As a avid book reader, I am sometimes asked what my favorite book is. In that moment, I feel like Sarah Palin being asked by Katie Couric what newspapers she reads. My favorite book, song, or painting will depend upon the day. Here are five fun, non-fiction, and for the most part easy to read, books that have shaped my thinking and day-to-day habits, plus one bonus novel.
1. Seven-Day Weekend by Ricardo Semler. Semler is a businessman from Brazil who is the mastermind at allowing employees to set up their own workspace, to establish their own dress code (or lack thereof), and to establish their own schedules. This book throws the nine-to-five grind out the window, and is something that I try to follow and pass along.
2. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma. Sharma is a former lawyer who instructs readers on how to enjoy a peaceful and fulfilling life through a fable. The story traces the steps of a once high and mighty trial lawyer who throws it all away to become a monk. Although I have no Ferrari to give away, and no intention to walk away from the law practice, this book will help anyone get their priorities straight.
3. Winning Through Intimidation by Robert Ringer. Filled with creative one-liners, readers of this now 40-year-old book will enjoy learning the “30-year rule”, “leapfrog theory”, and how to avoid “deal gabbers” on the way to getting paid in any vocation.
4. Super Rich by Russell Simmons. Simmons reflects on how meditation and yoga helps him stay clear-minded while contrasting his experiences as a teenage drug dealer whose career as a rap promoter morphed into that of a multimedia mogul.
5. The Time Paradox by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd. This book emphasizes that our most valuable asset is time and that our viewpoint about time will substantially shape our experience on earth. I recommend that you take the Zimbardo time inventory before digging into the book. The inventory can be found online or on Page 53 of the book.
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus Finch is the lawyer that all of us lawyers hope to emulate and, I can hope, that all those in need of legal services seek to hire. Finch is prepared for the worst result, works in the client’s best interests and acts professionally, even when threatened and spat upon.