No amount of face to face time can provide the depth of understanding that books can add to a given area of interest. If the author and editors have done their job, then the book provides information that can both inspire and transform information into actionable knowledge. We are often asked for references and resources to understand an area of knowledge. This section provides what we believe are the core texts for a well-rounded knowledge worker.

We also provide a set of 10 books in each of several subject areas like design, productivity, synthesis ….

The last section provides books organized by author with the best books by each author identified. Where possible, this section provides pointers to additional information on the web such as the author’s own website, blog or video presentations. 		One of the keys to reading the core texts and suggested books is to be open to learning. Carlos Casteneda in The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge describes the challenge of learning:

“When a man starts to learn, he is never clear about his objectives.  His purpose is faulty; his intent is vague.  He hopes for rewards that will never materialize for he knows nothing of the hardships of learning.

“He slowly begins to learn – bit by bit at first, then in big chunks.  And his thoughts soon clash.  What he learns is never what he pictured, or imagined, and so he begins to be afraid.  Learning is never what one expects.  Every step of learning is a new task, and the fear the man is experiencing begins to mount mercilessly, unyieldingly.  His purpose becomes a battlefield.

“And thus he has stumbled upon the first of his natural enemies:  Fear!

“And thus he has encountered his second enemy:  Clarity!  That clarity of mind, which is so hard to obtain dispels fear, but also blinds.

“But he has also come across his third enemy: Power!  Power is the strongest of all enemies.  And naturally the easiest thing to do is to give in; after all, the man is truly invincible.  He commands; he begins by taking calculated risks, and ends in making rules, because he is a master.

“The man will be, by then, at the end of his journey of learning, and almost without warning he will come upon the last of his enemies: Old Age!  This enemy is the cruelest of all, the one he won’t be able to defeat completely, but only fight away.”