A Sumptuous Feast

Thomas Jefferson said “I cannot live without books; but fewer will suffice where amusement, and not use, is the only future object.” Sharing that sentiment, my annual reading list is typically loaded more heavily with non-fiction and then balanced with fiction that a) expands my understanding of other cultures or historical events; b) makes me laugh; or c) helps me escape.

As you think about the books you’ll read this year, think about what you want to get from them. Do you want to become more rounded? Pick books outside your area of expertise. Or do you want to become more of a specialist in a chosen area? If you read just two books on that subject, you’ll be way ahead of most of your colleagues.

Whatever field you spend your days in, it’s good to occasionally pick something from a totally unrelated area. Read and enjoy – let your brain make connections and synthesize the new information. This can be amazingly productive for your problem-solving skills. Last year, one of my most challenging reads was a neuroscience textbook. I committed to a chapter per week – it took me more than half the year to finish, and it was worth the effort.

Books are my food. Non-fiction reads are my three squares that sustain me. The fiction is everything else. Some are warm, gooey brownies – totally decadent – Jefferson would probably not approve at all (e.g. Bookends and Careless in Red). Some are a cup of hot tea and a biscuit on a rainy day (all of Alexander McCall Smith’s little gems). Some are exotic dishes – foreign to my tastes perhaps, but worth tasting (e.g. The Incredible life of Oscar Wao). Some are a bowl of popcorn – gobbled down quickly, sad to reach the bottom of the bowl (e.g. White Tiger, Peony in Love, and Then We Came to the End). All of them nourished me in some way. May their authors be blessed.


Here’s what I consumed in 2008 – the 2009 menu is currently in development. Recommendations welcome.

Nonfiction

Christian Perspectives on Politics by J. Philip Wogaman
What Now? by Ann Patchett
The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton
Healing for a Broken World: Christian Perspectives on Public Policy by Steve Monsma
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
God Makes Sense - Even When Life Doesn't by Gordon Wong
God Why? Habakkuk’s Struggle with Faith in a World out of Control by Gordon Wong
Faithful to the End: The Message of Daniel for Life in the Real World by Gordon Wong
The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz
Mother of the Bride
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief by Francis Collins
Head and Heart: American Christianities by Gary Wills
The Universe in a Single Atom by Dalai Lama
Meaning of Truth by William James
Do You Believe?: Conversations on God and Religion by Antonio Monda
The Will to Believe by William James
The Spiritual Brain by Mario Beauregard and Denyse O'Leary
The Gospels and Epistles of John by Raymond Brown
Psychology of Executive Coaching by Bruce Peltier
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
Neuroscience - Exploring the Brain by Mark Bear, Barry Connors, Michael Paradiso
History of the World Christian Movement: Earliest Christianity to 1453 by Dale Irvin and Scott Sunquist

Fiction

Borrowed Time by Robert Goddard
Sight Unseen by Robert Goddard
Peony in Love by Lisa See
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Quiet Belief in Angels by R.J. Ellory
Bookends by Jane Green
The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce by Paul Torday
Careless in Red by Elizabeth George
Found Wanting by Robert Goddard
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith (AMS)
Blue Shoes and Happiness by AMS
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by AMS
The Right Attitude to Rain by AMS
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Valkyries by Paul Coelho
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
And Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
The Shack by Wm. Paul Young
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz