What a year, huh? Hopefully you read several books during the shutdowns and quarantines. I was fortunate to read around 35 books during 2020. Not as many as I wanted to read, but still a pretty good amount. Here are the top ten books I read this year.
1. Tethered to the Cross: The Life and Preaching of Charles H. Spurgeon by Thomas Breimaier
You may not know this, but I’m a huge Charles Spurgeon fan. I’ve read many of his biographies and most of his autobiography. There isn’t much that I don’t know about Spurgeon. With that said, Breimaier’s offering on Spurgeon opened my eyes to the amazing gospel work that Spurgeon accomplished. Spurgeon’s vision of Jesus Christ’s work at Calvary shaped the way he did ministry. From preaching and writing, to launching a college for pastors and even opening an orphanage. If you’re looking to have your passion ignited for the gospel, then start here.
2. Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing by Robert Caro
Robert Caro is a highly recognized biographer. His four volume biography of President Lyndon Johnson is the stuff of legend. Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing is a peak behind the curtain of how he works. It’s more than that, however. Along the way he offers more biographical information about President Johnson, and casts more light on New York’s power broker Robert Moses. This will be one of my favorite books on writing for a long time.
3. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
I couldn’t put down Phil Knight’s memoir about starting Nike. If you are interested in how an empire like Nike is created, then I highly recommend this book. Knight’s adventure from being an amateur runner in college, to changing the shoe game will fascinate you.
4. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert is a bestselling author. In Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear she offers insight into the creative life. It was so well-written that I read it in just a few days.
5. Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier
Don’t read this one in the dark. You might even want to avoid reading it alone. Because its terrifying. According to Lanier, we are no longer the consumers, we are the product. Lanier was one of the early masterminds behind social networking, therefore, he knows what’s going on behind the scenes. Dr. Frankenstein cried out, “It’s alive!” when the monster he created came alive. The creators of social media are starting to realize the monster they created is alive, and there may not be a weapon to kill it, other than deleting it altogether. The social media monster is exposing the monsters in all of us, and its terrifying.
6. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell
I tend to read anything Malcolm Gladwell writes. Though this is an older work, I finally had a chance to read it. David and Goliath, in my opinion, is Gladwell’s more inspiring books. He pulls stories from history to show how people have overcome crazy circumstances. Another invigorating work from Gladwell.
7. Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making by Andrew Peterson
This year I read several books on the topic of the creative life. Peterson unpacks what it means to be a creative while being a Christian. He’s a writer, musician and songwriter. I just really enjoyed Peterson’s writing and the vulnerability he displayed while putting to words what its like to struggle and succeed as a creative.
8. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on it by Chris Voss
Chris Voss was the FBI’s top hostage negotiator. In this fun and exciting book, Voss serves up some amazing tricks and tips on how to negotiate anything. I have to admit, I’ve used several of Voss’s tricks since reading it.
9. The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life by Robin Sharma
I started 2020 really well. I woke up consistently at 5:30am. I was running and exercising six days a week. Then came March and the shutdowns. It was like my motivation was just zapped through the spring and summer. I needed a good kick in the pants to end the year and look towards 2021. Robin Sharma’s book has been on my list for awhile, and I finally picked it up and read it in like three days. This isn’t your normal motivational book. It’s written in story form, so the valuable information is shrouded in narrative. At first I was little unsure of the form, but the next thing I knew I had about finished, and had marked up nearly every page. This is a really good book that I’ll be reading more than once.
10. Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon O’Brien
This is a dangerous book. It’s the kind of book that I’d like to give every preacher, missionary, and Bible reader. But I know it would seriously mess up their misinterpreting of the Bible. It would either help them or harden them. It would help them to see that you can’t read today’s headlines into the Bible. It would help them to see that certain cultural standards of the last fifty years cannot be considered biblical. Or it could have the opposite effect, it could cause them to be like Pharaoh and refuse to listen despite the obvious signs. If you’re serious about rightly dividing the Word of God, and correctly interpreting Scripture in its original context, then I recommend this book. It’s a good introduction to Biblical interpretation. Just be careful, it might help reveal the truth of God’s Word, and that’s dangerous for a lot of Christians.
There you have it. Some unforgettable books from a year I wish I could forget.
You can read about my other tops books from previous years here: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.