What Your Bookshelf Says About You. What's on Yours?

What Your Bookshelf Says About You. What’s on Yours?

The other day I was chatting with one of the members of my Personal Board of Directors, and we got to talking about our personal libraries. He and I both enjoy thrillers by such authors as Vince FlynnBrad Thor, and Lee Child, so we have many of the same books.

He then told me that he was getting away from fiction altogether, that he wanted to focus more on the self development types of books.

Wells Library Bookshelf 2013 cropped

Specifically, he was in the middle of reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Since we had that conversation, I've almost re-read the book for the second time and am so glad I did. If you haven't read Think and Grow Rich, you need to; it is on my EmpoweredU Reading List and I highly recommend it!

Our conversation gave me the idea for writing about my personal library, which brings me to my two main questions:

  1. What's in your personal library?
  2. Is your personal library a reflection of who you want to be, and an indicator of what you want to accomplish in life?

If your library is like mine, it is partially filled with spy novels and adventure stories. If you're a doctor, your library may be filled with studies done by peers, or articles on research. If you're an artist, maybe yours is filled with your work or work that inspires you.

If you're looking to develop yourself as a person, as a leader, or as a parent or sibling, does your personal library reflect that? If not in your library, is there other evidence of your journey toward success?

If it's true that what you spend your time and effort on is who you are, what does your bookshelf say about you?

Here are some things that I think you may find on a leader's bookshelf in their personal library.

  • Books about self and professional development.
  • Notes taken on ideas and outlines for future plans.
  • Notebooks filled with quotes and thoughts jotted down while at a motivational seminar or leadership summit.
  • Books about philosophy, business and management.

There are literally hundreds of items a leader may have in his personal library. Below is a low res image of my bookshelf today. Click the image to open the full-size picture (warning for mobile users, this is a 3.5 MB image)

Question: What do you have in your library? What should I add to mine? Leave me a comment by clicking here!

Wells Library Bookshelf 2013

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  • Dan Erickson says:

    I have a large variety of books, although I constantly trade books in: Categories include: Motivation, self help, Christian, tiny houses, hiking, running, literary fiction, communication, music biographies, and more. I’ve read How to Think and Grow Rich and many other self-help/success books in the past. One thing I’ve discovered is that most self-help and motivation books are repetitive and simply tell me things I intuitively know. So I’ve cut back on reading them and started doing more.

    • Ellory Wells says:

      Dan, I think you said something very insightful, “started doing more.”

      Two things for me regarding that: 1: I’ve found that if I stop reading, my ideas are harder to cultivate (maybe I haven’t read enough yet to have a deep repository). 2: Sometimes I just have to “do. Reading won’t write my articles.

      While I do feel that many are repetitive, I’ve found that they are repeating things that I need to hear. I also like audio books about spys and Ender Wiggin!

      Thank you for adding to the conversation!

      • Dan Erickson says:

        I still read and consider it important, but not as often since I’ve been writing more regularly. I think you’re right in regard to time overall spent reading, as well as life experience helps us become better wrirters. And yes, sometimes the repetitive things are good, sometimes the motivation is just what we need.

  • Dan Erickson says:

    I have a large variety of books, although I constantly trade books in: Categories include: Motivation, self help, Christian, tiny houses, hiking, running, literary fiction, communication, music biographies, and more. I’ve read How to Think and Grow Rich and many other self-help/success books in the past. One thing I’ve discovered is that most self-help and motivation books are repetitive and simply tell me things I intuitively know. So I’ve cut back on reading them and started doing more.

    • Ellory Wells says:

      Dan, I think you said something very insightful, “started doing more.”

      Two things for me regarding that: 1: I’ve found that if I stop reading, my ideas are harder to cultivate (maybe I haven’t read enough yet to have a deep repository). 2: Sometimes I just have to “do. Reading won’t write my articles.

      While I do feel that many are repetitive, I’ve found that they are repeating things that I need to hear. I also like audio books about spys and Ender Wiggin!

      Thank you for adding to the conversation!

      • Dan Erickson says:

        I still read and consider it important, but not as often since I’ve been writing more regularly. I think you’re right in regard to time overall spent reading, as well as life experience helps us become better wrirters. And yes, sometimes the repetitive things are good, sometimes the motivation is just what we need.

  • Paul Sohn says:

    Hey Ellory, brilliant post. I am a lover of books as well, and thanks for making me think intentionally about this. I definitely agree that the books you read determine who you are. In fact, it was Oscar Wilde who said, “It is what you read when you don’t have to do that, that determines who you are when you can’t help it.” Thanks for sharing your bookshelf!

    • Ellory Wells says:

      Thanks Paul!

      To me, reading is like intense training. When you’re a fighter, or a soldier or something along those lines, you rely on your reflexes and instincts. For me, reading provides that layer of instinct and reflex for me to fall back on – when I can’t help it.

      Thank you for your comment!

  • Paul Sohn says:

    Hey Ellory, brilliant post. I am a lover of books as well, and thanks for making me think intentionally about this. I definitely agree that the books you read determine who you are. In fact, it was Oscar Wilde who said, “It is what you read when you don’t have to do that, that determines who you are when you can’t help it.” Thanks for sharing your bookshelf!

    • Ellory Wells says:

      Thanks Paul!

      To me, reading is like intense training. When you’re a fighter, or a soldier or something along those lines, you rely on your reflexes and instincts. For me, reading provides that layer of instinct and reflex for me to fall back on – when I can’t help it.

      Thank you for your comment!

  • Joe Lalonde says:

    Oh gosh Ellory! My bookshelf is filled with self-help, motivational, religious, and fiction books. I like to keep a good mix going.

  • Oh gosh Ellory! My bookshelf is filled with self-help, motivational, religious, and fiction books. I like to keep a good mix going.

  • Dan Erickson says:

    I’ve traded so many books over the years I could have filled up twenty or more apple boxes. But I ‘ve read: sci-fi, classic literature, poetry, the Bible, how-to-books, success books, text books, tiny houses books, biographies, Christian books, psychology and philosophy and much more. My shelves would represent this variety in miniature.

  • Dan Erickson says:

    I’ve traded so many books over the years I could have filled up twenty or more apple boxes. But I ‘ve read: sci-fi, classic literature, poetry, the Bible, how-to-books, success books, text books, tiny houses books, biographies, Christian books, psychology and philosophy and much more. My shelves would represent this variety in miniature.

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