are reading that you’d recommend?
