Favorite Books

I'm sure that I'm missing many great works, but these are some of the books that have had the greatest impact on my life. The list is embarrassingly short on fiction and poetry among other genres, which may reflect areas in which I need to grow. Indeed, the list may not be worth much more than an insight into my thinking, as scary as that may be!

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2001). Leading with soul: An uncommon journey of spirit. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

A quick and easy read, this is a thoughtful book that takes a spiritual look at leadership.

Collins, J. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap…and others don't. New York: Harper Business.

You cannot earn an MBA today without reading this book – a solid research foundation and interesting results. An easy read and a must read.

Diamant, A. (1998). The red tent. London: Picador.

This book is a work of historical fiction addressing the life of Dinah, who was the daughter of Jacob and step-sister of Joseph in Genesis. Told from a feminist perspective, this work introduces depth and a new, critic perspective to a story that I grew up with.

Dickens, C. (1861). Great expectations. New York: Harper & Brothers.

I'm currently re-reading many of the classics that I skimmed or skipped in high schoo. I know that I could list several novels by Charles Dickens, but this is probably my favorite. Don't ask me which ending I prefer as I still don't know!

Fitzgerald, F. S. (1925). The great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

There are too few classics in my list. In some cases, this is because I've missed what others have seen in the "great books," in others, it is because I'm re-reading books that did not receive my full attention when I read (skimmed) them in high school and college. In any case, I love The Great Gatsy (the book, not the film) and its underlying messages about the early 20th century that run true today.

Frankl, V. E. (1984). Man's search for meaning. New York: Washington Square Press. [Original work published 1946]

This is a classic, a very powerful book and a great introduction to existential thought.

Friere, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum.

This is a classic work, a book that nations in many parts of the world have censored. This is the best introduction I know of to critical theory. It will change your life.

Fromm, E. (1941). Escape from freedom. New York: Avon Books.

Fromm is another author who is not necessarily easy to read, but definitely worth the effort. His work is a fine introduction to humanistic thinking. The Art of Loving and On Being Human are other favorites of mine.

Gomes, P. J. (1996). The good book: Reading the Bible with mind and heart. New York: Avon Books.

I love this book! Though I've re-read few books in my life, this is one that I've read cover-to-cover twice, several sections more than that. Though I would not say I agree with everything Gomes has to say, this is as close a picture of what I believe as anything I've found out there, and it is a delightful read.

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York: Paulist Press.

This has been one of the most influential books I've ever read. One of the five pillars of my mission statement is servant leadership.

Grisham, J. (1998). The street lawyer. New York: Doubleday.

As you can see from the list, I do not read enough fiction. I do love John Grisham books, and this one touched my heart and changed my life – a great book.

Kidd, S. M. (2003). The secret life of bees. New York: Penguin.

This is a heartwarming story of Lily, a young White girl who, while growing up in the South of the 1960s, runs away from an abusive father on a quest to learn more about her mother who died when she was a young girl. Taken in by an eccentric Black woman, Lily not only learns about her mother, she finds redemption and a bit of herself along the way.

Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities: Children in America 's schools. New York: Harper Perennial.

This book also changed my life – a powerful ethnographic look at the injustice of U.S. educational funding policy and its impact on students in inner city schools.

Works by C.S. Lewis

I read a great number of books by C.S. Lewis while in high school, and have re-read several since. His works were highly formative in my life. Many people are familiar with C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Naria , which I also recommend highly, and while I do not list them here, the books of his Space Trilogy also make a delightful read for those who enjoy science fiction.

Lewis, C. S. (1943). Mere Christianity. New York: Macmillan.

For anyone who has not read C.S. Lewis beyond the Chronicles of Naria , I suggest beginning with either Mere Christianity or The Screwtape Letters (below). Mere Christianity presents a highly accessible introduction to Lewis's writing about the Christian faith.

Lewis, C. S. (1945). The great divorce. London: Geoffrey Bles.

This is one of C.S. Lewis's works of fiction, the story-dream of a man's vision of heaven. The book is wonderful and powerful, a great introduction to C.S. Lewis's ability to help us imagine jus thow much infinitely larger than life God is. The only thing that I do like about this book is the ending, but then no work is perfect!

Lewis, C. S. (1955). Surprised by joy: The shape of my early life. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

In this autobiographical work, Lewis shares the story of his youth and of his conversion to Christianity.

Lewis, C. S. (1961). A grief observed. Toronto: Bantam Books.

This powerful work is appropriate for anyone, but especially for anyone who has lost a loved one. Lewis drew upon his personal journals after losing his wife, Joy Davidman, to cancer.

Lewis, C. S. (1970). God in the dock: Essays on theology and ethics. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Company.

This is a more sophisticated work and read than Mere Christianity , but well worth the effort.

Lewis, C. S. (1976). The Screwtape letters. Chicago: Lord and King Associates. [Original work published 1942]

The Screwtape letters are a series of letters from Wormwood, a seasoned devil, to Screwtape, a young devil who is learning to tempt a new Christian. The book provides wonderful insights into sin and temptation.

Miller, M. (2003). The 2% solution: Fixing America 's problems in ways liberals and conservatives can love. New York: Public Affairs.

Miller addresses politics from what might be terms a radically centrist position. He presents a strong emphasis on economic policy, though it addresses the related social issues.

Nicholson, W. (1991). Shadowlands. New York: Plume .

This biographical work tells the story of C.S. Lewis and his wife, Joy Davidman. It is the foundation for the play and the movie -- a powerful story of a deeply shared love.

Niebuhr, H. R. (1951). Christ and culture. New York: Harper & Row.

This is the classic work developing a typology of Christian thought. I find this line of thinking especially helpful these days when so many people associate Christian thought solely with evangelical or fundamentalist Christianity.

Palmer, P. (2000). Let your life speak: Listening for the voice of vocation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

I love Parker Palmer's work and would suggest that any educator read all his works. They are easy reads, yet not short on depth. Palmer is a Quaker, and I see from his work that I need to learn more about Quaker thought.

Paley, V. G. (1979). White teacher. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Vivian Gussin Paley tells the story of her early years as a White kindergarten teacher in a diverse school. Hers is a heartwarming account that teaches a number of valuable lessons about both education and diversity.

Parks, S. D. (2000). Big questions, worthy dreams: Mentoring young adults in their search for meaning, purpose, and faith. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Parks drew upon the work of Perry, Fowler, Kohlberg, and others to extend developmental theory through the twenties, addressing many of the developmental questions facing individuals in their 20s.

Peck, M. S. (1987). The different drum: Community making and peace. New York: Touchstone.

M. Scott Peck is a popular author, and for good reason. While I loved his series of books based on Frost's The Road Less Traveled , this is my favorite of Peck's works. In this book, Peck outlined a process of community development.

Rawls, J. (1991) A theory of justice (Rev. ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [Original work published 1971]

This is not an easy read, but the thinking is profound. Rawls's theory of justice is one of the cornerstones of my current thinking on ethics.

Sample, S. B. (2002). The contrarian's guide to leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Steven Sample is the president of USC—widely regarded as one of the most successful presidents in higher education today. In this book, he reviews his philosophy of leadership. Though not as well-written as I'd hoped, it was an easy read with wonderful thinking behind it.

Tierney, W. G. (1993). Building communities of difference: Higher education in the twenty-first century. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.

This is another book that changed my life, so much so that I revised the community value of my personal mission statement to “communities of difference.” Take your time with the first chapter as it is heady, but a very important foundation for the case studies through the rest of the book.

Tillich, P. (1954). Love, power, and justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

I would suggest that anyone read some Paul Tillich, though I'm not sure where to suggest you start. This is one of my favorites, though admittedly a very heady book – probably not the best starting point.