The books below have had an impact on my growth and development and continue to inform my approach to coaching. Each item includes a link to the book, usually on Amazon, followed by links to my posts that reference the book. (I also maintain a list of posts and articles that I frequently recommend to clients and students for further reading.)
| Change | Leadership & Management |
| Coaching | Neuroscience & Psychology |
| Communication | Self-Coaching |
| Fiction & Poetry | Miscellaneous |
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick), Seth Godin, 2007 (my post)
Do The Work: Overcome Resistance and Get Out of Your Own Way, Steven Pressfield, 2011
Tiny Habits: The Small Habits That Change Everything, BJ Fogg, 2020
Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, William Bridges, 1979/2004 (my post)
Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life's Work, Steven Pressfield, 2012 (my post)
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Steven Pressfield, 2002 (my post)
What Should I Do with My Life? The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question, Po Bronson, 2003 (my post)
Back to One: A Practical Guide for Psychotherapists, Sheldon Kopp, 1977
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever, Michael Bungay Stanier, 2016
Coaching the Team at Work, David Clutterbuck, 2007
Coaching with the Brain in Mind: Foundations for Practice, David Rock and Linda Page, 2009
Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business, Transforming Lives, Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandahl and Laura Whitworth (my post)
The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin, 2023 (This book isn't about coaching--but it is all about coaching.)
Emotion-Focused Therapy: Coaching Clients to Work Through Their Feelings, Leslie Greenberg, 2002
Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time, Susan Scott, 2002/2004 (my post)
Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help, Edgar Schein, 2011 (my post, another, and another)
Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling, Edgar Schein, 2013
Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky with Connie Burk, 2009
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler, 2002
The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business, Erin Meyer, 2014 (my post, another)
Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together, William Isaacs, 1999 (my post)
Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most, Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen, 2000/2010
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini, 1984/2006
Language in Thought and Action, S.I. Hayakawa, 1949/2008 (my post)
Moments of Impact: How to Design Strategic Conversations That Accelerate Change, Chris Ertel and Lisa Kay Solomon, 2014
On Bullshit, Harry Frankfurt, 1986/2005 (my post)
Pragmatics of Human Communication: A Study of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies, and Paradoxes, Paul Watzlawick, Janet Beavin and Don Jackson, 1967
Reading Book for Human Relations Training, 8th Edition, Alfred Cooke, Michael Brazzel, Argentine Saunders Craig and Barbara Greig, editors (my post)
Reading the Room: Group Dynamics for Coaches and Leaders, David Kantor, 2012
Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well, Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen, 2015
Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes, Andy Goodman, 2006 (my post)
Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive, Noah Goldstein, Steve Martin and Robert Cialdini, 2008 (my post)
The Essential W.S. Merwin, 2017
The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer, translated by Robert Fagles
Li Po and Tu Fu: Poems Selected and Translated with an Introduction and Notes, translated by Arthur Cooper, 1973
Riprap and Cold Mountain Poems, Gary Snyder, 1959/2010
Tamalpais Walking, Tom Killion and Gary Snyder, 2010
42 Rules for Your New Leadership Role, Pam Fox Rollin, 2012 (my post)
The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual, Rick Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls and David Weinberger, 2001
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done, Peter Drucker, 1967/2006
The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, Amy Edmondson, 2018
Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence-Based Management, Jeffrey Pfeffer and Bob Sutton, 2006 (my post, a related post)
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, Ben Horowitz, 2014
High Output Management, Andy Grove, 1983/1995
How Come Every Time I Get Stabbed in the Back My Fingerprints Are on the Knife?, Jerry Harvey, 1999
Leadership and Motivation, Douglas McGregor, 1966
Influence Without Authority, Allan Cohen and David Bradford, 2005
Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time, Jeffrey Pfeffer, 2015
Management Challenges for the 21st Century, Peter Drucker, 2001 (my post, another, yet another, still another, and another)
The Neurotic Behavior of Organizations, Uri Merry and George Isaac Brown, 1987 (my post)
The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't, Bob Sutton, 2007/2010 (my post)
The Organizational Behavior Reader, Joyce Osland, David Kolb and Irwin Rubin, 2000
Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Organizational Learning, Chris Argyris, 1990 (my post, another, and another, and another)
Theory In Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness, Chris Argyris and Donald Schön, 1974
True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, Bill George and Peter Sims, 2007 (my post, an earlier post, and an even earlier post)
Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't, Jeffrey Pfeffer, 2010
Power Up: Transforming Organizations Through Shared Leadership, David Bradford and Allan Cohen, 1998 (my post)
Principles: Life and Work, Ray Dalio, 2017
Radical Focus: Achieving Your Most Important Goals with Objectives and Key Results, Christina Wodtke, 2016
The Unicorn's Shadow: Combating the Dangerous Myths That Hold Back Startups, Founders, and Investors, Ethan Mollick, 2020
What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture, Ben Horowitz, 2019
Why Should Anyone Be Led by You? What It Takes to Be an Authentic Leader, Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones, 2006/2019 (my post, a related post, another related post)
Work Matters: Women Talk About Their Jobs and Their Lives, Sara Ann Friedman, 1996 (my post)
Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment, Martin Seligman, 2004 (a related post, another)
Becoming Attached: First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love, Robert Karen, 1998
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk, 2015
Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Well-Being, Linda Graham, 2013 (my post)
Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman, 2004
Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond, Judith Beck, 1995
The Compassionate Brain: How Empathy Creates Intelligence, Gerald Hüther, 2006
Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain, Antonio Damasio, 2005 (my post)
The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life, Joseph LeDoux, 1998
The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live--and How You Can Change Them, Richard Davidson and Sharon Begley, 2012 (my post)
The Forgiving Self: The Road from Resentment to Connection, Robert Karen, 2003
Gestalt Therapy: Perspectives and Applications, Edwin Nevis, editor, 1996
The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control, Walter Mischel, 2014 (my post)
Meta-Emotion: How Families Communicate Emotionally, John Gottman, Lynn Fainsilber Katz and Carole Hooven, 1997
Mind Sculpture: Unlocking Your Brain's Untapped Potential, Ian Robertson, 2000 (my post)
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck, 2006
Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation, Daniel Siegel, 2010 (my post)
Motivation and Personality, Abraham Maslow, 1970
The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't, What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does, Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2014 (my post)
Psychology, Briefer Course, William James, 1890/1992 (my post)
Pursuing the Good Life: 100 Reflections on Positive Psychology, Christopher Peterson, 2012
The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life's Hurdles, Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté, 2003
Stress Without Distress, Hans Selye, 1974
Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect, Matthew Lieberman, 2014 (my post, another)
Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions, Gary Klein, 1999 (my post)
Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, 2013 (my post, another)
White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts: Suppression, Obsession, and the Psychology of Mental Control, Daniel Wegner, 1989 (my post)
Why We Feel: The Science of Human Emotions, Victor Johnston, 2000 (my post)
Working with Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, 2000
Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long, David Rock, 2009
The Answer to How is Yes: Acting on What Matters, Peter Block, 2001/2003
The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking, Oliver Burkeman, 2012
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion, Pema Chödrön, 2002/2018 (my post)
The Consolations of Philosophy, Alain de Botton, 2001
The Courage to Be Disliked, Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, 2018 (my post)
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brené Brown, 2015
Exuberance: The Passion for Life, Kay Redfield Jamison, 2005
The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer, Gretchen Reynolds, 2012
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are, Brené Brown, 2010
How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life, Caroline Webb, 2016
The Inner Game of Work: Focus, Learning, Pleasure, and Mobility in the Workplace, Tim Gallwey, 2001 (my post)
It's Always Personal: Navigating Emotion in the New Workplace, Anne Kreamer, 2011
Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl, 1946/2006 (my post)
Meditations, Marcus Aurelius, translated by Martin Hammond, 2006 (my post)
Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, Kieran Setiya, 2017 (my post)
Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success, Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness, 2017 (my post)
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, Alain de Botton, 2010
The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters, Emily Esfahani Smith, 2017
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, Kristin Neff, 2015
Self-Science: The Subject Is Me, Karen Stone and Harold Dillehunt, 1978
Shop Class as Soul Craft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work, Matthew Crawford, 2010
The Situation is Hopeless But Not Serious (The Pursuit of Unhappiness), Paul Watzlawick, 1993
Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living, Pema Chödrön, 1994/2018
Status Anxiety, Alain de Botton, 2005 (my post)
The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It, Kelly McGonigal, 2015
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, Pema Chödrön, 1996/2016 (my post)
The World Beyond Your Head: Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction, Matthew Crawford, 2015
An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change, Warren Bennis, 1993 (my post)
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, Atul Gawande, 2014
The Crack-Up, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1936/2009
Death: Interpretations, Hendrik Ruitenbeek, editor, 1969
The Denial of Death, Ernest Becker, 1974/1997
Dialogues and Letters, Seneca, translated by C.D.N. Costa, 1997
Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero, James Romm, 2014
The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary (Angeles Arrien, 1993)
Gratitude, Oliver Sacks, 2015
The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell, 2008
Letters from a Stoic, Seneca, translated by Robin Campbell, 1969
Make Trouble, John Waters, 2017
Mortality, Christopher Hitchens, 2014
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays, Albert Camus, translated by Justin O'Brien, 1942/1991
The Secrets of Long Life, George Gallup, 1960
The Small Group Trainer's Survival Guide, Birge Reichard, Christiane Siewers and Paul Rodenhauser, 1992
The Substance of Style: How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture, and Consciousness, Virginia Postrel, 2003 (my post)
Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor, Lynda Barry, 2014
Transformations: Identity Construction in Contemporary Culture, Grant McCracken, 2008 (my post)
Walden and Other Writings, Henry David Thoreau, 1854/1992
What Took You So Long? An Assortment of Life's Everyday Ironies, Sheldon Kopp and Claire Flanders, 1979 (my post)
Photo by Jo Guldi.
