Now that the writing, publishing, and launch of my latest book Growing @ the Speed of Change is through its busiest phase, I am able to spend more time indulging my passion for reading. I generally have a novel of historical fiction, a book on spiritual/philosophical/meditation, and one or two personal growth/leadership/organization effectiveness books on the go.

As part of building out my LinkedIn profile, I’ve recently added 18 book reviews. These are mostly favorite books on personal growth, leadership, and organization effectiveness. Some reviews are from past blog posts or previous issues of The Leader Letter. Other reviews are drawn from the book’s inclusion in Growing @ the Speed of Change. CLICK HERE to visit my profile. If you have a LinkedIn profile and we’re not already connected, please mention your connection to me (through my blog, newsletter, books, speaking engagement/workshop, etc) and send me an invitation to connect.

Currently Reading Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Strong historical fiction like Pillars of the Earth is highly entertaining and very enlightening. Ken spent years studying how cathedrals were built throughout medieval England. He then spins a gripping tale (it took him three years of writing) of good and evil, treachery and intrigue, violence (the most revolting parts of the novel that shows just how brutal life was in those times), and architectural beauty. The story shows how the human spirit, love, loyalty, and friendship can shine through during times of war, religious strife and power struggles, which tear lives and families apart.

In the fictional town of Kingsbridge we experience firsthand the ups and downs of life in a typical British town during early medieval times of the 1100’s. The book provides deep appreciation for what builders and artists accomplished with very basic technology over decades (generally more than 30 years) to construct towering cathedrals that still stand majestically many centuries later. It also shows just how good we have life now! CLICK HERE to visit The Pillars of the Earth section of Ken Follet’s web site.

An eight hour TV mini-series is currently in post production based on this epic novel (400,000 words.) Early video clips and Ken’s blog updating this work in progress really make this look like a “must see” once it’s available. CLICK HERE to visit the series web site.

Practical Leadership Development for Peak Performance Archived Webcast and Slides Download Now Available

The webcast is my voice through an audio broadcast synchronized with slides full of the usual animations and transitions I use when presenting in front of a group. We now have the broadcast available on our site for viewing as streaming audio and video on site here. When you click on this link you’ll also see the agenda of what was covered in the webcast.

So you can catch the webcast on your own time, show it at your next team meeting, or bring people together for a shared learning experience and do the assessment/discussion exercises recommended in the presentation.