My New Year's Resolution

I will read 12 professional developments books, one per month, in 2014.

I realized quickly after taking over as Rabbi of my congregation that the on the job training was giving me the kind of practical education that a seminary never could.  However, six months in, I recognized that while the practical learning is quite important, something was missing.  I discovered that I am missing some of the theoretical that comes by reading and learning.

And so I set out to develop a list for my professional development over 2014.  I hope that what I am able to glean from these books will make me a better rabbi and a better leader. Many of these books are at the suggestion of friends and colleagues, and some of them I have had on my “I’ll get to that one day” list for a while. Thank you everyone who gave me a suggestion!

I tried to create a varied list, covering both topics that are of interest to me as well as areas where I feel I need work.  I hope to be able to update with what I’ve learned from each of these books, and I’d love to hear your reaction to this list or to any of the books on it that you have read.

Here’s the list: (all links are to the Amazon page for each book)

January:
Getting Things Done, by David Allen 

February: 
Relational Judaism, by Ron Wolfson

March:
God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism, by Abraham Joshua Heschel

April:
My Promised Land, by Ari Shavit

May:
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, by Chip Heath

June:
The Lonely Man of Faith, by Joseph Soloveitchik

July:
The Practicing Congregation, by Diana Butler Bass and Brian D. McLaren

August:
Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, by Gregory Boyle

September: 
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain

October:
How We Die, by Sherwin Nuland

November:
Good to Great (including Social Sector Monograph), by Jim Collins

December:
Zealot, by Reza Aslan