The other day Scott mentioned a book on one of the podcasts...Take Time for Your Life, by Cheryl Richardson.  I always used to avoid the “Self Help” section of the book store, but I decided to check this book out.  I find that many self help books are vague, offer unrealistic advice, or are just plain silly, but this book had some great ideas and I’ve started implementing them in my everyday life.  Don’t get me wrong...I love listening to Scott ...but does anyone else have suggestions for great personal development reads?

Summer is the best time for reading a book!

-D

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This book was instrumental in accomplishing my goal of seizing important opportunities. It has advice for most, if not all areas of life, and it’s well written and interesting. It’s really hard to put down!

If you haven’t read it already, you should definitely check it out.

Strength for Life by Shawn Phillips

The author is the brother of Bill Phillips who wrote the Body for Life book 10 years ago.  What I like about Shawn is he takes the approach that this is a TRANSFORMATION and not a change (like BFL).  The EMPHASIS is on Training vs. Exercise and he employs a concept of Focus Intensity Training (FIT).

What really sold me on this title was the exercises listed can be accomplished with dumbbells (powerblocks), a bench or a swiss ball.  No need to buy a contraption from a fitness store or join a club.

Books rock!  A book read within the right context can have a huge impact on an individual’s life.  I’d highly recommend the following books, as they’ve made an impact on some things that I do.  Also, try pairing the book to an environment supportive of the subject of the book.  For example, I read Walden (seen below) while backpacking down California’s “lost coast”—reading a book about getting back to nature, while immersed in nature really enhanced the read.  Before each book is a quick line on what important lessons I learned.

Self reliance, the importance of solitude & reflection, living simply & happily, the value of reading the best literary works of the ages
Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Self improvement/growth from experiencing long-term travel
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

The power of first impressions
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Modern methods to “work smart” so you can “play hard”, 80/20 rule (investing in what gives you results while withdrawing from draining activities)
The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss

The true cost of debt & the value of living debt-free
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

The importance of taking personal responsibility for one’s professional and personal life
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller

Learning to say no so you are able to say yes to the right things, outdoing your competition by “underdoing” them (less features, focus on most important & higher quality), the power of small agile teams, creating emotional engagement by crafting “opinionated” products
Getting Real by 37signals

The importance of making time for physical fitness to be a more effective person and leader
Fit to Lead by Christopher Neck

Methods of stimulating creativity
Discover Your Genius by Michael Gelb

The value of and how to establish networks & support for professional and personal efforts
Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Currently reading “The Art of Travel” by Alain de Botton, which talks philosophy about how travel effects a person, why they travel, etc - it’s interesting so far..  Definitely looking forward to more book suggestions from the MTM community.

I’ll second the recommendation for “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” Moreover, this topic has been touched on quite a bit before, and you can find all sorts of books other MTM members liked by going to the relevant thread in the MTM Land directory.  You’ll have reading material for months!

Cheers,
Julie