What I Am Reading In 2022

Nick Roark (over at Tolle Lege) will inspire just about anyone to keep a book log. And so I shall. Some books will involve current issues in my line of work, or field of study, or important works that inspire current conversation. At the same time, though, my heart lies with Lewis, who made an impassioned plea to recover a love for old books, and the wisdom that has stood through the ages. So, each year, I make sure to pick up a few classics, and re-read some others. Three years ago, I made it my aim to spend the year reading up on the Sermon on the Mount. The last two years have mostly involved readings in ethics and moral theology. This year’s theme is “courageous leadership,” and focuses on books to help me better serve in my role as the chief executive for an academic institution. I list my aspirational goal of 100 books for the year (leaving room for new entries), and–for accountability–plan to update as each book is completed (√).

Spirituality

Holy Bible. The Message Version (MSG).

√ McKelvey, Douglas Kaine. Every Moment Holy, Vol 1 (Rabbit Room Press, 2020)

McKelvey, Douglas Kaine. Every Moment Holy, Vol 2: Death, Grief, & Hope (Rabbit Room Press, 2021)

√ Nouwen, Henri J. M. In the Name of Jesus (Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989)

√ Thielicke, Helmut. A Little Exercise for Young Theologians (Eerdmans, 1962)

Time Management & Personal Development

Aurelius, Marcus. The Emperor’s Handbook [Meditations] (Simon & Schuster, 2002)

Blanchard & Johnson. The One Minute Manager (William Morrow, 1982)

Bossidy & Charan. Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done (Currency, 2002)

Bradberry & Greaves. Emotional Intelligence 2.o (Talent Smart, 2009)

√ Carnegie, Dale. How to Win Friends and Influence People (Reprint, Pocket Books, 1998)

Clear, James. Atomic Habits (Avery, 2018)

Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point (Back Bay Books, 2002)

Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence (10th Anniversary ed., Random House, 2005)

√ Johnson, Spencer. Who Moved My Cheese? (10th ed., G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1998)

Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast & Slow (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2013)

Patel, Vlaskovits, Koffler. Hustle (Rodale Books, 2016)

Tzu, Sun. Art of War (Basic Books, 1994)

Leadership (General)

Brown, Brene. Dare To Lead (Random House, 2018)

Burns, James MacGregor. Leadership (1978; Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2010)

Burns, James MacGregor. Transforming Leadership (Grove Press, 2004)

√ Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (4th ed., Simon & Schuster, 2020)

Dungy, Tony. The Mentor Leader (Tyndale Momentum, 2011)

Friedman, Edwin H. A Failure of Nerve (10th ed., Church Publishing, 2017)

√ George, Bill. True North (Jossey-Bass, 2007)

Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee. Primal Leadership (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013)

Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Leadership in Turbulent Times (Simon & Schuster, 2018)

Kotter, John P. John P. Kotter on What Leaders Really Do (Harvard Business Review Press, 1999)

Kotter, John P. Leading Change (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012)

Kouzes & Posner. The Leadership Challenge (6th ed., Jossey Bass, 2017)

√ Maxwell, John C. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (5th printing, Thomas Nelson, 1998)

Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory & Practice (9th ed., Sage, 2021)

Rubenstein, David M. How To Lead (Simon & Schuster, 2020)

Sinek, Simon. Leaders Eat Last (Rev. ed., Portfolio, 2017)

Willink & Babin. Extreme Ownership (St. Martin’s Press, 2017)

Executive/Team Leadership, Business Management, & Company Improvement

Belker, Loren B. The First Time Manager (AMACOM, 1986; updated 6th edition, 2012)

Bolman & Deal. Reframing Organizations (7th ed., Jossey-Bass, 2021)

Chapman & White. The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace (Northfield Publishing, 2019)

Ciampa & Watkins. Right From The Start (Harvard Business Review Press, 1999)

Collins, Jim. Built To Last (3rd Ed., Harper Business, 1994)

Collins, Jim. Good To Great (Harper Business, 2001)

Collins, Jim. Great By Choice (Harper Business, 2011)

Drucker, Peter F. The Practice of Management (1954; Reprint, Harper Business, 2006)

√ Godin, Seth. Purple Cow (Gardners Books, 2004)

Lencioni, Patrick M. The Five Temptations of a CEO (Jossey-Bass, 1998)

Lencioni, Patrick M. The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive (Jossey-Bass, 2000)

√ Lencioni, Patrick M. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (Jossey-Bass, 2002)

Lencioni, Patrick M. Death By Meeting (Jossey-Bass, 2004)

Lencioni, Patrick M. Silos, Politics & Turf Wars (Jossey-Bass, 2006)

Lencioni, Patrick M. The Truth About Employee Management / Three Signs of a Miserable Job (Jossey-Bass, 2007)

Lencioni, Patrick M. Getting Naked (Jossey-Bass, 2010)

√ Lencioni, Patrick M. The Advantage (Jossey-Bass, 2012)

Lencioni, Patrick M. The Ideal Team Player (Jossey-Bass, 2016)

Lencioni, Patrick M. The Motive (Jossey-Bass, 2020)

Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, & Switzler. Crucial Conversations (2nd ed., McGraw Hill, 2011)

Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler & Maxfield. Crucial Accountability (2nd ed., McGraw Hill, 2013)

Peters & Waterman. In Search of Excellence (2004; Harper Business, 2006)

Sinek, Simon. Start With Why (Portfolio, 2011).

Sinek, Simon. Find Your Why (Portfolio, 2017)

√ Townsend, Robert. Up the Organization (1971; Commemorative edition, Jossey-Bass, 2007)

Watkins, Michael D. The First 90 Days (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013)

Academic Leadership

Birnbaum, Robert. How Academic Leadership Works (Jossey-Bass, 1992)

Bok, Derek. Higher Expectations (Princeton University Press, 2020)

Bolman & Gallos. Reframing Academic Leadership (Jossey-Bass, 2011)

Davis & Ryken. Liberal Arts for the Christian Life (Crossway, 2012)

Elmore, Tim. Marching Off the Map (Poet Gardener Publishing, 2017)

Gmelch & Buller. Building Academic Leadership Capacity (Jossey-Bass, 2015)

Leslie & Fretwell. Wise Moves in Hard Times (Jossey-Bass, 1996)

√ Plantinga, Cornelius. Engaging God’s World (Eerdmans, 2002)

Saltmarsh & Hartley. To Serve a Larger Purpose (Temple University Press, 2011)

Shapiro, Harold T. A Larger Sense of Purpose (Princeton University Press, 2005)

Thelin, John R. A History of American Higher Education (3rd ed., Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019)

Wiseman, Allen & Foster. The Multiplier Effect (Corwin, 2013)

Zemsky, Robert. Making Reform Work (Rutgers University Press, 2009)

Financial Leadership

Bok, Derek. Universities in the Marketplace (Princeton University Press, 2003)

Eker, T. Harv. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind (Harper Business, 2005)

Ferguson, Niall. The Ascent of Money (10th Anniversary ed., Penguin Books, 2009)

Kirp, David L. Shakespeare, Einstein, and the Bottom Line (Harvard University Press, 2003)

Lewis, Michael. Moneyball (W. W. Norton, 2004)

Ramsey, Dave. The Total Money Makeover (Thomas Nelson, 2013)

Stanley & Danko. The Millionaire Next Door (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2010)

Vedder, Richard. Going Broke By Degree (AEI Press, 2004)

Presidential Biographies

√ Brookhiser, Richard. James Madison (Basic Books, 2013) 

Chernow, Ron. Grant (Penguin Books, 2011) 

√ Chernow, Ron. Washington: A Life (Penguin Books, 2011) 

Dallek, Robert. An Unfinished Life [Kennedy] (Back Bay Books, 2004) 

Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals [Lincoln] (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

McCullough, David. John Adams (Simon & Schuster, 2002)

McCullough, David. Truman (Simon & Schuster, 1993)

Meacham, Jon. Destiny and Power [Bush Sr.] (Random House, 2015)

Meacham, Jon. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power (Random House, 2013)

Newton, Jim. Eisenhower: The White House Years (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

Noonan, Peggy. When Character Was King [Reagan] (Penguin Books, 2002)

Peskin, Allan. Garfield (Kent State University Press, 1978)

Unger, Harlow Giles. The Last Founding Father [Monroe] (Da Capo Press, 2010)

(Photo credit: César Viteri via Unsplash)