Quotation: “Cusswords are pure ecstasy when you are twelve, buzzing in the mouth like a battery on the tongue.”

Publisher’s Summary

“I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn’t resolve. But that was before any of this happened.”

In Donald Miller’s early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.

©2003 Donald Miller; (P)2008 Hovel Audio

Quotation: “You don’t start at the top if you want to find the story. You start in the middle, because it’s the people in the middle who do the actual work in the world.”

Publisher’s Summary

Over the past decade, Malcolm Gladwell has become the most gifted and influential journalist in America. In The New Yorker, his writings are such must-reads that the magazine charges advertisers significantly more money for ads that run within his articles. With his #1 best sellers, The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers, he has reached millions of readers. And now the very best and most famous of his New Yorker pieces are collected in a brilliant and provocative anthology.

Among the pieces: his investigation into why there are so many different kinds of mustard but only one kind of ketchup; a surprising assessment of what makes for a safer automobile; a look at how we hire when we can’t tell who’s right for the job; an examination of machine built to predict hit movies; the reasons why homelessness might be easier to solve than manage; his famous profile of inventor and entrepreneur Ron Popeil; a look at why employers love personality tests; a dissection of Ivy League admissions and who gets in; the saga of the quest to invent the perfect cookie; and a look at hair dye and the hidden history of postwar America.
For the millions of Malcolm Gladwell fans, this anthology is like a greatest hits compilation-a mix tape from America’s alpha mind

©2009 Malcolm Gladwell; (P)2009 Hachette

Quotation: “” this concept simple enough to remember and flexible enough to use in many different situations.”

Publisher’s Summary

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?

The primary obstacle is a conflict that’s built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed best seller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems, the rational mind and the emotional mind, that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people – employees and managers, parents and nurses – have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results:

The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients.

The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping.

The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service

In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.

©2010 Chip Heath; (P)2010 Random House

Quotation: “You don’t become indispensable merely because you are different. But the only way to become indispensable is to be different. That’s because if you’re the same, so are plenty of other people.”

Publisher’s Summary

There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there’s a third team, the linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there’s no rule book. They delight and challenge their customers and peers. They love their work, pour their best selves into it, and turn each day into a kind of art.

Linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organizations. Like the small piece of hardware that keeps a wheel from falling off its axle, they may not be famous but they’re indispensable. And in today’s world, they get the best jobs and the most freedom. Have you ever found a shortcut that others missed? Seen a new way to resolve a conflict? Made a connection with someone others couldn’t reach? Even once? Then you have what it takes to become indispensable, by overcoming the resistance that holds people back.

As Godin writes, “Every day I meet people who have so much to give but have been bullied enough or frightened enough to hold it back. It’s time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. You have brilliance in you, your contribution is essential, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must.”

©2010 Seth Godin; (P)2010 Random House

Author John Maxwell’s new book is entitled, The Difference Maker. The sub-title of the book is Making Your Attitude Your Greatest Asset.

If you’ve enjoyed John Maxwell’s books in the past, you’ll find this new book to be in the same voice. John is the master of making points. If you like an outline style, with multiple points one after the other, you’ll like this book.

The book contains 10 chapters, with the first four about attitude. Chapters 5 through nine contain the big five attitude obstacles. These include discouragement, change, problems, fear, and failure. Chapter 10 is about how this book can help you make a difference in the lives of others.

What I like about this book is its small size. It is easy to take with you in the car or on a plane. The wisdom contained in this book is easy to follow with stories and examples along the way. Since the book is small, It’s easy to make notes of the points in this book using a pocket highlighter. The book will teach you to…

1. Win over discouragement by getting the right perspective
2. Embrace change by determining that without change improvement won’t come
3. Overcome problems by defining, anticipating, evaluating, and embracing the problem as a potential opportunity
4. Defeat fear by admitting to fear; realizing fears limiting power; and converting fear into desire.
5. Move beyond failure by holding on to your sense of humor.

You can use this book as your personal coach. Its small size lets you keep it in your desk drawer or in your car for quick reference. Overall I enjoyed this book and recommend it highly.