Here at PathNorth, we love books! If we're not reading a book together as part of our Team Book Club, we are most likely passing around a book or two that influence the way we view the world.

The five books pictured above impacted us greatly this year. PathNorth member Jean Case released Be Fearless, a celebration of five principles for a life of breakthroughs and purpose. Member Bob Brown shared You Can't Go Wrong Doing Right, his story as a child of poverty who rose to the white house and helped change the world. And brothers Chip & Dan Heath influenced our team to change how we plan and execute events to create greater meaning and impact after reading The Power of Moments.

A Deeper Look:

The Second Mountain by David Brooks

After hearing David speak at a Civility Lunch last year, we’ve all been eager for the arrival of his new book. As a team, we’ve loved his ideas on committing deeply to a cause, community or purpose and many of the stories have reminded us of the amazing work you all are doing in the world. This is our favorite quote from the book:

“Moral formation is not individual; it is relational. Character is not something you build sitting in a room thinking about the difference between right and wrong and about your own willpower. Character emerges from our commitments. If you want to inculcate character in someone else, teach them how to form commitments—temporary ones in childhood, provisional ones in youth, permanent ones in adulthood. Commitments are the school for moral formation. When your life is defined by fervent commitments, you are on the second mountain.”

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

This book is amazingly thoughtful about how to disrupt expectations and make an experience truly impactful – something we’re always aiming to do at PathNorth. It’s a great read for anyone who hosts parties, meetings, or gatherings of any type. We loved when Pirya wrote:

“Your opening needs to be a kind of pleasant shock therapy. It should grab people. And in grabbing them, it should both awe the guests and honor them. It must plant in them the paradoxical feeling of being totally welcomed and deeply grateful to be there.”

We want to hear what you're reading. Respond to this email, give us a call, send us a book! We hope you get a chance to pick up a great book this weekend!

The PathNorth Team
Doug, Adam, Melanie, Jennifer, Gloria and Seth