Year in Review: My Favorite Books

While not that impressive of a goal, I started 2008 wanting to read at least a book a month and I exceeded it. Here are some of my favorite books that stick out from 2008. You should pick up one of them for 2009.

The Organic Church by Neil Cole
This book got to the practical aspects of what a missional and organic church looks like, and besides giving me ideas for what we're doing with Infuse, also encouraged and excited me for what God can do through us. It's a must-read book for Christians looking to break out of the institutional and internally-focused nature of church and find something more fruitful.

Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
I can't think of a book that has challenged, prodded, and messed me up more than this book. Claiborne talks of his dramatic experiences with the poor and living in a community of Christians. For the first time I became convinced that living in community is the best way to live out your faith and loving the poor is essential.

Inside Steve’s Brain by Leander Kahney
Apple is such a cultural phenomenon that I was excited to read this book about their inner workings, along with the personality of Jobs. My boss passed this book to me, and it challenged me as a "change agent" in my own role at CTI. It's impressive to see Jobs' drive, enthusiasm, and goals that are larger than himself.

The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott
The best marketing book I've read this year, and maybe ever. Scott covers a lot of "new media" and "guerrilla marketing" topics that really made me think about how we need to change the way we do marketing. I was so inspired by this book that I had all marketers at work read it and present on a chapter.

The Shortest Investment Book Ever by James O’Donnell
My favorite professor, and one of my mentors, wrote this book that explains investments for a layperson like me. I was challenged to save more for retirement and now I feel like I can have a halfway intelligent conversation about some of these topics.