Book Picks

Book Picks

"Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone"
-Mark Goulston M.D.

"Goals: Setting and Achieving Them"
-by Zig Ziglar

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"The Day the Crayons Quit"
- by Drew Daywalt

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"The Fred Factor"
- by Mark Sanborn

Nine years ago, bestselling author and business consultant Mark Sanborn introduced the world to "The Fred Factor" - a book - with a focus on delivering extraordinary service in simple, yet, remarkable ways.

Fred’s story inspired millions. Companies and even entire cities were inspired to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary each day.We’ve all encountered people like Fred. In this writing, Sanborn illuminates the simple steps each of us can take to transform our own lives from the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Sanborn, through stories about Fred and others like him, reveals the four basic principles that will help us bring fresh energy and creativity to our life and work. The principles are:

• Make a real difference everyday,
• Become more successful by building strong relationships,
• Create real value for others without spending a penny, and
• Constantly reinvent yourself.

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"The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed On Your Own Terms" 

- by Vishen Lakhiani

This is a unique book.  It challenges us to think like some of the greatest non-conformist minds of our era, to question, challenge, hack, and create new rules for our lives so we can define success on your own terms.

The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, a New York Times bestseller, is a blueprint of laws to break us free from the shackles of an ordinary life. It makes a case that everything we know about the world is shaped by conditioning and habit. And thus, most people live their lives based on limiting rules and outdated beliefs about pretty much everything―love, work, money, parenting, sex, health, and more―which they inherit and pass on from generation to generation.

Blending computational thinking, integral theory, modern spirituality, evolutionary biology, and humor, personal growth entrepreneur Vishen Lakhiani provides a revolutionary 10-point framework for understanding and enhancing the human self. 

You will learn about bending reality and how to apply unique models like consciousness engineering to help you learn and grow at speeds like never before. You will learn to make a dent in the universe and discover your quest. This framework is based on Lakhiani’s personal experiences, the 5 million people he’s reached through Mindvalley, and 200 hours of interviews and questions posed to incredible minds, including Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Peter Diamandis, Ken Wilber, Dean Kamen, Arianna Huffington, Michael Beckwith, and other legendary leaders.

In a unique fusion of cutting-edge ideas, personal stories, irreverence, and a brilliant teaching style, Lakhiani reveals the 10 powerful laws that form a step-by-step process that you can apply to life to shed years of struggle and elevate yourself to exceptional new heights.

This book challenges conventional ideas of relationships, goal-setting, mindfulness, happiness, and meaning. In a unique fusion of cutting-edge ideas, personal stories, and humorous irreverence, and not to mention, humor and napkin diagrams, this framework combines computational thinking with personal growth to provide a powerful framework for re-coding yourself―and replacing old, limiting models that hold you back with new, empowering beliefs and behaviors that set you on the path toward an extraordinary life. A life of more happiness and achievement than you might have dared to dream possible.

Once you discover the code, you will question your limits and realize that there are none. Step into a new understanding of the world around you and your place in it, and find yourself operating at a new, extraordinary level in every way; happiness, purpose, fulfillment, and love.

This book is a living, breathing manifesto that goes beyond a traditional publication.  It is for those who want more.  The Code of the Extraordinary Mind connects to a full on immersive experience including ways for you to dive into particular chapters to unlock additional videos or training and connect with each other and the author to learn via peer-to-peer learning networks.

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"A Whole New Mind" 

- by Daniel Pink

The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers-creative and holistic "right-brain" thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn't.

Drawing on research from around the world, Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others) outlines the six fundamentally human abilities that are absolute essentials for professional success and personal fulfillment--and reveals how to master them. A Whole New Mind takes readers to a daring new place, and a provocative and necessary new way of thinking about a future that's already here.

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"To Sell is Human" 

- by Daniel Pink

Whether we are employees pitching colleagues on a new idea, entrepreneurs enticing funders to invest, or parents and teachers cajoling children to study, we spend our days trying to move others.

Like it or not, we’re all in sales now.

"To Sell Is Human" offers a fresh look at the art and science of selling. 

As he did in "Drive and A Whole New Mind," Daniel H. Pink draws on a rich trove of social science for his counterintuitive insights. He reveals the new ABCs of moving others (it's no longer "Always Be Closing"), explains why extraverts don't make the best salespeople, and shows how giving people an "off-ramp" for their actions can matter more than actually changing their minds.

Along the way, Pink describes the six successors to the elevator pitch, the three rules for understanding another's perspective, the five frames that can make your message clearer and more persuasive, and much more. The result is a perceptive and practical book--one that will change how you see the world and transform what you do at work, at school, and at home.

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"Flipping the Switch" 

- by John Miller

Personal accountability creates opportunity to overcome obstacles and achieve goals by eliminating blame, complaining, and procrastination.

Personal accountability results in stronger organizations, more dynamic teams, and healthier relationships.

When a light switch is flipped the flow of energy that is released reaches the lightbulb in an instant, bringing it to life. Similarly, asking the right kind of question-a QBQ-is the first step to empowering what Miller calls the Advantage Principles-five essential practices that will lead to a richer experience in every aspect of life:

• LEARNING: live an engaged and energized life through positive personal growth and change
• OWNERSHIP: attain goals by becoming a solution-oriented person who solves problems
• CREATIVITY: find new ways to achieve by succeeding "within the box"
• SERVICE: build a legacy by helping others succeed
• TRUST: develop deep and rewarding relationships 

With compelling real-life stories and keen insights, Miller demonstrates how anyone can find success and satisfaction by "flipping the switch."

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"Personal Accountability : Powerful and Practical Ideas for You and Your Organization" 

- by John Miller

A practical approach to eliminating Blame, Victim Thinking, and Procrastination from our organizations and our lives. Since the answers are in the questions, this content helps each of us ask The Question Behind the Question - the QBQ. When we do this, we get better answers. 

By walking the high road - the path to Personal Accountability - we can achieve greater levels of excellence and leadership in our lives, both at work and at home.The ideas presented in this book are pragmatic and readily applied.

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"Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships" 

- by Daniel Goleman

Far more than we are consciously aware, our daily encounters with parents, spouses, bosses, and even strangers shape our brains and affect cells throughout our bodies—down to the level of our genes—for good or ill. In Social Intelligence, Daniel Goleman explores an emerging new science with startling implications for our interpersonal world. Its most fundamental discovery: we are designed for sociability, constantly engaged in a “neural ballet” that connects us brain to brain with those around us.

Our reactions to others, and theirs to us, have a far-reaching biological impact, sending out cascades of hormones that regulate everything from our hearts to our immune systems, making good relationships act like vitamins—and bad relationships like poisons. We can “catch” other people’s emotions the way we catch a cold, and the consequences of isolation or relentless social stress can be life-shortening.

Goleman explains the surprising accuracy of first impressions, the basis of charisma and emotional power, the complexity of sexual attraction, and how we detect lies. He describes the “dark side” of social intelligence, from narcissism to Machiavellianism and psychopathy. He also reveals our astonishing capacity for “mindsight,” as well as the tragedy of those, like autistic children, whose mindsight is impaired.

We humans have a built-in bias toward empathy, cooperation, and altruism–provided we develop the social intelligence to nurture these capacities in ourselves and others.

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"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

-by Stephen R. Covey

In this writing Covey defines effectiveness as balancing obtaining desirable results with caring for that which produces the desirable results.

The book first introduces the concept of paradigm shift and helps the reader understand that different perspectives exist, i.e. that two people can see the same thing and yet differ with each other. On this premise, it introduces the seven habits in a proper order.

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"Crucial Conversations - Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High"

- by Kerry Patterson

“Crucial Conversations draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world.  This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time.” ―Foreword by Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

“The quality of your life comes out of the quality of your dialogues and conversations. Here’s how to instantly uplift your crucial conversations.” ―Mark Victor Hansen, cocreator of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul®

This book offer you the tools to:

• Prepare for high-stakes situations
• Transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue
• Make it safe to talk about almost anything
• Be persuasive, not abrasive

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"Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter"

-by Liz Wiseman

A thought-provoking, accessible, and essential exploration of why some leaders (“Diminishers”) drain capability and intelligence from their teams, while others (“Multipliers”) amplify it to produce better results. Including a foreword by Stephen R. Covey, as well the five key disciplines that turn smart leaders into genius makers:

• Attract and optimize talent. (Talent Magnet, not Empire Builder)
• Create intensity that requires the best thinking. (Liberator vs. Tyrant)
• Extend challenges and ensure direction gets set, rather than set direction themselves. (Challenger vs. Know-it-all)
• Debate decisions and issues up front, and ensure they don’t leave their organization in the dark. (Debate Maker vs. Decision Maker)
• Delegate ownership and accountability. (Investor vs. Micromanager)

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"The 360 Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization"

- by John Maxwell

What’s the number one question leadership expert John C. Maxwell is asked while conducting his leadership conferences? “How can I implement what you teach when I’m not the top leader?”

Is it possible to lead well when you’re not the top dog? How about if the person you work for is a bad leader? The answer is a resounding yes!

Welcome to The 360° Leader. People who desire to lead from the middle of organizations face unique challenges. And they are often held back by myths that prevent them from developing their influence. Dr. Maxwell, one of the globe’s most trusted leadership mentors, debunks the myths, shows you how to overcome the challenges, and teaches you the skills you need to become a 360° leader.

If you have found yourself trying to lead from the middle of the organization, as the vast majority of professionals do, then you need Maxwell’s insights. You have a unique opportunity to exercise influence in all directions—up (to the boss), across (among your peers), and down (to those you lead). The good news is that your influence is greater than you know.

Practice the disciplines of 360° leadership and the opportunities will be endless . . . for your organization, for your career, and for your life.

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"Integrity - The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality"

- by Henry Cloud 

Drawing on experiences from his work, Dr. Henry Cloud, a clinical psychologist, leadership coach, corporate consultant and nationally syndicated radio host, shows how our character can keep us from achieving all we want to (or could) be.

In this book Dr. Henry Cloud explores the six qualities of character that define integrity, and how people with integrity:

• Are able to connect with others and build trust
• Are oriented toward reality
• Finish well
• Embrace the negative
• Are oriented toward increase
• Have an understanding of the transcendent

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"The Myth of Excellence"

- by Fred Crawford

Ex•cel•lence (n.) 1. The clearly false and destructive theory that a company ought to be great at everything it does. 2. A mistaken goal in which the predictable outcome is that the company ends up world-class at nothing—not well-differentiated and therefore not thought of by consumers at the moment of need.

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"The Power of Full Engagement"

- by Jim Loehr / Tony Schwartz

Managing energy, not time, is the key to enduring high performance as well as to health, happiness, and life balance. The Power of Full Engagement is a highly practical, scientifically based approach to managing your energy more skillfully both on and off the job by laying out the key training principles and provides a powerful, step-by-step program that will help you to:

* Mobilize four key sources of energy
* Balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal
* Expand capacity in the same systematic way that elite athletes do
* Create highly specific, positive energy management rituals to make lasting changes

Above all, this book provides a life-changing road map to becoming more fully engaged on and off the job, meaning physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and spiritually aligned.

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"Hugs Handshakes & High Fives"

- by David Schon

This fun, unique, and simple writing provides:

• Insight on ability to bring people together! 
• Ideas on how to brighten people's thoughts about how they look at and treat other!
• Value by using hugs, handshakes and high fives!

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"The Power of Handshaking"

- by Robert Brown

Effective handshaking:

• Provides a valuable, and often overlooked, form of non-verbal communication. 
• Allows you to consciously send the message you want.
• Provides the subconscious messages that  are invaluable in both business and personal relationships. 

This handy little guide teaches you to grasp the meaning of those you meetNever again walk away from a greeting empty-handed!

Robert E. Brown has categorized 12 basic types of handshakes and identified specific states of mind and personal traits related to each.

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"The Power of Eye Contact"

- by Michael Ellsberg

An invaluable tool to enhance relationships in all parts of your life.

Eye contact can land you a job. It can get you a date. It can deepen your connections with the people you love. It can make or break business relationships. It can help win a fight. It can win over an audience.  Simply put, eye contact is one of the most powerful tools in human face-to-face interaction. The Power of Eye Contact is your concise guide to harnessing the potent force of eye contact.

Master this force and you will notice three things:

1. You meet more people.
2. Your connections deepen with family, friends, and business prospects.
3. You look, feel, and act more confident.

Engagement is built on connectivity. Eye contact allows for connectivity.

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"Start with WHY!"

- by Simon Sinek

Engagement is built on understanding of purpose.

Start With WHY.   Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?  The answers are laid out in Start With WHY!

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"The Speed of Trust"

- by Stephen M. R. Covey

Engagement is built on trust. For business leaders, teachers, coaches, mentors, and public figures in any arena, "The Speed of Trust" offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction—and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time–killing, bureaucratic check–and–balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.