Reading is an essential part of learning in any
role, and it is certainly so for those of us serving as sports chaplains,
character coaches, or sports mentors. One of the hardest tasks for me is to
choose books to read. I find the recommendations of friends and colleagues to
be the best way to choose. In keeping with that thought, I would like to
recommend a few books to you. They are from a variety authors, but most all are
non-fiction. I hope they enhance your development: personal, professional, and
spiritual.
Soul Keeping by John Ortberg is an excellent book
about the author’s relationship with his mentor and friend, Dallas Willard.
Deep Work by Cal Newport is a deeply challenging
book about how we think and all the matters that distract us from thinking
deeply. After reading this book in April, I was challenged so deeply that I
removed Facebook from every device that I own, except for one. I found that it
consumed too much time for too little benefit.
The Captain Class by Sam Walker is a
review of the most dominant sports teams in history and their leadership. Like
most books based on research, the author tells us more about his research methods
than we really want to know, but his conclusions are fascinating. If you serve
a team oriented sport, the insights within are valuable.
Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance is a
remarkable book with tremendous value to those serving in the USA’s Mid-south and
Midwest regions. Vance discusses the paralyzing effects of the culture in which
he was reared, and chronicles how he was able to escape it to become a college
graduate and a successful attorney.
As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Eugene Peterson is
a collection of sermons he delivered as a pastor, earlier in his career. I read
everything I can find by Peterson, but this volume is significantly different,
as it is pastoral in tone. The reader feels as if this is a personal
conversation with the author. Much like Francis Schaeffer’s No Little
People, No Little Places, this collection of sermons engages differently
than most of the authors’ more scholarly works. This is rich.
Originals by Adam Grant details some of the
advantages of having people, just a bit off center, on your team. The author
explores the power of non-conformists and their points of view for all sorts of
organizations, companies, non-profits, etc.
Occasionally, I will visit Stuart Weir’s book
review section of the Verité Sport website for some good
ideas. Here is a link to this invaluable resource - http://www.veritesport.org/?page=bookreviewmenu.
I hope this brief list is of value to you and
to those you lead.
No comments:
Post a Comment