My Favorite Books of 2010

To get to my favorite books of 2010, you need to understand the numbers. Through 11/30/10:

• 130 books checked out from my local library
• 61 books added to my personal library
• 15 magazines subscribed to monthly
• 12 blogs checked daily

I like to read; no, I LOVE to read!

Did I read every word of every book, magazine and blog post listed above? No. I have a selective reading process described here that helps me focus on the important stuff.

One of the reasons I'm talking about books is because of the time of year: the holiday book season. Bookstores are one of my favorite places to visit at any time, but especially so at Christmas. A holiday visit to your local bookstore can provide a personal oasis of calm in a frenzied shopping day. Books can spur the imagination and take you on journeys that you never thought you might go. Books are also a great gift idea for anyone on your list. Don’t know what to give? The holiday season is also the time when the books lists come out – you know, the best seller’s lists, the Top Ten this or that, or the Best 100 Books of all Time.

It’s in that spirit that I offer some of my favorite books published in 2010. Here are the titles only – I will leave the discovery of why I chose them to your own reading!

• The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence, Tom Peters
• Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to ask God for the Impossible, Steven Furtick
• Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, Seth Godin
• The Christian Atheist: Believing in God But Living as if He Doesn’t Exist, Craig Groeschel
• Transformational Church: Creating a New Scorecard for Congregations, Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer
• The Truth about Leadership: The No Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Truth You Need to Know, James Kouzes
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, Chip and Dan Heath
• The Next Christians: How a New Generation is Restoring the Faith, Gabe Lyons
• Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences, Nancy Duarte
• Buy-in: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down, John Kotter
• Lead with Your Customer: Transform Your Culture and Brand into World Class Excellence, Mark David Jones
• Missional Map-Making: Skills for Leading in Times of Transition, Alan Roxburgh
• Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently, John Maxwell

This is a highly subjective list, but I believe all the titles above would serve leaders in ChurchWorld well. As soon as I write the list, I'm not satisfied with it. There are many more candidates that had an impact on me, and literally dozens of books are on my "To Read" list I keep in my journal.

For me, reading is the ultimate way to develop yourself and get insight on becoming the best leader you can be. Steve Sjogren noted these reasons for reading:

• Reading increases your well-roundedness
• Reading gives you consistent sources to draw from
• Reading is very attractive to big thinkers and other highly skilled leaders
• Reading helps you develop insight
• Reading breeds wisdom

As 2010 winds down, will you consider taking a look at one of the books on my list – or chose one from another list?

You'll be glad you did.