Book Reviews
Hello Leaders and Readers!
Below is a list of books that I recommend and want to share. I've personally read each and every one of these books and I know how much of a difference it's made in my leadership development. Also included is a short review of the book as well as why I'd recommend that you read it. Please feel free to share your comments with me; I'd love to hear them. Clicking the image of the book will take you to Amazon where you can buy the book, hard copy or on the Kindle, and support me and my mission with your purchase!
The EmpoweredU Personal Library:
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
Jesus, CEOÂ – Laurie Beth Jones
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – John C. Maxwell
The 5 Levels of Leadership – John C. Maxwell
How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
The Power of Positive Living – Norman Vincent Peale
Leadership and Self-Deception – The Arbinger Institute
The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork – John C. Maxwell
Good to Great – Jim Collins
Flight of the Buffalo – Belasco & Stayer
EntreLeadership – Dave Ramsey
The Slight Edge – Jeff Olson
48 Days to the Work You Love – Dan Miller
Drive – Daniel Pink
Quitter – Jon Acuff
The Icarus Deception – Seth Godin
Quiet – Susan Cain
Book Reviews:
 Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
This book is excellent partly because it is timeless. Written in the early 1930s, Think and Grow Rich contains ideas that can and should be utilized even today, 80 years later. The main focus on this book is the thought processes you have every single day. Control what you think about and how you think about it and you'll begin to transform your life.
Jesus, CEO by Laurie Beth Jones
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Broken into short chapters, this book is great for a daily reading and study. Each chapter focuses on an aspect of leadership modeled by Jesus Christ during his time on earth. Jesus, CEO is empowering because it applies leadership techniques and methodologies and reinforces them with a Christian example.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey
We recommend this book because it takes theory and puts it to action. Each of the 7 Habits gives you something you can apply to your life today. From being more organized and planning your week to changing the way you interact with people, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will make an immediate impact on your daily life, if you let it.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – John C. Maxwell
A staple in the leadership world, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is a must read for any leader or aspiring leader. Each “Law” applies in any situation much like Covey's ideology behind “principles”. Full of both ideas and practical tasks, this book is one of my favorites. This book focuses more on leadership development and less on general personal development.
The 5 Levels of Leadership – John C. Maxwell
A great book filled with great ideas. If you're starting out in your leadership career, most of the book will be theory. I would suggest, if this is your case, to read the book and outline what a good leader looks like. Once you've done that, you'll have a guidebook for your journey. If you're already a seasoned leader, this book is a great look at what you're doing right, what you could improve upon and it provides a picture of a level 5 leader, John Wooden.
How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
This book could quite possibly be the definitive “self-help” book. Written in the early 1930s, Carnegie's ideas span the generations. Nothing he said over 80 years ago is irrelevant now. How to Win Friends and Influence People covers almost every topic to further one's success in life. From your interaction with people, your dedication to your job, to the pursuit of your dreams, this book will benefit you.
The Power of Positive Living – Norman Vincent Peale
My motto of “You can't make a positive change with a negative attitude” came, in part, as a result of reading this book. Originally published in 1990, this book, like others on this list, transcends time. If you're feeling down, like we all do sometimes, this book will help to put things in perspective. If you want to be a leader, and make a positive impact on those you lead, you can't take a negative stance on life. This book will help you recognize areas where you can be more positive. I highly recommend it.
Leadership and Self-Deception – The Arbinger Institute
This book reads like a story. The book follows the journey of a fictional executive over the period of a few days at a new job. The main point of this book, is that we need to think about people differently. The lesson learned from the Arbinger Institute is that in most situations, in every aspect of our lives, we posses the wrong way of thinking. Leadership and Self-Deception will provide a unique look at how we interact with people and how could and should change our way of thinking.
The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork – John C. Maxwell
Chosen as the first book on the list for my book club to read, The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork outlines qualities of a great team and points out how important it is for a team to work together. Read this book and ask yourself, “How does this apply to me?” Then, as a leader, ask, “How does this apply to my team?”.
My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below.
Flight of the Buffalo – Belasco & Stayer
My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below.
 
EntreLeadership – Dave Ramsey
My review of  EntreLeadership will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below.
My review of The Slight Edge will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below.
48 Days to the Work You Love – Dan Miller
My review of 48 Days will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below.
My review of Drive will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below.
My review of Quitter will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below. My review of this book will be coming shortly. Thank you for you patience! In the mean time, tell me what you're reading in the comments section below.
The Icarus Deception – Seth Godin
If any part of you has a desire to be creative, to stand out, or to make a difference, The Icarus Deception is for you. One of the favorite ideas from this book is “You can risk being wrong or you can be boring.” What you do and how you do it, is your art. I recommend this book to all leaders because leading is making a difference, and connecting with people and making a difference is art.
Quiet – Susan Cain
Quiet is a book that does an excellent job of showing us how a significant part of our population views the world. Just as you wouldn't craft a message that was only geared toward men, one in which half of your team would be unable to relate, you shouldn't create an environment only for extroverts.  Much of our culture today glorifies and focuses on what Cain calls the “extrovert ideal.” If we're to truly lead our teams, you and I both need a better understanding of its individual members. I recommend this book because it sheds light on a topic that I, even as an introvert, don't know all that much about. Leaders need to know how to relate to all types.
 Have you read some of these books too? Share with me what you liked, didn't like, and what you learned from them in the comments section below!
