Printed Wisdom

A book that was and is fundamental to my life, The Boy Scout Handbook, while not available on an e-reader is available for the iPhone.

Some of my other favorite books:

How Starbucks Saved My Life by Michael Gates Gill: Yale graduate, prosperous ad exec: Gill has it all. Then he turns 60 and finds himself precipitously bounced from his job and saddled with the triple threats of a ruined marriage, an unexpected newborn, and a brain tumor. A book of transition and re-discovering ones place in life.

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni: In his sixth fable, best-selling author Patrick Lencioni takes on a topic that almost everyone can relate to: the causes of a miserable job. A must read for everyone.

Winnie-the-Pooh on Management by Roger E Allen: Basic management principles, including such fundamental communication concepts as, “The information should be meaningful to the individual who is receiving it.” Basic and sage wisdom dished up with the aid of a favorite stuffed animal.

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson: If things are going wrong or the rules have changed then maybe someone moved your cheese. A must read book for anyone who has ever suddenly noticed things are not as they once were and wants to know what to do about it.

Self-Made Man Norah Vincent: In this interesting and very unique view of male and female roles former Los Angeles Times op-ed columnist Norah Vincent trick dozens of people into believing she is a man and during an 18 month experiment in which she joined a men’s bowling league, visited strip bars, and dated women. Along the way, she found that the freedom and privileges enjoyed by men were counterbalanced by a constant testing and severe limits on emotions. She also found women to be distrustful, ever ready to criticize men for being emotionally distant yet clearly preferring men who met stereotypical images of strength and virility.

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett: “THEY SAY that the prospect of being hanged in the morning concentrates a man’s mind wonderfully” This fictional book is fun and is filled with indirect sage wisdom for anyone trying to get the impossible done.

It’s Your Ship by D. Michael Abrashoff: As commander of the highly acclaimed USS Benfold, Captain D. Michael Abrashoff irrefutably demonstrated how progressive management can succeed at sea; in It’s Your Ship, he translates his methods into an approach that can also be applied by land-bound captains of commerce and industry.

Copy This! by Paul Orfalea and Ann Marsh: The now-retired founder of Kinko’s mixes autobiographical anecdote with large doses of business advice in this candid, conversational account of his entrepreneurial rise.