Barry's Bookshelf

Rich DeVos is a genuine, American-made success story; one of the few people who has done tremendous good for hundreds of thousands of people all while becoming fabulously wealthy himself. And yet, you may never have heard of him. In this book he outlines ten simple phrases that—when practiced habitually—make a tremendous difference in the life. You not only need to learn the phrases, they need to become a part of your psyche. Deploy them generously, and enjoy the rich rewards of marvelous relationships smoothly cooperating because of the great social lubricant found in simple words.

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A Sorbet for the Soul! When the monotony of daily living sets in, its time for a mental and emotional palate cleanser to help you remember the important stuff. This book is just that. It’s a must read for people who want to succeed and who might have forgotten the path that will get them there. It’s required reading for our Young Leaders Academy.

Don’t “consider” this book. Buy it. Read it. Do it. Become it. Now.

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Occasionally a book comes along that instead of going on your “books I’ve read” shelf, it goes on your “tools I’ll use” shelf. Mark Batterson has dished one of those up here. For those of us who have prayed with mixed success, never knowing for sure why sometimes we hit the target withdeadly accuracy, and why sometimes we’re talking to the ceiling, Batters offers a clear compelling blueprint for how to pray audacious prayers that produce miraculous results. I feel like reading this has sharpened my praying and made me increasingly more effective. I highly recommend this book!

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Mark Batterson is my new favorite author. He’s Seth Godin, but in more spiritual language. I met Mark briefly in Atlanta a few weeks ago and he asked me about Springfield’s own Andy’s Frozen Custard, and therein lies part of his greatest charm: he’s real. He writes in the voice of a real guy, doing real stuff, living a real life, and with a real heart for God. This book is about being led by the Holy Spirit, or, as Mark refers to it…..going on a Wild Goose Chase. It’s a recommended read.

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The greatest danger a leader faces is from within. Oh, there’s plenty without that can derail him or her, but most of us get knocked off track by our internal demons and incapabilities. Reggie McNeal can help you identify the danger points inherent in you and develop strategies to overcome them. He’ll change how you think about you, about Him, and about them. The principles of this book will release you from self-defeating paradigms and provide a path for you to get busy being what God has equipped you to become and called you to be. No one should pretend to do spiritual leadership in any form without first internalizing the principles in this book.

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For many Jesus is a curse word. For others he’s a lap dog that comes when you whistle and licks your hand as you pet him. If you long for a more potent and powerful Jesus—the Jesus of the Bible—this book will help you discover Him. Beware, He’s kind of like handling uranium, but He’s also worthy of your highest devotion. I highly recommend this book for people who are serious about faith and desire NOT to go deeper with Jesus, but to have Jesus go deeper into you. If you are a non-thinker or intellectually lazy, take a pass.

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I’ve been avoiding this book. It seemed too trendy and everybody is quoting this Godin guy. But then, my friend Wendy Kowalik told me of a principle from the book that applied directly to me and I was hooked. Tribes is about leadership. Its about making noise while passionately pursuing your bliss. It’s about championing like a heretic the things that make you feel alive. It’s about ignoring criticism and acknowledging fear, then crucifying it. This book is about freeing you up to Proclaim your Manifesto (I wrote mine after I read it) and in the process attracting people who have a matching worldview–a tribe. If you need a personal development breakthrough read Linchpin. If you are ready to break out and change the world, read Tribes.

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Now THIS is a great book! Don’t waste your time reading this review. Just go buy it.

The #1 produce of our company is Right Thinking. (We also sell and manage real estate and investments.) Now, having read Linchpin I understand why so many people think wrongly. It’s the Lizard Brain that causes the repression of your genius and the perpetuation of the status quo. If you want to change, to go from being a replaceable generic cog in the machine to the indispensable linch pin that adds value by holding the machine together, read Linchpin prayerfully with a pen and note pad in hand. Write down what you must do, take the risk, leap off the cliff, and teach yourself to fly on the way down. (Did I mention that this is a great read?)

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A white American tourist walks through the shopping area of a 2nd world, dark-skinned country to a cacophony of “Hey Meestir, lookie here. Cheapie. Cheapie.” In China the peddlers hung on my arms like mosquitos. I had to yell “Boo!” (No!) loudly to get them to leave me alone. Seth Godin says today’s marketers interrupting us and stealing our precious time and attention suffer a far worse fate: that of being totally ignored and tuned out. Yelling louder won’t work. Instead, you’ve gotta Go Guerilla and solicit permission to actually talk to prospects, educating them into becoming clients. Godin’s principles will be the foundation for a new marketing initiative we are launching this month in our company.

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I read this book on the beach in Mexico while overhearing a lively discussion among a group of semi-elderly Chicagoans about bunions, diabetes, and how “true believers think they are going to be taken up in the air while everyone else is left for the bad stuff.” It’s into that “true believer” conversation that Mark Batterson unpacks what it means to live out the Greatest Commandment as taught by the Greatest Teacher; the primal command to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. No tool box should be without a pair of pliers, and no serious learner should attempt to grab hold of the core foundations of being a Christ follower without reading Primal. Batterson is a thinker. I like that. He’s not just spouting off what other people have said or written. His stuff is original, reflective, and thought provoking.

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One of the most important books I’ve read in my life. If you are a thinking person, and have any concern at all for people, this book will change your life. Read it. Prepare to weep. Go forth and make a difference in your world.

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The keywords in the title of this book are NOISE and EFFECTIVE SECOND IN COMMAND. At some level, I’ve got three different seconds in command, the newest only serving alongside me for less than six months. This book is about the key, overarching factors that an executive needs from the key leaders around him. I’d recommend you read it before you hire anyone at a mid-management level or above. The way we are using it is every key leader (three, in my current group) reads the book and highlights what they found significant, and then we sit weekly and discuss the significant passages together as a team in an attempt to all understand better.

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Jack Canfield, of Chicken Soup For The Soul fame has written a wonderful primer on the principles for success. If you are serious about the basics of growing as a personal achiever I highly recommend this book. Its thick, but its an easy read that doesn’t require you to digest it front to back. Instead, you can read a chapter here or there and pick up a tool that will help you. This belongs in the library of the committed achiever.

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A great book for helping you think clearly about the focus of your business and how to develop and articulate your key, core values. It’s a miniature version of Strategic Coach all in one book. This book was the primary tool that helped Nola and me jar loose the conversation that led to the formation of our company’s six core values; the most important thing that’s happened in our company since 1997! If you are trying to “get on track” this is the book I’d recommend.

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