Last year I made a goal to basically read a book a week throughout the entire year. The idea behind this is that I would write a review for each book I read on this blog. While I did read a LOT of books last year, the reviews sadly didn’t happen as originally intended. I discovered it was a lot easier to take time to read over taking time to write. With that in mind, I’m going to give an overview of my books from the last year (some of which you can find I did end up reviewing on DAPS MAGIC) and share some of my highlights.

The top book of 2019 for me was written by Disney CEO and Chairman Bob Iger. The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company is as much a book on leadership as a look at the career of Bob Iger at ABC and then Disney. It gives some tangible tips that can be used in leadership and also pulls back the curtain of the man at the helm of the biggest entertainment company in the world. 

Throughout the course of of this book Iger takes a hard look at the lessons he learned as he went through the ranks of ABC and then Disney. It isn’t just a book that trumpets his successes. It also shares some of the challenging moments he faced as he made his way through his career. It was nice to see the candor that he shared about the pros and cons of his career.

This is a book I would suggest that anyone who aspires to be a better leader reads. It is also a great book for any Disney fan looking to learn more about the leader of the house of mouse!

Continuing on with the Disney theme, I also read several books by current and former Imagineers, a book that was released leading up to the opening of Epcot, multiple books about Disney movies released in 2019, and several historical books from different figures in The Walt Disney Company. Of all of these, Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career by Kevin Rafferty was definitely my favorite. In fact, it ranks right up there after the Bob Iger book.

I also read some history books throughout the course of last year and some other leadership books. While most of these were good, there were definitely several duds as well that were hard to finish. Just before the end of the year I read Rejection Proof twice with a leadership group I lead. It was a fun and interesting book but probably doesn’t go in my top five leadership books to date. That will have to be another blog at another date though. In the fiction realm, I did read some Star Wars books, mainly due to my friend Chris giving me some for my birthday. I found myself really enjoying them though and wouldn’t mind reading more of them in the future!

In 2020 I intend to continue on reading and learning new ideas. As I pondered 2019 and the leaders I’ve known that went before me, I continued to recognize the important of taking time to both read and think. New ideas (that are sometimes even awesome) come out of these important times. I’m hoping to not only continue to read more books this year, but also read some books I wouldn’t normally read as well. If you have any suggestions for favorite books I should read, please let me know in the comments below! I’m always looking for more books to read and books that come with a recommendation would be even better!

What are you looking forward to read in 2020?

About Post Author

Robert A. Laird

Robert A. Laird is an entrepreneur and also Executive Director - Creative for Shepherd's Grove Presbyterian Church/Hour of Power with Bobby Schuller where he oversees the television show of the same name. He also works with the Reliv Kalogris Foundation as it strives to feed starving children around the globe.

robert.laird@dapsmagic.com

http://robertlaird.me

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Recently I was able to meet and interview Simon Majumdar. You may recognize him from several different Food Network channels. He was a guest at the Hour of Power with Bobby Schuller and absolutely fascinating to talk with. Not only a food connoisseur, but he is also a food historian. This wasn’t always his life though.

Simon Majumdar has always had a love of food, but not the career that was centered around it. In Eat My Globe, Majumdar shares how he ended up pursuing his passion and building a career in the food industry. Burnt out in the book business, Majumdar quit his job and then went on a grand adventure pursuing the different foods of the world.

This food adventure around the globe not only changed Majumdar’s career but also his life. This book shares about his adventures around the globe trying foods that many would try, and other foods that few would. Each chapter focuses on a specific place or country that he visited and shares some experiences and reviews of the food had while there. The book moves at a nice pace, has an amusing wit to it, and gives a good look at the world through the lens of food.

Perhaps the best part of Eat My Globe is the messages it communicates. Eat My Globe isn’t just about an adventure around the world. Instead, it is about pursuing passions and taking responsibility to make your dreams become a reality. Simon Majumdar has done what few people dare to do. He dared to leave one life behind that was comfortable and safe and instead pursue the life he dreamed of without knowing how it would turn out or where it would go. It really is an inspirational (and for some I daresay terrifying) story.

Eat My Globe is a very enjoyable book for people who love to travel, love to eat, or just like to read a story about someone who does. I would not be surprised if I read this book again as it really was enjoyable. It also has made watching the Food Network even more fun as I see Simon Majumdar judging on different programs there frequently. This is definitely a book worth reading. Go out and get it today. You’ll enjoy it!

You can purchase Eat My Globe here. 

About Post Author

Robert A. Laird

Robert A. Laird is an entrepreneur and also Executive Director - Creative for Shepherd's Grove Presbyterian Church/Hour of Power with Bobby Schuller where he oversees the television show of the same name. He also works with the Reliv Kalogris Foundation as it strives to feed starving children around the globe.

robert.laird@dapsmagic.com

http://robertlaird.me

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It is that time of year. Everyone is once again making their New Year’s resolutions and figuring out how this year can be better than the last. While I’m all for this, I also recognize that for so many people they make their resolutions and a month later they have been left in the rearview mirror. My attitude in general towards them is much like my attitude was in school, be consistent and don’t cram.

When I was in school I generally figured that if I hadn’t learned something by the time the test came along, no amount of cramming was going to save me in the long run. So I figured if I just did a little bit each day to make sure I knew the subject matter, I’d be better off. This didn’t mean I was spending hours every night doing my homework and being a really good student. It did mean that during class I tended to spend an extra minute or two trying to focus on whatever the content was.

What’s this have to do with New Year’s resolutions you ask? Well, I think that when one picks New Year’s resolutions they should pick something they can be consistent with. Very much like making SMART goals, resolutions should be something that can be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

With all that in mind, one of my resolutions this year was to read more. However, that isn’t specific enough. So, to be specific, my goal is to read 52 books this year. Currently, I am working on three different books that I’m pushing through. One is about writing, another about the history of coffee, and still, a third is a biography.

As I work through the year I will be sharing about the books on this blog. I don’t know if I will be posting about each book individually or in monthly blocks or what. I do know that I will continue to track how many books I’ve worked through as the year progresses.

I hope you enjoy this literary adventure that I’m undertaking. I’m curious though, what New Year resolutions did you make? Share them with me in the comments below! Happy New Year!

About Post Author

Robert A. Laird

Robert A. Laird is an entrepreneur and also Executive Director - Creative for Shepherd's Grove Presbyterian Church/Hour of Power with Bobby Schuller where he oversees the television show of the same name. He also works with the Reliv Kalogris Foundation as it strives to feed starving children around the globe.

robert.laird@dapsmagic.com

http://robertlaird.me

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