My 2013 Reads

This year I decided to tackle William Manchester's 3 volume, 3000 page biography of Winston Churchill which meant that I read a few less books than last year.  The Last Lion is well written and encyclopedic in its coverage of Churchill and is a great read for those who like history.  I have not yet finished volume 3.  I did however cross a milestone; I read my 1000th book since college.

My top pick for this year is James Hunter's To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World.  We read this book as a faculty in order to help us to understand how we can better prepare our students "to influence culture and society for Jesus Christ."  Hunter offers a comprehensive critique of the efforts of Christians to change culture.   Fortunately, he also offers some valid recommendations.  Foremost, he calls us to faithful presence; to live the gospel on display.

Another favorite was a recommendation by Thomas Riddle, the Upper School Administrator at Shannon Forest.  It will be one of this upcoming summer's required reads for the faculty.  Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina is a great look at how the brain functions, and the writing style is accessible for the average person.  If we as educators wish to maximize learning, we must design our programs around these 12 rules.

Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is another book I would recommend.  This work of historical fiction is set during the Nigerian Civil War between Muslim and Christian factions and is a poignant story of mankind's inhumanity toward other men.

E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien's Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible provides a refreshing reminder of how much our culture shapes how we understand and interpret the Bible.

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Taleb has received a lot of acclaim.  Despite Taleb's arrogant and repetitive style, the book offers several valuable insights into our penchant for predicting the future and doing so poorly.

My last recommendation is for runners: Anatomy for Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention by Jay Dicharry


The full 2013 list:

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi - Half a Yellow Sun
Archer, Jeffery - Sins of the Father 
Archer, Jeffrey - Best Kept Secret
Baldachi, David - The Hit
Beecham, Stan - Elite Minds
Bompa, Tudor - Periodization Training for Sports
Childs, Lee - Wanted Man
Cloud, Henry - Necessary Endings
Dicharry, Jay - Anatomy for Runners
Duhigg, Charles - The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business
Harbach, Chad - The Art of Fielding
Heath, Chip and Dan - Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work
Hunter, James - To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World
Isaacson, Walter - Steve Jobs
Jordan, Tom - Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine
Kay, Guy Gavriel - The Lions of Al-Rassan
Le Carre, John - The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
Lencioni, Patrick - The Advantage
Lloyd-Jones, Martyn - Life in Christ: Studies in 1 John
Lowney, Chris - Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450 year old Company that Changed the World
Manchester, William - The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume 1: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932
Manchester, William - The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume 2: Alone, 1930-1940
Martin, David - Better Training for Distance Runners
McMillian, Greg - You, Only Faster
Medina, John - Brain Rules
Moore, Kenny - Bowerman and the Men of Oregon
Potzsch, Oliver - The Hangman's Daughter
Potzsch, Oliver - The Dark Monk
Potzsch, Oliver - The Beggar King
Potzsch, Oliver - The Poisoned Pilgrim
Prescott, Michael - Final Sins
Pue, Alan - Rethinking Sustainability: A Strategic Financial Model for Christian Schools
Reeves, Michael - Delighting in the Trinity
Richards, E. Randolph - Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
Richardson, Don - Lords of the Earth
Stearns, Richard - Unfinished
Taleb, Nassim - Black Swan