Book Club

This month, instead of choosing a book about renewal directly, I wanted to share something that feels like renewal in a different way.

I’m recommending Nelson Mandela’s My African Stories, a collection of traditional African short stories gathered from across the continent—South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Congo, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, and more. The stories are illustrated by African artists, and each one carries the tone, texture, and imagination of its place of origin.

Mandela compiled this book with a simple and powerful intention: that African children would grow up listening to the stories of their own ancestors, their own cultures, their own lands. There is something deeply meaningful about that—to preserve voice, imagination, and history through storytelling.

I inherited this book from my father. He was a thirsty reader and had a unique instinct for choosing books that carried substance.

He loved this one—not only because of the beauty…

I first read Wired for Love as part of my coaching certification program. Later, I picked it up again, and while it wasn’t a radically different experience the second time, it certainly deepened my understanding. With more knowledge and hands-on experience to draw from, the concepts felt even more grounded and applicable—not only to my personal life, but also to the work I do with clients.

This book gave me so much clarity about how I had shown up in past relationships, how those dynamics had played out, and how I could begin doing things differently moving forward. It was eye-opening in the best way. It also gave me incredibly valuable tools and insights to support the people I work with—especially couples.

In fact, Wired for Love has become a foundational text for how I work with couples. I help them create, understand, and nourish what Dr. Tatkin calls the…

I first encountered Dr. Tara Swart through a Diary of a CEO podcast interview, and what struck me wasn’t just her presence—but her story, her clarity, her depth, and her methodology. After watching that interview, and then a few more podcasts with her, I knew I wanted to read her book.

When I finally picked up The Source, I found it to be a really thoughtful, practical, and science-based guide. It’s less about mysticism in the abstract, and more about how our brains actually work—and how we can use that understanding to bring clarity, intention, and meaningful change into our lives.

What Dr. Swart does so well is take conversations that often live in the world of spirituality or “manifestation” and explain them through neuroscience and psychology. She starts by walking us through how the brain functions—how thoughts form, how neural pathways get created, and how our brain is literally the source of…

When I picked up The Courage to Be Disliked, I wasn’t familiar with Alfred Adler or his teachings, but this book changed that in such a delightful and eye-opening way. It’s not just a self-help book—it’s a conversation, a Socratic dialogue between a wise philosopher and a skeptical young student. The format pulled me in immediately; it felt like I was a fly on the wall, listening to an intellectual sparring match.

What struck me most was how practical and relatable Adler’s ideas became through the dialogue. The concept of not relying on external validation to define your worth isn’t new, but the way the authors unpack it makes it feel fresh and applicable. At times, I found myself frustrated with the young student’s persistent doubts, but that frustration was part of the magic—it mirrored the resistance we all feel when confronted with ideas that challenge us.

I loved this…