What’s he reading in there?

I mentioned in an earlier post about Speed Reading that I am trying to increase the speed at which I read and be much more focused about getting the most out of reading. So far this year I have read 18 books. The pace has gone up in the last few weeks. Of course, some books deserve to be sipped slowly and savoured rather than read at speed.

For this post, I thought I would give you the Top Six books I have read so far this year:

1. Margaret Wheatley – So Far From Home. This is a beautifully written book. The author has found regular space in her life for writing retreats. It shows. The book draws on the Buddhism of Chögyam Trungpa. It is all about looking for the place beyond fear, finding the warrior within.
2. Seth Godin – The Icarus Deception. I have yet to read a book by Seth Godin that hasn’t sparked inspirations for me. I particularly like the bloggish way that he constructs his books making them easier to read. We are all artists and we need to see whatever we do as being about creating art.
3. Michael Gelb – How to think like Leonardo da Vinci. This is the third time I have read this book. It is hugely influential in my creative and coaching life. The challenge from this reading – should I find a way to work with Gelb? Interesting thought.
4. Richard Skelton – Limnology. I am gradually collecting the poetry and music of Richard Skelton. I love what he does and the way he does it. This is a beautifully produced book of poetry and poem art. On the theme of rivers and with a CD of music to accompany it. Sublime.
5. Dalai Lama – Freedom in Exile. The life story of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A fascinating read. I learnt so much from this book. Some of the passages about the occupation of Tibet by the Chinese are chilling to read.
6. Chris Brogan – It’s not about the tights. A short kindle book which I really enjoyed reading. I also like listening to his podcasts. It’s not the tights that make the super hero, it’s the CAPE (confidence, acceptance, permission and execution).

All books well worth a read. At the moment I am in the middle of reading a book of poems and lyrics by Paul McCartney, a book by Carl Jung about flying saucers and the latest book by leadership coach Michael Neill. If they are great reads I will let you know.

Also published on Medium.