For past book reviews, go here:https://dougsmithlive.com/book-reviews/
As a side note, a lot of you have asked me how I read so many books. The truth is, I read a lot of books at the same time and I read a chapter a day in each book. I try to read for 45 minutes to an hour each day. It’s a discipline I believe is worth the effort and sacrifice. Schedule time to grow! If you don’t schedule it, it won’t happen!
Also, I believe I can learn from anyone, but that does not mean that I agree with and endorse everything that is said in every book I read. In Bible School, one professor taught me to always “be as smart as a cow . . . eat the hay and spit the sticks.” If I don’t agree with something someone says, I “spit it out” and forget about it. If it’s good and I agree, I try to apply it to my life. I’d recommend you do the same when consuming information.
When Helping Hurts – I work for an organization that helps the poor. The longer I am there, the more I realize that although everyone knows they should help the poor and desires to, very few people know how to actually help. This book will open your eyes to some of the realities of helping the poor. It will also give you a roadmap for how you can actually hep. If you have a heart for helping the down and out, read this book.
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How People Grow – Hands down the best book I’ve ever read on personal growth. The thesis: All growth is spiritual growth. If you want to get serious about growing yourself and growing others, then you need to read this book. I would put this in the top 5 books I’ve read in the last 5 years!
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Boundaries for Leaders – If Henry Cloud writes something, buy it and read it! The thesis of this book is that you are ridiculously in charge and you will ALWAYS get what you allow and what you create. For me, realizing that whatever I see around me in my life is a result of what I have created or allowed revolutionized the way I view leadership. I never viewed myself having that much control over my life, my team, my organization, etc. A must read for leaders!
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Draw the Circle – This is Mark Batterson’s follow-up to The Circle Maker. The Circle Maker is probably the best book on prayer I’ve read. Draw the Circle is a 40-day prayer challenge. You read a chapter a day and comitt to praying for 40 days straight. Prayer has always been something I’ve struggled with, so my wife and I started going through this book together. It’s been great for our relationship and it’s been great for me to focus on prayer. I actually find myself looking forward to praying instead of dreading it! If you struggle with prayer, I challenge you to take this challenge!
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Awaken the Giant Within – I’ve been into personal growth for ten years now and have listened to a lot of speakers and read a lot of authors. Up until this point, I’ve heard a lot about Anthony Robbins, but never actually listened to or read any of his stuff. I started YouTubing videos of Tony and watched a few of his talks. He definitely caught my attention! I enjoyed what I was hearing, so I picked up this book. I’m 60% done with it and I absolutely love it. It’s extremely practical and I find his material very refreshing. I have not been exposed to a lot of the things he teaches, so it’s great to get some new perspectives on topics that I’ve been studying for years. I’m going to say that this is a success classic and you have to read it!
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Codependent No More – A mentor gave me this book. She said, “You’re so CODEPENDENT! READ THIS!” To be honest, she gave me this book a year ago and I never read. I finally got to a point of frustration with my codependence that I knew I had to deal with this issue in my life. This book was excellent and I will definitely be going through it again. I never realized how controlling codependency can be and how freeing it can be to let go of it. If you struggle with control issues or codependence, then this book is for you!
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The Catalyst Leader – I’d recommend this book to young leaders, ages 18-24. This would be a good book to take young leaders you mentor through. I don’t recommend it if you have been reading and studying leadership for a while.
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What books have you read this year that have made an impact on you? Comment below!
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