Josh's Best Books 2011

I love books. I love reading them, too. They keep my mind fresh and my soul hungry for more. They adjust my attitudes for better or worse. But they never leave me unchanged.

 And I suppose thats how we get to this list. The best reads are the ones that induce the most change in the reader. The following books impacted in many different ways: spiritually, emotionally, relationally, mentally and vocationally.

So. The List

. 1. Steven James Story: Recapture the Mystery

For me, 2011 was the year of the story. I spoke about stories, I studied stories, I wrote stories, and I told stories. The story influenced me more than any other theme in 2011 (as this list will attest).

Why I like this book: Steven James intertwines poetry, personal story, and the Biblical narrative. Its so beautiful and so powerful. You get wrapped into a story that you already know, but this time you are seeing it in a new light. Best book I read this year.

Why you should read it: You will never read the Bible the same way again.

2. Ken Robinson Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative

Why I like this book: Of all the themes that I explored this year creativity was central. Robinson took me on a fascinating journey through the history of education and how we arrived at a point where reading, writing, and arithmetic are valued higher than the arts (music, painting, dance, etc). Then he provides an outstanding case that the arts and sciences should be on equal footing. Finally he helps us understand that we can learn to be creative again.

Why should you read it: Every area of life needs creative solutions to the problems we face. We need creative solutions in finance, environmental care, churches, family, and more. This book is just a fascinating call to get back to our creative roots.










3. Don Miller A Millions Miles in a Thousand Years

Why I like this book: How would you like to have a movie made about your life? Awesome right? But when the writers show up and tell you that they need to rewrite your life because its a boring story you begin to think through how you are actually living. Don Miller recounts the events when this happened to him.

Why you should read it: Don Miller asks a simple question: "Are you living the best story that you possibly can?" Great question. How do find out? Read this book.

4. Brennan Manning The Furious Longing of God

Why I like this book: I've never encountered a book that forced me to grapple with the heavy and unrelenting love that God has for me. Its not just love but a deep longing to be with me. Its beautiful but its also breathtaking. In other words its a struggle to allow myself to let God love me. Filled with beautiful stories and penetrating insights Manning's book helped me explore a grand spiritual concept.

Why you should read it: If you have never felt love before, or if its been quite some time this may be the book for you. You may not accept everything in it right away but the exploration of the topic will open up an lock region of your heart. 

5. James Andrew Miller ESPN: Those Guys Have All the Fun

Why I like this book: I am a sports nut. ESPN constitutes 90% of my TV watching. Yes its the history of the network and it was a great story, but what really makes the book is the interviews and first-hand accounts of the people who were involved through the years. Miller tells the facts of the events then he provides the perspectives of those who lived them. Great read although the back-and-forth between narrative and interview did get a little distracting.

Why you should read it: If you watch ESPN like I do this book is a no brainer. If you are building an organization from scratch than this is a great story to read as well.