Photo Courtesy of Chotda (Flickr)
“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you.
Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die. They are full of all the things that you don’t get in real life — wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. And quality of attention: we may notice amazing details during the course of a day but we rarely let ourselves really stop and pay attention. An author makes you notice, makes you pay attention, and this is a great gift.
My gratitude for good writing in unbounded; I’m grateful for it the way I’m grateful for the ocean. Aren’t you? I ask.”
—Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
I’ve often joked that I’d be in heaven if only I could find a job where someone would pay me to read books all day. Less editor or reviewer; more distiller and summarizer. Hey – uber-wealthy people have personal shoppers, why can’t I be their personal reader? I’d get paid to curl up by the beach with a book, a blanket and a cup of coffee; I’d zip through each one, type up some book notes, then report on key findings.
All joking, dreaming and scheming aside, Cath Duncan, a wise coach and blogger at Mine Your Resources, has figured out a way to do almost exactly that. She started a program called the Bottom-line Book Club that I think is just brilliant. Even though I’ll admit that I’m a little jealous I didn’t think of it myself, I’m happy to see Cath benefitting the non-fiction aficionados among us with her fantastic program.
How it Works:
The bottom-line (heh, I just had to say it) is that each month Cath reviews a personal-development book. But you’re getting a lot more than a simple summary – Cath publishes a 15-20 page PDF summary, interviews the author and creates audio files with additional highlights and thoughts. The program is great if you are too busy to read the selected book (or not inclined to purchase it), and because it brings a depth to each featured book that you might not experience by reading it on your own. For example, even though I’ve read Pam Slim’s Escape from Cubicle Nation, I really enjoyed listening to the interview with Pam and appreciated Cath’s audio summary of the key takeaways.
Cath’s September selection is “The Flipside: Finding the Hidden Opportunities in Life” by Adam Jackson. In addition to the book summary package, Bottom-line Bookclub members also get daily self-coaching tips by email, access to the social network and bonus vouchers from Mine Your Resources (currently 20% off coaching sessions). Head over to the Bottom-Line Bookclub website to learn more.
No related posts.
I recently wrote about this as well (AND used that picture — how funny!). It’s a great book club, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing even more info about it here!
It *is* kind of cheeky that I my “work” involves reading books I’d love to read anyway!
Thanks for the mention, Jenny, and so glad you (and Dani too!) have enjoyed the Bottom-line programs. I’m finding that a lot of book addicts love to read the original book alongside their Bottom-line program, so it’s not just you!
Cath
I might have to move out soon. There are too many books taking over my space.
Books are my addiction and I won’t give them up. I don’t spend as much as I used to, but I was regularly spending $200 – $300 a month on books.
I eventually started a bookshare blog to focus on sharing the best insights and actions I find from the best books I can find. I test-drive them at work against tough scenarios. I then guide my mentees on which books have the answers they need. To keep finding the best books, I ask the smartest people I know, which books changed their life.
Books are among my best mentors and I’m a fan of seeking the wisdom of the ages, and from modern day sages.
I’m not much of a book reader myself, so this bottom-line book club would serve me well. And I read Dani’s post about it as well.
Funny you’d use the same photos.
Great article and idea. I’ll use this example for my next presentation to my students…it’s gonna be an interesting warm up activity…
Awesome post.
Dani and Marci – I know, so funny about the picture! Great minds think alike
I just LOVE the look of color-coded bookshelves like this. I have yet to do it in my house, but maybe some day I will. I have a sinking suspicion it looks better in professional photos…
Cath – Glad you liked the post! Thanks again for creating such a great program. Excited to see what the next selection is!
JD – I had no idea you were such a book fiend too! I regularly have to restrain myself from ordering 5 books at a time on Amazon, and have an entire shelf in my house of books I haven’t read yet (almost like a mini-bookstore!). I also love your approach of asking the smartest people you know what books changed their life, and I completely agree that books make the best mentors. I don’t know where I would be without them…
Marcelo – Thanks for stopping by! I hope class is going well for you and your students. If it is the same group, please tell them I say hello!
Jenny,
Thanks for posting! You’re right! It is a marvelous idea, and I’m sad I never thought of it too. Thanks for finding all of these great resources. I greatly enjoy them
Laura