Have You Read This? – December 2009

It’s been said that you can tell a lot about a person by what they have in their library.  I guess there is some truth to that.

We tend to keep those books that have touched our lives or have helped us in some way or another.  The rest get sold, donated, or trashed.

I think it would be sad if all we ever read came from a blog post or website.  Perhaps, it’s the nostalgic part of me that still finds comfort in sitting in an overstuffed chair with a cup of coffee and a good book.  I must admit that the new Kindle Wireless Reader looks pretty cool though.

I’ve decided that I will share three books with you each month that are in my personal library.  I’ve provided you with an affiliate link where you can find out more information or purchase the book through Amazon.com. 

The E Myth Revisted by Michael Gerber

My very first blog post back in September was about this book.  The subtitle of the book is, “Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It.”

I can’t say enough about this book.  When I had my CPA Firm, I decided to give a copy of this book to every one of my new business clients.  I’ve continued that practice as a small business coach.

There are so many misconceptions (or myths) that we have when we start our first small business.  We are caught up in what Gerber calls an “Entrepreneurial Seizure” and before you know it we’ve opened our own business without knowing what we are really getting into.

We don’t realize that each of us are comprised of three parts: the technician, the manager, and the entrepreneur.  Once we start to understand this, we see how each of these roles can conspire against us causing our small business to fail.

All of this is just Part I of the book!  The remainder of the book teaches you how to use these three roles to grow your small business putting your personal stamp on it, deliver consistent reliable results, and how to get this without you personally having to do it.

The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson

I try to read this book once every month.  We’ve all been given a dream by the Dream Giver, but there are many obstacles standing in the way of us realizing that dream.

This is a small book that is a quick read.  It is written in the form of a modern-day parable, much like The Pilgrim’s Progress.  It is the story of Ordinary who dares to leave the Land of Familiar to pursue his Big Dream.

You don’t have to be a Christian entrepreneur to be encouraged and inspired by this book.  Since it is written in a parable style, it is not an overtly Christian book but you can clearly see God’s hands and principles in it.

I love the questions on the back jacket cover.  Are You Living Your Dream?  Or Just Living Your Life?

If you are having trouble taking that first step towards your Big Dream, or you are already on the journey but are having doubts, then this book is definitely for you.  Life is way to short not to live your dreams!

The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

If I were stranded on an island, and I had to choose one book besides the Bible, this would be that book.  I would make it mandatory reading for every new Christian.

Tozer opens up his book with this:

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.

What a bold statement, but I think he’s right.  We are all guilty of trying to fit God into a box where we can control Him, and wrap our finite minds around Him.

He takes us through 19 different attributes of God.  At times he seems repetitive, and you may struggle here or there with his writing style.

I almost gave up on the book a few chapters in my first time reading it, but I am so glad I didn’t.  It was when I got to God’s infinitude and immutability that all the repetition made sense, and the light bulb went off in my head.

This book has so many highlights and dogeared pages now that it looks like the Vegas strip.  It has put the Bible, this world, and my place within it in a whole new light.  A deeper, fuller understanding and appreciation.

Happy Reading!  I Hope You Enjoy My Picks.

I hope that you will check out my picks for this month.  I really think you will enjoy them, and that they will be a blessing to you.

If you purchase these books through my affiliate links, thank you.  However you decide to purchase them though, I hope that you will.

I think they will be on your personal library shelf for ages to come.

Related posts:

1. Book Review: I Shall Raise Thee Up
2. Going Deeper with Author Michael Holmes
3. Review: The E Myth Revisited