Jack’s Favorite Books

See also Jack’s Page for Favorite Books for Business

A Beginner’s Guide to Crossing Cultures: Making Friends in a Multicultural World by Patty Lane “If you are looking for a simple, easy to follow introduction to diversity and cross-cultural communication then this book is for you. It is written from a very Christian perspective and its focal point is on outreach to neighbors whose backgrounds are unlike your own. Yet, in spite of the focus on ministry, the principles are basic and can be applied to relationships within the business community. My greatest appreciation for the book is the progression in approaching diversity: Xenophobia, Ethnocentrism, Forced Assimilation, Segregation, Acceptance and then Celebration.”

A Better Way to Make a Living…and a Life by Peter Bourke Not just for job seekers, this book is also helpful for anyone desiring to gain a new perspective on their job and career. Bourke provides a basic overview of the purpose of work, from a distinctively Christian viewpoint. He shares informative statistics related to job satisfaction and job searches. The book also contains practical steps on finding satisfaction in your career and how to land the right job. My favorite “take-away” is the concept that each of us is the president of Me, Inc. This presidential role is not a selfish approach to our work, but an understanding that we, and not our boss or company, are responsible for our career.

Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott. I have given this book away as gifts and I shared portions of it with our staff. I highly recommend it for improving communication. Not only is it helpful in a business situation, but I find the principles very applicable to everyday conversations with friends and family.

Get Well Soon, The 8 Habits of Healthy People by Matt McConnell. I had the opportunity to meet Matt at a meeting of HR professionals. Matt was sharing some of the benefits of a Daniel Fast and I was intrigued by his comments and decided to purchase his self-published book. Matt does not shy away from controversial elements of good health. He offers myriads of practical advice on what to eat, preventive health, and lifestyle changes. He rightly contends that the medical industry focuses on the treatment of the symptoms of illness instead of preventing illness. As a result, he turns the focus on prevention, primarily through dramatic change in typical eating habits. Some of us will find some of his thoughts extreme, but he does cause us to think.

Has Christianity Failed You? by Ravi Zacharias. The title alone acknowledges a deep pain many feel. If you are looking for pat answers or “3 easy steps” this book is not for you. Nor would I recommend it for someone who is only casually interested in finding God in the midst of the painful questions of life. However, those who are yearning for answers and are willing to take the time to honestly seek for understanding, this book will be helpful. Though not in any systematic order, Zacharias touches on the pivotal points that often turn people away from Christianity, including pain & suffering, unanswered prayer, and hypocrisy. He addresses fundamental questions regarding the person of Christ and cultural understandings of “Christianity.” As in all his writings, there are great personal stories, arguments supporting theism, and philosophical reasons for abandoning relativism.

How Good Is Good Enough? by Andy Stanley.  A friend in business gave me this book. I do enjoy reading Christian apologetics; yet honestly, for two reasons, I didn’t approach this book with much anticipation. First, I didn’t consider Andy Stanley to be an apologist. Second, this 92 page book appeared too small to provide a definitive answer to the question the title raises. However, I should not have judged this book by its size. It’s one of the few books I have read that sticks to the subject addressed in the title. Stanley makes one point, and he makes it well—No one is good enough to earn heaven.  He adequately exposes the underlying fallacies of the common beliefs regarding being good and gaining entrance into heaven. The book doesn’t address other questions that naturally arise concerning heaven, God and the Bible. Yet, after this “quick read” you are forced to rethink how we gain eternal life.

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin. I wrestled with Linchpin almost from the beginning. About halfway through, it began to resonate. After finishing it I went back and reread the opening chapters to glean—and I am glad I did. Godin exposes the fallacy of working in the “factory” which is the backbone of capitalism. In contrast, he encourages the reader to stand out through art—which is defined in various fashions such as being generous, unique, remarkable, passionate and, ultimately, indispensable. If for no other reason, Linchpin is useful as a springboard to evaluating what we want out of life and our careers. True to his writings, Linchpin is full of tweetable one-liners.

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis Knowing C.S. Lewis can be a little deep, I decided to listen to the audio version of Mere Christianity, (Thank you Gwinnett County Library). I now understand why this is a classic. I was amazed at how contemporary Lewis is in Mere Christianity. His apologetics of the Christian faith are just as relevant today as they were 50 years ago. His arguments are logical and, mostly, simple to follow. I gladly recommend it to anyone considering the Christian faith or any Christian, regardles of the maturity of their faith. Mere Christianity truly deserves is “classic” label.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell  Fascinating.  Thought provoking.  Outliers is quite different most any book I have recently read. In Part 1, Gladwell makes his case for “People don’t rise from nothing.” He combines intriguing research with common insight to prove that people—and their success—are the result of hidden advantages, cultural legacies and extraordinary opportunities. I see many parallels in his writings to my own personal world view and have written my own response in a blog post.  Initially, I could not see the correlation between Part 1 & Part 2.  Yet, as I continued to read I found Gladwell providing further convincing support for his premise that our cultural legacies are strong contributors to both our personal and community success. Part 2 has many practical implications for parents, educators, and anyone involved in cross cultural communications.

Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life by Robert B. Reich. I must admit I wandered outside my typical reading boundaries when I picked up Robert Reich’s Supercapitalism. I am the richer for it. Instead of casting blame for the economic maladies of the United States, Reich defines and clarifies the issues that have merged to create the gross inequality of wealth in America. He plainly displays the logical consequences that flow from our everyday decisions to increase profit, ROI, and save a dollar on T-shirts. “Of Two Minds” is one of the best and succinct descriptions of the contradictory battles going on in the lives of most Americans. In this chapter, Reich highlights the unattainable balancing act of living our lives as good citizens and also as thrifty consumers and wise investors. Here, he enlightens the mind to an understanding of how our search for a good deal often leads to undesired fallout such as lower wages, sweat shops, child labor, environmental abuse, the spread of porn,  obesity and other health problems. Reich does define a problem. Whether or not one agrees with his recommended responses to the issues, the book is of extreme value for understanding the course of modern day capitalism. (Additional thought can be found in my blog: Supercapitalism Got Me Thinking.)

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This is, apart from the Bible, the largest book I have read—and I am so glad I picked it up. In addition to showing how Lincoln included in his cabinet his Republican rivals for the presidency, the book provides an incredible model of leadership. Lincoln was a master at situational leadership. With the backdrop of the Civil War and slavery we see a compelling display, as Goodwin subtitles her book, of political genius. Furthermore, by including the lives of Lincoln’s “rivals” we gain a thorough understanding of the various arguments for and against the war and slavery. It’s a masterpiece of history that left me feeling like I knew the man we now know as President Abe Lincoln.

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin Truly a little book, and quick read, that encourages you on when to quit and when to stick with it. Countering Coach Lombardi’s assertion that “Quitters never win and winners never quit,” Godin proposes that “Winners quit all the time. They just quit the right stuff at the right time.” His arguments are compelling and–should be–common sense. Godin asserts that quitting can be strategic. The book, however, is not simply about quitting, it’s about sticking with the right stuff through the difficult periods—the dip. “Real success,” he writes, “goes to those who obsess.” Pick up a copy, read it, and pass it along.

The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Speech that Inspired a Nation by Drew D. Hansen. There are a lot of books on the subjects of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. This book, however, stands out because of its focus on the I Have a Dream speech. Hansen dissects the speech without causing the reader to miss the overall impact of the speech on American history—you see both the forest and the trees. The book is readable, fascinating, and enlightening. The greatest benefits of the book, however, are the lessons learned on communication. Therefore, I would recommend this book to anyone who is involved in public speaking.

The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists by Ravi K. Zacharias and Lee Strobel. Ravi Zacharias, one of my professors in seminary, wrote this book as a response to a recent book by an atheist.  I found this book to be useful in providing practical responses to those who seek to destroy the basis of faith in Christ. Zacharias does not shy away from the struggles facing Christians. Rather he addresses valid concerns raised by atheists and responds with potent arguments in defense of the Christian’s faith. Ravi Zacharias is a leading Apologist and has, in my opinion, one of the most influential Christian ministries today.

The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization by Peter M. Senge. Early in my career I came across The Fifth Discipline. Perhaps more than any other book, it shaped my understanding of the critical need for systems, organization and processes. Senge does an incredible job of demonstrating that in order for an organization to sustain growth it must be ever-learning. Furthermore, Senge helps the reader to think about the long-term implications of short-term fixes. Throughout his writings he focuses on communication and valuing the input of everyone in the organization. For those, like me, in Operations, The Fifth Discipline describes the very core of our work.

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman This is a classic book on marriage that was recommended to me early on in my marriage. Back then—nearly 25 years ago—I didn’t have much motivation to read it; After all, I had it all figured out.  After hearing it referenced a couple of times this fall, I decided I needed to pick it up again. This time, with the purpose of desiring to strengthen the most important relationship in my life, I approached the book as an eager student. I found it to be a simple read. Though the examples of success may appear to be simplistic, I believe the principles are valid. I am motivated to put effort into implementing the principles taught. Six months from now I should have a better handle on its value. However, for now, I think it is an excellent book and well worth the short time it takes to read it.  Furthermore, many of the principles are very applicable to other areas of my life including parenting and even business relationships—with some boundaries.

The Five Love Languages of Teenagers by Gary Chapman  After reading Chapman’s The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Love to Your Mate, I thought I would give this one a try too—I do have four children. I was not disappointed. The best way to express how well I like the book is to say, because of this book, I have changed the way I relate to my three teenagers. Unlike the earlier book, Chapman doesn’t focus as much on the five love languages; rather he provides excellent general guidelines for relating to—and parenting—teenagers. He does a noteworthy job of describing the changes teenagers experience and how we, as parents, can best guide them through this critical stage of growth. Surprisingly, I found Chapman to be more permissive in his approach to the freedom given to teens. I enthusiastically recommend this book for any parent of a teenager or pre-teen.

The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care by T. R. Reid The opening chapters are like walking into a large aquarium for the first time; you learn and discover myriads of things you never knew existed. One key difference, however, is that a trip to the aquarium opens your senses up to a beautiful world previously unknown to you. In this case, T.R. Reid opens our eyes to the disturbing reality of the American health care. He grabbed my attention in the opening chapter, supported his premises throughout the bulk of the bulk and then reinforces it with a combination of emotional and factual illustrations. He purports that universal health care is first a moral issue and then illustrates how the U.S. has 3 major problems with health care: coverage, quality, and cost. This book rocked my understanding of the current health care debate.  I highly recommend it.(Related Blog on Health Care & Pro-life: http://wp.me/pBhtB-6H)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett Read this book for the pleasure of reading; however, it made several impressions on me. It brought back a basket full of memories of my childhood in Birmingham–both pleasant and disturbing. It provides an abundance of practical insight on racial diversity. Stockett is an incredible writer–thinking about reading it again just to study her way with words. Pick up a copy, but beware–it can become addictive. (Loved the movie too!)

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. Typical of Gladwell, the book is filled with interesting studies, facts and observations. Unlike his next book, Outliers, the conclusions drawn from the research in The Tipping Point are lacking. The book’s primary contribution is the insight it provides on marketing. At times, the book appears disjointed. Yet, Gladwell works to tie his stories to his assertion that there are three agents of change: The Law of the Few, The Stickiness Factor, & The Power of Context. Again, typical of Gladwell, his writing is thought provoking and leaves the reader contemplating how to apply new ideas.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. One morning at the YMCA, I overheard a guy talking about reading “Unbroken.”  I ordered a copy and saved it for reading over vacation. It is now one of my all-time favorites. It’s an incredible story of Louis Silvie Zamperini, an Olympic runner from America who turned into a World War II soldier. It’s a story of unbelievable survival, unthinkable resilience and gratifying redemption. For those of us who are unfamiliar with the history of WWII it also provides a unique historical perspective on the Japanese and the heroics of American and Allied soldiers on land and in the air. The lessons learned can apply to most any area of life. Throughout the book, Laura Hillenbrand, who also authored Seabiscuit, kept my attention; each time I put it down I anxiously awaited the next moment when I could continue reading. I don’t want to give away the story, only to say that it is a fantastic book.

Visioneering: God’s Blueprint for Developing and Maintaining Vision by Andy Stanley. I read this book on a beach on a vacation back in 2007. This is a good basic book on evaluating our lives in light of God’s plan for us individually. It is an encouraging book of hope.

What’s So Great about Christianity by Dinesh D’Souza. This book was given to me by a friend. I had never heard of the book or the author, Dinesh D’souza. Phenomenal! It is the best Christian apologetics book I have read since The Case for Christ. D’souza, in a way that we non-intellectuals can understand, provides provocative arguments for a belief in God and the value of religion, and particularly Christianity, in the world today. I have never read anyone who better shows the relationship between faith and science. D’souza dispels the myth that the two are incompatible. In addition to science, he adequately addresses creation, philosophy, suffering, and morality. This book would be great for anyone who finds themselves in concurrence with people like Richard Dawkins, John Shelby Spong, Carl Sagan, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sam Harris, and the like. Atheist, agnostics, doubting Christians, and believers desiring to find reasonable answers to some of the most challenging questions to our faith, will find this book refreshingly intelligent and honest. The opening page on how to interpret the Scripture is one of the best succinct statements on the subject. I can’t believe it took me this long to come across this book.  Read more

Zero Trends: Health As a Serious Economic Strategy by D. W. Edington. Wellness is one of the buzz words in HR and corporate America today; Eddington takes wellness to a new level. In fact, he provides descriptions of 4 levels of wellness initiatives.  The major theme is that improved health status will not only reduce healthcare cost for companies but also increase performance and productivity in the workplace. He contends, rightly, employers must create environments that encourage their employees to stay well and not simply provide care for them when they are sick. Anyone who is seriously looking to find long-term solutions to managing healthcare cost in their organization and increasing employee productivity should read this book.

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