| The books that have affected me the most are listed below in approximate order of impact: | |
| 1) The Bible - God through human hands |
The classic! No book is more inspired, popular, or printed in the
globe. The NY Times stopped putting it on the best seller list because it's
just assumed. The most important reason this is at MY #1 spot is that it changed my life! Through it I came to know the God of the Universe and His son, the Savior of all mankind. As with everyone else, I needed help to understand it at first, but now that it's personal, I'm able to grasp most concepts. It is also worth noting that the origin of Man and the bulk of Jewish history is found in the book. Armegeddon is fully predicted in the book of Revelation as well. Famous characters found in the book are: Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, King David, King Solomon, Samson & Delilah, Jonah, Joshua, Elijah, The apostle Paul, and, of course, Jesus Christ. |
| 2) The 7 habits of highly effective people - Steven R. Covey |
This is it. This is how you become effective at life. Next to the
Bible, this book has shaped my life the most. The first three habits (Be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first) give instruction on the inner victory of life. The second three habits (Think win-win, seek first to understand then to be understood, and Synergy) give instruction on the outer victory of life. The 7th habit is called "Sharpening the saw" and deals with the overall process of renewal. |
| 3) Call it love or call it quits - Tim Timmons & Charlie Hedges |
Know anyone who has been dating more than 3 years? Know someone who
has been in many relationships without getting very deep? I was in my third year of dating when I read this book and popped the question. I am now happily married and thankful for the practical and realistic treatment of dating found in this book. This book changed my life in a big way. |
| 4) Unconditional love - John Powell |
This small book blew me away. I became convinced through this book that there are really only 4 main motivations in man: pleasure, power, aviodance of responsibility, and love. The book showed how Jesus systematically rejected the first three motivations in favor of love. When you get right down to it, that's the state of man: striving after the first three (sometimes in the name of love) while really hoping for love. Amazing book! |
| 5) Your money or your life - Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin |
A) There IS such a thing as too much money - really! This book
discusses how to figure out this amount for yourself before you stress
yourself out trying to acquire more than you really need to make yourself
happy. Don't trade your life for money - it's just not worth it.
B) Everyone solvent dies financially independent (FI). Being FI just means you have enough money to last the rest of your life. Becoming FI long before you die is called retirement. How you get there quickly and simply is what the book is great at explaining. |
| 6) Spirit controlled temperament - Tim LaHaye |
I sometimes forget how much the concepts in this book affect my everyday thinking about personality and getting along with people. It covers the 4 main personality types dating back to Socrates and their principal characteristics. There's advice for how to overcome your weaknesses as well as how to get along with those of other types. (The 4 types are Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic, and Melancholy) |
| 7) Know why you believe - Paul E. Little |
I'm a Christian. Great! Now what does that mean? Once you know what
it means, can you back it up with facts and Biblical references? This book does better than any other I've read at answering the tough questions and backing up what Christians believe with the reasons behind it. |
| 8) Rich dad poor dad / Cashflow Quadrant - Robert T. Kiyosaki |
Yes, you can get rich without going to college or even doing well in
school. The principles in his books explain the reasons why the poor and
middle class don't go anywhere financially while the rich keep piling it
on. It's not that big a deal, but it takes work - working smarter at the
financially important things and not making stupid financial decisions.
News flash: your house is not an asset in his book. Read why he says so. |
| 9) Living Deliberately - Harry Potter (not the fictional character!) |
Be careful with this one. Half of it is garbage and the other half is
revolutionary. I only recommend it if you can filter out the new age
religion from what his main points are. Most people can't, hence the
caution. Once you get past that, this book is a real eye opener. As human beings created in the "image" of God we have the capacity to remold and reframe our lives and take control of the things that hold us back. If you find yourself making excuses or placing blame, you really need to understand the concepts in this book. This is your chance to take the drivers wheel back from all the other people who try to run your life. Believe me: If you don't want to take charge of your life, there are plenty of other people who will run it for you! Don't let them do it! |
| 10) Virus of the mind - ? |
This is memology 101 for me. Sound fun? Actually it is. The book
introduces memes, how they work, how to create your own, and some
fascinating thoughts on the evolution of mankind. It shows why some weird
traits of people have reasonable explanations. It explains what makes for
a lasting religion and why there is politics. Overall, it really opened up my mind to the real "Battle for the mind" (another great book). |
| 11) The Neverending Story - Michael Ende |
To me, this is the best fictional fantasy story ever written.
Admittedly I have not read much fantasy or even fiction for that matter,
but my opinion stands. The story was masacered in the movies and only half told. If you hated the movies, you are a good candidate for the book. The role of reality and fantasy intertwining and the powerful sense of imagination and creativity unleashed in the book is what really captured it for me. To really read this book right you have to get a good translation (from the German) that maintains the red and green lettering of the text and has the double snake emblem on the covers. The book talks about itself in those terms and if it doesn't match, it takes something away. The artwork at the beginning of each chapter in the rare Doubleday version I have really sets the stage for the story one part at a time. |
| 12) This present darkness / Piercing the darkness - Frank Peretti |
Yes, there really are Angels and Demons. They are real and they are
"all around" us. They aren't everywhere, but they are in most places.
These books try to stay as close as possible to Biblical principles as they
tell two fictional stories of how real life intersects with the spiritual
realm. Once you get started they are hard to put down. They are fascinating, educational and creepy. Try not to read them at 2 AM like I did - every shadow freaks you out! |
| 13) The secret of loving - Josh McDowell |
Love. If you can master loving others you can master Godly living. This book goes a long way in assisting this journey. He includes many direct quotes from his wifea nd shares openly about the struggles and benefits of marriage. This book was very helpful in my journey toward love. |
| 14) The one minute manager meets the monkey
- Kenneth Blanchard & William Oncken Jr. |
Have you read the classic One Minute Manager? You should. This
is one of many follow-ups on the book. I particularly like this one because it covers the often misunderstood role of responsibility and delegation. I have seen so many managers get tripped up and work 70 hour weeks because they don't understand these principles. I don't want to be one of them - now I know the way out. |
| 15) What color is your parachute? - Richard Bolles |
The classic job search tool and so much more. I was pleasantly
surprised with this book. I was expecting job search advice on strictly a
practical "how to" level. What I got was almost a life/career management
textbook that recognizes the complex role of jobs in relation to the rest
of your life and values. I highly recommend it for job changers as well as those who are thoughtful about the contaxt of their life. |