Brad's Book List - June 2023

Highlights from this month

Whether I am preaching, leading a staff meeting, or counseling, the bulk of my day is spent communicating. I've read some great books on communication, but this has now become my number one on the topic.

Maxwell does a tremendous job helping communicators understand their primary task is to add value to the listener. The temptation in public speaking is to look impressive, sound intelligent, and make it all about ourselves. But the most effective and enjoyable speakers prepare and deliver their content in a way that serves and helps their audience live better. And the key to doing this is through connection. If you are a public speaker (or aspiring to be one) this book is essential!

I listened to this one on audiobook and enjoyed it thoroughly. I have heard wonderful things about Beth Moore but haven't read any of her books. Having the chance to listen in to some of the highlights and lowlights of her life was a true privilege. Her honesty and vulnerability about being sexually abused as a child, the challenges of marriage, and the pain of leaving the church denomination she was a part of her entire life was heartbreaking. One of the things I dislike about audiobooks is that I rarely record the great quotes, but there were some gems in this one.

In 1893, over 25 million people from around the world flocked to the Chicago World's Fair. The Devil in the White City tells two overlapping stories about how the fair came together (which is more exciting than it probably sounds) and a serial killer who used the fair as an opportunity to steal, kill, and exploit.

H.H. Holmes was a charmer of women, but one of the most wicked people to walk the earth. He became America's first famous serial killer and Larson does a remarkable job telling the story in a way that made it difficult to put the book down.

We have been preaching through a sermon series in our church called, "Becoming Beautiful People." We are learning about character formation by highlighting one virtue of Jesus each week. This upcoming Sunday, I will be preaching on self-control, and this book shaped my sermon significantly!

All of us have bad habits. In Your Future Self Will Thank You, Drew Dyck unpacks the main reasons why we do and how to grow into a people who are self-controlled. It is gospel-drenched, humorous, practical, and filled with scientific studies. If you have any bad habits you would like to quit, this book will help.

I am a sucker for books about books. When I heard about this one I immediately put it on my wish list - and I am glad I did.

In No Two Persons, Bauermeister tells the story of an author who writes a best-selling novel that makes its way around the country. Each chapter is a different story about someone who read the book and how it changed their perspective on life. From a widower, to an artist, a bookseller, and teenager, the book is beautifully written and allows you to walk in the shoes of someone else for a day. Bauermeister is a master storyteller and there were several chapters I wish had become their own books.