By Thomas M. Loarie

Just Four Books: Consider these books for 2019

January 9, 2019
Column: CEO Learnings

Life is short. Time is crunched. We each juggle abundant obligations, time-constraints and important demands. As readers of the Catholic Business Journal, we aim to manage it all while well-anchored in Christ and Christ-infused priorities. It isn’t easy. It’s never perfect.

Yet even amid the sometimes-messy realities of earthly existence, it is beyond-words important to carve out consistent time to refresh our inner spirit. 

There are many options, with daily prayer and meditation, frequent Mass and Confession/Reconciliation, retreats and time with family at the top of the list.

Savoring insights from exceptional books ranks high as well.

When Catholic Business Journal (CBJ) asked avid reader, CEO, Top Amazon reviewer, and seasoned CBJ columnist Tom Loarie for his top book recommendations, he gave us a short list, below. 

We encourage you to make it a point to explore these books in 2019 and to share your feedback with our community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and of course in the comments section connected to this article….   ENJOY!

BOOK:  How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen

Hallow unhappiness in career and relationships is something most business people leave to chance. Harvard professor and best-selling author (“The Innovators Dilemma,” “The Innovators Prescription,” “Disrupting Class,” and more), Clayton Christensen,observed that many of his classmates, despite many accomplishments, were clearly unhappy with their lives. Divorce and the deterioration of many personal relationships were symptoms of something that had seriously gone awry with their lives. With this as a backdrop, Christensen began to challenge his graduating students with three simple questions to examine, measure, and improve their lives after Harvard.

BOOK:  When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi, MD

Kalanithi was the neurosurgical chief resident at Stanford when in May 2013 he was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic lung cancer. His New York Times best-selling “When Breath Becomes Air” is a memoir about his life and his illness. He joins Randy Pausch, “The Last Lecture,” and Mitch Albom, “Tuesdays with Morrie,” by guiding us through the sludge of life – “petty materialism”, self-importance, and trivial pursuits – to discover our real purpose and the meaning of life. This book wills stop you in your tracks.

BOOK:  The Ideal Team Player, by best-selling author Patrick Lencioni

Are you a team player? Are those you work with team players? Are you a member of a team? New York Times best-selling author Pat Lencioni provides the answers. “The Ideal Team Player” using Lencioni’s ‘leadership fable’ format shows us how to recognize and cultivate the three essential ‘virtues’ – humility, hunger, and smarts – that characterize true teams and real team players.

BOOK:  Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Amanda Duckworth

If you are “blinded by talent,” as most are, you will find “GRIT” to be an eye opener if you are seeking the secret to personal fulfillment and success. The secret is Grit, the passion and perseverance for long term goals. She makes her case by connecting the dots of psychological research with her own contemporary research to the stories of many people who have had remarkably successful lives. This book explores the importance of grit, how to identify it, how gritty are you, how to grow it, how to create a culture of grit, and how to instill grit into your children.

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Thomas M. Loarie is the CEO of BryoLogyx a rotating host of THE MENTORS RADIO SHOW, and a senior editorial advisor and columnist for Catholic Business Journal. He may be reached at TLoarie@CatholicBusinessJournal.biz

View Articles Thomas M. Loarie is a popular host of The Mentors Radio Show, the founder and CEO of BryoLogyx Inc. (BryoLogyx.com), and a seasoned corporate... MORE »

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