Ferrari Book Club
“If you read 10 pages per day that is 300 pages per month and roughly 12 books a year.”-Anonymous
Featured Book
Book List
Stillness Speaks is a short book of enlightened quotes from Eckhart Tolle. This book is great to reference and have on your night stand. Simple and to the point, Stillness Speaks will bring about a sense of peace within you.
An excerpt from the book:
“When you no longer believe everything you think, you step out of thought and see clearly that the thinker is not who you are.”
Matthew Walker is a sleep researcher who compiles his latest research into one compelling argument about the importance of sleep. He describes the detrimental effects when we lack 7 hours of sleep and how sleep deprivation is considered a carcinogen. After reading this book, I have no doubt that you too will be convinced that maybe above all things including a proper diet; sleep is number one to living a healthy life.
An excerpt from the book:
“AMAZING BREAKTHROUGH! Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory and makes you more creative. It makes you look more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and the flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks and stroke, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious. Are you interested?”
This is a fiction book that tells the story of a boy who follows his dream. On his journey, he discovers the wonders of the world. This book symbolizes a path to enlightenment; learning that the journey, not the end result, is what matters most.
An excerpt from the book:
“I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.”
If there is a book that brings multiple perspectives in practical ways; this is it. I feel this book should be a starting point for anyone looking to change their perspectives in life. Covey discusses principles of changing yourself first and how that will influence the relationships around you. He discusses in depth the principles of paradigm shifts, win-win solutions, how to listen deeply and more. I highly recommend this book.
An excerpt from the book:
“Where we stand depends on where we sit." Each of us tends to think we see things as they are, that we are objective. But this is not the case. We see the world, not as it is, but as we are—or, as we are conditioned to see it. When we open our mouths to describe what we see, we in effect describe ourselves, our perceptions, our paradigms. When other people disagree with us, we immediately think something is wrong with them.”
This is a fun read which analyzes 3,000 near death experiences and the similarities between them. I enjoyed reading this book because it was interesting to read people’s realizations from their experience that pointed to truths about love and how their experience changed who they are as a person. The findings make you think about the afterlife and regardless of race, religion, and nationality; death is all the same for us and rather than fearing it, we should accept it and realize its liberation to live a life in freedom from suffering.
An excerpt from book:
“The other side doesn’t have the kind of pressures that the body imposes. Here on earth, we have to feed and clothe our bodies and provide shelter from the elements. We’re under continual pressure to make decisions that have a spiritual base. We may be taught on the “other side” what we are “supposed to do,” but can we live it under these pressures on earth? From what I saw and heard on the other side, everything is about relationships and taking care of each other. We aren’t expected to be perfect, but we are expected to learn. All of our experiences in a lifetime follow some sort of pattern, and we often learn the same lessons, but in a different way and under various circumstances. This is how we know what we are here to learn and test.”
Inner Enginneering is written by an Indian Mystic named Sadhguru. Sadhguru discusses how to optimize our lives and seek fulfillment through realizations that point to deeper truths of who we are. Sadhguru is simplistic in his explanations and uses amusing analogies that will have you contemplating. I recommend this book for those of you who are beginning to question our existence and what our purpose is.
An excerpt from the book:
“All the loving acts that two human beings are capable of, the simple act of holding hands can often become the most intimate. Why is this so? Basically, because the nature of the hands and feet is such that the energy system finds expression in these two parts of the body in a very singular way. Two palms coming together have far more intimacy than the contact between any other parts of the body. You can try this with yourself. You don’t even need a partner. When you put your hands together, the two energy dimensions within you (right-left, masculine-feminine, solar-lunar, yin-yang, etc.) are linked in a certain way, and you begin to experience a sense of unity within yourself. This is the logic of the traditional Indian namaskar. It is a means of harmonizing the system. So, the simplest way to experience a state of union is to try this simple namaskar yoga. Put your hands together, and pay loving attention to any object you use or consume, or any form of life that you encounter. When you bring this sense of awareness into every simple act, your experience of life will never be the same again. There is even a possibility that if you put your hands together, you could unite the world!”
Dale Carnegie delivers in this timeless classic on basic perspectives that brings success. What I like about this book is the simplistic advice given in which most of us tend to overlook. Carnegie discusses ways to change our approach to situations and people that in the end will be beneficial for all. The principles alone in this book will change the relationships you have with people. This is a must read for all.
An excerpt from the book:
“If some people are so hungry for a feeling of importance that they actually go insane to get it, imagine what miracle you and I can achieve by giving people honest appreciation this side of insanity.”
Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a classic. It is a short read but a powerful story that portrays the true purpose of life. A seagull is removed from his flock for wanting to branch out and pursue his true love of flying. Once removed, Jonathan Livingston meets a mentor in which he learns the true realties of life. This book depicts life and what all of us go through from day to day. It teaches us the importance to break free of the “normalcy” of life and pursue what we truly love, because that love will bring us to realizations that will change our lives for eternity.
An excerpt from the book:
“Your whole body, from wingtip to wingtip,” Jonathan would say, other times, “is nothing more than your thought itself, in a form you can see. Break the chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body, too ...”
Victor Frankl had such an extraordinary perspective when he experienced life in a concentration camp. This book is a great tool to understand the importance of perspectives, understanding suffering and the true nature of human beings. A book that should be read and re-read.
An excerpt from the book:
“For the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth—that love is the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the truth of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world may still know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist of enduring his sufferings in the right way—an honorable way—in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries o his beloved, achieve fulfillment. For the first time in my life, I was able to understand the meaning of the words, "The angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory.”
My mind still clung to the image of my wife. A thought crossed my mind: I didn't even know if she was alive. I knew only one thing—which I have learned well by now: Love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self.”
Eckhart Tolle is an enlightened being who teaches us the importance of living in the present moment. This book is a foundation for understanding how to live in the present recognizing that most of us are living in either the past or the future thus producing states of anxiety. When we are present we are at peace.
An excerpt from the book:
“All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all forms of fear - are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.”
― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
A foundational book that guides the reader to spiritual enlightenment. This not a light read but a critical book that offers deep perspectives on life. This book references teachings from Christianity but the underlying concepts are universal in nature. I have found this book to be transformational. Here is a link to learn more about the book:
“Every situation properly perceived, becomes an opportunity to heal.” – A Course In Miracles