These are my picks for the top five non-fiction books I read this year:
5- Enneagram Type 5 by Beth McCord
Turns out I’m an enneagram Type 5. That means a lot to those people who understand enneagram things, like my wife. But I need a map, so Aubrey got me a book to work through the details. This book is a 21-day exercise/journaling type book, which runs through the basics of the enneagram, the core motivations, fears, desires, weaknesses, and longings of Type 5s. Then it covers alignment, wings, triads, and various paths. Like all personality bucketing systems, the enneagram is a soft science, but its power comes from its ability to provide language around the core emotions of each type. I learned a lot about myself by engaging and journaling through all 21 days. Historically, I haven’t been able to stick with journaling for more than five minutes so this was a big win in the discipline experiment category.
Figure out your enneagram type here.
Each type has a similar book here.
This book is for enneagram Type 5s or their significant others.
(Rated G, Score 7/10, hardback, 141p.)
4 - A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear…” Have you lost someone you love recently? Have you struggled to process the feelings and thoughts that come with loss? Me too. Lewis too. This short book records his thoughts and railings during his grief caused by the death of his wife. As a parent, some of the most comforting moments I have had are to see other parents struggling like I do and in that moment to realize that I am not alone. As a griever, it is powerful to know that you are not alone in those feelings. Lewis journals his thoughts, and feelings as he works through the healing process. In the end, only time has the power to start to heal the hurt.
I recommend this to the grievers, and those supporting them.
(Rated G, Score 7/10, paperback 120p.)
3 - Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
This is an amazing biographical piece on John Boyd. Boyd’s story is broken into three major parts: The Fighter Pilot, The Engineer, and The Scholar. As the fighter pilot, Boyd was known as “40 second Boyd” because he could defeat any challenger in a dog fight in 40 seconds or less. He literally wrote the book on fighter jet combat because there wasn’t one. He turned the art of jet fighting into science that could be studied, thought, and repeated. As the engineer, Boyd developed a theory tying thermodynamic principles to fighter jets called Energy-Maneuverability (E-M). He commandeered millions of dollars worth of computer time to prove the theory. With his theory, he went to battle against the broken system of procurement in the Air Force and helped develop the F-16 and other fighter jets. Using his E-M theory he tried to design for simplicity, effectiveness, and lethality against the known quantities of the fighters flown by our nation’s enemies. The procurement process fought him for bigger-higher-faster-farther which ultimately destroys the combat effectiveness of a jet, but pulls big money out of Congress. As the scholar, Boyd dove deep into war theory, strategy and philosophy. He developed a brief called Patterns of Conflict, which ultimately changed the way the US Marine Corps operates. His ideas (the OODA Loop and others) were the spine of strategy for the invasion of Iraq in the Gulf War. Like all pioneers, Boyd faced harsh resistance to his ideas. His fighter pilot bravado and brash way with people made him many powerful enemies along the way. He believed you could be someone (seek promotion) or do something (change the world), but not both. He said you should put people first, then ideas (mission), then develop hardware to support the people and the ideas. Special thanks to Uncle John for the great recommendation.
This book is for the doers, the revolutionaries, the fighter pilots, and the military strategists.
(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Patrick Lawlor, 19:41)
2 - The Captain Class by Sam Walker
Walker’s goal for this book was to find the greatest sports teams in human history, then to compare them to see what, if anything, they had in common. He wanted to know if there’s a common theme or formula or cause. And if there was, how could we use that to be successful? First, he systematically studied and sorted thousands of teams down to Tier 1 teams- the best 16 teams of all-time ever. Now, what do they have in common? Great coaching? No. Great management? No. Great superstars? No again. Unmatched resources ($$$)? No. Turns out they have nothing in common except for one remarkable thing- they all had a very specific advantage- Tier 1 captains. These captains were not flashy or media darlings; they were the opposite. They avoided attention. They put in the hard work behind the scenes. They united their teams. They put the team first in ways that forged unity. Here are the seven traits of Walker’s elite captains: 1- Extreme doggedness and focus in competition. 2- Aggressive play that tests the limits of the rules. 3- A willingness to do the thankless jobs in the shadows. 4-A low-key, practical, and democratic communication style. 5-Motivates others with passionate nonverbal displays. 6- Strong convictions and courage to stand apart. 7- Ironclad emotional control. These traits are not super sexy or glamorous, so they are not being sought in today’s tv-contract driven world of sports. So, if you want to have a winning team, you need to find a person who exemplifies these traits, put them in the lead and get out of the way. And if you are struggling on your team because you don’t have a big enough budget, management is blocking you, or maybe you don’t feel talented enough, take heart. Success comes through hard work, communication, sticking with your crew, and being willing to stand out. A note on the style of this book: Walker is a sports writer, so he throws in lots of statistics and stories. I found his style to be extremely intelligent without being overly intellectual. I dig it. Thanks, Adrian, for this excellent recommendation.
This book is for servant leaders and brave souls seeking to get better.
(Rated R, Score 10/10, hardcopy, audiobook read by Keith Szarabajka, 9:24)
1 - Walking with God by John Eldridge
I think I needed this book in this season. It was deeply comforting to my soul. These are stories and feelings from a year of walking with God, talking to Him, learning to hear His words. I’ve always been impressed with Eldridge’s insights. He has a way of writing truths that resonate and ring true. He describes spiritual concepts through his own experiences, giving them color, texture, and depth that help me to understand. The book is seasonal, starting in Summer. Things are good, warm, growing, thriving, listening, and learning. Fall comes and with it a literal fall off of a horse where Eldridge breaks both wrists and loses most of his autonomy. Winter comes with cold, dark, oppressive attacks, and short tempers. Eventually, Spring comes back around and brings hope, restoration, healing, and new life. This isn’t a practical how-to guide like a map; it’s more like a journal holding clues and examples and hints. I’ve never been able to stick to journaling, but I’m going to try to start again. I’ve long been one to talk to God, but I want to learn to listen to His voice for answers more diligently. Spiritually, I’ve been going through a fall/winter season. I’m walking with God out of if it one day at a time. This book was a very helpful reminder that spring is coming. Winter doesn’t last forever. Thanks, Aubrey for the recommendation.
This book is for the seekers, the prayer warriors, and the tired.
(Rated PG, Score 10/10, hardcover, 218 p.)
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