[Rich Kressly]

Warning: Do not read unless you're prepared to get an earful about books from an English teacher. Actually, the books that have had the most influence on me are more philosophical in nature than the stardard literature you'd expect to hear about from someone in my profession.

Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield: While some of the story in the latter stages is a little "out there" for some readers, the nine insights and the lessons learned along the way have taught me a great deal about history, world view, relationships, learning, living life, and making choices. I even had one student a few years ago compare the insights to Maslow's basic needs. We sent the paper out and Redfield's publicist read in and sent us a nice note.

Tuesday's With Morrie by Mitch Albom: True story. Morrie Schwartz is truly the finest example of a teacher and mentor I've ever come across (no offense to present company). I've used parts of the book and the movie in class. It's powerful and, even if you don't like books or read much, I guarantee you'll finish this in a few days at most.

Art of War by Sun Tsu: The most ancient and respected text ever written about war strategy and preparing for competition. Most of the great war generals throughout history had a copy on their shelf. The book has also been applied to athletics, business, competition of all kinds, and even FIRST Robotics (our whole strategy team got a copy in the mail last summer to read). I carried a copy in my back pocket when I coached baseball and have frequently referenced the priciples when making decisions and leading others in competition.

Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: When Woodie spoke about this book at kickoff in 2002, I knew I had to read it. This book has definately influenced the way I make decisions and the type of people I surround myself with.

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn - Practical ways to mesh the best of eastern culture into our western lives. How I found out about Zinn and this book is quite an interesting story all by itself.

-There are others I could write about, but these are the five most influential in my life right now.