At the end of 2013, I set a goal to read 40 books in the coming year. I fell a little short- completing 39 out of 40.

As I was looking back over the various titles, I thought I would share my top 5 favorite reads of the year. Most of my reading tends to take place in 4 genres:
– Faith oriented
– Business & Economics
– Biography
– Fantasy

The criteria I am using is pretty subjective. Rather than try to speak to the overall quality of the literature (which I am not really qualified to do) I will stick to saying rather I enjoyed/benefited from reading it.

So with all that said, in no particular order here are my top titles of 2014:

What’s Best Next

One of my favorite subjects is personal productivity. There is no shortage of books, blogs, or podcasts available to help a person figure out how to accomplish more in the time alloted for work.

Not many books, however, try to address the answer of “Why” a person should seek to be productive. Other than “climbing the ladder” or adding to your bottom line, why should you try to perform at your best?

Matt Perman seeks to answer the question. When a person is operating at peak performance she is better able to bring glory to the God who provided her with her talents. Knowing what the “best next” thing to focus on also give clarity and focus to a person’s work. If you are interested, here is a link to a more full review I wrote earlier this year.

The Back of the Napkin

I am not a very visual person by nature. But, I want to be. Dan Roam’s The Back of the Napkin is a great introduction to using pictures to help solve problems. It’s perfect for the artistically challenged. After walking through a little bit of the science behind the concept, he sets forth the tools he uses to solve problems using the kind of simple pictures my 10 year old can draw.

I have since begun to use the strategies in this book with my team to address the various kinds of road blocks we kept bumping into. Not only were we able to see the problems in a new way, the interactive nature of building the picture allowed everyone to speak into the problem. Even if you aren’t a naturally creative person you will benefit from reading the book.

Eat, Move, Sleep

When I saw that Tom Rath (Strengths Based Leadership, Strengthsfinder 2.0) wrote a book on maintaining a healthy lifestyle I was immediately interested. Having read his previous work, I was curious why he would be writing about something seemingly off topic.

I was unaware of the health conditions that he has faced most of his life. These issues have forced him to lead a very disciplined life as it relates to the way he eats, moves, and sleeps. He has determined, through research and personal experience, 30 easy steps a person can take to guard your health just by being mindful in these areas.

I used this book in our book club with senior leadership with the Department of Health. It was valuable to hear their insights alongside Rath’s suggestions.

Simply Jesus

The subtitle of the book describes the basic outline. NT Wright shows the reader how to understand Jesus as the True King. And if he is the true king, the question becomes how can we best live as kingdom citizens.

Perhaps the thing I enjoyed most about Simply Jesus is how tangible he becomes as Wright unpacks the layers of history and perception that gets piled on top of him.

This is a title I will most likely read again. I am pretty sure, I didn’t absorb it all the first go-round.

Prayer

Prayer by Tim Keller was perhaps my favorite book of the new year. It really shouldn’t be too surprising. Keller is my favorite author and his new book tackles a subject that I wrestle with the most. I have always struggled to build a consistent, intimate prayer life.

Keller traces both the doctrines surrounding prayer, historical understandings and practices, and some practical helps for today’s Christians. Using his advice, I am beginning (again) a new routine that I hope to build on.

 

So that’s it. That’s the list. All and all a pretty good year of reading. Honorable mentions go to:

I am shooting for another 40 books in 2015.

What was the best book you read in 2014?