2011 READING LIST

   

 

11.22.63  - Stephen King

An epic read by the master of thrill - this is a time travel book about going back and saving JFK from assignation - brilliant!!!

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WORLD WAR Z  - Max Brookes

An oral history of the Zombie wars

This fascinating little book is an outstanding read! The story line is interesting and the dialogue outstanding. It is a book with big ideas set behind an outbreak of a terrible virus that turns people into zombie like creatures. I heard that Brad Pitt's company have started filming the actual movie and are using Glasgow as the back drop. This really was an un-put-downable read for me!

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A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES  - John Kennedy Toole

He was born in New Orleans in 1937. He received a master's degree in English from Columbia University and taught at Hunter College and at the University of South-western Louisiana. He wrote A Confederacy of Dunces in the early sixties and tried unsuccessfully to get the novel published; depressed, at least in part by his failure to place the book, he committed suicide in 1969. It was only through the tenacity of his mother that her son's book was eventually published and found the audience it deserved. His long-suppressed novel The Neon Bible, written when he was only sixteen, was eventually published as well.

A Confederacy of Dunces won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

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AGAINST ALL ENEMIES  - Tom Clancy

A fast paced novel for those who like to have every gun, bomb or military transport vehicle from trucks to helicopters FULLY explained. Clancy is our man - a story with Navel Seals, CIA operatives and Taliban drug smugglers with a horrific twist at the end. Loved every minute of any Tom Clancy novel. He da man!

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POKE THE BOX  - Seth Godin

Poke the Box is a manifesto by bestselling author Seth Godin that just might make you uncomfortable. It’s a call to action about the initiative you’re taking-– in your job or in your life. Godin knows that one of our scarcest resources is the spark of initiative in most organisations (and most careers)-– the person with the guts to say, “I want to start stuff.”

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TRIBES  - Seth Godin

Brilliant - seminal - this is a must read - Seth Godin is a best-selling author and was named by Forbes.com one of the top 5 web celebs in the business world. In this fascinating book, Seth Godin argues that now, for the first time, everyone has an opportunity to start a movement - to bring together a tribe of like-minded people and do amazing things. There are tribes everywhere, all of them hungry for connection, meaning and change. And yet, too many people ignore the opportunity to lead, because they are "sheep walking" their way through their lives and work, too afraid to question whether their compliance is doing them (or their company) any good.

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HAS GOD SPOKEN?  - Hans Hanegraaff

Hey what a gem of a book - should be on everyone's resource stand at church. This book tells us why the bible is such a trustworthy document - this is a great book for young Christians exploring their faith as well as more those more mature.

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BOUNDARIES  - Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Great book! Everyone needs to read the book and more understand the boundaries.

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FUNDED AND FREE  - Casey Graham and Joseph Sang

Great little book for pastors and the team especially the guys who run the finances and business stuff in church - page after page of BRILLIANT ideas! I loved this little book - lead me to make a load of changes to the way we do things at Proclaimers.

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THE FILTER BUBBLE - Eli Pariser

What the Internet is hiding from You

Interesting explanation of how internet filters work and the end of your personal privacy is explored - this is an interesting book to help understand the open format we call the Internet - whatever you post on the internet is sort of like a Tattoo - it's there forever!

 

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JOLT! - Phil Cooke

I did a review on my blog so please check it out in full.
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CARAVAGGIO - SKIRA Mini Art Books

A small book about the life and works of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

(29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610) was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. I was in Milan earlier this year and went to an exhibition of his work and sat and looked at his work named “The Supper at Emmaus”

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BE OUR GUEST - Michael d. Eisner

Eisner is the CEO of the Disney company and this book I awesome regarding guest services – he uses a lot of the language we would use in the church to describe our guests – brilliant book. It has been purchased by all my senior leaders and we are implementing a load of stuff from this little book!

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WHY DOES HE DO THAT? - Lundy Bancroft

Inside the minds of angry and controlling men -
a full work by Bancroft, footnoted and academic; chilling as far as a look inside the minds and emotions of angry men!

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THE MIDNIGHT PALACE - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

A great novel  - I love this author.

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GENERATION Y - Peter Sheahan

Young buck Sheahan writes a brilliant book and gives us a great glimpse inside the minds of Gen Y Millennial generation – our churches are full of these kids and as Boomer or Gen X leaders we need this insight to motivate and lead them to success. I highly recommend this book.

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THE WARSAW ANAGRAM - Richard Zimler

A novel but after my first visit to Warsaw I read it with new eyes having visited the place known in the book as the Ghetto – clearly based on history but a great novel as well.

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HELL'S CORNER - David Baldacci

Baldacci is one of my favourite authors – set in Washington DC its fast pace action is riveting. Bit of thriller, a bit of suspense and loads of science to back up the look of the 21st terrorists plans. Loved it!

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SANCTUS - Simon Toyne

Toyne has a great imagination and tells a story a “holy relic” and its impact on the world today. Fiction at it’s best!

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GOD WINS - Mark Galli; forward by Randy Alcorn

Mark Galli has taken the time to make a clear and biblical rebuttal to Rob Bell’s book Love Wins. Well written, no bitterness or hate, well researched and good evangelical rebuttal to his famous book.

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THE TREASURE PRINCIPLE - Randy Alcorn

Alcorn takes a chapter of one of his books and makes it into a book – great marketing ploy! But this is a fantastic book as well - At Proclaimers when someone is identified as a first time giver we give them a copy of this booklet. I highly recommend this book.

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MAXIMIZE - Nelson Searcy

Developing extravagant giver

Searcy is known for his systems! This book reveals all! Not going to say much else you need to buy this book and institute the systems within in to the life of your church. Highly recommended!

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ONWARD - Howard Schultz

Inspirational – instructional – down right sheer genius – Shultz’ book is an easy read – loads of stories and packed with inspiration – if you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with – spend a few days reading this book!

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MAX ON LIFE - Max Lucado

Read my extended book review of this great book on www.tomrawls.com

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IT'S NOT ABOUT ME - Max Lucado

Read my extended book review of this great book on www.tomrawls.com

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THE CHURCH IN EMERGING CULTURE - Leonard Sweet

A great book – thought provoking – a bit confusing to begin with – but there is plenty of interactive comment from the other 4 co-authors including Erwin Raphael McManus.

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A NEW KIND OF CHRISTIANITY - Brian McLaren


Interesting point of view – provocative – some interesting expositions of scripture – challenging – as a package not my cup of tea – but well worth reading to see what the left wing of the evangelical church is thinking like.

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NAKED SPIRITUALITY - Brian McLaren

Read the first few chapters slowly and skimmed the rest – got the message in the first few chapters and found a repetition of the same thought about standing “naked before God.” Devotional – too “touchy – feely” for me – but each of his book gives a clearer understanding of his thought processes and I find that interesting.

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OUTLIVE YOUR LIFE - Max Lucado

Loved this simple book – loads of stories and some quite moving bits as well. Inspirational.

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THE GREAT EMERGENCE - How Christianity is changing and why - Phyllis Tickle

Interesting historical perspective that thinks change every 500 years in the church and that we are on the cusp of another great change.

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THE HUMOR OF CHRIST - Elton Trueblood

Trueblood does an excellent job of discovering the funny parts of what Jesus said - interesting exposition of many well known passages of scripture that helps to understand that Jesus did in fact have a good sense of humour.

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A GENEROUS ORTHODOXY - Brian McLaren