3 New Books I Cannot Put Down

Alone Together by Sherrry Turkle (Why we expect more from technology and less from each other.) A riveting and often disturbing portrait of the future by America’s leading expert on how computers affect us as humans. Turn off your e-mail and smartphones and read this book the old fashioned way. You’ll thank me.

Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky (Creativity and Generosity In A Connected Age) Internet guru Clay Shirky forecasts the thrilling changes we will all enjoy as new digital technology puts our untapped resources of talent and goodwill to use at last. He posits that television has consumed a vast amount of America’s intellect, time and energy, but for the first time people are now embracing new media that allows us to pool our efforts at a vanishingly low cost. The results are Wikipedia and the current overthrow of governments in Egypt, Libya and the Sudan. Let’s all join together, turn off our televisions for a bit, read this book and do something productive.

The Empathic Civilization by Jeremy Rifkin (The Race To Global consciousness In A World Of Crisis) Empathy as a skill not a gift of the creative was one of the three points of my latest video and talk. In this sweeping new interpretation of the history of civilization, bestselling author Jeremy Rifkin looks at the evolution of empathy and the profound ways that it has shaped our journey—and will likely determine our fate as a species. The dawning realization that we are a fundamentally empathic species has profound and far-reaching consequences for society.

Question: What book have you read lately that you could not put down?

If this post was helpful, please share it with your friends and social networks by clicking the buttons below.

31 responses to “3 New Books I Cannot Put Down”

  1. Ramon Presson Avatar

    I tell ya, it’s this “When Will My Life Not Suck? Authentic Hope for the Disillusioned” that I just can’t put down. Did that author invent the English language or what! ;-)

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Ramon Presson, That author, Ramon Presson is one of the best authors in the universe!!!!!!

  2. Jan Cox Avatar

    These Is My Words by Nancy Turner
    A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
    Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

    Not a leadership principle in sight but I’m obsessed with great imaginary stories:)

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Jan Cox, Awesome!! I love imaginary stories too!! Thanks, Jan!!

  3. David Santistevan Avatar

    1) Poke the Box (seth godin)
    2) Do the Work (pressfield)
    3) Delivering Happiness (hsieh)
    4) Today We Are Rich (sanders)
    5) Quitter (acuff)

    Too many to list!

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @David Santistevan, Wow!! Thanks, David!! I love seeing my bog guest Tim Sanders “Today We are Rich.” on so many lists!!

  4. Kyle Reed Avatar

    1) Do the work.
    Have read it a couple of times

    2) 4 hour body.
    Still going through it but really digging in deep

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Kyle Reed, Do the Work sounds intriguing! Thanks, Kyle!!

  5. Amy Avatar

    All the books you mentioned are new to me. I am esp. interested in reading Alone Together. Thanks for the suggestions.

    I recently finished Practicing Affirmation which I really liked. Also, The Student Whisperer which I am reading to learn about mentoring my kids as a homeschool mom.

    A

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Amy, Thanks, Amy!!

  6. Trey Avatar

    Thanks, Randy! It’s always great to see the books shaping others. The books grabbing my attention right now are:
    1) Daniel Pink’s “A Whole New Mind”
    2) “Curation Nation” by Steven Rosenbaum
    3) Tim Sanders’ “Today We Are Rich”
    4) “Journey to Freedom”‘ by J. Chad Barrett.

    – Trey

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Trey, Love DanielPink and you know i love Tim’s book. BTW, as a fellow re:creator, see my above comment about 2012

  7. Bryan Patrick Avatar

    1. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand – This is the biography of Louis Zamperini who was an olympic runner in the 1936 Berlin games, WW2 draftee, and Japanese POW. It was gripping. I could not believe the final twist and an astonished that this is truly a real story of one man.

    2. Poke The Box, Godin – encouragement for innovation. Lots of great quotes to pull out and share.

    3. Today We Are Rich – Sanders. It has changed my life.

    Thanks for sharing these titles, Randy. I’ll be adding them to my reading wish list (although the first one will have to be read on Kindle, sorry :) )

    – BP

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Bryan Patrick, Bryan,

      You’ll be glad to know Tim Sanders will probably be our guest at re:create 2012.

  8. bethanyplanton Avatar
    bethanyplanton

    I just finished Eat, Pray, Love and the sequel Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. Both excellent and thought provoking. I am now onto Weird by Craig Groeschel.

  9. Tom Eggebrecht Avatar

    I’m reading The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk and Quitter by Jon Acuff. Both are so good I can’t decide which one to pick up and finish!

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Tom Eggebrecht, Just talked about Quitter yesterday at lunch! Thanks, Tom

  10. William Guice Avatar

    Manhunt and Bloody Crimes by James L. Swanson
    …two of my favorite reads in the past few years.

    The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick

    and Globalization, Spirituality, and Justice: Navigating the Path to Peace by Daniel Groody

    I would also have to say one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while is Howard Zinn’s The People’s History of the United States. It without a doubt becomes tangential and biased at moments but seems to be a pretty good counter balance to the standard story line of history. If it did nothing else, it led me to think about some new things and research events that I wasn’t familiar with so whether I ended up agreeing with Zinn or not, I learned from the experience that’s always a win.

    Thanks for sharing your reads. Ordering a couple of them today.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @William Guice, Awesome, William. i always love your book recommendations!!

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Vince, Awesome!!! Will do!! Thanks! i LOVE blog comments!!

  11. Vince Avatar

    Glad to see you picked up Shirky’s and Rifkin’s books. Both are worthy of reading twice in a row.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Vince, Thanks, Vince for the recommendations!! You rock!!!

  12. David Ballard Avatar

    I’m ready The Mesh by Lisa Gansky; Rules of the Red Rubber Ball: Find and Sustain Your Life’s Work by Kevin Carroll; 10-10-10 by Suzy Welch; Miracles by C.S. Lewis; The 100 Thing Challenge by Dave Bruno; Game Storming by Sunni Brown; and re-reading Kindle version of Out of Our Minds by Sir Ken Robinson.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @David Ballard, David,

      I keep hearing over and over about 10-10-10 by Suzy Welch. Gotta get it.

      You, my friend, are a reading fiend!!!

  13. Fred McKinnon Avatar

    Hey – Ruth also has:
    Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence … she runs the “Transforming Center” … does solitude retreats, etc … heard about her in my research for Refuge.

    And Klavan … wow. Best part of the Klavan books is they are easy … entertaining, light … my 10-year old is reading them now, and loves it! (then again, his 4th grade CRCT scores did just put him up there w/ the 7th grade reading skills!)

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Fred McKinnon, Awesome, Fred. Both of her title intrigue me!! Can’t wait to dig in. thanks!

  14. Fred McKinnon Avatar

    I’ve got a stack I’m working on … reading “Sacred Rhythms” right now by Ruth Haley Barton. Also, have been completely fascinated by “The Happiness Advantage” by Shawn Achor, which has strong parallels to “Today We Are Rich” by Tim Sanders. Beyond that, I’m reading a big book that my dad asked me to read called “Divine Confrontations” by Graham Cooke.

    As for our re:create guest, Andrew Klavan – when I started the Homelander series, I almost didn’t sleep until I finished those books. And honestly – I’m not really a reader (at least, I used not to be)

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Fred McKinnon, Thanks, Fred. “Sacred Rhythms” sounds very intriguing to me. I’ll have to get it!

      1. Randy Elrod Avatar

        @Randy Elrod, And I must read Andrew’s Homelander series!! I can’t wait!!