Hey friends! Lots going on lately, but I’ve been able to do a little reading over the last month or so. Here are the last 5 books I’ve read and my brief thoughts on each!
Linchpin, by Seth Godin – This book by business and productivity “guru” Seth Godin touched on a lot of really interesting ideas that I’ll probably bring up in a later post. Here’s one that I found pretty compelling: the way to elevate your work from being another monkey pressing a button in a cubicle to creating “art” (even if you aren’t in an artistic field) is to bring your humanity to bear in your daily tasks. Don’t just be content with formality and the minimum necessary effort to interact with people. Remember that you’re emailing actual people with feelings and concerns. Treat them that way. It raises the game for all concerned.
The Wonder-Working God, by Jared Wilson – Wilson’s work is always excellent. (I’m an unabashed fan.) This book was helpful to me because it challenged me to look at the accounts of miracles in the Gospels with fresh eyes, and look at how these miracles were signposts pointing to who He is as God-in-flesh. Growing up in the faith, I’ve taken a lot of things in the Bible for granted. The truth is, the story of Jesus’ life and ministry is pretty fantastic and shocking, if you’re paying attention. I appreciated Wilson’s humor and eloquence in exploring these ideas.
Turning Pro, by Steven Pressfield – Pressfield has earned a reputation in the area of writing about writing and, in particular, about the war that writers wage against The Resistance, that internal force always threatening to stop us from producing art. In Turning Pro, Pressfield considers what it means to be an Amateur versus being a Professional, not just in terms of writing or creating art but in terms of life. His style is punchy and sometimes profound, but I felt like this volume wasn’t as strong as his other works, The War of Art or Do the Work, which I would recommend instead.
So Good They Can’t Ignore You, by Cal Newport – Newport challenges the oft-repeated advice to “follow your passion” by arguing that career satisfaction comes not through following your dreams but through working like a craftsman to become outstanding at whatever you’re currently doing. He argues that seeking to be exceptional and skillful in any field opens up opportunities (what he calls career capital) to increase your autonomy and direct your work toward a chosen mission. This book is chock-full of great ideas and interesting insights. I’ll have more to say on this later.
Husband-coached Childbirth, by Dr. Robert Bradley – My wife is having a baby pretty much any day now, and we have chosen to have the baby at a birth center with a midwife. Natural childbirth is a daunting task, and Dr. Bradley is one of the most trusted names in the field of natural childbirth in the United States. I really appreciate the high value that this approach places on the husband’s role in childbirth, and how Bradley coaches husbands to be actively involved throughout labor. While I have some qualms about some of his ideological assumptions, this book is very practical and would be a help to any prospective parents who are considering natural childbirth. It’s not the only resource out there, but certain a good one to check out.
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So what’s up next on the reading list?
- I’m about a third of the way through the audio version of Tony Reinke’s Twelve Ways Your Phone is Changing You. This book is outstanding. Already going to call it a must-read.
- I’m about to start The Cubs Way by Tom Verducci, a story of the management decisions that lead to last year’s magical World Series run.
- I’m working my way through Jeff Goins’ latest book, Real Artists Don’t Starve. LOTS of good content there. Full review forthcoming.
- Depending on when things come in from the library, this month I’ll also be starting The New Dads Playbook by Benjamin Watson, Teammate by former Cubs catcher (and DWTS runner-up!) David Ross, Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option, and a few others.
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Your Turn: Read anything interesting lately? About to start any new books? Let me know in the comments!
The4thDave Blog 
Funny story: I was checking in new titles for my library branch, and long story short you should be getting Teammate on about Tuesday or Wednesday this week. 🙂
Currently reading: I’ve been stuck in Lectures on Revivals by W.B. Sprague for a while (it’s good, but that early nineteenth-century prose will bog a person down). Just started Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (sci-fi) and Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers (mystery short stories).
Fantastic! Always a pleasure to know a librarian. I’ve never been so much of a library partisan as I have in the last three years.
Great selections. I haven’t heard of any of them. I’ll have to investigate further!
Tuesday, as it turns out! 🙂
1. Ryan T. Anderson’s excellent book “Truth Redefined: The Future of Marriage and Religious Liberty” which presents the “natural law” arguments for the traditional view of marriage in a cogent and winsome manner.
2. “Pride and Prejudice” (audiobook). I was not expecting how sharply funny the book would be.
Interesting! Austen is stellar. More people should be reading her these days. (Weird thing to say about an author considered to be one of the best of her era, but I think she’s fallen out of favor, like many of the “classics.”)