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If you love history and Leadership, this book is for you. Part a collection of biographies, part a collection of case studies, Doris Kearns Goodwin examines the lives of four of the most consequential leaders in the history of the United States (Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson) and how they managed the crises they faced. I learned a lot from her retelling the stories of these four men.
It’s fascinating and a bit scary (!) how much changing technology has influenced our lives over the past decade, isn’t it? Andy Crouch provides a helpful guide for families by showing practical ways we can put technology in its “proper place”. I read this book as an audio book on a drive from New Hampshire to Philadelphia in January and found myself deeply challenged by the practical suggestions he offers.
People are more tied to their devices now than ever before. How to you reach a generation whose identity is often more formed by the device they hold in their hands than the relationships they have in real life?
Alan Noble does a good job explaining the ways this shift has altered the thinking of this generation and provides a helpful guide for ways we can bridge the gap between the subtle message of our devices to the timeless message of the gospel.
Do you struggle with putting your phone down even though you know your time could be better spent doing something else? With four kids who are growing up with devices as a part of their lives, we’re constantly thinking about how to maintain balance here. In many ways, the answer boils down to the biblical concept of self-control. Drew Dyk has provided a helpful, and at times funny(!) guide to help in this journey.
You know that feeling when you’re working on a project and you get into the “zone”? Then the phone rings… Or someone texts you – and the moment of concentration is gone… In this book, Cal Newport talks about how to orient your time to allow for periods of the kind of “Deep Work” that is most beneficial. I saw this at my friend Pauls house in North Carolina and after reading the first chapter, I quickly ordered my own copy on Amazon.
One of my greatest joys here in Haiti has been serving on the board of Quisqueya Chapel. But for every positive board experience I hear about, it feels like I hear two negative ones. This is a short little book where the world renown theologian Charles Ryrie outlines some of the best practices for a positive and fruitful board experience.
I think this is the best book I have read so far this year. It has pulled together much of what I have been reading about our relationship with technology and distraction into a series of gospel-centered habits that are helpful for navigating this rapidly changing world. If you asked me to chose one book on this list to recommend to you, it’s this one. It’s one I’d like to read again.
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