30 GREAT BOOKS I HAVE READ... Part 2

Here is the continuation of the list of thirty great books I have read in thirty years. It's part of a compilation I have done as I mark my 30th birthday. For the preceding list, click here

13. The Tipping Point: Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller has helped me to understand that it’s not enough to have a great idea but I must be able to share it with people who could make the idea work. I must also learn to share ideas in ways that people can remember.

14. The Magic of Thinking Big: I read this book when I completed high school. The key lesson I picked from this book by David Schwartz was that I should never limit my thinking. I learnt from Schwartz that if I believe that something is possible, my mind goes to work to find ways by which I can make it work. On the other hand, when I believe that something is not possible, my mind shuts down on all possibilities. I have practiced and seen how true this is.

15. Be a People Person: In his usual simple, sticky and profound style, leadership sage John Maxwell emphasizes that “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” From this book, I built confidence and learned principles that helped improve my relationships remarkably.

16. The Value of the Dot: Mensa Otabil developed this book out of a sermon he delivered in his church several years ago. When the book came out, he described the sermon as the best message he’s ever preached. What I picked from this book was that, it was possible to turn my liabilities into assets. It gave me a new perspective to the biblical parable of the talents.

17. How the Mighty Fall: Jim Collins knows how to write. He knows how to package his ideas in simple, clear concepts. In this book, Collins identify  the factors that precipitate the decline of great companies and brings out the values that guide those companies and leaders who never give in. It’s a book about taming greed and complacency; an intelligent work.

18.  The Greatest: An engaging autobiography of one of Muhammad Ali. Ali is a manifestation of how possibility thinking and positive confession can move one from obscurity to prominence. His optimistic mind gives birth to discipline, hard work and strategy which combine to make him one of the greatest athletes in the world of boxing.

19.  Gifted Hands: Beautifully written narrative of the life and work of Ben Carson. What fascinated me greatly in this work is the role Sonia (his mum) played to make him a self-controlled, studious and optimistic person. The book narrates how Carson grew to become the first person to conduct surgery to separate conjoined twins joined at the head. 

20. Thomas Edison: Janet and Geoff Benge give an account of the life and times of prolific inventor Thomas Edison. Edison is a testimony of how self-identity and self-awareness can transform a boy who is described as addled by his teacher to become a man known as the brain behind many of the inventions that make the world we have run smoothly.

21. God’s Big Idea: This is one of many books by Myles Munroe which talk about how to implement God’s intention on earth. In this book, Myles Munroe eloquently espouses that God wants us to live and find fulfillment on earth, even before we get to heaven.

22. Eat That Frog: This is Brian Tracy’s work on how to effectively manage time. Tracy shares 21 proven principles for making the best use of time. When I finished reading this book, I resolved to always prioritise things that are challenging but important. I should not keep them on the back burner.

23. Unravelling the Secrets to Wealth Creation: Emmanuel Dei-Tumi launched this book the 2003 edition of Eagles Camp at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church Hall at Osu in Accra. I picked up a copy and it really awakened my consciousness about wealth creation. I see that book as a Ghanaian version of American Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad. It’s a classic guide on how to attain financial freedom.

24. Praying the Right Way: Chris Oyakhilome’s exposition on prayer transformed my understanding about prayer. I like how he emphasized that in Christianity, we don’t pray through Jesus but we pray directly to God the Father in the name of Jesus. Since then, my prayer life has never been the same.

25. Transform Your Pastoral Ministry: This is a book I consider a pastor’s manual. Dag Heward-Mills teaches eloquently on the four pillars of every pastor’s ministry – praying, visiting, teaching and interacting. This is a book that helped me to understand the work of a pastor and some of the dynamics involved in becoming a pastor.

26. Lay People and the Ministry: This is another book by Dag Heward-Mills which really sparked a desire in me to do the work of God. It made me realise that ministerial work is not exclusive to those who wear the clerical garb but a mandate on all believers. I grasped the revelation that I could be God’s instrument wherever I find myself.

27. See You at the Top: In this book, I learnt from legend Zig Ziglar that I cannot consistently perform in a manner that is inconsistent with the way I see myself. I also learnt from this book that I can get whatever I want if I help enough other people to get what they want. Another lesson I picked up was in relation to books; that I should never lend or borrow a book. I should buy my own, read it and keep it. You can tell this book made a tremendous impact on my life.

28. The More You Know, the Better it Gets: This is a seminal book by couple authors Albert and Comfort Ocran. The Ocrans, in my estimation are Ghana’s most committed writing team. Their passion to influence Ghana, Africa and the world with knowledge-based products drove them to publish this particular book which seeks to eliminate dinosaurs from the corporate world. The book is a compelling appeal to readers to add value to their lives to avoid getting into redundancy and irrelevance. It offers a roadmap for continuous learning and personal development.

29. The Five Love Languages: Gary Chapman is a good communicator. In this book he eloquently explains that a marriage is likely to be harmonious when couples learn to understand and speak each other’s love language. He outlines the five languages as words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time and physical touch. Needless to say, this is a very useful book for the already married and those aspiring to get married.

30. Cashflow Quadrant: This paradigm-shifting book by Robert Kiyosaki exposes readers to four possible ways of making money – as a(n) employee, self-employed, business owner and investor. He advocates that no matter where one starts from, we should progress to becoming either business owners (who will put in place systems for businesses to run without our direct personal involvement), or investors (where we would invest equity in businesses we may not have been involved in establishing). This way, no matter our personal circumstances, we could have instruments that generate wealth for us.

Terry Mante is a Life Coach and Motivational Speaker.

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE LAUNCH OF MY NEW BOOK ON DECEMBER 6

"Terry Mante is passionate about empowering and transforming lives through his writings and speaking. In Life Sense, he compresses his personal thirty-year journey into a thirty-day mentoring experience many will find very beneficial. I highly recommend this book." - Rev. Albert Ocran, Author, Minister and Management Consultant

"Life Sense is dotted with helpful signposts to guide you on the road of personal development. The language is clear, the style is readable, the message is relevant. You already know your life’s purpose or are still searching? Either way, it makes sense to read this book over and over again. Go for it!" – Kafui Dey, Morning Show Host, Starr 103.5 FM

"Life Sense by Terry Mante is a buffet table of knowledge with a vast array of subjects for his reader to pick and feast on. Each chapter is a gem of wisdom; teaching practical truths that are essential to daily living. I found Life Sense  an easy and enjoyable read; once I started it was a marathon for me and I could not stop until I finished the entire book. However, I sincerely suggest that you take on the challenge to spend the next 30 days in study; reading, reflecting, internalizing and daily proving these truths, I believe they would certainly lead to holistic personal development. There are several chapters that ring true to me, but I must say three of my favorites remain: The magic of asking questions, Humility is not timidity, an Unsinkable ship and Spiritual capital....did I say three? Well I just had to list four. Bonne appetite, enjoy the banquet!" - Karis Senanu, Administrator and HR Manager, Aviation Alliance (Delta Airlines), Accra, Ghana

“In many ways, LifeSense promotes and challenges a complete paradigm shift from the old ways of doing things and proposes a new exciting and practical approach to moving from our comfort zone to the flying zone.” – Em Bartels, Founder, GPA Africa Awards

30 GREAT BOOKS I'VE READ

“You will be the same person in five years except for two things: the books you read and the people you meet.” – Charlie Jones

As I continue to reflect over my life of three decades, I realize that reading has played a major role in who I have become. I am still convinced that reading will be critical to who I will become in the next thirty years and beyond. So, I took up a task to recollect thirty books I have read and how they have influenced me.

It is my joy to share my list with you.

1. Rich Dad Poor Dad: I grasped the principles of personal financial management and wealth creation from this masterpiece by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lecher. This book helped me to distinguish between assets and liabilities and transformed how I managed my finances.
2. Purpose-Driven Life: During my undergraduate years at University of Ghana, Rick Warren’s classic was the toast of many of my Christian friends. I read it too and it caused me to pursue my purpose in life more decisively. That is why I do what I do – life coach, author and motivational speaker.
3. Youth Power: Youth Power is a revolutionary book published in 2004 by my friend Yaw Perbi. This book talks about how young people could play significant roles in life and impact their society. From this book, I learnt from my friend that the youth are not just future leaders, but leaders of today.
4. Buy the Future: This is a book I’ve read every year since 2004, and each time I read it I pick new lessons from it. The author is pastor of International Central Gospel Church in Ghana, Mensa Otabil. It’s a book that teaches about the need to sacrifice short term pleasures for long term fulfillment.
   
5. The King of Torts: It’s one of the numerous books of American thriller novelist John Grisham. In this work of fiction, Grisham skilfully teaches about class action and tort law. As an author, I realized that serious lessons could be communicated through fiction. Fiction was not only for entertainment but could educate as well.
6. Good to Great: I bought and read this book sometime in 2006. After reading it, it took me about six months before I could read any other book. Author Jim Collins and his research team shared some intriguing lessons on business, leadership, excellence and personal development that are hard to come by in any other book. It is a masterpiece.
7. How to Influence People Through Public Speaking: It became necessary for me to get Dale Carnegie’s classic work when I lost an election in St Peter’s because I couldn’t speak with confidence. Carnegie’s book was very useful in my development as a speaker. Till date, it is the best book I’ve read on the subject of public speaking.
8. Future Wealth: It is the work of Chistopher Meyer and Stan Davis. This book stresses the primacy of human capital and how it will underpin the economy of the future. It strengthened my resolve to develop myself and others.
   
9. How to Win Friends and Influence People: Another classic from the stables of Dale Carnegie, this book had a landmark impact on my social skills. As an introvert, I did not know how to initiate conversations with people but this book came in handy. I also learnt about how to persuade people and a whole lot more.
10. Beyond the Rivers of Ethiopia: In this book, Mensa Otabil tracks the role of black people in the Bible and establishes that in God’s scheme of affairs, no race is superior to another. As an African, this book helped me to embrace that God thinks about me, God has a plan for me and I can become an influential person in the world.
11. Tough Times Never Last but Tough People Do: This was the first motivational book I read. I was in high school at St Peter’s. I read this book just before we wrote our final examination. It was in this book that I embraced the mindset of a possibility thinker. At the time I read it, it was relevant for the impending examination battle which would qualify me to gain admission to the university. Robert Schuller’s book helped to jump this hurdle successfully.
    
12. Seven Keys to Abundant Living with no Regrets: I bought this book in 2002 at Aburi Girls High School when I served as a delegate for St Peter’s in a congress of student leaders. On the last day of the congress, I spotted a book stand mounted by the Scripture Union, went close to it and what I got was this book by Stephen Adei. It was in this book that I first read about the 10:10:80 strategy for wealth creation. This strategy recommends that for every income we earn, we must give out 10% as tithe to God, set aside another 10% for investment and live on the remaining 80%.

Click here for continuation.

30 THOUGHTS THAT SHAPED MY ATTITUDE

I found out early in life that more than anything else, my attitude influences the outcome of my life. Here are thirty thoughts that shaped my attitude to life.

1. Abraham Lincoln: Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.

2. Anonymous: Your attitudes and the choices you make today will be your life tomorrow, build it wisely.

3. Brian Tracy: You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing tom master you.

4. Catherine Pulsifer: Your words, your expressions will reflect your attitude. Be conscious of how and what you say.

5.  Confucius: To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.

6. Demosthenes: Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.

7. Ella Williams: Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.

8. Eleanor Roosevelt: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Never give it

9. Emmet Fox: You cannot be healthy; you cannot be happy; you cannot be prosperous; if you have a bad disposition.

10. Francis Bacon: Knowledge is power.

11. Frank Lloyd Wright: The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.

12. Fulton J. Sheen: The mind is like a clock that is constantly running down. It has to be wound up daily with good thoughts.

13. Helen Keller: When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.

14. Henry David Thoreau: Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be.

15. Henry Ford: If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right.

16. Isaac Bashevis Singer: If you keep on saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of becoming a prophet.

17. James Anthony Froude: You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.

18. James T. McKay: No matter the level of your ability, you have more potential than you can ever develop.

19. Katharine Hepburn: Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got not to forget to laugh.

20. Lou Holtz: Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.

21. Margaret Fuller: If you have knowledge, let others light their candles by it.

22. Marianne Williamson: As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

23. Martha Washington: The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances.

24. Michael Korda: To succeed, we must first believe that we can.

25. Napoleon Hill: Life reflects your own thoughts back to you.

26. Roger W. Babson: When we are flat on our backs there is no way to look but up.

27. Sally Aw Sian: Life’s challenges spur you on to greater efforts, train you to meet subsequent challenges and finally provide you with the moral and spiritual fiber to avoid arrogance in success and despair in failure.

28. Thomas Edison: Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

29. Thomas Jefferson: Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.

30. Tony Bennett: It pays to be different. When people see you as different, they are attracted to you. The best way to be different is to be yourself.

Terry is a Life Coach, Motivational Speaker and Author.