The Gift of New Eyes

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World...and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling

The author says, “This is a book about the world and how it really is. It is also a book about you, and why you (and almost everyone I have ever met) do not see the world as it really is. It is about what you can do about it, and how this will make you feel more positive, less stressed, and more hopeful as you walk out of the circus tent and back into the world.” This book blew me away and helped me step back from the brink on many occasions. Better yet, it filled me with a deep sense of promise and possibility. 

Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement by Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres

If I read any book and walk away with one powerful idea, I feel great value. This book brought two: 1) the power of reframing (or “flipping”) from the negative inventory of symptoms and problems to the exploration of what we want more of in the world. This has changed everyday conversations for me…as well as much of the way I engage in my work. Pretty cool. 2) the power of generative questions. Really understanding how to ask questions that instantly take people/groups deeper creates whole new possibilities and gets people unstuck. 

The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life by Lynne Twist

The author shows how we can right our relationship with money, realign it to transform the world around us and create conditions for unparalleled, sustainable prosperity and well-being. Throughout my career, I’ve been drawn to the intangible deeper connection to humanity that exists at the heart of every contributor. Twist is almost poetic in her understanding of the heart of the donor. Knowing that, she guides us to better understand how to enter those conversations in an equally grounded and powerful way.

The Essentials of Theory U: Core Principles and Applications by C. Otto Scharmer

When Scharmer’s Theory U was first released a decade ago, it took all the concentration I could muster to work through all 600+ pages. The ideas were complex…but it provided me incredible understanding of the valuable path toward lasting change—a process that begins with letting go in order to see with new eyes, so that the “letting come” is different and more powerful. Finally, with this book of “essentials,” it’s like the Cliffs notes for the original book, but all the more accessible. Whether you’ve read the original or previously been reluctant to commit, this is the one for you. 

Practice Makes Purpose: Six Spiritual Practices That Will Change Your Life and Transform Your Community by C. Paul Schroeder

Rounding out my top five reads in 2018 is this small, simple, yet powerful book of real insights. Don’t be frightened by the references to spiritual practices. This is a book about being the best expression of your deepest humanity. I had the great fortune to have dinner with Paul in Minneapolis this spring. He is such a powerful storyteller. If you’re leaning in to big changes, this may add real richness to your journey.