Some helped me, stretched me, and SOME hurt my feelings…And a couple of them were so long I had to start over a few times. I kinda got stuck in a history rut…but dang people are so cool.

Anyway these are the ones I’d actually recommend…

#1. LEADERSHIP AND SELF-DECEPTION This one hurt. Because it’s basically a whole book about how easy it is to convince yourself that everybody else is the problem. Spoiler alert…Sometimes YOU are the problem and you suck. I know RUDE….

But in all seriousness, this one helped me a lot with leadership, conflict, relationships, and learning to ask, “What am I not seeing about myself?”

#2. THE EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY LEADER- Peter Scazzero

Probably one of the books that grew me the most. The idea is that you can’t build a healthy church, team, family, or organization while being emotionally unhealthy yourself.

If you are not healthy as a leader then NOTHING YOU lead can be healthy…

You can be…

gifted and still unhealthy. successful and still unhealthy. anointed and still need therapy.

This one made me stop and think. A lot.

#3. LEADERSHIP AND EMOTIONAL SABOTAGE-Joe Rigney

Short book. But whew. This one is about what happens when anxious people try to make THEIR anxiety YOUR emergency.

Every pastor and parent needs to read this.

Every person with a family group text probably needs to read this…ha!

It helped me understand that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is NOT react.

#4. HIGH ROAD LEADERSHIP- John Maxwell. Ok if you need an introduction to John Maxwell…yooooo. This one was probably a needed reminder more than a brand new revelation. You do not have to go low because somebody else did. You do not have to clap back or have to win every argument…

Sometimes leadership means keeping your character even when somebody else loses theirs. That’ll preach.

#5. START, STAY, OR LEAVE -Trey Gowdy

This one was practical. Sometimes you need to start-stay-OR the heck out of there. The hard part is knowing which one. I liked this one because it deals with how we make decisions instead of just telling us to “follow our heart,” which is possibly some of the worst advice ever given.

#6. GRANT - Ron Chernow

This book is approximately 4,000 years long. I started it as a younger man. I now qualify for Social Security. I’m reading this one again…

BUT…Grant’s story is incredible.

Failure. Addiction. War. Leadership. Loss.

And the come up and come back is pretty cool to me. He just kept getting back up.

That part really stuck with me.

I basically am reading anything written by Ron Chernow because of this NEXT BOOK…

#7. WASHINGTON: A LIFE-Ron Chernow

THIS BOOK SOLD ME as a fan of our 1st president….Also this one is 900 years long. Ron Chernow hates free time. But Washington was way more interesting than the marble-statue version of him we all learned about growing up.

He was ambitious.

He was insecure.

He got angry.

He made mistakes.

But he also had incredible restraint. That may have been the thing that challenged me most about him.He had power…and knew when NOT to use it.

Look I have read this book three times… and I can’t stress how good it is. Get it.

#8. WASHINGTON’S SPIES -Alexander Rose This one was just FUN. Spy networks. Secret codes. Double agents. There is a TV series called TURN, that is about these stories. If you like American history, you’ll like this one. Honestly one of the most important things about American history.

#9. A LEAP IN THE DARK -John Ferling This one made the Revolution feel way less inevitable. We look back now and think, “Of course America won.” No…They had NO IDEA how this thing was going to turn out. That part honestly encouraged me.

A lot of the biggest things in history were built by people who could not see the ending yet. If you ever wondered HOW, did they decide on Constitutional Republic…

#10 HERO OF TWO WORLDS -Mike Duncan I read this after Ron Chernows Washington…Lafayette was THE MAN…a true bro.

He had himself A LIFE. American Revolution. French Revolution. Prison. Politics. Comebacks. This is Really good story about conviction, loyalty, courage, and FREEDOM!!!!

#11 NAPOLEON: A LIFE - Andrew Roberts

I read this after I watched the movie…FASCINATING. Brilliant man. Insane work ethic. Huge vision. Napoleon had approximately ZERO ability to say, “You know what…this is probably enough.”

Napoleon is a great reminder that ambition can build something incredible…and then BURN the whole thing down.

#12 THE CRUSADES-Thomas Asbridge

If you’ve ever thought…I’ve got the time and need some war, religion, politics, bloodshed-alliances, betrayals, kings, Muslims, Christians, castles, and everybody being mad at everybody…”

BOY HAVE I GOT A BOOK FOR YOU.

Really good. Really detailed. And definitely not a beach read.

#13 CONQUISTADOR -Buddy Levy One of my favorites…Hernán Cortés and Montezuma. This story is absolutely INSANE. I kept thinking, “There is absolutely no way this happened.” And then it would somehow get crazier. Seriously though people are so cool. I’m teaching my kids about the Conquistadors and it is funny…

#14 THE CAVE AND THE LIGHT - Arthur Herman Plato and Aristotle. Guess what…We are STILL arguing over ideas that are thousands of years old.

Politics. Theology. Education. Science AND Human nature…

It’s one of those books where you finish a chapter and just stare out the window for a minute because NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

#15 BEYOND ORDER -Jordan Peterson I had to re-read lines in this books like 5 times before I could comprehend what I was reading…A lot in here about responsibility, chaos, meaning, discipline, and how to live when life doesn’t go according to plan. I don’t agree with everything he says. That’s okay. I don’t only read people I agree with.

#16 BARNUM’S OWN STORY- P.T. Barnum Whatched the Greatest Showman…led me to the book…Barnum was basically a genius in getting attention, marketing, storytelling and branding human curiosity…LONG before TikTok. The guy could sell ice to an Eskimo…and then probably charge admission to watch him use it. Entrepreneurs would enjoy this one. I did.

#17 LEAD LIKE IT MATTERS-Craig Groeschel

This one was especially good for church leadership. You can’t manufacture the presence of God…but there are definitely leadership habits that either create healthy environments or kill them.

#18. BROTHERS, WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS- John Piper

Pastors need this reminder. I needed this reminder. Ministry is not supposed to become a career ladder.

Church is not a corporation. People are not products.

And preaching is not a performance. This one pulls you back to the reason you started in the first place. His name is Jesus.

#19. THE POWER TO CHANGE-Craig Groeschel

This one challenged me in a practical way. Most of us know WHAT we should change.

That usually isn’t the problem. The problem is actually changing it.

Very practical book.

#20. THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND — Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt

Still working through this one. TBH…it’s boring. But it has some VERY interesting UNTRUTHS…Basically asks whether some of the things we’ve done to make people feel safer have actually made people LESS capable of dealing with discomfort, disagreement, failure, and REAL LIFE.…makes me want to walk outside and yell, “EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE OKAY….”

That’s it…If you pick one up let me know what you think!

If you have any suggestions of what I should check out next let me know!!!