Books to Read – June 2011

My monthly list of books to read and ( hopefully ) inspire you or provoke new thoughts or ideas.

Pixar is one of America’s iconic brands. There are numerous books about the story of the rise of this company. I have read only this one, so I don’t know if it’s the best one. However, if you enjoy reading about how great companies are built, this is a great book. The book takes you from the very early days of Ed Catmull working at the University of Utah on the dream of using computers for animation all the way through to Steve Jobs’ involvement, Disney’s acquisition, and all the gory details in between. What’s fascinating about the story of Pixar is how different the story ended up from where they started and the original vision. I enjoyed learning about the details of each Pixar movie, as well as the back-room dealing that was happening around each one.

Replay by Ken Grimwood

Jeff Winston is a down and out radio guy in the late 80s. In the middle of a conversation with his wife, he drops dead of a heart attack. He wakes up back in college in the ’60s with all of the knowledge of the next 20 years in his head. He proceeds to bet on sporting events where he knows the outcome, changes the course of history, and live a decadent, self-absorbed life. Until he gets to the ’80s again, where he dies the same death and again wakes back up in college. Jeff eventually meets Pamela, a fellow replayer, who is a famous film maker borrowing heavily from ideas from Star Wars and other movies that have not happened yet. Jeff and Pamela fall in love and live several replays together, all with unique twists and turns. This was a great read, full of interesting plot twists and the like. Definitely worth a read.

The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

I am reading this book again for the first time. It’s been at least 25 years since I last read it, and we are reading through the trilogy with my kids in advance of watching each of the movies. There is nothing really that needs to be said about this book that has not been said already. Read it again.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Dr. Meg Meeker

For those of us dads that have daughters, the days are filled with both delight and mystery. I don’t typically read these kinds of books, but my wife bought it for me a couple of years ago to help me understand how my daughter thinks and how to relate to her. It has been an extremely valuable resource, and I am actually reading it again this month. Dr. Meeker is a somewhat famous pediatrician, and this book is a collection of her life’s work in this area. The research is world-class, the advice is practical, and the stories will change your outlook on the young girls in your life. This is a must-read if you are the dad of a daughter.

Hope you enjoy this month’s selections, and happy reading!

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