Book Reviews Archives - Page 3 of 29

Becoming Brave

My friend Brenda Salter-McNeil has a new book being released so I asked her to give us a sneak preview. Trust me when I say you will want to read this one. Brenda writes with passion and transparency while always keeping truth at the center of her message.

Sometimes her words are challenging. They push me to see things through her heart and to understand life from the perspective of an African-American woman. That has not always been comfortable for me, but it has always been a way to grow and learn. And, ultimately, to better understand how to love …

Books Worth Reading

The first half of 2020 has come and gone, and it was certainly a half-year to remember. Common themes of the first half include Covid-19, the economy, Black Lives Matter, and the US Election.

My reading reflected some of these themes. Okay, so I didn’t read scientific journals about the Coronavirus. I wouldn’t have understood them if I had. Still, I read a lot of timely books. Overall my reading pace slowed to 44 books in the first six months, probably because of not commuting (thus fewer audiobooks).

Here are a few of my favorites so far. These books are …

Looking for a good book to read?

To everyone sheltering in place, thank you. It’s clearly working and it has saved lives. As one wag said, our parents/grandparents were called to war to defeat facism and save the world, whereas we are called to stay home and sit on a couch; we can do this! 😂

So to do your duty you’ve watched all the Netflix shows, gone through the backlog of chores, organized the kitchen and garage, spent way too much time shopping online, and perfected the Zoom call. You’ve probably also read a fair number of books. Actually, you might need more books to read!…

Three Book Suggestions

Has there ever been a better time to pick up a good book?

Staying at home is our new national calling, and reading a good book is a great investment of our extra time (besides, Tiger King is basically fast food for the brain; you really shouldn’t have too much of it).

If you need book suggestions, here are three favorites I’ve read this year. It took some doing for me to limit this to just three books!

It’s hard not to love with The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce. This is something like a …

The Color of Life

About ten or fifteen years ago I was part of a small mentoring organization in the Bay Area. The focus was to identify and nurture “home grown talent” in ministry, business, church work … really anything that involved the integration of faith and vocation. I met some wonderful people, including Cara Meredith.

Cara struck me as thoughtful, a good listener, and eager to learn. We had several mutual friends — not unusual when you both live and work in the same region — so even though the mentoring program faded away I still heard occasional updates about Cara’s life and …

2019 Reading List

Another great year of reading! Here are the 2019 books I finished. Some good, some just okay, some really lousy.

The Infinite Game, by Simon Sinek. So very good. It’s a must read for anyone in business, and will resonate with everyone who owns their own business.

Call for the Dead, by John le Carre. Basically how it all began. Really really good.

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein. It can drift into the academic sometimes, but it’s still well worth reading.

Ten Caesars, by Barry Strauss. An …

Seven Books Better Than Mine (Though You Should Still Buy Mine)

Each year I read around 100 books. During the holiday season we all need gift ideas, and books are one of my favorite things to give or receive. Naturally, I think you should buy my book Salvaged for your friends and family! But many of you have, and, grudgingly, sigh, I hate to admit this, but there are seven books even better than mine. Here’s the list, plus a few honorable mentions almost as good. 😊

There are some great fiction books worth checking out. Honorable mentions are The Delight of Being Ordinary, We Are Legion (We Are …

Unreasonable People

Fred Smith is not an unreasonable person despite the title of this post. I have invited Fred to be my first guest blogger in years because I love his quirky sense of humor, balanced perspective on cultural shifts, and genuine love for the unreasonable people who change the world. Plus he’s a great writer.

I met Fred at The Gathering, an annual conference focused on faith-based philanthropy. Fred is the founder of The Gathering and until just recently its President. Fred is a graduate of Denver University and Harvard Divinity School. He is the co-founder of Leadership Network with …