At the end of every year I like to reflect upon the books I’ve read and evaluate my top reads. Part of the reason is because the books in the picture below represent a significant portion of my life this year. (The equivalent of 9 – 40 hour work weeks to be a little more precise.)
This year I read or maybe I should say “finished” 42 books. It seems I always have books laying around that I’m about 50 pages in, but didn’t finish. Most of the above books were great. The only one I’d recommend staying away from is the one in the bottom left. If you followed the advice of that book, you’d gain the world and lose your soul.
If you are new to my book recommendations, the primary way I evaluate a book is how long I continued to think about it after I finished it. Below are those books.
THE DISCLAIMER
Just because a book is listed below doesn’t mean:
1. I agree with everything in it,
2. I agree with anything else the author has said or done, or
3. It’s become my manifesto.
With that out of the way…
BEST READS OF 2021
Live Not By Lies. This is one of those books that you’re not going to enjoy reading. Not because it’s boring, but because you are going to have to wrestle with whether you agree with the author and that’s going to require a lot more thinking than I like. I spent all year thinking about this book. It honestly will probably make you frustrated (partly at the author) and in some ways alarm you (Google: China’s Social Credit System). It’s a sobering book. In some ways, I think the author is being over the top. In other ways, I think he discounts the fact that whoever is in power pushes out dissenting voices. But some of his points, especially about Big Tech and soft totalitarianism are very relevant. Of course, it didn’t help that I read this book when my state had a hotline to call and report your neighbors.
The strange title comes from an essay Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote that had the same title. The essay encouraged the reader to never be willing to say that a lie is the truth.
(If this book troubles you see my disclaimer.)
1984. In the last 18 months this book has been talked about more than any other book with maybe the exception of A Brave New World (which I also read this year). The problem was I had never read it. 1984 wasn’t required reading in my high school, but even if it was I probably wouldn’t have read it back then…I would have looked for the Cliff Notes.
I didn’t realize how many common ideas or phrases originated from this book like… “big brother,” “newspeak,” “Room 101,” and “doublethink.” If you haven’t read it, you aren’t well read. Read it. It’s more relevant than ever.
Animal Farm. So when I bought the book 1984 it also came with Animal Farm. It was 2 books in one and I liked Animal Farm even better than 1984. It’s a short allegory, but I think it should be required reading for everyone who leads anyone. I’ve encountered the “wisdom” of the pigs too often. The thinking that says, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
Gentle & Lowly. If you’ve ever felt like a screw up that God couldn’t love, if you’ve ever doubted God’s heart for you, then you need to read this book. It’s a book best read as a devotional, one short chapter a day. An insightful question… “Who is God not on paper, but who is the God you believe is listening to you when you pray?” Maybe, like me, you need to be reacquainted with the God who is rich in mercy. (As a side note the cover image was very striking, it even had the feel of canvas.)
Running with the Giants. You probably think of leadership when you think of Maxwell, but this book is about spiritual giants from the Old Testament. It’s a short read, but was so encouraging.
Visioneering. This was actually my second time reading this book. I had read it many years ago before we started Starpoint Church. This year I wanted to retool on vision casting and go back and study Nehemiah. Wow! It was even better than the first time around. In fact, it was better than many of the other books I read for the first time this year! I wish Andy wrote more books like this.
Hidden Christmas. After being a pastor for a while now, I felt like I heard or read just about all one could say about the Christmas story. I was wrong! Keller’s insights were fantastic and really got me ready and excited for Christmas.
With the Old Breed. I read two books on WWII this year and I think this was the better of the two. It seems that if you want to know what the hell of war is, this would get you as close as possible without enlisting. I never served in the military, but we have many in our church who have. I have a new appreciation for all who have served our country, especially those who have been in combat situations.
Get a Grip. If you’ve read anything else by Wickman you are familiar with his helpful framework on how to get traction within your organization. The challenge is that as it grows so does the complexity which makes it harder to make progress. This book is all parable without any direct application. I was a little surprised by that because most in that genre conclude with a brief application. Wickman lets the reader extract the applications, which wasn’t hard, but I do like things to end with more clarity on next steps. But despite that shortcoming, it did help me see how his ideas from other books can work within a lead team environment.
Liquid Church. I have been a big fan of Liquid Church for years now. They have been helpful to our staff on many occasions. Reading their pastor’s book on the “streams” God has blessed in their church was extremely helpful. It got me thinking about the “streams” God has blessed at Starpoint. I really love his heart for people and God’s Kingdom! The chapter on ministering to children with special needs was inspiring! If you are a pastor or church staff member, I highly recommend this book!
Untangling Emotions. This book was the winner of the ECPA Christian Living Book of the Year award in 2020. It’s about understanding your emotions and recognizing what each emotion is telling you in the moment. One of the big ideas is that our emotions communicate to us what’s most important to us. When I finished I bought a copy and sent it to our Care Pastor. If you struggle with fear, anger, or guilt you should read this.
Unoffendable. This summer I was invited to spend some time with some pastors in Montana. Anytime I’m with other pastors I want to know what books have been really meaningful or helpful. One new pastor friend recommended this book. He said it was the best book he had read in several years and really helped him navigate so many feelings and frustrations over the last year. To put his recommendation in context he is a Black pastor. The book is a quick read, but I thought about the concept and the title so much this year I used the title for a sermon series.
The Psychology of Money. This was the last book I read this year and it wasn’t so much about how to manage money or invest it, but about all of the emotions that surround money. The author points out that the skills needed to make a lot of money (risk) are often at odds with the skills needed to keep that money (avoiding risk). He points out that we think we only make rational decisions when it comes to money, but really our history, view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and incentives all combine to influence our financial decision. He gives a fascinating history of the consumer economy to show how we got to where we are. As I read the book, I couldn’t help but see how this “psychology of money” applies to so many other areas of life.
BONUS RECOMMENDATIONS
Think Again. How do we keep ourselves from being stuck in an echo chamber? In our country which is so polarized and people are unwilling to listen to anything or anyone different than what they think…how do you and I become lifelong learners? This book also exposed me to this SNL clip that I had never seen. Watch it.
Covert Cows & Chick-fil-a. Who doesn’t love Chick-fil-a? (I know you’re the exception.) This was a light and fun behind the scenes read of a brand I enjoy. And honestly, after some of the books above I needed a light and inspiring read! If you want to learn more about their marketing philosophy and the history of the chain this is for you. As a side note, we are supposed to get our first Chick-fil-a next year, in the region I live in! What’s even better…it’s in my town!
Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins. This is his second monograph to accompany Good to Great. An important refresher on how to rebuild your fly-wheel and get it started again.
The Multiplication Effect. Every church I know, every organization I know is rebuilding. This book will show you how to build a leadership pipeline in a church context.
