What I’m reading this month:
- Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself by Daniel H. Pink. This is an older book, but it has received great reviews, and one blog poster commented that it was one of the books (along with Gladwell & others) that defined the ‘00 decade. It isn’t disappointing to me. It’s timely for me right now, but more than that, it reveals a lot of trends–which I haven’t seen this well described elsewhere–impacting swarming. Swarms, after all, are often volunteers or “free agents.” He talks about “microproeneurs” (very small businesses) and makes a lot of comments that would be applicable to micro-missions (small mission agencies with under 10 workers having an outsized impact on the unreached). Well worth the purchase.
- The Screwtape Letters: With Screwtape Proposes a Toast by C. S. Lewis. I’ve returned to this because I’m planning to start a small group at church focused on this book, using Focus on the Family’s incredible audio dramatization of it. Does anyone know of some really good discussion question guides for the book, preferably free?
- The Perfect Swarm: The Science of Complexity in Everyday Life by Len Fisher. This was recommended to me and I’m sampling it, but it looks like it’s just a popular introduction to the idea of complexity and swarming. Not sure there’s anything new here.
- Unfolding the Napkin: The Hands-On Method for Solving Complex Problems with Simple Pictures: this is another book I’m sampling but I anticipate I’ll buy it eventually. His previous book, On the back of the napkin, was an excellent guide to teaching you how to solve problems or explain processes by drawing illustrative pictures.
What are your four top books this month?
