Do you want to read more this year? The president of Summit Ministries, Dr. Jeff Myers, is an avid reader. Below he shares his top five books he read in 2023 (with a bonus recommendation at the end!), books he thinks you’ll find insightful. Check them out!
1. Mark David Hall, Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land: How Christianity Has Advanced Freedom and Equality for All Americans. With so much anti-American propaganda out there, this volume by an award-winning historian is much needed. With fascinating insight into American history, he debunks many of the myths spawned by critical race theorists without soft-coating the shortcomings of America’s founders.
2. George Gilder, Life After Capitalism. I know, I know. Economics is boring, you say. Well, meet George Gilder. In his many fascinating books, this one being the latest, he shows the link between economics, intelligent design, and information theory, explaining how a free market system really works to create abundance. A couple of chapters are tough sledding—the ones on banking and blockchain technology—but the overall book is accessible and compelling.
3. Arthur C. Brooks, From Strength to Strength. Brooks has long been a favorite author. For many years he was the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Now a professor at Harvard, Brooks dispels the myth that we lose opportunities when we get older. He shows how to make each season of life productive and meaningful.
4. Chip Conley, Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder. Hotel entrepreneur Chip Conley shows how to become a good mentor at work, and how to receive mentoring. He has a bit of a new-agey approach to some things, but great advice for fostering cross-generational effectiveness at work. My best takeaway quote: “The purpose of life is discovering your gift. The meaning of life is to give it away.”
5. James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. I should have read this long ago. Very practical advice on how to break bad habits and achieve goals. My favorite takeaway: Don’t try to change everything at once. Focus on the one percent changes that you can consistently make every day or every week.
- Bonus Recommendation! Benjamin Netanyahu, Bibi: My Story. With Israel and Palestine in the news, Netanyahu’s autobiography takes on great importance. His lengthy and turbulent career as an Israeli leader is intertwined with the development of the nation of Israel and significant insight into why Israel’s survival is so important.