I am often asked what I am currently reading. This is a list, in no particular order, of books that have inspired and informed me. Some are old, some are new, but all have been a treat for my Soul - and I hope they will be yours too.
Western
Philosophy
1.
Sacred
Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior,
by Phil Jackson, Hyperion, 1995, ISBN 078688200X. Small
but potent book by the legendary coach of the Chicago
Bulls, describing his relationship with Michael Jordan
and how he uses Christian and Native American wisdom
to lead the best team in the NBA.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $10.47
2.
A
Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course
In Miracles, by my friend Marianne Williamson,
HarperCollins, 1992,ISBN 0060927488. "A spiritual
travel guide for our journey back to the truth we were
born with"; beautifully written and underscoring
the importance of love in our lives.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.20
3.
Nourishing
the Soul: Discovering the Sacred in Every Day Life,
HarperCollins, 1995, ASIN 0062512056 edited by Anne
Simpkinson, Charles Simpkinson and Rose Solari; eclectic
collection of essays by Thomas Moore, Clarissa Pinkola
Estes, Robert A. Johnson, Jack Cornfield, Deena Metzger
and others.
5.
The
Wisdom of Baltasar Gracian: A Practical Manual for Good
and Perilous Times, Adapted by J. Leonard Kaye,
Pocket Books, 1992, ASIN 0671797417, Baltasar Gracian
was a Jesuit priest who counseled kings and was the
genius of his age 300 years ago. Intimidated by Gracian's
wisdom and genius, his bishop harassed him, confiscated
his manuscripts and spent years trying to silence him.
Gracian's work, and its enduring quality is a testimony
to the indomitable spirit of humans and the love that
can still reside in the heart despite the ridicule and
torment of others.
Edition:
Audio Cassette Price: $7.00
6.
The
Prophet's Way: Touching the Power of Life, Thom
Hartmann, Mythic Books, 1997, ISBN 0609807994. This
is a marvelous, true-life spiritual adventure story
by a gifted spiritual leader and exemplar. Hartmann
shows what it takes to be connected to our inner divinity
and how we have lost our connection to "the heartbeat
of the world."
Edition:
Paperback Price: $15.00
7.
Entering
the Circle: by Olga Kharitidi, Harper San Francisco,
1996, ISBN 0062514172. This is a remarkable true-life
autobiography of a Soviet psychiatrist who encounters
a shaman and witnesses real shamanic healing. This experience
changes her life and therefore the way she practices
medicine. Because of her shamanic experiences she is
unable to practice medicine in the old ways she has
relied on. She begins to heal psychiatric patients who
have been locked up for years in a depressing psychiatric
ward of a gulag hospital, healing instantly patients
who had been deemed incurable for years and she is unable
to explain her new "miraculous" powers. This
creates conflict between the old traditions and the
new - the same conflicts we experience between the "old
paradigm" management theories and the new paradigm
concepts based on spirit and values at work. An excellent
metaphor for the two solitudes of current leadership
theory.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.16
8.
Emissary
of Light: Adventures with the Secret Peacemakers,
by James F. Twyman, Aslan Publishing, 1996, ASIN
0446523003. Story about a musician and teacher of "A
Course in Miracles" who wrote 12 peace songs based
on the peace prayers of the 12 major world religions.
He embarks on an incredible journey to the world's most
violent war zone to sing and pray for peace and while
there, encounters a mythical community invoking the
greatest spiritual power in the world's area of greatest
bloodshed and conflict. Inspiring.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $0.01
9.
Daybreak:
52 Things Nature Teaches Us: by Amy E. Dean,
M. Evans and Company, 1996, ISBN 0871318083. This book
is a collection of essays that links the natural world
with our daily material reality and paints a metaphor
from which we can learn. For instance, communications
are explained with the metaphor of African vervet monkeys,
toads help to explain individuality and ravens demonstrate
problem solving. Loaded with wonderful quotations and
22 black and white photographs from the American Museum
of Natural History.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $10.50
10.
Illuminated
Prayers: by my friend Marianne Williamson, Simon
& Schuster, New York, 1997, ISBN 0684844834. This
is a beautifully produced work with delightful illustrations
containing thoughtful and inspiring prayers and meditations
for any occasion.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $5.14
11.
Ordinary
Magic: Everyday Life as Spiritual Path, Edited
by John Welwood, Shambhala Publications. 1992, ISBN
0877735972. Spiritual practice and meditation are often
thought of as being the province of priests, monks,
and nuns—those few individuals who have returned
from the preoccupations of day-to-day life. This inspiring
book reveals how the simple practice of mindfulness
can be a magical and transformative part of anyone's
daily life. Thirty-five wide-ranging essays written
by well-known spiritual teachers, therapists, and creative
artists show how learning to focus awareness can bring
a new richness to ordinary activities; how mindfulness
can heighten creative pursuits such as painting, journal
writing, or playing music; how contemplative awareness
enhances both physical and psychological well-being;
and how meditation can contribute to better relationships
with family, community, and the world at large.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.90
12.
Anam
Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom, John O’Donohue,
HarperCollins Publishers Inc, ISBN 0060182792.
O'Donohue takes readers into a world where God's passionate
side is celebrated and the Fates are not feared. Drawing
on the wisdom of the Celts and their Druid shamans;
the imbas (inspirational sagas) of the wandering bards;
and the sacred fountainhead of the Christian monasteries,
Anam Cara goes beyond traditional religious programs
to provide an intuitive and truly accessible approach
to spirituality. Exploring themes such as the divinity
of solitude, the spirituality of the senses, the mystery
of friendship, the beauty of aging and the concept of
death in the Celtic tradition, it helps readers reconnect
with the world around them and awaken the power hidden
in their souls.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $16.80
13.
Awareness:
The Perils and Opportunities of Reality, Anthony
de Mello, Image Books/ Doubleday, 1990, ISBN 0385249373.
Using humor, compassion, and insight, the beloved and
best-selling Anthony de Mello teaches us to welcome
the challenge of knowing ourselves and living the "aware"
life. Mixing Christian spirituality, Buddhist parables,
Hindu breathing exercises and psychological insight,
de Mello’s words of hope come together in Awareness
in a grand synthesis.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $10.36
Psychology
14.
The
Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling,
by James Hillman, Random House, 1996, ISBN 0446673714.
A wonderful and original insight into the subject of
calling and destiny. Hillman describes his "acorn
theory" in which he suggests that, "each life
is formed by a particular image, an image that is the
essence of that life and calls it to a destiny, just
as the mighty oak's destiny is written in the tiny acorn."
16.
Absent
Fathers, lost Sons: The Search for Masculine Identity,
by Guy Corneau, Shambhala, 1991, ISBN 0877736030. An
experience of the fragility of conventional images of
masculinity is something many modern men share. Psychoanalyst
Guy Corneau traces this experience to an even deeper
feeling men have of their fathers' silence or absence—sometimes
literal, but especially emotional and spiritual. Why
is this feeling so profound in the lives of the postwar
"baby boom" generation—men who are now
approaching middle age? Because, he says, this generation
marks a critical phase in the loss of the masculine
initiation rituals that in the past ensured a boy's
passage into manhood. In his engaging examination of
the many different ways this missing link manifests
in men's lives, Corneau shows that, for men today, regaining
the essential "second birth" into manhood
lies in gaining the ability to be a father to themselves—not
only as a means of healing psychological pain, but as
a necessary step in the process of becoming whole.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $13.97
17.
Secrets
of the Yellow Brick Road: A Map for the Modern Spiritual
Journey, Jesse
Stewart, SunShine Press Publications 1997, ISBN 1888604034.
Secrets of the Yellow Brick Road explores the Wizard
of Oz as a spiritual journey. It takes the reader from
its Kansas beginnings, through the Land of Oz, to the
revelation Dorothy reaches at its culmination. The reader
joins Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and Toto
as they follow the Yellow Brick Road of modern initiation-leading
to individuality and wholeness. This look at a fascinating
fairy tale gives the reader an exploration of the universal
archetypes within themselves and the encounters we all
face on the path to personal empowerment-serving as
a map for the modern spiritual journey.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.20
18.
Sacred
Contracts: Awakening Your Devine Potential, Caroline
Myss, Harmony Books, 2001, ISBN 0517703920. Based on
her internationally popular workshop of the same name,
Sacred Contracts is a brilliant synthesis of
psychology, healing guidance, and spiritual Insight.
As a medical intuitive, Myss has found that people often
don’t understand their purpose in life, which has
led to a spiritual malaise of epidemic proportions.
This metaphysical disease in turn leads to depression,
anxiety, fatigue, and eventually physical illness. But
our purpose – our individual Sacred Contract –
is often difficult to apprehend. For this reason Myss
developed an enjoyable and ingenious process for deciphering
your own Contract using a new theory of archetypes that
builds on the works of Jung, Plato and contemporary
thinkers.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $17.50
19.
Learned
Optimism: How to Change your Mind and Your Life,
Martin E.P. Seligman, PhD.,Pocket Books,1990, ISBN
0671019112. Renowned psychologist and clinical researcher,
Martine E.P. Seligman has been studying optimists and
pessimists for 25 years. Pessimists believe that bad
events are their fault, will last a long time, and undermine
everything. They feel helpless and may sink into depression,
which is epidemic today, especially among youths. Optimists,
on the other hand, believe that defeat is a temporary
setback or a challenge--it doesn't knock them down.
"Pessimism is escapable," asserts Seligman,
by learning a new set of cognitive skills that will
enable you to take charge, resist depression, and make
yourself feel better and accomplish more.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.20
20.
Love
and Awakening: Discovering the Sacred Path of Intimate
Relationship, by John Welwood, HarperCollins
(paper); ISBN: 0060927976. Believing that our relationships
with others parallel how we relate to ourselves and
that our outer relationships are an expansion of our
inner life, psychologist Welwood challenges couples
to approach difficulties as opportunities for spiritual
growth rather than conflict. Reinterpreting Eastern
and Western psychological concepts, Welwood introduces
techniques of dialog that can clarify issues and lead
to resolution and healing. Topics covered include open
communication, working with the inner male and female,
and men relating emotionally to women. This is a guidebook
for couples seriously committed to spiritual and personal
growth rather than a manual offering quick solutions.
It is beautifully and poetically written and is perfect
for those who are in love with the one they are with
and want to fall in love even more!
Edition:
Paperback Price: $10.40
21.
Choosing
Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct;
P.M. Forni, St. Martin’s Press, 2002, ISBN
0312281188. Written by the co-founder of the Johns Hopkins
Civility Project, this is an eloquent guide to thoughtful
behavior and common decency based on the argument that
the goal of love is achieved through the journey of
civility. Forni presents twenty-five rules for connecting
successfully with others, revealing how to apply each
rule to everyday life to make your life, as well as
the lives of others, more inspiring and engaging.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $14.00
Science,
Anthropology, History and Psychonumerology
23.
Molecules
of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel, by
Candace B. Pert, Scribner, 1997. I have followed Candace
Pert's work for years. She is one of the world's leading
neuroscientists and made some of the earliest discoveries
of neuropeptides. One of my presentations, "The
Hand or the Fist", and the chapter entitled "The
Alchemy of the Soul" in Reclaiming Higher Ground
as well as my audiotape for healing migraines called
"The Healer Within" draws very heavily on
her work. This is a brilliant book that begins to make
the links between emotions, mind, spirit and neurochemistry.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $17.50
24.
Rewiring
the Corporate Brain: Using the New Science to Rethink
How We Structure and Lead Organization, by Danah
Zohar, Berret-Koehler, San Francisco, CA, 1997, ISBN
1576750221. Today, anyone trying to unravel the mysteries
of leadership must first understand the basic concepts
behind quantum, chaos and the latest brain science,
which is revolutionizing our thinking about the world
and therefore leadership. This short book offers interesting
models and cases while making the link between the new
science and offering inspiring alternatives to traditional
structures in corporate design, practice and implementation.
Danah Zohar has also written several other important
works including The Quantum Self.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $10.00
25.
The
Biology of Transcendence: A Blueprint of the Human Spirit;
by Joseph Chilton Pearce, Park Street Press, 2002; ISBN
0892819901. This fabulous book examines the current
biological understanding of our neural organization
to address how we can transcend our current evolutionary
capacities and limitations. Joseph Chilton Pearce has
been one of my favorite authors for a long time and
in this work he identifies our five neural centers -
or brains - and establishes that our fourth and most
recently developed brain is located in the head while
the fifth is located in the heart. It is the dynamic
interaction of this head brain (intellect) and heart
brain (intelligence), of biology and spirit that allows
transcendence from one evolutionary place to the next
- we are, quite literally, made to transcend. Conversely,
it is the breakdown of this interaction through the
effects of cultural dictates surrounding us from the
time we are children that keeps us where we are, mired
in the current crises of violence among people and between
people and the planet.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $15.40
26.
The
Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word
and Image; Leonard Shlain, Penguin, 1998, ISBN
0140196013. Leonard Shlain takes us from the evolutionary
steps that distinguish the human brain from that of
the primates to the development of the Internet. The
very act of learning written language, he argues, exercises
the human brain's left hemisphere and enforces its dominance
over the right hemisphere. If you accept the idea that
linear abstraction is a masculine trait, and that holistic
visualization is feminine, the rest of the theory falls
into place. The flip side is that as visual orientation
returns to prominence within society through film, television,
and cyberspace, the status of women increases, soon
to return to the equilibrium of the earliest human cultures.
Shlain wisely presents this view of history as plausible
rather than definite, but whether you agree with his
wide-ranging speculations or not, he provides much to
consider.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.90
27.
Virus
of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme, Richard
Brodie, Integral Press, 1996, ISBN 0963600117. If you've
ever wondered how and why people become robotically
enslaved by advertising, religion, sexual fantasy, and
cults, wonder no more. It's all because of "mind
viruses," or "memes," and those who understand
how to plant them into other's minds. This is the first
truly accessible book about memes and how they make
the world go 'round. Of course, like all good memes,
the ideas in Brodie's book are double-edged swords.
They can vaccinate against the effects of cognitive
viruses, but could also be used by those seeking power
to gain it even more effectively. If you don't want
to be left behind in the co evolutionary arms race between
infection and protection, read about memes.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $15.40
Business
28.
The
Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood for
Our Time, by Matthew Fox, HarperCollins, 1994,
ISBN 0060630620. Former Dominican priest, defrocked
by the Pope for his radical and outspoken views, writes
beautifully about why work isn't working and what to
do about it. Check out his other works too, especially
Creation Spirituality.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.20
29.
The
Soul of the Firm by C. William Pollard, Harper
Business, 1996, ISBN 0310234875. The chairman of The
ServiceMaster Company describes this remarkable organization
and how its values have created a business that honors
and serves people and, as a result, makes tons of money.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $16.99
30.
The
Nordstrom Way: Inside America's #1 Customer Service
Company, by Robert Spector and Patrick McCarthy,
John Wiley, 1995, ISBN 0471161608. Nordstrom's has long
had the reputation for outstanding customer service.
This book, coauthored by one of Nordstrom's top sales
associates, McCarthy, tells how Nordstrom's earned that
reputation. I t contains case studies, personal narrative,
corporate history and each chapter portrays one or more
aspects of what has made Nordstrom's so successful.
Each chapter is followed by a one- to two-page summary
of the important points.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.17
31.
Nuts:
Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal
Success, by Kevin and Jackie Frieberg, Bard
Press, 1996, ISBN 0767901843. The recipe for success
is simple: trust your people, treat them as people (not
"resources" or "employees"), celebrate
the good, and make information easily available to everyone.
As simple as they may be, the authors argue that many
companies overlook them in deference to policy and procedure.
Founder Herb Kelleher and current CEO Connie Barrett
started the company with believing that people come
first, customers come second, and everything else comes
third. Simple, but Southwest Airlines gets it and the
others don’t which is why their market capitalization
equals that of all the other US airlines added together!
Edition:
Paperback Price: $12.57
32.
Business
as a Calling: Work and the Examined Life, by
Michael Novak, Free Press, 1996, ISBN 0684827484. After
studying for the priesthood for 12 years, and six months
before becoming ordained, the author abandoned his studies
to become a theologian and writer. He has been a U.S
ambassador, and author of 25 books. He always writes
thoughtful, provocative material about spirituality
and values, and this book is no exception. A fabulous
view of work as a spiritual calling and commerce as
a potentially unifying, peace-giving and loving activity
for humans on this planet. A rousing pick-me-up if your
spirits ever flag or your faith in the system ever sags.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $18.17
33.
Reflections
on Leadership: How Robert K. Greenleaf's Theory of Servant-Leadership
Influenced Today's Top Management Thinkers, Edited
by Larry C. Spears (Executive Director of The Greenleaf
Center for Servant-Leadership), John Wiley, 1995, ISBN
0471036862. Robert Greenleaf worked for 38 years for
AT&T as Director of Management Research. During
those years and his 12 retirement years (he died in
1990) he developed his theories of "servant-leadership"
which are a way of life for those today who aspire to
lead with spirit, values and love. Larry Spears has
pulled together a marvelous collection of essays by
such writers, practitioners and consultants as Scott
Peck, Peter Senge, Max DuPree, Ron Zemke, and others
who describe the major impact of Greenleaf's work on
their lives and the thinking of today's evolved leaders.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $27.97
34.
Complications:
A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science,
Atul Gawande, Metropolitan Books, 2002, ISBN 0805063196.
I was not sure I would like this book, but from the
first page, I just kept turning them – if you are
at all interested in what goes on behind-the-scenes
in modern healthcare systems, this book will open your
eyes and leave you breathless – this is a thriller!
You’ll be amazed as you read how medical professionals
make mistakes, learn on the job, and improvise much
of their technique and self-confidence. Gawande's tales
are humane and passionate reminders that doctors are
people, too. His prose is thoughtful and deeply engaging,
shifting from sometimes painful stories of suffering
patients (including his own child) to intriguing suggestions
for improving medicine with the same care he expresses
in the surgical theater. Some of his ideas will make
health care providers nervous or even angry, but his
disarming style, confessional tone, and thoughtful arguments
will inspire you.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $16.80
35.
Kaizen:
The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success,
Masaaki Imai, Random House, 1986, ISBN 0394551869. For
the professional manager or student of management, a
comprehensive handbook of 16 Kaizen management practices
that can be put to work. KAIZEN uses more than 100 examples
in action and contains 15 corporate case studies.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $48.30
36.
The
Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a
Teacher’s Life, Parker J Palmer, Jossey
Bass, 1998, ISBN 0787910589. This book is for teachers
who have good days and bad -- and whose bad days bring
the suffering that comes only from something one loves.
It is for teachers who refuse to harden their hearts,
because they love learners, learning, and the teaching
life.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $17.47
37.
Callings:
Finding and Following an Authentic Life, Gregg
Levoy, Three Rivers Press, 1997, 0609803700. Callings
is a passionate exploration of the search for authenticity,
whether at work or at home, in our relationships or
in service. In a style that is poetic, exuberant and
keenly insightful, Gregg Levoy breathes contemporary
life into the ancient subject of callings, presenting
an illuminating and practical inquiry into how we listen
and respond to our calls, and translate them into action.
Gregg is a terrific speaker, coach and mentor - his
website is http://www.gregglevoy.com
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.20
38.
The
Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and
Caring, by Parker J Palmer, Jossey Bass, 1990,
ISBN 0787949345. The Active Life is Parker J. Palmer's
deep and graceful exploration of spirituality for the
busy, sometimes frenetic lives many of us lead. Telling
evocative stories from a variety of religious traditions,
including Taoist, Jewish, and Christian, Palmer shows
that the spiritual life does not mean abandoning the
world but engaging it more deeply through life-giving
action. He celebrates both the problems and potentials
of the active life, revealing how much they have to
teach us about world, the God, and ourselves.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $11.87
39.
Managing
Upside Down: The Seven Intentions of Values-Centered
Leadership, Tom Chappell, William Morrow and
Company Inc, 1999, ISBN 0756751209. Tom Chappell, Tom's
of Maine co-founder and President, has written an insightful,
step-by-step guide outlining his management philosophy
of leading with one's values by integrating the organizational,
financial and social components of a business.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $25.00
Inspiring
Poetry, Prose and Fiction
40.
The
Diving Bell and the Butterfly: by Jean-Dominique
Bauby, Knoph, 1997, ISBN 0375701214. This is a wonderful
little memoir (132 pages) written by the author, the
former editor-in-chief of the French edition of Elle
magazine in Paris, who at age 43 suffered a massive
stroke that left him totally paralyzed and able to use
only his left eyelid. Once witty and gregarious, he
is now imprisoned, but his spirit will not die - so
he writes a poetic, ironic, touching and whimsical book
about his experiences by dictating to a friend through
the use of eyelid! The book was published two days before
he died in 1996 and became a number one bestseller across
Europe.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $8.80
41.
Spiritual
Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life:
by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussatt, ISBN 0684835347.
I have been reading this book consistently for ages
because it is such a gift. It is a 608 page spiritual
banquet containing 650 wonderful anecdotes, stories,
poems, homilies and advice. Curl up around a fire and
bury yourself in this beauty and I bet it will be hard
to pull you away! Using a very creative format the Brussatts
have created an Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy - from
Attention to Zeal - including spiritual perspectives
on things, places, nature, animals, leisure, creativity,
service, body, relationships and community along the
way.
43.
Stone
Soup for the World: Life-changing Stories of Kindness
& Courageous Acts of Service, Edited by
Marianne Larned, Conari Press, Berkeley, CA, 1998, ISBN
1573241180. A collection of inspiring stories of individuals
who have made this world a better place through their
personal passion and commitment to service, from the
famous (Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa,
Bette Midler, Paul Newman) to scores of ordinary folk
doing extraordinary things to build communities and
make a difference. Contains details of how to find and
contact most of the people described and how to join
their cause.
Edition:
Paperback Price: $0.35
44.
Tuesdays
with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest
Lesson, by Mitch Albom, Doubleday, New York,
1997, ISBN 0385484518. Mitch rediscovers his old professor,
Morrie, in the last weeks of his life. He accepts a
final private "class" with Morrie, meeting
every Tuesday to learn the lessons of life.
Edition:
Hardcover Price: $15.37
45.
Pay
it Forward, written by my friend Catherine Ryan
Hyde, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 0743412028. Wonderful
story (also made into a movie with Helen Hunt, Kevin
Spacey and Haley Joel Osment) about Eugene Simonet who
is a social studies teacher who does not expect this
year’s seventh grade class to be different from
last year’s. Simonet is a man whose physical scars
inform much deeper emotional scars, but he is nonetheless
a passionate teacher. As Kevin Spacey puts it, “He
transfers his hope to his students, because he has no
hope for himself.”
