If You Read Only One Book This Summer . . . This Is It

In keeping with my self-imposed light online footprint, I'm not going to endlessly go on and on about what just might be one of the best books I've ever read.

Bottom line - if you read only one book this summer, grab Adam McHugh's The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction.




McHugh's the kind of guide you'd choose if you're taking a long, winding journey to someplace unknown.  He's wise, he's got a keen sense of humor.  He knows where he's headed, because he's the first to admit the mistakes he's made in the past.  His subject matter is deep, yet engaging and readable.  He's got some crack-you-up anecdotes to share along the way {and his wry humor is even interlaced in the books's end notes}.

If you like reading with a highlighter or pen in hand, grab yours.

'The question that drives this book is, how would our relationships change, and how would we change, if we approached every situation with the intention of listening first?  What if we approached our relationship with God as listeners?  What if we viewed our relationship with nature as one of listening?  What if we approached our relationships using our ears rather than our mouths?  What if we sought to listen to our emotions before we preached to them?' 

The Listening Life will probably not only end up being my favorite book of 2016 ... it will drastically simplify my Christmas shopping list come November.

I'll take a crate of these, please.