Well, I expect this to be the first of many listings of books I read. Let me start off by saying (though I don't read it as often as I should) my keystone book is the Word of G_d. I like to think of it as the lens through which I read all other books. The odd thing i consider is education in my reading. Why is it in all of my educational career (K-12 & College) did it seem most instructors were consumed with you reading for enjoyment? Why did we read "classics" & fiction pretty much throughout the entirety of school where books were assigned? I was surrounded by folks reading idiotic fictional stories (some of which I even have read and enjoyed) rather than books that build, empower & grow one's character.
So, needless to say, I have a passion for books that encourage the building of character... books that challenge my way of thinking. Hopefully that one person I haven't pissed off yet in Bangladesh will find these books useful.
No Excuses by Kyle Maynard
This book was written by a 19 - 20 year old young man (at 33, I'm allowed to call 20 year olds "young"). Aside from being humiliated for all my own personal life excuses, it is amazing to see folks who have everything going against them rise to the occasion to be great people of character. This is the kind of book I'd like to give to high school teachers (particularly English teachers) and force them to read it.
What's the point of the book? Simple: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're probably right." Once you read the book, you'll be forced to swallow your own excuses and lack of motivation or you'll be forced to live with your own self-defeat.
The Lost Choice by Andy Andrews
If you knew that one action in your life might change the world, you'd take special care not to miss that opportunity. This book shines light on the fact that every choice you make (no matter how mundane) can be vitally important and world impacting. It's that whole butterfly effect thing. Simply by understanding that my actions today can positively or negatively affect my future brings to mind that it is vitally important to consider my actions, attitudes & abilities as I move forward in my life.
Because of lessons I've learned from this book, I have decided that I will go anywhere so long as it is forward. If I screw up (hard to believe, but it's possible) I will face it and move on.
10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management by Hyrum W. Smith (thanks Larry)
I have not always been goode at managing time. In fact, I'm currently improving. I am still reading this book, but the part that I've read so far has absolutely impacted my life (enough to know I'm wasting time right now). Quickly, think of the top 2 - 4 things you value most? Friends? Family? Church? Golf? Beer? What is it? (If you said "beer," i'm going to smack you... make mine a New Castle). When you consider that your values (those things that are most valuable to you) tend to determine your time management. If you're not managing your time towards those values, maybe you need to evaluate why you're aiming away from them or possibly re-evaluate your value system.
Example: I do a great job of talking about my faith & relationship with G_d. But is it all talk? Why do I have such a hard time spending quality time with my Father? Well, I can conjure a bushel of excuses... but they'd only be excuses. I am just as guilty of making urgent things override the important things as any other person on earth. But now I'm conscious of it. That either makes me wise... or hypocritical.
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
There are a whole bunch of "men's books" for Christians. Books about why men want to have sex and shouldn't. Books about why men are horrible and should be nice. Books that tell men they should basically cut off their... ahem... 'scuse me, I'm ranting. You get the idea. Well, I'm tired of people telling Christ following men they need to be... um... pansies (yeah, that's the word! Pansies!). I firmly believe that most churches lack backbone because their men have been emasculated. Instead, we're told that men who are strong are jerks and men who are christians are inherently weak. Well, think what you want. I may not be able to bench press a Volkswagen, but I can sure as hell stand behind my word.
This book really calls out the inner beast of men and begs us to become men by taming our own beast. Like Aslon in Chronicles of Narnia, we're confronted with the Man of all men... the Most High himself! We're told that being created in the image of a mighty G_d means there is a warrior, savage side to all men. A side that is very dangerous, yet very good at the same time. This savage characteristic is a conqueror. Though not every man will win the arm wrestling competition... Every man can face his own world to become a conqueror.
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
If you haven't had a chance to listen to my latest rants, I'll let you in on a little secret: I think debt is the most idiotic financial activity a person takes engage in! That's right. So much so that I personally have vowed I will never borrow money again. Not for a car. Not for a house. Not for a TV. Not for my spouse. I will not do it and I do not like it. I will not eat green eggs and ham; I do not like it Sam I am. I know, I know. That sounds a bit extreme. But if you consider that EVERYONE ELSE having debt never made it a smart choice. Yes, I believe using debt is a CHOICE (and a bad one at that).
Let me ask you this: if everyone else has debt and everyone else has the same problems you do, why wouldn't you assume that doing what everyone else is doing is keeping you with the same problems everyone else has? Okay, for you math nerds out there... If A = B and B = Zero... Would you want to stay an A for the rest of your life? I'd at least try one of the other 24 letters. Read the friggen book and CHOOSE to get out of debt. It works, I promise. My wife & I paid of $42k in 14 months and I wouldn't borrow money if you put a gun to my head.
The Millionaire Next Door by Dr. Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko
Okay, the book title SOUNDS like one of those "Get-Rich-Quick" tomes that someone gives you before inviting you to their Multi-Level Marketing Cult. When you finally OPEN the book, it begins reading like a Gallup Poll. I opted for the AudioBook from Audible.com (downloaded to my iPod). This book is an in-depth study of the character, spending choices, life choices & characteristics of the very wealthy in the United States.
This book was HIGHLY enlightening when it revealed how most millionaires are diametrically different from what the rest of the population perceives. They are not generally big spenders, flashy nor vain. Most of the time, you can't tell the millionaire from the non-millionaire on first glance. In fact, there are many times you'll miss the millionaire because you're looking at someone far more "impressive." Tom Stanley makes a very goode point: All that glitters is not gold. How cliché! How true!
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Another book challenging the world's perceptions of Christ followers that also challenges the perceptions of the Christ followers themselves. If you believe in Jesus, or if you don't... this is a humble, but enlightening journey of sincere faith. This book is to Christianity what the movie Into the Wild was for Alaska (minus the suicidal choice to die in the wilderness). Within these pages, you'll meet a person who has developed a relationship with the Savior but doesn't just shirk all the other people in his life. Rather, he becomes an active expression of G_d's love in their lives.
Currently on my reading stand:Financial Armageddon by Michael J. Panzer
10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management by Hyrum W. Smith
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell
The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve by G. Edward Griffin
The Right Stock at the Right Time by Larry Williams
There will likely be more books I'll come to post.
Labels: books, dave ramsey, debt, faith
