Your best just got better

What do you need to add...to your library?

I was working on a project for a client group in New York recently, and after I'd completed my research and submitted my results and recommendations, I included a "book list" for review. (See below...)

I consider myself a perpetual student of "mind and body" - that's why a whole aspect of my work is called "fit and effective" - and am always looking to learn where possible. (Have you subscribed to Scientific American Mind magazine yet? Give a "4-issue trial," I think you'll be surprised at how great it is!)

I've been an avid reader for quite some time now, in fact I've been recommending books for as long as I've been speaking in public (starting in 1992!). Now, it's not that I'd suggest anyone read every one of these, in this order...but, if you're thinking of enhancing your overall "productivity and performance" I'd highly recommend you start reading - maybe even with one off this list! (Click on the picture below for a clearer view...)

Oh, my "research project of the month" (yes, I pick a different topic, once a month, and learn as much as I can...) for June is: Creativity. So, if anyone can recommend a book, magazine, website, research paper or person I can talk to, please e-mail me or even better, leave a comment below.

"DIY" Coffee at the bookstore

I was in an "English" bookstore in Zurich last Wednesday, and I snapped this picture while wandering through the second floor.

Yes, that's right, an "on your honor" self-service espresso system! As I was still trying to figure out what time zone to be in (I'd been in New York, Los Angeles, London the week before), I decided to pass on the extra caffeine!

Are you a leader/mentor/teacher? Please read this book!

Several years ago (ok, we're going back to the mid-90's here!), a mentor of mine encouraged me to read a book called, Don't Shoot The Dog. I was teaching US and World History, and Spanish Language at a high school in California. I had up to 34 students in each class, and I was also managing a "new-teacher induction program" through our District Office.

The weekend I spent reading this book, changed my life; changed the way I relate to other people, to myself, to the learning process, to the goal-setting process.

I STILL talk about this book, and here's a note someone sent me recently (thanks Erik!(

I took your advice and grabbed Don't Shoot the Dog from our library. Nice read. I don't think that I would call myself an expert, but for the amount of time I spent skimming it, it had great value.

For part of my job, I give presentations for a local building industry group that my company belongs to. The presentation essentially tells kids about options for work in the building trades.

This week I did things a little differently. The class I was presenting to, which was made up of 11th graders, were pretty short on attention. Earlier in the day while prepping the room (powerpoint/seating) the admin said that she had some candy in a bowl to set out for the class. I thought better of it and kept it on the podium with me. While starting my presentation I fired questions at the kids in order to get them involved. As hands came up- candy started to fly from my hand out to the students. I was trying to test out DON'T SHOOT THE DOG with these kids- training them to raise their hands and ellicit feedback.

To my surprise it worked. The attention was kept, and the kids got their candy. Even when I put the bowl down for a while- the response was maintained.

All in all, great book suggestion.

How "CAN" you be more creative?

Ok, now wait a minute...if you found yourself reading the title of this post [How "CAN" you be more creative?], and thought anything like the following, you are ALREADY creative!

"Yeah, how CAN I be more creative?"
"Oh, I can't do that, I'm not really a creative person."
"Wow, how did Jason know exactly what I was thinking about today?"
"He has no idea who I am, I am ALREADY as creative as I want to/need to be."

Yes, I did say if you were thinking anything LIKE any of the above, you are already an incredibly creative person. Let me explain...

How important is "design" to you?

So, I'm surfing through the blogs that I "subscribe" to, and I found a link to an entry on "design" and usability. After leaving a comment on Matt's blog (found here), I went and read the original post. This paragraph jumped out to my attention:

I finally got it this week. I just finished reading Made to Stick. I finally realize that it is not all the books with their statistics and theories about design and usability that stuck. It is the personal experience that I had years ago (with a previous employer) when I participated in a usability study of the software that my team was writing.

Insomnia: Why did design become so important to me I just went and downloaded the introduction to the book, Made to Stick. I can read it this week on my new(er) Amazon Kindle reader...

Another recommendation to read, "The Dip"

A "blogging-colleague" of mine, Buzz, recently wrote about his experience reading one of my favorite books of all time: The Dip, by Seth Godin. In fact, the first time I read it was when a friend of mine, Joe Bruzzese recommended I check it out!


One of the sections of the book was especially significant to me: The piece on "seeing it, before you see it..."

"Persistent people are able to visualize the idea..."


Thanks, Buzz, for reminding me about this great (like you say) little book!

Go "find" some new goals - read some biographies

I have written before (and I usually talk about it in my seminars as well) about being a big fan of biographies.  I know that big time biographies are popular.  I've read biographies by professors at universities and professional researchers, but I have found amazing value in starting small.

I read biographies from the juvenile sections of bookstores!

I'll challenge you with an activity that will take approximately 10 hours and cost less than $100. And, I believe it will change your life ... it did (and continues to this day) for me!

Here's what to do:

Go to a bookstore and find 10 nonfiction biography "chapter books" in the young adult section.  These will usually be about 100 pages with large margins and larger font sizes. Most even have a series of pictures and charts or graphs too. Pick one and skim read the whole thing.  Then choose six, walk to the counter and pay for them. (Yup, this is the first decision...which ones do you leave behind!?)

Mark Victor Hansen - Book Marketing (learnings from the day)

Well, I definitely saw a LOT today. I arrived at the LAX Westin Hotel to check in for a 3-day seminar on book writing, editing, publishing and marketing - devised and led by Mark Victor Hansen.

It's late here in the west coast, and after a FULL day (7:30am-10:15pm) of presentations, activities and discussions, I'm walking away with a few learnings. In no particular order:

Write "to" someone.
    This was an idea that stood out to me from Bill Phillips' speech earlier in the day. The author of Body For Life, Bill said whenever he is ready to work, he starts by writing, "Dear _______" on the top of the page. I tried it tonight, and lo-and-behold, it works! What did I notice about this activity?

1. I wrote "faster." As a wrote this post, I continued to see that person in my mind's-eye, and I felt I was writing in a more clear and directed way.
2. I changed a few things, and wrote a bit differently than previously.
3. I searched to find an example that I think that person would resonate with/respond to.

Pocketbook, Paperback Inspiration: Three Cups of Tea

I re-read a page I highlighted while enjoying a latte this morning...

Page 19:
“All summer, I’d looked at these mountains as goals, totally focused on the biggest one, K2. I’d thought about their elevation and the technical challenges they presented to me as a climber. But that morning, for the first time, I simply saw them. It was overwhelming.” Greg Mortenson, from Three Cups of Tea

About three weeks ago, a mentor of mine (thank you Harry Wong!) recommended I read this book by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

I must admit, that over the past decade or so, I have learned to pick up the books that other people I respect recommend to me; it makes the “next” conversation with the person that much more interesting Generally, weeks or even months later, they will say something like, “So, did you ever get a chance to read that book?”

I bought a copy of Three Cups of Tea while I was in Manhattan on February 8th. Within three days, I was hooked (it must have been the long flight from JFK to LAX where I got to get about 100 pages in to the book before landing at home). I’ll let you read any of the information you can find out there...
Wikipedia, click here.
Website, click here.
Amazon, click here.

The quote that got me started was on the back cover: “Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one but fifty-five schools...”

Just ordered my "Amazon Kindle" - digital book reader

Well, I'll have some reports in the next month or so...but, so far I'm enthusiastic about the possibilities here...If you are thinking of ordering one, here's a link!