Has a book ever inspired you?

Has a book ever inspired you? 

Have you ever read a book that seemed written just for you? 

Has a book changed your career or business? 

Has a book ever changed your life?

This was the basis for a recent discussion with a number of business owners, managers and coaches recently. We came up with a list of those books which had most inspired us or had the greatest impact on the way in which we work and live.

There were many I'd read but also some I hadn't and am now looking forward to. So...I thought I'd share with you this rich resource and hope you get as much out of reading as some of us have.

Co-Active Coaching by Whitworth et al.

When Co-Active Coaching was first released, this pioneering work set the stage for what has become a cultural and business phenomenon, and helped launch the professional practice of coaching. Already used as the definitive resource in dozens of corporate and professional development programs, the fully revised third edition of Co-Active Coaching has been updated to include the latest terminology and a variety of fresh coaching examples drawn from the authors firsthand experiences with thousands of international coaching trainees and clients. In this edition, the authors extend the use of the Co-Active Model which emphasized a partnership between client and coach into leadership management, featuring its effectiveness throughout an organization.  Co-active Coaching, a fantastic resource and essential building block for new coaches.

In terms of formative influences I must tip my hat to Richard Bach.

Several of his books strengthened my sense of the possible,

a long, long way back now.

Rachel Naomi Remen "Kitchen Table Wisdom". Full of wonderful stories about the healing power of listening from the heart.

Mary Beth O'Neil Backbone & Heart, is one I keep going back to. It helps me remember the importance of working with courage. 
She writes in a way that really speaks to coaches and offers plenty of challenging questions to engage with. 

I can not recommend this highly enough. It has helped me continue to love my client whilst operating as a truly hard nosed business-focused resource.

I now read Jonathan Livingston Seagull with my children. It's the most celebrated inspirational fable of our time, telling the story of a bird determined to be more than ordinary. This bestselling modern classic, , is a story for people who want to follow their dreams and make their own rules and has inspired people for decades.

This bestselling modern classic is about seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe or neighbourhood finds your ambition threatening (at one point our beloved gull is even banished from his flock). By not compromising his higher vision, Jonathan learns the meaning of love and kindness and gets the ultimate payoff – transcendence.

Stephen Coveys The Speed of Trust. 

I am thankful for his work and writings especially as he says 

its the one thing that changes everything'.

Tim Gallwey The Inner Game of Work is a great book with practical tools to help anyone - love all the inner game books, but this one is my favourite. The idea of using 'critical variables' is very helpful - helps your performance and you don't then forget anything critical to your success. Tim Gallwey is inspirational and there's a few bits on youtube of him

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom.

It demonstrates, Patience, Determination,

Selflessness and Compromise in a very human way

James Borg  "Mind Power". He was Whitmore's 

guru in the early days of coaching.

Martin Howden This Stuff Really Works which is privately published is a good blend of practical development ideas to use with clients and built into workshops for use with smaller and third sector organisations. http://www.thisstuffreallyworks.co.uk/

Brian Tracy  Eat That Frog by is great for all procrastinators!

Wendy Sullivan and Judy Rees Clean Language which added another element to my coaching.

Rock and Page “Coaching With The Brain In Mind” by as a great overview and insight from the world of neuroscience, which seems to be an ever more important stream in modern coaching thought and practice.

Jackson Paul Z and McKergow Mark The Solutions Focus" by and Berg Insoo Kim Szabo Peter "Brief Coaching for Lasting Solutions" by Issacs 

Neal Anderson's NLP Coach Companion is fast becoming a must-have for new and experienced NLP coaches. Easy to follow and some great exercises to use for self and clients.

Also on the NLP front...Jeremy Lazarus Successful NLP also hits the mark for more experienced NLPers and those new to the toolkit.

William Isaacs "Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together 

David Bohm  "On Dialogue"

Kline Nancy Time to Think" by - another mind shift moment for me.

Feel free to add your own 

special 

book recommendations.