As a new life insurance agent I attended a sales conference in San Diego, CA. in 1990. At this conference I received information that forever changed my professional life. The presenter challenged the audience to walk away from this session with something meaningful, something that we could apply that would change the way we did business. He challenged us to read a book a week! He said that it would, over time, give us a professional knowledge base that we could always rely on and feel comfortable with,  in our chosen field. I accepted  his challenge. I began reading a professional book a week and have remained committed to this form of professional education ever since. And you know, what? He was right.

I, like the presenter, challenge you to read, think and apply. I too, believe that the way to grow rich is through thought. Earl Nightingale said it best, “We become what we think about, most of the time.”

Here are some books that I've read during the past year and recommend:

Corps Values, Zell Miller

Shackleton, Roland Huntford

Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin

Smart Communities, Suzanne Morse

Today Matters, John C. Maxwell

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni

Life’s A Campaign, Chris Matthews

Enough, Juan Williams

Black Profiles in Courage, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Energy 101, Bill Hughes

When Generations Collide, Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman

Martin Luther King, Jr. on Leadership, Donald T. Phillips