Reading Room
Malcom was a new life insurance agent in 1990 when he attended a sales conference in San Diego, CA changed his professional life. During a session, the presenter encouraged the audience to take away something meaningful they could apply to the way they did business. He challenged Malcom, along with the rest of the audience, to read one book a week saying that it would, over time, provide a professional knowledge base for their chosen field that they could rely on and feel comfortable with. Malcom accepted the challenge!
Malcom began reading one professional book a week after receiving the challenge in 1990, and he has remained committed to this form of professional education.
A personal note from Malcom
You know, what? The presenter was was right!
I present the same challenge to you. I challenge you to read, think and apply. I too, believe that the way to grow rich is through thought. Earl Nightingale said it best, “We become what we think about, most of the time.”
Over the years, some of the books I have read in response to that presenter's challenge have become foundational to who I am and the work that I do:
- Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
- Making Ethical Decisions, Michael Josephson
- Black Profiles in Courage, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- A Hidden Wholeness, Parker Palmer
- The Sneetches, Dr. Seuss
- Managing Transitions, William Bridges
- The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
- The 100 Best Business Books of All Time, Jack Covert & Todd Satterstein
- The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell
- All Politics is Local, Tip O’Neill
- Ten Poems to Change Your Life, Roger Housden
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass
- Raving Fans!: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service, Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles
- Gung Ho! Turn On the People in Any Organization, Ken Blanchard
Each week, I post the title of book I am currently reading on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter or visit this site to view my Twitter feed to find out what book I am reading that week.
