Changing My Reading Strategy
I’m considering a temporary shift in my reading strategy. I read a lot of books on faith, church and leadership. I’m thinking about pushing the pause button for six months on those genres. I might continue reading the Bible and books that stretch my thinking about faith, church and leadership but from a different perspective.
If I do that, what would you recommend?
check out some reads on human behavior (traffic, five minds of the future, etc) and emotional intelligence (eq-edge, eq 2.0, etc). also, check out some historical biographies.
Tony I did something like this a couple of years ago. I wanted to keep learning in these areas but change the “presentation” from the typical books I read. I happen to enjoy history, so I found books like Team of Rivals (Doris Kearns Goodwin), which turned out to be one of the best leadership books I’ve ever read…but without being about leadership! It was very refreshing. I’ve gone back to reading the “typical” books in these areas, but I now mix in these others to keep it fresh.
Books on doctrine have changed the way I read the Bible. When the Bible is read/understood accurately, God reveals things about himself that changes the way I live and lead. God’s revelation through his word is the quickest way to perspective change.
Tony, take a delve in some historical fiction and read “Pillars of the Earth” and then check out an incredible biography I just read called “Same Kind of Different as Me” – both will definitely give you a different perspective on faith.
Met you at the church planting conference in February at Mountain Lake – still working on the great insight you shared.
100% twilight and harry potter.
:)
I recommend history and philosophy – and there’s a wide range. I highly recommend Nancy Pearcey’s book “Total Truth”. A good WWII biography would be one on Richard O’Kane (sub captain in the pacific), or Winston Churchill (among so many others!). I also recommend checking on some of Thomas Sowell’s books (Quest for Cosmic Justice, Vision of the Anointed, etc.).
Hope you find some good books!
From the past, check out The Works of Thomas Brooks. It’s humbling to read a pastor from the mid 16th century who is fluent in a bajillion languages and yet, is still a pastor dealing with pastoral issues.
Also, The Works of John Wesley are comforting in that, this pastor also shares in his journals how he addressed issues. For example, he would say, “Preached today at such and such church. They cared about the externals but there was no life in them, or, they were small in number, but there was no denying the presence and power of God at work in this little church.”
“Sitting at the feet of Rabbi Jesus” deppened my reading of scripture leaps and bounds.
A Heart Breaking work of Staggering Genius-Dave Eggers
Just a good story and one that filled in for me how those not of the faith think and live.
Go on a reading fast for a couple of weeks; your reading appetite will come alive again. When it does, it will guide you towards what feeds you best. You’ll just “know.”
Sounds like a cool plan, anything on Marketing or creativity like “what’s on Steve’s Brain” or things of that such. I’d suggest Music books but hey maybe that’s not a stretch NOW that your looking for it… :-)
in addition to much of what’s been previously stated – you can’t forget about the incredibly deep, but very simple and short reads of children’s books such as,
ISH & THE DOT by peter h. reynolds.
for sure.
I intentionally force myself to read more fiction because I’m not naturally drawn to it. As a pastor-teacher, I believe it helps my story telling. I also try to work in an occasional science book, just to stretch myself.
Houses That Change the World by Wolfgang Simpson
9 Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
Church in the Making =)
I’m sure you’ve heard of three cups of tea. Also Lance Armstrong’s and Michael J Fox’s first autobiagraphy.
But best of all for me is ‘The Right to Speak’ by Patsy Rodenburg. It is so much more than it claims to be if you and changes the way you think about people, voices and breath.
There’s always fiction, but books outside of the Christian purview have changed my thoughts on Christianity the most. Books like:
Flow – Czichzenmihaly (I might have spelled that right)
The Ideavirus – Seth Godin
The Four Brothers – Dostoevsky
The End of Education – Postman
Dune – Herbert
All of these have changed the way I view faith and the gospel forever.
A couple ideas…
Tom Wright’s, After You Believe – a good book in the biblical theology genre.
James Davison Hunter, To Change the World – some heavy-duty (though digestible) theory on how to impact culture.
I recommend diving into some doctrine/theology books. If you’re like me, you read a TON of leadership based material. I find it healthy and refreshing to balance that with some times of straightforward theology. I highly recommend anything by Norman Geisler.
Anything by Malcolm Gladwell. Blink, The Tipping Point, Outliers are all three ineresting, intellectual, and a break from ordinary pastor type reading.
Read Robert Caro’s master pieces on Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson. He is an amazing writer and it would take you a year to read all four of his books. Truly eye opening.
Tony,
I’ve been adding some biographies of some not so famous people to my mix lately, it’s fun to read about the lives of people that aren’t your typical heroes.