The 14 Books That Shaped Me In 2011
Published January 1, 2012/
Here are the books that nourished my soul, satisfied my curiosity, and shaped my thinking in 2011.
Of the fourteen books in the stack,
- Twelve were non-fiction, two were fiction.
- Two were paperback
- Twelve were on the Kindle
- Two were audiobooks from Audible
- One was both Audible and Kindle
- One was both paperback and Kindle
And now for the list, in the order consumed:
- Freedom: A Novel
— Jonathon Franzen
Interesting, but I don’t understand what all the buzz was about surrounding this book.
Rating: * * * (out of 5) | Fiction | Kindle - The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles
for Breakthrough Success
— Carmine Gallo
Great insights into making your dent in the universe.
Rating: * * * * * | Non-Fiction | Kindle - The Lincoln Lawyer: A Novel
— Michael Connelly
A delightful page-turner.
Rating: * * * * | Fiction | Kindle - What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There: How Successful People
Become Even More Successful
— Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter
Important book for leaders and executive coaches. Learn from the master.
Rating: * * * * * | Non-Fiction | Kindle - The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
— Michael Lewis
The better of the two books I read on the financial meltdown. Michael Lewis is brilliant at weaving a narrative. Malcolm Gladwell says that Lewis is the best story teller writing today. I couldn’t agree more.
Rating: * * * * * | Non-Fiction | Kindle - The 4-Hour Workweek
— Timothy Ferriss
Important concepts for earning a livelihood in the 21st century. Overlook the fact that the author can be less than appealing at times.
Rating: * * * * | Non-Fiction | Kindle - Green for Life
— Victoria Boutenko and A. William Menzin M.D
Trying to eat healthier. This blend of science, passion, philosophy, and recipes is a great help.
Rating: * * * * * | Non-Fiction | Paperback / Kindle - Under the Tuscan Sun
— Frances Mayes
Wonderfully written with vivid images that appeal to all the senses. Do not see the movie of the same name — the book and the movie bear almost no resemblance to one another.
Rating: * * * * | Non-Fiction | Paperback - All The Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis
— Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera
A well-written account of the near apocalypse created by the recklessness in the financial industry.
Rating: * * * * | Non-Fiction | Kindle - Steve Jobs
— Walter Isaacson
Jobs was an iconoclast and a personal hero. Recommended.
Rating: * * * * * | Non-Fiction | Kindle - Crush It!: Why Now Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion
— Gary Vaynerchuck
Gary is an Internet sensation who has worked hard for his success. He is also an extrovert who has played very well to his strengths. Good insights but not as universally applicable as he would like to believe.
Rating: * * * | Non-Fiction | Audible - One Page Talent Management: Eliminating Complexity, Adding Value
— Marc Effron and Miriam Ort
An important book for human resource leaders and organizational change agents.
Rating: * * * | Non-Fiction | Kindle - The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms To Fail
— Clayton M. Christensen
Blew my mind! Best book of the year. Very important concepts for people in business, those aspiring to be, and anyone who wants to make sense of the rapidly shifting landscape in our lives.
Rating: * * * * * | Non-Fiction | Kindle - The Sociopath Next Door
— Martha Stout
Four percent of the population (1 in 25 people) lack a conscience. This very well-written book helps you understand where they come from, how they work, and how to deal with them. Martha Stout sculpts with characters and stories the make a potentially dark and technical topic extremely interesting and understandable.
Rating: * * * * * | Non-Fiction | Audible / Kindle
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About Heather
Heather Hollick has been helping others become better leaders and craft more meaningful careers for more than 25 years. Her experience spans both business and technology, operations and organizational development. Oh, and she was born in Canada, so she can't help but be helpful. 😉