Books that Stay with Me

What books have left their mark?  I have received several questions regarding what I have read for my own professional development or what I recommend for others.  Many options are available and can provide a range of thought on leadership, life, and self-improvement.  Many I have forgotten, but I took some time to ponder those books that truly impacted the way I think or view the world.  Below are a few of those books that stay with me to this day, no matter when I read them.  They may help provide a window into my perspective, provide inspiration to you, or simply be a good read, but regardless, below are a few books to kickoff my recommended ProDev reading list (for now).  This is a beginning; help me to build it into something more.  Read well…

   

   

      

        

      

      

      

      

   

Start with Why (Simon Sinek)

Blink (Malcolm Gladwell)

Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)

Ishmael (Daniel Quinn)

Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders (Joel Manby)

The Aviators (Winston Groom)

The Count of Monte Christo (Alexander Dumas)

The Demon-Haunted World (Carl Sagan)

Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling)

Wired for War (P.W. Singer)

The Kite Runner (Khalid Hosseini)

Leaders Eat Last (Simon Sinek)

The Next 100 Years (George Friedman)

Beyond Civilization (Daniel Quinn)

The Revenge of Geography (Robert Kaplan)

The Tipping Point (Malcolm Gladwell)

Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure (Tim Harford)

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage (Alfred Lansing)

Contact (Carl Sagan)

Ghost Fleet (P.W. Singer & August Cole)

Outliers: The Story of Success (Malcolm Gladwell)

Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Cry, the Beloved Country (Alan Paton)

Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power (Robert Kaplan)