One of the hardest things I had to do when I moved was to get rid of some of my books. My house was starting to look like a Barnes & Noble. I kept the textbooks I use for my courses and a few others that I found especially useful or interesting. The following list is in no particular order. It contains some of my favorite books that I kept. I often recommend them to my students:
Emotional Intelligence: Why it can Matter More than IQ by Daniel Goleman – Goleman is one of the main thought-leaders in emotional intelligence. This book is easy to read and explains the importance of emotional intelligence.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This book is required reading in many courses. Although some students hesitate to pick up “self-help” books, this one is a classic for good reasons.
Emotional Intelligence in Action by Marcia Hughes, Bonita Patterson, James Terrell, and Reuven Bar-On. This book is a helpful tool to develop emotional intelligence in teams.
The Pig That Wants to be Eaten: 100 Experiments for the Armchair Philosopher by Julian Baggini. This strange little book was required reading for a course I taught about foresight. My technology students love it. It is filled with short stories. It is not for everyone. However, it is a book that will make you think.