Younger Next Year
by Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge, M.D.

Book Description
Drawing on the very latest science of aging, this lively guide is a must for everyone man 50 and older who wants to stay young--and get younger. Attention, boomer men: How would you like to get younger every year for the next five to ten years? To keep living like a 50-year-old until well into your 80s? All you have to do is follow "Harry's Rules." Harry is Henry S. Lodge, M.D., a specialist in internal medicine and preventive healthcare. His coauthor, Chris Crowley, is Harry's 70-year-old patient who's stronger today (and skiing better) than back when he was 40. Together, they've written a breakthrough book for men, as entertaining as it is persuasive. In alternating chapters, Chris and Harry explain how men 50 and older can become stronger, healthier, and more alert. How they can stave off 70 percent of the normal decay associated with aging (weakness, sore joints, apathy) and eliminate over 50 percent of all illness and potential injuries. How they can literally turn back their biological clock. The rules are deceptively simple: Exercise six days a week. Eat what you know you should. Connect and commit to others. And a few more. Harder to do than to hear, but worth it. Chris is living proof.

Jim's Thoughts
This book had been recommended to me by several different people concerning practical things that you should do after turning 50 in order to put off many of the normal problems with aging – weakness, sore joints, bad balance – and eliminate a significant percentage of serious illness and injury. The book describes how, in fact, to become functionally younger every year for the next five to ten years and then continue to live with vitality and pleasure. I found the book to be very motivating to make fundamental changes in your lifestyle with respect to both exercise and diet as well as other aspects of your life by showing the very positive results of doing so contrasted with the negative results of doing nothing. Clients and staff alike, whether over 50 or under, I believe will be inspired and encouraged to do a better job with their exercise, their diet and their relationship with others in a way that enhances the probability of a long and productive life.

Splitting Heirs
Ron Blue with Jeremy White

Book Description
Finish well. That is what we are called to do in Scripture, but where will our money and possessions finish? The Bible has the principles that provide answers to the challenge of parenting and passing along an in heritage. Within the next decade, over ONE TRILLION DOLLARS will change hands from one generation to the next. Individuals with adult children will need to transfer that wealth without ruining their heirs' lives. Ron Blue, an authority on personal and business finance, will help: ~Identify exactly how much money would be transferred were the reader to die today~ Identify the need for creating a will~ Identify tax-wise financial planning~ Teach the way to leave money without creating an unhealthy dependence.

Jim's Thoughts
In thinking through the advice I give to clients and also in thinking of my own family situation, I read this book to gain additional perspective concerning the decisions we all make with respect to the assets we leave behind. How much should we leave to children? Will it be a blessing or a curse? How much should we leave to charity? This book provides practical examples and illustrations and I believe it can cause everyone to give serious consideration to the various implications of these questions.

Book Description
Great managing, great leading, and career success- Buckingham draws on a wealth of examples to reveal the single controlling insight that lies at the heart of each. Lose sight of this “one thing” and even your best efforts will be diminished or compromised. The author explains the surprisingly different answers to each of these rich and complete subjects. The many facets of great managing, great leading and career success could be detailed endlessly, but Buckingham’s great gift is his ability to cut through the thicket of often-conflicting possibilities and zero in on what matters most, without oversimplifying. As he observes, success comes to those who remain mindful of the core insight, understand all of its ramifications and orient their decisions around it. Buckingham backs his arguments with authoritative research from a wide variety of sources, including his own data and in-depth interviews with individuals at every level of an organization, from CEOs to hotel maids and stock boys. This book offers essential performance and career lessons for businesspeople at all career stages.

Jim's Thoughts
I read this book in order to gain additional insight into leadership principles by the highly successful co-author of First, Break all the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths. I found the insights in understanding the difference between managing and leading along with a focus on great leading and sustained individual success to be very helpful. I think both clients and staff can benefit from reading this book and assessing the things that they can do in there own unique situations to be successful on a long-term basis.

From $uccess to Significance
Lloyd Reeb

Book Description
You've achieved a measure of success in the first half of life, and it's been a thrill. But deep in your heart, you want your second half to count for something far more. Something bigger than you. Significance. You're not alone; you're in "Halftime." You want to discover where your deepest passions intersect with your greatest abilities and harness them to help change the world.

Jim's Thoughts
I read this book in order to remind myself that the pursuit of success isn't what is truly most imporant. Lloyd Reeb describes how to discover God's unique purpose for your life along with your talents, drives and everything you are in a way to help you achieve significance rather than just success. This is a good resource for clients and others who have "succeeded" but wonder if there shouldn't be something more and is particularly significant for those considering the next phase of their life or potentially even early retirement.

Good to Great:
Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't
Jim Collins

Book Description
Can a mediocre company transform itself into a truly great one? Jim Collins and his team of researchers identified eleven Fortune 500 companies that outshine all of their competitors, then he delves into the matter of how they succeeded. Collins distills massive amounts of research into specific strategies, both common sense and seemingly counterintuitive ones.

Jim's Thoughts
I chose this book a while back as I looked for resources as our managing shareholder to help me lead our quest to make our firm even better. This is an in-depth study of the attributes common to great companies along with keen insight as to the practical things that companies and their leaders should incorporate into their business practices. Clients who lead or have significant involvement in companies will gain knowledge of strategic insights and practices to help their company move toward greatness. Our staff will learn about decision making factors that we follow in our firm to make us a great provider of professional services to our clients as well as a great place to work.

Book Description
We've all done dumb stuff in our lives. We all have regrets. Yet none of us plans to mess up our lives. Why, then, does it keep happening? Life doesn't have to be that way. You can fool-proof your life...as this book shows. God's promise and pattern is for something better. In The Best Question Ever, Andy Stanley effectively teaches the practical and lasting value of simply asking this question about our actions in all of life's arenas: What is the wise thing for me to do, in light of my past experience, my present circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams? This book probes for honesty - it pushes us to open our eyes to reality and helps us expose the little (and big) self-deceptions we have.

Jim's Thoughts
I had heard Andy preach a sermon on this topic and wanted to see how it was expressed in book form. What I liked was "The Question" itself, which is "In light of my past, present and hopes, what is the wise thing for me to do in any given situation?" Clients and staff alike will like the stories and analogies that illustrate the importance of slowing down long enough to ask the question and to consider the answer.

Book Description
John C. Maxwell takes readers on a life-altering journey to develop the 21 traits all great leaders have in common. Maxwell explains that the key to transforming someone who understands leadership into a person who leads in the real world is character. Among the 21 traits discussed are: character, charisma, communication, listening, servanthood, teachability, and vision.

Jim's Thoughts
In my role as a leader, I wanted to learn more about the most important qualities that I need to be demonstrating to others in order to enhance my effectiveness. The book clearly and concisely describes and illustrates fundamental qualities of leadership in a compelling manner. Clients should gain knowledge about exhibiting leadership characteristics in different areas of their life, both vocationally and personally. Our staff will find this to be an easy read and a quick way of beginning to develop their own leadership style which will help in their personal growth and development.

Book Description
How can you lead effectively and still have a life? Dale Burke offers 8 secrets to cutting through the pile and getting to the heart of what God made you to do. This Christ-centered, practical plan for achieving stability between professional success and personal satisfaction will move readers to a new level of purpose and achievement as they learn to trust God's truths.

Jim's Thoughts
After hearing the author speak at a conference about leadership principals, I decided to invest in the book. The focus on eight main areas and their power to help you become a more effective leader while maintaining balance in the other areas of your life was very helpful. Clients in leadership positions will appreciate the author's explanations as to why working harder, faster and longer doesn't necessarily work to make you a better leader and keep you ahead. Our staff will gain insight as to easy to apply steps and techniques to begin to enhance their own individual leadership skills.

Book Description
John C. Maxwell provides a hands-on approach to taking control of each day and making the most of your daily agenda. Maxwell illustrates the small steps that can be taken and how to focus on just a few areas at a time through prioritizing. He has narrowed down the critical areas that outline the way towards success into the Daily Dozen.

Jim's Thoughts
I was intrigued by the title and premise of the book since I often find myself caught up in the "tyranny of the urgent" and put off more important things. I liked the clear explanation that what you do and how you plan for each day really does matter in the accomplishment of your longer term goals and the things that are really important to you. I think clients will appreciate taking time to focus on making every day count and seeing the benefits of it. I think our staff will appreciate the author's "Daily Dozen" list of things to consider each day.

Book Description
In The World Is Flat, Thomas Friedman describes the unintended surge of technological and social shifts that in effect leveled the economic world. The primary premise of this book is the "flattening" of the world, a process in which individuals as well as companies are empowered through the progression of globalization. The three-time Pulitzer Prize winner argues convincingly that globalization, with all its attendant geopolitical effects, is the single most noteworthy trend of our day. Friedman exposes the brave new world for readers, allowing them to make sense of the often puzzling global scene unfolding before their eyes. This book is a bold, timely and essential update on globalization in the twenty-first century and is a must read for those interested in the world today.

Jim's Thoughts
I chose this book in order to gain a better understanding of the cause and pace of change that we are experiencing in the way we conduct our business. I liked the author's logical presentations of the 10 factors that have flattened the world and his compelling case of how to deal with this new paradigm. Clients should appreciate the clear insight the author brings in identifying and describing the forces of change. Our employees should appreciate the observations about how these changes are affecting our profession.