2015 Top 10 Lists - Books

It's going to be tough to choose 10, but here we go (in no particular order)...

First, a couple of books on money...

The Big Short, by Michael Lewis
I've continued to be intrigued by the financial crisis, especially as it pertains to real estate lending.  A great documentary on this topic is Inside Job, and I also recommend the movie Too Big to Fail, based on the book by Andrew Ross Sorkin.

Money - Master the Game, by Tony Robbins
As long as you can deal with a little hype ("what I'm about to share with you in the next chapter is going to change your life!!!"), this book is really good.  I still haven't finished the entire book (it's almost 700 pages long), but I've put into practice several things...and it has changed my entire life!!!


Next up is fiction.  I read, or listen to, pretty much everything that John Grisham, David Baldacci and Michael Connelly put out, but I thought I would add two books from new-to-me authors.

The Martian, by Andy Weir
I purchased both the kindle and audible books for this, and during our California/Oregon Adventure I went back and forth between reading and listening.  The movie is great, but the book is even better.

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
I can't remember where I first heard about this book, but I'm glad I read it.  The two themes of the book, the 80's and video games, are not themes that I'm really into, but I couldn't put the book down.  Armada is his second book, and it's great as well.


Gay Marriage is a pretty divisive topic in our culture today, and our church has continued to wrestle with how to be love and walk with our gay friends.  I've read a lot on these topics this year, but these two books were the most helpful.

Redeeming Sex, by Debra Hirsch
Quite possibly the best book I read this year.  I'm excited that Debra is going to be in Memphis at the end of February!

People to Be Loved, by Preston Sprinkle
I just finished this book.  I appreciate his posture in writing.  He's very humble and doesn't back away from the challenging questions that the church must wrestle with.


Here are two books I heard about while listening to podcasts...

We Learn Nothing, by Tim Kreider
I heard about this book from Tim Ferriss' podcast.  It's a book of essays, and it's hilarious.

Everything that Remains, by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus
These guys, aka the Minimalists, were interviewed by Rob Bell on his podcast.  This is their story.  I also recommend this more practical book of essays.


These two books were most helpful for sermon prep...

A Fellowship of Differents, by Scot McKnight
I just finished up a five month series called Church=Family.  This was one of my primary influences.

The Story of God, the Story of Us, by Sean Gladding
I'm getting ready to start a series on the grand narrative that is the Bible.  This will be the book that I recommend to our folks at NC.


Bonus:  These last two have probably influenced me more than any others.

The Power of Vulnerability, by Brene Brown
So this is not a book but a workshop, but if you've never ready anything by Brene Brown, this is a great place to start.  It covers material from her first three books.  Her writing continues to shape me in pretty profound ways.

The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan Manning
A year ago I felt that I needed to start 2015 off by re-reading this book, and I'm so glad that I did.  I wanted to go back to the message of grace, and I feel that I've been coming back to it throughout the year.  This is one of those books that I feel like I need to read every few years.