I read 81 books in 2007. Here are the best of the best of the year that I would recommend.
Made To Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. This is a must read for every communicator. Jesus was the master at transfering ideas and concepts in a “sticky” way. For those of us who teach, market or simply as parents wanting to transfer knowledge to our children, we need to learn to communicate just as effectively.
Busting Vegas by Ben Mezrich. Ben writes about several MIT students who discovered a system to beat the odds in Vegas and every other gambling capital in the world. This true story is both fascinating and riveting.
20 Things Adopted Kids Wished Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldredge. Of course this book was especially meaningful to both me and my wife (we’re in the process of adopting). If you are considering adoption or have been adopted, this book will be very helpful.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. This was my favorite read of the year. Hosseini’s tale about life for women in a conservative Muslim culture is gripping and heart wrenching.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling. What can I say? I have enjoyed all of the Harry Potter books. This final instalment in the series doesn’t disappoint.
This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley. For anyone who is a Jesus-follower, this book is an encouraging and insightful read on the state of the world and our responsibilities within it.
What Is The What by Dave Eggers. The true story of a “lost boy” moved from Africa to America. A book like this is invaluable to help us understand the plight of hundreds of thousands in our world who have experienced and are experiencing incredible terrors.
Contrairian’s Guide To Knowing God by Larry Osborne. I gave this one to several friends for Christmas. Larry gives us a surprisingly fresh perspective on how to grow in our relationship with God.
Humility by Andrew Murray. It wasn’t until I put this little gem down that I realized how much it had impacted me. It will be one I read again and again.
Act One by Moss Hart. This was the best surprise of the year. Moss Hart was a boy who grew up in poverty in New York City to become one of America’s greatest playwrites. The prose are beautiful and the storyline compeling.
The vast majority of the books I read come from the recommendation of others. What were the best books you read in 2007?
Thanks for the book recommendations. I read “Casper Goes to Church” upon your recommendation this year and liked it. I hope to read several of these in 08 as well. My wife and I are in the process of adopting as you are, so the parenting book will be a definite read.
A couple of books that I have read this year and would strongly recommend.
“Family Driven Faith” by Voddie Baucham.
This is a great book for families who want to pass their faith to the next generation.
“When the Game is over It All Goes Back in the Box” by John Ortberg
This is a very practical book about getting the most out of life.
Thanks
Kelly Carmichael
It looks like there are some books worth checking out on your list. I’m reading “The New Temple and the Second Coming” by Grant Jeffrey right now and finding it very interesting. I also liked “Epicenter” by Joel Rosenberg quite a bit. They both deal with things that are happening today that relate to Biblical prophecy about the end times. I know that RiverTree’s focus is more on bringing God’s Kingdom to earth in the here and now, so those books might not be first priority to read, but you might enjoy them.
Also, have you ever heard of http://www.shelfari.com? It’s a fairly new website where you can list all the books you’ve read and write reviews, and other people can recommend books to you. With as much reading as you do, that might be a fun thing to check out.
~ 90 Minutes in Heaven
~ 23 Minutes in Hell
~ Heaven
81 books? Wow,,,,I’ll try a little harder this year! Anyway, you may have already read “Peace Like a River” by Leif Enger (sp). This book captivated every inch of my being…..I had to finish it in one sitting. Books are so personal, it’s hard to know if another person will “like” the same books that I do. All I can say is that this one “held” me with all of its’ might.
LINDY
My Leadership group (at work) and I agreed that one of the best books we read this year was The Transparent Leader by Herb Baum. This book provided insight into Corporate ethics and how to be a TRANSPARENT leader in spite of corporate pressure.
The next in line was an older one, but still a great one by John Maxwell called Equipping 101. Anyone who struggles as a manager or leader, specifically in acheiving results through others, needs to read this book.
The old man got me “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” for Christmas. Just finished it, thoroughly enjoyed it. Great rec!
Dave Walter