My Word with Douglas E. Welch

Here are the books in my reading stack right now. I am a bit weird in that I read several books at one time, switching between them as the mood strikes me. This often includes moving from business books to history to fiction and back again over the course of the day.

I think everyone should have a least one book with them throughout the day. You never know when you are going to have to wait in line somewhere and reading even a few paragraphs can allow you to make productive use of that otherwise unproductive time.

• Weird Ideas That Work by Robert I. Sutton
  
• The Drunkard’s Walk by Leonard Mlodinow
  
• A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink
  
• Cracking Creativity by Michael Michalko

** For more book suggesting, visit the WelchWrite Bookstore

Amazon.com has just released their Best Books of 2010…so far

Check it out for some more great books to add to your reading list.

Making Ideas Happen

The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation

The Drunkard’s Walk; How Randomness Rules Our Lives

I now forget where I heard about this book, but as we are planning a trip back to Sicily (our 3rd) to see “la famiglia” I thought it would be a great way to immerse myself back in that world.

As with many American books on Italy, there is a bit of the typical “gee, don’t they do things differently here” stuff, but there is much, much more heart and soul here that make it a worthwhile read. I wish American writers could get over that part of the experience and simply immerse themselves in it. It tends to make them sound naive and a more than a bit ethnocentric.

That said, I enjoyed “Four Seasons in Rome” quite a bit. My son was 2 1/2 when we first visited Rome, so I could relate a bit to their struggles with their newborn twins. It must have been so much harder than our visit, but actually “living” there for a year, in an apartment, was certainly an advantage. We were in a nice, residential hotel, but as I found when visiting London on that same trip, a flat of your own is an amazing thing.

I found myself reliving my own initial feelings on visiting Rome and later meeting my Italian in-laws. Yes, it truly is a different world, but different in both good and bad ways. The history of Rome, and Italy in general can overwhelm you in some ways. There is such an accretion of history, all layered on top of each other, that it can leave you standing and staring as you try to contemplate the age and complexity of it all.

While I might contemplate living in Sicily for a year, under the protective eye of the family, I think living in Rome would be a lot like living in New York City — too much of too much — and would probably burn me out within a few weeks. It is nice to be able to see it through someone else’s eyes and enjoy it vicariously.

Amazon Link: Four Seasons in Rome

I have been reading John C. Maxwell’s books for years and have found many useful ideas and much useful advice. This small volume seems like a condensation of many of his larger books and while that might seem like a criticism, it is in fact a strength.

How Successful People Think is a great book to have around for reviewing the concepts found in other Maxwell books. After reading the longer books, sometimes you just need a reminder, a nudge to help you put those tool back into practice. This book would be perfect to keep close at hand when life and work starts to feel a little overwhelming. After flipping through a few pages, you are sure to get back on track. If you need more help, you can always re-read the more comprehensive books.

You can find more books by John C. Maxwell, including Thinking for a Change, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, and Developing the Leader Within You via Amazon.com or in The WelchWrite Bookstore.

Over the years I have often wondered if maybe nice guys really do finish last. I am not the most competitive person in the world and sometimes think it has held me back. That makes “The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness” a good read for me. It is made up of short essays which use hard science to tease out the existence, need and desire for compassion in all its forms. There are essays on hope, empathy, forgiveness and the whole continuum of compassionate behaviors in all primates, including humans.

The essay-based format allows for quick dives into the content, so you don’t feel you have to swallow the entire book at one sitting. Time spent thinking about what you have read is important, and almost required, as you delve into some of the deepest aspects of what makes us human.

I first head about this book from an interview with the two of the editors on Tech Nation with Moira Gunn. You can listen to the program using the link below.

The Science of Human Goodness Dacher Keltner, Jason Marsh Psychology Professor and Editor, Greater Good magazine

Dr. Moira Gunn talks with UC Berkeley Psychology Professor, Dacher Keltner and the editor of Greater Good magazine, Jason Marsh, about how humans are naturally programmed to be good and what separates those who are from those who are not.

Listen to Tech Nation: The Science of Human Goodness

* Find more books and products in The WelchWrite Bookstore.

Five books arrived from the LA Public Library today — my next collection of books to read. Here is what is in the stack on reading table next to my chair.

Twyla Tharp: The Collaborative Habit

I enjoyed Tharp’s earlier book, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life so this one caught my eye when browsing through my Amazon.com Recommendations.


Trust the Process
by Shaun McNiff

I am starting on a reading, and re-reading, of several books related to the artistic process. New Media has a lot of similarities to more traditional arts, so I am reading to see what commonalities I can find.

Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland

Another book on the arts, but this time more directed at my personal arts process and how I can re-invigorate it.



Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life by Robert Fritz

One final book on creativity and making the best use possible of it.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
Jeff Hertzberg MD , Zoe Francois

Lastly in this group of books is this “cookbook” for lack of a better word. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day has been getting a lot of buzz on the Internet and this is actually a re-read for me. This time, though, since I am back to cooking a lot, I want to try the process a couple of times. I didn’t get around to it the last time I read the book.

For more book highlights, check out the WelchWrite Bookstore.