Reading List

Updated June 2009

Below is a list of books that have had a major impact on my professional development and to which I frequently refer in my work as a coach and consultant.  Each item includes a link to the book, usually on Amazon, followed by links to any of my posts that focus on or reference the book.  This list isn't exhaustive, but it's reasonably comprehensive.  (And note that I regularly share interesting links to blog posts, articles, papers and other resources as well.)

I update this list occasionally, adding books as well as links to new blog posts of mine, and at some point I may sub-divide the list into categories, but at the moment I find that an alphabetized list strikes a nice balance between order and chaos:

The Answer to How is Yes: Acting on What Matters, Peter Block

Authentic Happiness, Martin Seligman

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell (my post, part 2, part 3)

Changing for Good, James Prohaska et al

The Cluetrain Manifesto, Christopher Locke et al

The Coaching Manager: Developing Top Talent in Business, James Hunt and Joseph Weintraub

Co-Active Coaching, Laura Whitworth et al (a related post)

Cognitive Therapy, Judith Beck

Comfortable with Uncertainty, Pema Chödrön (my post)

The Consolations of Philosophy, Alain de Botton

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Kerry Patterson et al

Exuberance: The Passion for Life, Kay Redfield Jamison

Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time, Susan Scott

The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Peter Senge

The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, Peter Senge et al

Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used, Peter Block

The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook and Companion, Peter Block et al

Getting Things Done, David Allen

Harvard Business Review On Managing Yourself

Harvard Business Review On Women in Business

The How of Happiness, Sonia Lyubomirsky (my post)

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini

The Inner Game of Work, Tim Gallwey (my post)

Management Challenges for the 21st Century, Peter Drucker (my post, another, yet another, still another)

The Masterful Coaching Fieldbook, Robert Hargrove

Meditations, Marcus Aurelius

More Than a Motorcycle: The Leadership Journey at Harley-Davidson, Rich Teerlink and Lee Ozley

The Neurotic Behavior of Organizations, Uri Merry and George Isaac Brown (my post)

The No Asshole Rule, Bob Sutton (my post)

The Organizational Behavior Reader, Joyce Osland et al

The Power of Resilience, Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein (my post)

Power Up: Transforming Organizations Through Shared Leadership, David Bradford and Allan Cohen (my post)

Reading Book for Human Relations Training, Alfred Cooke et al (my post referencing an article in the book)

Start Where You Are, Pema Chödrön

Status Anxiety, Alain de Botton (my post)

The Substance of Style, Virginia Postrel (my post)

Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, William Bridges (my post)

Transformations: Identity Construction in Contemporary Culture, Grant McCracken (my post)

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, Bill George (my post, an earlier post, and an even earlier post)

What Should I Do with My Life?, Po Bronson (my post)

When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chödrön (my post)

Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes (free download), Andy Goodman (my post)

Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?, Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones (a related post, another related post)

The World According to Peter Drucker, Jack Beatty

Work Matters: Women Talk About Their Jobs and Their Lives, Sara Friedman (my post)

Working with Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman

Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive, Noah Goldstein, Steve Martin and Robert Cialdini (a related post)

Photo by joguldi.  Yay Flickr and Creative Commons.