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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

I read for a living

As you know by now, I read a lot. To me it's part of the calling of a teacher. I believe we have a moral obligation to be "current" when we step into the classroom - I want to be the running stream rather than the stagnant pond.

When I think about reading, I am reminded of a friend of mine who is an attorney. I was always getting excited about some book I was reading and telling him that he ought to read this book. He was always patient with my exuberance, but one day - in his deep, slow voice - he finally told me, "I read for a living, and the last thing I want to do when I come home is read a book." That was the last time I offered a book recommendation to him.

But I think about his phrase: "I read for a living." I think that's what I do.

I haven't updated the reading list for y'all in a while. I have bold-faced the ones that I highly recommend.

Here's the list from February:

A Voice in the Wind, Francine Rivers

How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, Francis A. Schaeffer

The 4:8 Principle: The Secret of a Joy-filled Life, Tommy Newberry

The Dust Off Their Feet: Lessons from the First Church, Chris Seay and Friends

In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement, J.I Packer and Mark Dever

Lead to Succeed: New Testament Principles for Visionary Leadership, Stan Toler and Jerry Brecheisen

Killing Cockroaches and Other Scattered Musings on Leadership, Tony Morgan

And here's the list from March:

Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor, Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, James O’Toole, Patricia Ward Biederman

LeadershipNext: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture, Eddie Gibbs

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Dorris Kearns Goodwin

A Sense of Urgency, John Kotter

That I May Know God: Pathways to Spiritual Formation, Kenneth Boa

Making Spiritual Sense: Christian Leaders As Spiritual Interpreters, Scott Cormode

2 comments:

KirkKrew said...

Your reading has obviously rubbed off on me! I'm on my 2nd book this week!

I remember going to Barnes and Noble after dinner and convincing you to buy me 2 books. You and mom would take them away from me before we got in the car so I wouldn't be halfway finished by the time we got home.

If I can keep the Leapster away from Landrie, I think she'll be the same way too!

Lolly said...

Thank you for reading "A Voice In the Wind". That shows your true love for me. I needed to read it as part of a Bible study I was co-leading. After looking at the 500+ pages and the first 3 pages with50+ historical names, I was overwhelmed. You so graciously read it and gave me the "Cliff Notes (J. Lee version) every night. Thanks!