Books That Changed My Life

Over the last decade a handful of books changed all aspects of my life.  I am a daily walker and audio books have been my constant companion (see blog post here).  They not only keep me company, but I have used them as an opportunity to push my knowledge to new levels.  A funny thing happened along this journey, I have made powerful discoveries that have helped me understand and improve myself as a teacher, student, parent, partner, teammate, leader, and manager.  These books had a transformative impact on my thinking and behavior, which excites me to wonder how many more books might be out there for me to discover.  I spent most of my 20's reading dozens of books on social justice (a story for another day), but after reading and being deeply impacted by the Tipping Point almost a decade ago, my interests expanded in some new directions.

I have been asked a number of times to put together an essential book list that helped expand the capacity of my heart, mind, and soul and below is my best effort.  I tend to be drawn to books that challenge me to reevaluate my current thinking based on a combination of hard research and personal narratives.  The best writers tell a story about how the broader world works based on research and then draw connections to the research using stories.  The books below would be especially meaningful for parents, educators, and managers.  I have grouped the books into four areas.

The Amazing Mind - I have been interested for years in how our thinking and emotions impact our behaviors.  It is so relevant to my role as an educator, trainer, supervisor, and parent.  The book that really hit home in this area was Thinking, Fast and Slow.  It is a must read on how the mind works and the tricks it plays on each of us.  It has become a guide that has helped me improve my thinking and decision making and allowed me to help maximize the thinking of others.  Nudge includes some of the same lessons of Thinking, Fast and Slow in an easier to read format with more of an applied approach focused on the reader helping other people make better decisions.  Made to Stick is my most recent read and I think it is also a must read for anyone who wants their ideas to be taken seriously.  It uses research on how the mind and emotions work in order to help people frame and sell ideas.

Shame and Vulnerability - This might as well be called the Brené Brown section.  Her two Ted Talks sparked my interest in this topic (here and here) and her books the Gifts of Imperfection and Daring Greatly have got me hooked.  It is remarkable the role shame plays in parenting, relationships, and the workplace.  I cannot recommend strongly enough watching both Ted Talks and reading at least one of these books.  Her work has liberated me in so many ways and allows me to better accept myself, parent my children, and supervise my staff. 

Focusing on What Works - Three years ago a half day retreat about positive psychology and Strengths changed my life.  Until that point, I thought Gallup was just an organization that did political polling.  A significant portion of Gallup's research and work is focused on helping people maximize their engagement and talent in the workplace with additional focuses on leadership, learning, and wellbeing.  As a result of this different way of seeing the world, I am more productive in my work than I have ever been before and I am able to help others reach peak levels of engagement.  Gallup has so many outstanding books that I would recommend, but Strengths Based Leadership and 12: The Elements of Great Managing are by far the best.  Additional options include the Power of 2 and Wellbeing.  Also within this genre, I highly recommend the book Happier.

Understanding Motivation - As a manager and educator, there are few things more important than understanding what motivates people.  The book Punished by Rewards took on this task exceptionally well.  It focuses on how our system of trying to control people through external motivation and rewards kills the internal motivation within each of us.  The book suggests that we should create ways for internal motivation to flourish is the classroom, workplace, and at home.  The Starfish and the Spider focuses more specifically on how too much control of individuals within organizations limits its capacity for evolution and growth.  This areas of thinking has also sparked my interest in Motivational Interviewing and Coaching.

The next books on my list include (in order):
Switch
Mindset
Greater than Yourself
The Element
Out of Our Minds
The Advantage
Getting to Yes
Good to Great

If you have any strong reviews (positive or negative) of the next books on my list or a strong recommendation for a book that will continue to push my thinking and understanding of the world, I would welcome your comments to this post.