Kalen Bruce

Jesus Follower · Husband · Father · Writer · Learner

Reading List

These are all of the best books I’ve read on different topics. A book appearing on this list does not mean I endorse all of the content and/or beliefs of the author(s), but I have read every book on this list, and I only include the books that have given me useful knowledge that I can apply.

A Note on the Diversity on This List
You may notice that there are books from all sides of thought, political beliefs, theology, and ideas… I think that’s important. Please don’t discredit this list because you disagree with one of the authors or books. This list is very well thought out, and I’ve only recommended what I believe to be valuable.
A Note on the Theological Books on This List
There are a wide variety of authors here, and some have very different beliefs. For example, I have several Calvinist authors, while I also have Open Theistic authors. I believe you can get something out of every theological work here. Please don’t limit your reading to only one lane of theology. Look at the entire picture.

Apologetics

  1. G. Boyd, E. Boyd, Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father’s Questions about Christianity (David C. Cook, 2008)
  2. —- The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church (Zondervan, 2007)
  3. —- The Myth of a Christian Religion: Losing Your Religion for the Beauty of a Revolution (Zondervan, 2009)
  4. —- Cross Vision: How the Crucifixion of Jesus Makes Sense of Old Testament Violence (Fortress Press, 2018)
  5. T. Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (Penguin Books, reprint ed., 2009)
  6. C. Lewis, Mere Christianity (HarperSanFrancisco, revised ed., 2009)
  7. —- The Problem of Pain (HarperOne, revised ed., 2015)
  8. A. McFarland, The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity (Bethany House Publishers, 2007)
  9. C. Medearis, Speaking of Jesus: The Art of Non-Evangelism (David C. Cook, 2011)
  10. L. Strobel, The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God (Zondervan, reprint ed., 2014)
  11. —- The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (Zondervan, expanded ed., 2016)
  12. —- The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity (Zondervan, 2014)
  13. T. Tchividjian, Jesus + Nothing = Everything (Crossway, 2011)
  14. N.T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense (HarperOne, 2010)
  15. R. Zacharias, Has Christianity Failed You? (Zondervan, 2017)

Biographies

  1. A. Schroeder, The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life (Bantam, updated ed., 2009)

Christian Fiction

  1. C. Lewis, The Great Divorce (HarperOne, 2009)
  2. —- The Screwtape Letters: With Screwtape Proposes a Toast (HarperCollins, revised ed., 2001)
  3. D. Shafer, Exile of Lucifer (Destiny Image Publishers, 2005)
  4. D. Walsh, The Discovery: A Novel (Revell, 2012)

Christian Living

  1. J. Eldredge, Wild at Heart Revised and Updated: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul (Thomas Nelson, rev. expanded ed., 2011)
  2. D. Miller, Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality (Thomas Nelson, 2003)
  3. —-  Searching for God Knows What (Thomas Nelson, expanded ed., 2010)
  4. —- Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road (Oliver-Nelson Books, 2005)
  5. R. Warren, God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions (Living With Purpose) (Zondervan, 2014)
  6. —- God’s Power to Change Your Life (Living with Purpose) (Zondervan, 2014)
  7. —- What on Earth Am I Here For? (The Purpose Driven Life) (Zondervan, 2012)
  8. D. Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ (NavPress, 2002)

Church

  1. N. Cole, Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens (Jossey-Bass, 2005)

Financial Management

  1. J. Avanzini, Rapid Debt-Reduction Strategies (HIS Publishing Company, 3rd ed., 1990)
  2. G. Clason, The Richest Man in Babylon (original ed., 1926)
  3. B. Kobliner, Make Your Kid A Money Genius (Even If You’re Not): A Parents’ Guide for Kids 3 to 23 (Simon & Schuster, 2017)
  4. D. Nichols, God’s Plan for Your Finances (Whitaker House, 1998)
  5. D. Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness (Ramsey, Dave, 2013)
  6. D. Ramsey, R. Cruze, Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money (Ramsey Press, 2014)
  7. C. Richards, The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money (Portfolio, 2012)
  8. T. Stanley, W. Danko, The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Rich (Tayler Trade Publishing, 20th ed., 2016)

Habits

  1. J. Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (Avery, 2018)
  2. C. Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business (Duhigg, Charles, 2014)
  3. S. Guise, Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results (CreateSpace, 2013)
  4. S. Scott, Habit Stacking: 127 Small Changes to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness (CreateSpace, 2nd ed., 2017)

Health

  1. J. Eaker, Fat-Proof Your Family: God’s Way to Forming Healthy Habits for Life (Bethany House, 2007)
  2. H. Egan, Holy Cow! Does God Care About What We Eat? (Heart of Wisdom Publishing, 2nd ed., 2012)
  3. D. Perlmutter, Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers (Little, Brown and Company, 2013)
  4. J. Rubin, The Maker’s Diet: The 40-Day Health Experience that will Change Your Life Forever (Destiny Image, reprint ed., 2013)
  5. T. Ferriss, The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman (Harmony, 2010)
  6. B. Wansink, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (Bantam, 2006)

History

  1. W. Durant, A. Durant, The Lessons of History (Simon & Schuster, 2010)
  2. H. Zinn, A People’s History of the United States (Harper Perennial Modern Classics, reissue ed., 2015)

Investing

  1. W. Berntein, The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio (McGraw-Hill Education, 2010)
  2. J. Bogle, The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns (Wiley, 2nd ed., 2017)
  3. W. Buffett, The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America (The Cunningham Group & Carolina Academic Press, 4th ed., 2015)
  4. D. Chilton, The Wealthy Barber, Updated 3rd Edition: Everyone’s Commonsense Guide to Becoming Financially Independent (Currency, updated ed., 1997)
  5. P. Fisher, Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings (Wiley, 2nd ed., 2003)
  6. B. Graham, J. Zweig, The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel (HarperBusiness, revised ed., 2006)
  7. J. Greenblatt, The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (John Wiley & Sons, 2010)
  8. B. Malkiel, A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing (W. W. Norton & Company, 11th ed., 2015)
  9. J. O’Donnell, The Shortest Investment Book Ever: Wall Street Secrets For Making Every Dollar Count (Northfield Publishing, new ed.,2008)

Leadership

  1. K. Blanchard, M. Miller, Great Leaders Grow (Collins Business, 2012)
  2. J. Fuhrman, Leading Leaders to Leadership: 21 Secrets for Leveraging Your Way to Greater Success (Possibility Press, 2007)
  3. S. Godin, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us (Piatkus Books Ltd, 2001)
  4. J. Maxwell, The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential (Center Street, 2011)
  5. —- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (HarperCollins, revised and updated ed., 2007)
  6. —- Good Leaders Ask Great Questions: Your Foundation for Successful Leadership (Center Street, reprint ed., 2016)
  7. —- Leadership 101: What Every Leaders Needs to Know (101 Series) (HarperCollins Leadership, 2002)
  8.  S. Johnson, K. Blanchard,  The New One Minute Manager (William Morrow, 2015)
  9. D. Ramey, EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches (Howard Books, 2011)

Marriage

  1. G. Chapman, The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts (Chapman, Gary, reprint ed., 2015)
  2. —- The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted (Moody Publishers, new ed., 2013)
  3. G. Driscoll, M. Driscoll, Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together (Thomas Nelson, reprint ed., 2013)
  4. E. Eggerichs, Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs (Thomas Nelson, 2004)
  5. T. Gardner, Sacred Sex: A Spiritual Celebration of Oneness in Marriage (Waterbrook, 2002)
  6. W. Harley, His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage (Revell, expanded ed., 2011)
  7. T. Keller, K. Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (Timothy Keller, reprint ed., 2013)
  8. G. Thomas, Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy? (Zondervan, reprint ed., 2015)

Mindset

  1. C. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Ballantine Books, reprint, up. ed., 2007)
  2. N. Hill, Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill, revised ed., 2005)
  3. R. Kiyosaki, Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! (Plata Publishing, reprint ann. ed., 2017)
  4. J. Maxwell, How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life (Center Street, 2009)
  5. —- Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters (Center Street, reprint ed., 2017)
  6. D. Schwartz, The Magic of Thinking Big (Fireside, reprint ed., 1987)
  7. J. Tierney, R. Baumeister, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength (Penguin Books, reprint ed., 2012)

Minimalism

  1. L. Babauta, The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life (Hachette Books, 2009)
  2. J. Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own (WaterBrook, reprint ed., 2018)
  3. G. McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (Virgin, 2014)

Parenting

  1. K. Blanchard, T. Goyer, P. Hodges, Lead Your Family Like Jesus: Powerful Parenting Principles from the Creator of Families (Focus on the Family, reprint ed., 2017)
  2. K. Canfield, The 7 Secrets of Effective Fathers: Becoming the Father Your Children Need (Tyndale House Publsihers, Inc., reprint ed., 2001)
  3. E. McGlasson, The Difference A Father Makes – Calling Out the Magnificent Destiny in Your Children (Ed Tandy McGlasson Ministries, Kindle ed., 2014)
  4. K. Welch, Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World (Tyndale Momentum, 2016)

People & Relationships

  1. D. Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (Pocket Books, 1998)
  2. G. Chapman, The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts (Chapman, Gary, reprint ed., 2015)
  3. Giblin, L., How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing With People (Les Giblin Books, 1956)
  4. R. Rohm, Positive Personality Profiles: D-I-S-C-over Personality Insights to Understand Yourself and Others! (Voyages Press Inc., 2005)

Prayer

  1. G. Boyd, Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now (Zondervan, 2010)
  2. F. Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God (David C. Cook, rev. and updated ed., 2013)
  3. J. Eldredge, Moving Mountains: Praying With Passion, Confidence, and Authority (Thomas Nelson, 2016)
  4. —- Walking With God: How to Hear His Voice (Thomas Nelson, Expanded ed., 2016)
  5. P. Miller, A Praying Life: Connecting With God in a Distracting World (NavPress, Reissue, 2017)
  6. S. Rushnell, L. DuArt, Couples Who Pray: The Most Intimate Act Between a Man and a Woman, (Thomas Nelson, 2011)

Productivity

  1. D. Allen, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Penguin Books, rev. ed., 2015)
  2. H. Elrod, The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Miracle Morning Publishing, LLC, 2012)
  3. T. Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Harmony, expanded and updated ed., 2009)
  4. G. Keller, The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results (Keller, Gary, 2013)
  5. J. Olsen, The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines Into Massive Success and Happiness (Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2013)
  6. J. Rohn, Leading an Inspired Life (Success Books, Kindle ed., 2011)
  7. —- The Art of Exceptional Living (Nightingale-Conant, Audible ver., 2014)
  8. —- Seven Strategies for Wealth and Happiness (Manjul Publishing House Pvt Ltd, 2009)
  9. H. Smith, The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management: Proven Strategies for Increased Productivity and Inner Peace (Warner Books, 1994)
  10. B. Tracy, Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (Berrett-Koehler, 2nd ed., 2007)
  11. —- Time Power: A Proven System for Getting More Done in Less Time Than You Ever Thought Possible (AMACOM, 2007)
  12. R. Vaden, Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success (TarcherPerigee, reprint ed., 2012)
  13. —- Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time (TarcherPerigee, 2015)
  14. Z. Ziglar, Better Than Good: Creating a Life You Can’t Wait to Live (Integrity Publishers, 2006)
  15. —- See You at the Top (Pelican Publishing, 2000)

Spiritual Warfare

  1. G. Boyd, A. Larson, Escaping the Matrix: Setting Your Mind Free to Experience Real Life in Christ (Baker Books, 2005)
  2. D. Prince, Lucifer Exposed: The Devil’s Plans to Destroy Your Life (Whitaker House, 2006)

Worry & Stress

  1. D. Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (BN Publishing, 2011)

Writing

  1. S. King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Scribner, 2010)
  2. W. Strunk, E. White, The Elements of Style (Strunk Jr., William, 4th ed., 1999)
  3. W, Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Non-Fiction (Harper Perennial, reprint ed., 2016)