What Was The Last Non-Fiction Book You Read?
Read today’s quote from legendary football coach, Lou Holtz and today’s message will make more sense to you.
“The only things that are going to change you from where you are today from where you are going to be five years from now are the people you meet and the books you read.”
Lou HoltzFootball Coach
I was 35 when I took up reading as a full-time endeavor. When I managed to “squeeze” a degree out of UMASS in 1971, I gave up reading for a few years. Little did I know I was retarding my growth exponentially at the time. But having successfully juggled studies with two collegiate sports for four years, I figured I had read enough for a while.
Today I sing a different tune. As a matter of fact, I am working from my local library while writing this column. I just heard over the library PA that the annual dump-the-old-book-sale was in motion down in the basement.
Like a mouse attacking an unattended cheese pile, I found myself in the basement in very short order. I knew this was a dangerous study break. I surfaced carrying a bag of new reads.
As if I needed more to think about, here are my latest titles: They are all over ten years old but truth never grows old and what worked yesterday, just might work again today. I often refer to this as the “pendulum” swinging back through the present.
1. EVEolution: The Eight Truths of Marketing to Women. by Faith Popcorn, author of The popcorn Report. I am a firm believer that women are in charge. Call me a wimp or call me one smart fellow. Although published eight years ago, I figured there was something in this book that I could use. (I did not read the Mars/Venus thing but perhaps I should have.)
2. The Fighting Irish by Lou Holtz. Always a fan of Holtz, I will see if this one can hold my attention while managing to capture a few quotes for future seminars. A few of you may be familiar with my signature Notre Dame story.
3. Keeping Your Valuable Employees by Suzanne Dibble. If employees happen to be people, I think there just might be a few jewels in here I could use.
4. 12 Step Wisdom of The World by The Hazeldon Foundation. Sounded like they might know what they are talking about, and I liked the title. Chapter 1: Why we change and why we don’t. I am receptive to a little change in my life. Stay tuned.
5. The library “threw-in” three cassette tapes: 19 Country Hits; Dan Fogelberg’s Greatest Hits; Don Williams’ New Moves. You may remember Don as the Gentle Giant. A very smooth country crooner.
6. Marketing Textbook. And this one might throw you for a loop. Last published in 1990, I picked up a copy of someone’s old college textbook on Marketing, Fifth Edition. (Let’s see if there really is something to the belief than you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.)
Throw-Away. The book I picked up and put back down had something to do with statistics. I was about to challenge myself when I got a grip. It looks like a Regression Analysis re-do will have to wait until next year.
Total investment: $5.00.
Now, let’s see if I can become just a little bit smarter than a fifth grader. Don’t count on it.