My Shelf of Recommended Books

(more being added all the time)

Some folks are “foodies.” Me? I’m a “bookie” (no, not the gambling kind!)

I am a firm believer that we are all life-long learners and that reading is the most effective form for feeding our minds. Each book listed below has made (and is probably still making) a significant impact on my life in one way or another. “My Bookshelf” is the page I was most excited to create on this site. It is an absolute joy to share some of the contemplative milestones that have shaped my journey. While these “shelves” are for everyone, they are especially dedicated to my students.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
written by David Allen
©2015 Penguin Books

Reading GTD completely revolutionized my approach to pursuing the various areas of responsibility in my life. I frequently gift this book to others and on the inside cover inscribe something like “I know you already own a Bible. This is the next best book I could give you.”

Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want
written by Michael Hyatt & Daniel Harkavy
©2016 Baker Books

 Much like GTD, reading Hyatt & Harkavy’s book inspired me to write my own Life Plan to both identify my life priorities and ensure better balance. I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone — my students above all!

Choral Repertoire
written by Dennis Shrock
©2009 Oxford University Press

 One of the leading single-volume books on the western choral canon. An EXTREMELY useful resource for any choral conductor or lover of choral music. The book is organized by historical era and provides background information on over 5,000 individual works and biographical material for over 500 composers.

Deep Work
Written by Cal Newport
©2016 Hachette Book Group

Cal Newport offers the poignant and indicting thesis that the 21st century global market will reward those that can actually do deep, focused, time-consuming creative work. In an age where digital distraction overwhelms daily living, this type of work is becoming more and more rare, and in turn, more and more valuable. Newport’s book is a solid reminder of valuing true intellectual work over the instant gratification of small, unimportant, easily achievable tasks. I recommend it to all students.

Make Today Count
written by John C. Maxwell
©2004 Hachette Book Group

This pamphlet-like book is a useful refresher on balanced and intentional living – physically, mentally, relationally, and spiritually. For those looking for a quick and easy read on developing life priorities and a practical action plan on putting those priorities into practice, this book is for you.

Breakthrough Rapid Reading
written by Peter Kump
©1999 Prentice Hall, Inc.

If we stopped and contemplated how many words we read in a day, I think the number would astound us. More and more is written and thrown at us every day both digitally and on paper. I recommend all students make learning the techniques of this book a first-priority summer project. Breakthrough Rapid Reading not only provides techniques for reading faster but also remembering what you read more clearly and having greater discernment in the material that you choose to invest time reading. Speed-reading is a critical life skill.

Directing the Choral Music Program
written by Kenneth H. Phillips
©2016 Oxford University Press

For those planning to run a choral music program at any level (elementary, junior/senior high, collegiate, adult community, or in the church), I recommend this book as an introduction to the various aspects of teaching and administering a choral ensemble. Dr. Phillips draws on decades of experience and has written the most comprehensive book on the subject of which I know.

A Survey of Choral Music
written by Homer Ulrich
©1974 Schirmer Press

This book is an excellent introduction to the choral forms of the traditional western choral canon including Mass, Requiem mass, motet, anthem, madrigal, chanson, oratorio, secular Romantic works, and choral-orchestral symphonic works. I highly recommend this to the beginning conductor or music educator. It is available on Amazon and in Waggoner Library.

How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students
written by Cal Newport
©2005 Three Rivers Press

I recommend this book to my students for obvious reasons. So often students believe they just need to be better at time management. I find time difficult to manage. Managing priorities and energy is much easier. Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University. Here is a partial explanation of the book taken from the author’s website:

“Proving that success has little to do with being a genius workaholic, and everything to do with having the right gameplan, How to Win at College is the must-have guide for making the most of these four important years—and getting an edge on life after graduation.”

Available through Amazon or a Waggoner interlibrary loan.

Check out Dr. Lerew on Goodreads