Best Books of 2024
P.J. O’Rourke quipped, “Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.”
That’s not a bad way to live. The best leaders are consistently reading, growing, learning and stretching to be all God wants them to be.
Groucho Marx added, “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”
What is the best book you read this year?
J.K. Rowling says, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”
And Margaret Fuller summed it up well: “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”
In 2024 I set a goal to read 26 books. And by “read” I meant finish, get all the way through, not simply “retinize.” I’m gratified to admit that my reading goal was one of the goals I actually achieved. I also set a goal to read 26 summaries on the “Blinkist” app, and I just hit that goal too.
HERE IS MY TOP FOUR:
The Seven Primal Questions: Take Control of the Hidden Forces That Drive You
by Mike Foster
Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
by Bill Perkins
Entrances and Exits: An Autobiography
by Michael Richards (Cosmo Kramer)
Goliath Must Fall: Winning the Battle Against Your Giants
by Louie Giglio
That’s my list. What’s yours? I’ve upped my goal for reading in 2025, so I need your suggestions.
Feel free to send me your list of top books for 2024 at JDPearring@gmail.com. We will add your ideas and try to keep the article updated. Happy Reading
Here are some of the “Best Books” sent in by contributors:
Kasey White, Crossridge Church & Expand Financial, Sherwood, OR
The Seven Primal Questions: Take Control of the Hidden Forces That Drive You
by Mike Foster
Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
by Bill Perkins
by Penn & Kim Holderness
by Lolly Daskal
Tricia Chen, Intervarsity Canada, Associate Director of Spiritual Direction
I read 80 books this year! Here are some of my favorites:
The Way of Discernment: Spiritual Practices for Decision Making
by Elizabeth Liebert
How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away
by Emily P. Freeman
The Power of Group Prayer: How Intercession Transforms Us and the World
by Carolyn Carney
Joel White, Crossridge Church, Sherwood, OR
Here are mine. Seven Primal Questions by Micha Foster made my top three, but it has already been mentioned.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
by Robert Cialdini
The Art of Reading Minds: How to Understand and Influence Others Without Them Noticing
by Henrik Fexeus
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't
by Simon Sinek
Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did.
by John Mark Comer
David Bennett, Expand Financial & Excel Leadership Network, Board Member
I try to read what people give me or recommend, something business-related, health-related, and God related. These books stand out to me in each of the three categories:
Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire
by Dan Martell
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
by Dr. Peter Attia
Lead with Prayer: The Spiritual Habits of World-Changing Leaders
by Ryan Skoog
Hannah Pearring, Journey Church, Elk Grove, CA
by Dr. John Delony
Brian Burman, Coaching Coordinator, Excel Leadership Network
Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
by Bill Perkins
Ben Finney, Teaching Team, Journey Church, Elk Grove, CA
My top three (in no particular order):
Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution
by Rainn Wilson
Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12
by Peter Liljedahl
by Michael Crichton
John Pearson, Management Coach, Friend of Excel
Lead With Prayer: The Spiritual Habits Of World-Changing Leaders
by Ryan Skoog, Peter Greer, and Cameron Doolittle.
The authors invested three years in research and over 100 hours of interviews with leaders across the globe..) They asked leaders about their very personal and private prayer habits. How? When? Where? Why? You’ve never read anything like this. And Ryan, Peter, and Cameron transparently share their own missteps in prayerlessness. The reality: none of us are spiritual giants. And this I affirm: learning more about the spiritual habits of God-honoring leaders—it changed me.
When Kingdom Light Shines: Stories That Inspire Faith
by Mark Ellis
Glad I Didn't Know: Lessons Learned Through Life’s Challenges and Unexpected Blessings
by Vonna Laue
The Illusion Of Innovation: Escape "Efficiency" and Unleash Radical Progress
by Elliott Parker
How Leaders Learn: Master the Habits of the World's Most Successful People
by David Novak with Lari Bishop.
Waison Chen, Intervarsity Canada
My top three of the year:
Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times
by Soong-Chan Rah
Mixed Blessing: Embracing the Fullness of Your Multiethnic Identity
by Chandra Crane
Learning Our Names: Asian American Christians on Identity, Relationships, and Vocation
by Sabrina S. Chan, Linson Daniel, E. David de Leon, and La Thao
Jake Pearring
I loved Die with Zero. My favs were:
God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School
by John Cortines, Gregory Baumer
It was so unbelievably good that I read it twice.
The Intentional Father: A Practical Guide to Raise Sons of Courage and Character
by Jon Tyson
Honorable mentions:
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
by Barry Schwartz
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life
by Bill Burnett, Dave Evans
Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire
by Dan Martell
Mike Skor, District Superintendent at Pacific Southwest District of The Wesleyan Church
Top 3:
From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life
by Arthur Brooks
A New Kind of Diversity: Making the Different Generations on Your Team a Competitive Advantage
by Tim Elmore
The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience
by Aditi Nerurkar
Bonus books:
High Road Leadership: Bringing People Together in a World That Divides
by John Maxwell
Rethinking Church: Leading the Struggling Church through Death to New Life
by Tim Fox
Ray Schaser, Lead Pastor, One Community Church, Linz, Austria
My best read of 2024 was:
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ
by Dallas Willard
Alan Adler
My first book is an academic read, but if you ever wanted to know why and how reading books impacts your brain, this is fascinating research. This is why we try hard to get kids to read in schools. My others are biographies; the last two are best enjoyed as audiobooks since you hear the authors themselves.
Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain
by Maryanne Woulf
The Supreme Commander: The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower
by Stephen Ambrose
All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business
by Mel Brooks
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story
by Bono
Thanks for reading our list! If you send in your best reads of 2024, we’ll try to keep the catalog updated. Please send your favorites to JDPearring@gmail.com.
Happy New Reading Year!
