Looking for an inspiring book to read that will inspire or motivate? We  have a few suggestions. Happy reading!

This is a great book for the entrepreneurial spirit.  Phil Knight was fresh out of business school with a promising future, but with a small loan from his father to travel the world, he quickly found a rush in the unconventional lifestyle over corporate. He has a passion for running and wanted to make a running shoe that was going to be the best.  Phil Knight talks about the trials and tribulations that come with running your own business.  He addresses everything from living in his parents basement, begging the bank for loans, working multiple jobs to make payroll, overworking his friends/employees, spending money he didn’t have and taking the risks that he had to in order to get his product recognized.  This book kept me entertained the whole time.  It isn’t a rag to riches story, but it is a story about a guy that had the determination to keep fighting for his dream.  Phil Knight turned a business where he sold one type of shoe into a $30 billion industry; nothing about this book will disappoint.  

Who isn’t reading Michael Lewis’ The Undoing Project! This is a story about two brilliant psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky who collaborated over many decades to research how people make decisions. They “undo” our assumptions about the processes we all make and have influenced fields from statistical analysis to sports recruitment. It is provocative and a great read.

I must admit, I just recently listened to this book that was originally published in 1935 after multiple local entrepreneurs said it had changed their lives. So I listened to it on a road trip and was very impressed by the universal truths about power of the subconscious mind that you find reworked in modern Stephen Covey or Lou Tice’s Pacific Institute programs. Napoleon Hill was commissioned by legendary Andrew Carnegie to interview the most successful people in business and see what common attributes they possessed. He also interviewed people who failed and came up with some truths on how to be successful in life.  It has many stories to keep the read interesting. I know I will listen to it again.

We all know that the only constant in life is change!  And it is better to be ready for change than be surprised unexpectedly!  This book by Dr. Spencer Johnson, is a great little read that can help you do just that!  The story revolves around four characters, two who react proactively to change in their lives and two who react with fear, hesitancy, and maintenance of the status quo.  The cheese is the metaphor for the change they all experience.  Some of the lessons outlined in the book are “If you do not change, you can become extinct, “What would you do if you were not afraid?”, and “When you move beyond fear, you feel free.” I have used this book to facilitate discussions of change and strategic directions during staff meetings.  This is a great read for your personal or professional life!  Give it a try.

Self-help books really aren’t my thing, but The Energy Bus was a great positive book that tells an engaging story.  The title of the book (The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team With Positive Energy) sums it up fairly well. George’s relationships with his co-workers, wife, and children have hit rock bottom and he’s about to lose his job and his marriage when his car breaks down and he’s forced to take the bus. The bus driver, Joy, and her regular passengers have decided that they’re only going to allow positive energy on the bus, and they use their 10 rules to teach George how to turn his life around.  This book will give you 10 secrets for approaching life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment – at work and at home. When you get on The Energy Bus you’ll enjoy the ride of your life!