Reading List: Update

On January 10^th, I posted a reading list. I have completed all of the books on the list and I am ready to give by book reports! I’ll begin with the books that were on my list and then I will share some others that I read along the way.

· Outraged by Dick Morris and Ellen McGann—This book was a good read. Morris exposed many of the scams/tricks of politicians and bureaucrats—enough to make any American outraged. Particularly interesting in light of the recent mortgage crisis was his discussion of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

· Frenchman, Desire, Good Children … And Other Streets of New Orleans by John Chase—I was eager to read this book, hoping it would provide an insightful history of New Orleans. It did not disappoint! Chase outlined the planning of the city and how land owners and developers chose the street names and why the route of the street may be awkward. Chase outlines some of the more prominent events in the history of the city; however, much more cleverly he demonstrates how the religious, ethnic, and cultural climate shaped the city of New Orleans as reflected in the street names. This book is a classic and a must read for all who move to New Orleans and those spending more than a couple of weeks in the city.

· Good to Great by Jim Collins—Collins used a very analytical approach to differentiate good companies from those which are great. Not only did he outline the process by which the feature companies go from good to great—information he gathered through various objective sources and from the leaders who led the company through the transition—he also provided examples of other good companies in the same industry that remained good. The comparative study demonstrated that good companies are not always on the path to greatness. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all leaders regardless of discipline—business leaders, front line supervisors/managers, pastors, and leaders of non-profits.

· Purpose: The starting point of great companies by Nikos Mourkogiannis—This was one of the works I was most eager to read and the one which disappointed me the most. Mourkogiannis’ premise and points were excellent—primarily that great companies begin with purpose in one of three areas: discover, excellence, and altruism. Though Mourkogiannis made excellent arguments to explain how these platforms aide in the development of a great company, he linked them to the philosophies of Kierkegaard, Aristotle, and Hume, respectively. These links, with my limited background in Christian ethics, were the most challenging to overcome, as these philosophers often conflicts with Christian ethicists. Because of the philosophical challenges, it made the work difficult for me to read. However, Mourkogiannis did do an excellent job of using relatively well known companies to exemplify how great American and international companies were built (or developed) according to these principles. Interesting read, but it disappointed me.

· The FIVE Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni—Lencioni used narrative in this book to demonstrate the challenges that face each team and how leaders can work to overcome these difficulties. The narrative focused on an executive leadership team; however, the principles demonstrated could be implemented by a department’s management team, a divisional leadership group, or an executive leadership team. It was probably my favorite of all these leadership books because the principles were practical instantly applicable.

· The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell—This was one of the books used for a book club at work and I also saw it listed somewhere else as a good read. It was. Gladwell demonstrated through interviews and testimonials how fads become epidemics. The sociology Gladwell explored was very revealing and should benefit all, including business leaders, marketing professionals, and even pastors.

· The Times-Picayune—I still have a subscription and I still do not read the paper all that much, but I have been reading it more than I was at the beginning of the year.

Other books:

· Life is so Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman—This book was loaned to me by my friend Rick, who shares an office with me, as a good read he was willing to pass along. George Dawson, aided by Richard Glaubman, presents the inspirational story of his life throughout the books pages. His life, spanning the 20^th century, has taken him on international travels and to many of the great cities of America. His perspective is both historical and insightful. My favorite lines are: “For a few years I had been on my own and could do as I pleased, but that didn’t mean much until I came to New Orleans. I soon found out that New Orleans was just like the preacher warned against. It was great. I had never seen anything like it.” (p. 164, 2001 paper back edition).

· Ishmael by Daniel Quinn—A very interesting read again recommended by my office mate Rick. I don’t know if I would recommend it to anyone else, but it was at least different from what I was reading.

· How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie—I found this book in my dad’s library when we were exploring some of the public speaking books he has. My dad showed me this book and a couple of other Dale Carnegie books that belonged to my grandfather. Besides being an excellent text it also provided a little insight into my grandfather’s life through the notes that he scribbled in the margins and inside the covers. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading others by Carnegie.

· Wisdom of Our Fathers by Tim Russert—I have wanted to read Russert’s works and his recent death encouraged me to go ahead and begin reading them. I read this one first, though it was written in response to his first book Big Russ and Me, which I also want to read. His editorial comments before the letters from readers were insightful. It is a good read that demonstrates the importance of positive paternal influence in the lives of children.

· Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling—I have had some very serious objections to the Harry Potter series for a long time. I have read the first two books (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and still have many objections. I think the books have very simple plots (I know they are children’s books, but these are very simple) and that they portray witchcraft and sorcery in a very positive light—even in glaring inconsistencies. I am enjoying the books and glad that I have had the opportunity, though many of my objections remain the same.

Oprah has hers, I’ll have mine: An update

Well, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I made a reading list many months back and never updated my loyal but anonymous readers of my progress. Here are the books that I read and my thoughts:

• Chris Rose’s 1 Dead in Attic—I really enjoyed gaining the insight of an individual on the ground during the aftermath of the storm. Rose not only provided a taste of the difficulties in the wake of disaster, he also stood as a proud New Orleanian calling people not only to come home but also to invest with pride in their city. Though I really enjoyed the editorials, one would have to read the work as a newspaper—one article at a time. I feel as though the essays could have been arranged a little better, either chronologically or topically. I see he has another volume: 1 Dead in Attic: After Katrina. I will probably add it to my next reading list.
• Richard D. White, Jr.’s Kingfish: The reign of Huey P. Long—The life and political dealings of Huey Long are part of Louisiana’s storied past, setting the bar for corrupt politicians for generations to come. Many of the accolades were not unfamiliar, but White did an excellent job of presenting them. He also seemed to surmise that had Huey Long done a better job of appointing individuals to state positions he may have survived his assassination—the doctor he appointed to a top medical position probably led to his death because the physician did not complete the surgery needed to repair the gunshot wound. Again, White did a very good job of presenting the information as a very good story.
• Donald Miller’s Through Painted Deserts—Miller’s presentation is always excellent. I don’t always see the subjects he presents as he does, but he always does a very good job of presenting his view. This work describes his trip to the west coast. After reading this book, I read his To Own a Dragon. This book was extremely good. It is a must read for those who know and interact with a boy who has lost his father (either through death, divorce, or neglect). Miller describes his thoughts and needs growing-up without a father.
• John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart—This was an insightful book, but nothing spectacular. Eldredge does a good job of combining pertinent application with good exegesis to reinforce biblical truth. I don’t understand why this work would help one become a man and I don’t feel like more of a man since I read it; however, it is a good work and worth reading.
• R.G. Lee’s Payday Someday: And other sermons by Robert Greene Lee—I got the time to read this book. R.G. Lee was the pastor of First Baptist New Orleans and then Bellevue Baptist Church. His biblical based sermons are a historical dimension of Baptist history that I am glad I got to experience.
• John Piper’s The Pleasures of God and Let the Nations Be Glad—I had already read The Pleasures of God for my spiritual formation class. I did read Let the Nations Be Glad and this was a great and inspirational book. Piper describes how our fulfillment of the Great Commission is part of our Christian duty and relates how all of us, though we are not all vocational missionaries. He also explains that much of evangelism is spiritual warfare and how we must approach our work in the great commission as such. It is a must read for all Christians, in my humble opinion.
• Douglas Brinkley’s The Great Deluge—I did not read this work, nor did my father. It is a massive volume and I think it might be a while before either of us gets an opportunity to read this work.

So, I was 7 for 8; not bad, I must say. I hope you get an opportunity to read these books and I hope my thoughts help you prioritize your reading schedule. I am interested to learn if any of you have read these books and, if so, do you share my opinions or not. Also, let me know if you are thinking of reading one of these and why you would like to read it.

Reading List

With the beginning of my resolution, it seems that I have almost come to the point of breaking it. Finding neither the time nor the subject to blog, I have woefully waited until now to turn my attention, at least for a few moments, to this web log. This week’s edition of my blog is my reading list and it is surprisingly short.

About a year and a half ago, I posted a reading list that I was going to attempt to tackle that summer. I never returned to give an update, so I will probably update that reading list next week—letting my loyal readers know which books I completed, which I failed to begin, and, of those I read, which I recommend (as if it would make a difference to anyone).

Before providing my current reading list, may I note that this is list is not exhaustive. I am planning to enroll in Seminary again this Spring and will probably have at least two books to read for the class which I am going to enroll. Also, I may begin some independent study courses and have to read between four and five books for each. With that note, here is my reading list:

• Outraged by Dick Morris and Ellen McGann—My dad read and recommended this book. I have already begun and I am 50 pages into the 300 page volume. It is a good read, so far.
• Frenchman, Desire, Good Children … And Other Streets of New Orleans by John Chase—This was one of amazon.com’s recommendations when I purchased The Joy of Y’at Catholicism which was an enlightening work on the quirks of Catholicism in New Orleans and how the culture has been shaped by the Catholicism and how Catholicism has shaped the culture of the New Orleans. My dad has already read this book and my conversations with him about it cause me to put it at the top of my desired reading list!
• Good to Great by Jim Collins—A classic leadership work that I have yet to read. This book and the remainder on this list has been a part of our leadership book clubs at work. Though I have not gone to the meetings for the book clubs—confirmation that I am a little antisocial, very busy, or both—I have purchased the books to read.
• Purpose: The starting point of great companies by Nikos Mourkogiannis—Part of the leadership book club at work and one of the works I look forward to reading the most.
• The FIVE Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni—This is probably a very insightful book for relationships within a team. I will let you know what I learn.
• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell—I saw this listed somewhere else (but I do not remember where) not as a management book but as a generally good read.
• The Times-Picayune—I have a subscription and I do not read the paper all that much, but I have been trying to awake earlier to get the local and national news from this resource.

GIRLS!

I read Donald Miller’s To Own a Dragon a couple of weeks ago. It was a really good book and I would recommend it to any guy who grew-up without a father or anyone who gives guidance to a guy who’s dad was not around when they were young. In chapter 9, “Girls: The Thing Tony Said,” Miller writes:

And this is the part of the story where I tell you what it is a girl really wants from a guy, what it is that stops her looking and has her fascinated with a particular boy, you or me, for example. But the truth is I don’t know. I really don’t know.

I know some guys turn girls on and some guys don’t. I know some girls play games and some girls don’t. I also know it feels good to be tired of it.

Boy, he took the words right out of my mouth. I’m glad that I am not the only one that feels that way!