My Favorite Books of 2015
What a fun year of reading!Here're the books I loved most. Would love to know what you've enjoyed this year, too!
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STYLE: THE ART OF WRITING WELL by F.L. Lucas
One of the most relevant content marketing books I've read in years, written waaaay before the time of content marketing.
Indeed, I sometimes wonder whether books would not gain if their authors had first to telegraph them at their own expense.
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FAR FROM THE TREE: PARENTS, CHILDREN AND THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITY by Andrew Solomon
Powerful, crushing, eye-opening: The first few chapters of this book transformed me into a kinder, more empathetic person---and (I hope) a better parent.
Most of us believe that our children are the children we had to have; we could have had no others. They will never seem to us to be happenstance; we love them because they are our destiny. Even when they are flawed, do wrong, hurt us, die—even then, they are part of the rightness by which we measure our own lives. Indeed, they are the rightness by which we measure life itself, and they bring us to life as profoundly as we do them.
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THE DIVINE CONSPIRACY by Dallas Willard
I haven't stopped thinking about the heaven chapters since I first read them 9 months ago.
Love does not exalt itself, is not vain, does not do stupid things, is not acquisitive, is not easily irritated, does not dwell on what is bad. Love is not happy because of evil but rejoices in what is true. Love holds up under anything, has confidence in everything, hopes no matter what and puts up with everything imaginable
^ Willard's translation of 1 Corinthians 13:4–7--
THE ART OF STILLNESS: ADVENTURES IN GOING NOWHERE by Pico Iyer
One of my shortest reads of 2015. Best impact-per-word ratio. :)--
HOW WE GOT TO NOW: SIX INNOVATIONS THAT MADE THE MODERN WORLD by Steven Johnson
The most interesting, informative history lesson I've had in quite some time. I didn't know I wanted to know so much about ice cubes!--
ONE AND ONLY: THE FREEDOM OF HAVING AN ONLY CHILD, AND THE JOY OF BEING ONE by Lauren Sandler
I keep coming back to this book as one of the most powerful resources for one of the biggest decisions that Lindsay and I have made.
The emotional lives of our families are amplified.The love undiluted.
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NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION: A LANGUAGE OF LIFE: LIFE-CHANGING TOOLS FOR HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS by Marshall Rosenberg
Oh, if only the whole world could have this book!
Nonviolence means allowing the positive within you to emerge.Be dominated by love, respect, understanding, appreciation, compassion, and concern for others rather than the self-centered and selfish, greedy, hateful, prejudiced, suspicious, and aggressive attitudes that dominate our thinking.We often hear people say: This world is ruthless, and if you want to survive you must become ruthless too. I humbly disagree with this contention.
--Yours? I'd love to hear them!