Thanks Herman.

The thing about making a list like this is that it keeps growing! It's a real meditative exercise in which we can re-connect with some of our meditative council who may have been napping at the table for awhile. Anyway here's a couple of additions to my previous list:

        The Fifth Discipline – Peter Senge: the various modes of thinking that are possible and necessary to function in business. Systems Thinking is the novel one.
•        The Mind of the South – William Cash: An outstanding portrayal of the dimensions that go into the Southern mind-set
•        The Reality of God – Schubert Ogden: Using process philosophy to disprove the nonexistence of God
•        Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain: More than an adventure story, it’s a satiric parody of the sociological mindset of the times. We could use a couple of those to lighten up the present environment.
•        The Hamlet – William Faulkner: A vivid portrayal of dynamics of living in the old South – my homeland.

V. The Universe
•        Fabric of the Cosmos, Elegant Universe, Hidden Reality – Brian Greene: These are three books that present good, if complex, descriptions of the String Theory of reality. These are now Discovery Channel programs. It's possible to read entire pages that look like English and to have no idea what they're talking about!
•        Chaos – James Gleick: Chaos theory and complexity theory are ways of grasping the complicated way things work that goes beyond simple cause-and-effect

John

At 10:52 AM 8/14/2012, you wrote:

Great list

From: oe-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net [ mailto:oe-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of jlepps@pc.jaring.my
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 2:04 AM
To: oe@lists.wedgeblade.net
Subject: [Oe List ...] Book List

Here's partial list of books that have influenced me:

I. Business
•         In search of Excellence – Peters and Waterman: a documentation of how excellent companies operate humanly
•         Built to Last – Collins and Porras: documentation of how visionary companies operate beyond a quest for profits with a purpose of benefitting society
•         Borderless Business – Mann & Goetz: Essays on working effectively in the global society includes the social process triangle & corporate process triangle

II. Society
•         The End of American Exceptionalism – Bechovich (sp?): The challenge to become one in the world of nations rather than THE one.
•         Riding the Waves of Culture – Trompenaars & Hampden/Turner: Identifying the characteristics of different cultures, both national and company.
•         The Nature of Prejudice – Gordon Allport: Somewhat old, but a classic on the dynamics of social and racial prejudice
•         The Secular City – Harvey Cox: the urban revolution has happened and is worth celebrating

III. Theology
•         Radical Monotheism and Western Culture – H. Richard Niebuhr: Spells out the paradox of monotheism: All is unworthy and all is good!
•         The History of Christian Thought – Paul Tillich: A fantastic and readable story of how and why theology developed the way it has (transcribed lectures)
•         The Noise of Solemn Assemblies – Peter Berger: The Church’s sociological reality belies its theological intents
•         Christ Without Myth – Schubert Ogden: Getting beyond the stories to the reality that the Christ story communicates
•         Bending History, I & II -- J.W. Mathews: Joe’s classic theological and sociological talks.

IV. Fiction
•         The George Smiley Trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honorable Schoolboy; Smiley’s People) – John LeCarre: The hero was personally inept but professionally outstanding in serving a cause higher than the immediate circumstances. We’re sort of undercover agents for the Other World, and I’ve found George to be an inspiring role model.
•         The Harry Potter Series (1-7) – J.K. Rowlings: She sets up 2 parallel universes, one “normal” and the other wondrous (but they are actually the same universe); the business of wizards is to protect us “muggles” from perceiving the wonders that are present. Our mission, on the other hand, is to help our clients and colleagues to perceive and appreciate this wondrous universe.

John Epps
_______________________________________________
OE mailing list
OE@lists.wedgeblade.net
http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net