Books
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleThe book lists seven principles that, if established as habits, are supposed to help a person achieve true interdependent effectiveness. Our habits wind up being quite a power in determining the direction of our lives. According to Covey, quality habits consist of knowledge, desire, and skill. Knowledge allows us to know what to do, skill gives us the ability to know how to do it, and desire is your motivation to do it. This was a great book for me and one of the first personal development books that I have read. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn about becoming a more productive and efficient person – with a passion for reaching their goals and dreams. |
Deep EconomyBill McKibben begins Deep Economy discusses the general sense of self in our “hyper-individualized” world. The world we live in takes focus away from personal relationships and connections. I particularly enjoyed McKibben discussing how money actually does buy happiness, but the ceiling to that happiness generally ends at about $10,000 per capita income. He goes on to discuss his journey through only purchasing local food – and expanding on the great relationships he developed with local farmers and merchants. Certain aspects of our economy are actually localizing in places all around us, but it’s going to take time to gain enough momentum for an outsider to notice these things going on. I recommend this book as it will give you a different perspective and expand your knowledge of economic localization. |
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Blink: The Power of Thinking Without ThinkingMalcom Gladwell discusses the power of our subconscious mind relative to your decision-making capabilities. Gladwell presents several case studies to illustrate the point that – our initial, intuitive response to something is often the one that proves to be correct. The term “thin-slicing” is presented – which is when a person can assess a sitation and determine a course of action immediately. Our brain has the ability to interpret a small bit of information and leverage that into making more complex decisions. A very interesting book that I recommend checking out. |
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The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big DifferenceAnother book by Mr. Gladwell – where he analyzes several cultural happenings and trends as epidemics. Essentially, ideas and products can spread very rapidly and often uncontrollably. Every epidemic will eventually reach its tipping point and is driven by what Gladwell calls the “Law of the Few” – which involves only a few personality traits. Connectors, salesmen, and mavens become the drivers and catalysts of rapid change in such epidemics that Gladwell covers in this investigative book. This was a fun read and I recommend it to anyone interested in marketing or social change – and understanding how often times very small changes can make all the difference in the world. |
7 Kinds of SmartThis book presents 7 different forms of intelligenges and discusses how each person is uniquely talented in different ways. According to Armstrong, a person can be smart in seven different ways. Most people tend to excel in two or maybe three of the different smarts. I think this is a great, quick read that is relatable to almost anyone. You can paint a clearer picture of exactly what you are good at and how you can leverage those talents into something greater. I definitely recommend checking this one out. |
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The AlchemistIf you are interested in reading a novel about finding inspiration in your life and reaching your destiny via your dreams – you need to read The Alchemist. Every person has a certain destiny – but often doesn’t put in the work and have the discipline and dedication to achieve that ultimate destiny. The story is about a boy who decides to go against the grain on a journey – a lesson of the book is to put yourself in unfamiliar surroundings in order to get closer to your destiny. Throughout the story, the boy is seeking a deeper meaning and taking each sign or omen that crosses his path into consideration relative to his ultimate destiny. One of the best books that I have ever read – definitely recommend it to anyone. |
I love this site! What great posts you have up, the one that jumped out the most to me was 5 Ways to Conquer Problems with Perspective. Nicely stated. And yes, Awesome books! The Magic of Thinking Big is like a must-read 101 book…Chapters 2,12,and 13 are my favorite.
The desire to be inspired is never-ending it seems and this is such a powerful and positive tool for anyone to hook up with.
So glad I could check it out for the first time!