I was influenced by these great works in 2012 so I thought I’d share them with you. All of these authors made me think about the world in a fresh way. I hope you get a chance to savor them in 2013.
Turning Pro – Steve Pressfield 
Steven’s companion piece to a book I shared on the 2011 list, The War of Art. I consider this mandatory reading for any creative writer, artist, or musician who wants to take their commitment level up a notch.
A new release by spiritual teacher Marc Allen, author and cofounder of New World Library. This book is chock full of affirmations, rituals, and meditations that will help keep you grounded and focused on your goals and dreams. I keep this one by my bed and peek at it every day.
The book that prompted Oprah to bring back her book club. I resisted reading it, but after a friend lent it to me, I dove right in. From the first page, it was impossible to put it down. More than just a great story, it reminded me that we don’t often prepare enough for life’s tough journeys, but we always receive the help we need along the way.
Good Life Project – Jonathan Fields
Jonathan is such a mentor to me. The author of Career Renegade and Uncertainty continues to push the envelope with the Good Life Project, which he started in early 2012. Good Life Project is a weekly web-show whose guests include entrepreneurs, artists, authors, and thought leaders. The common theme is people building meaningful businesses, work, and careers. Because Jonathan struggled to find stories of strong female role models for his young daughter, one of the core values of GLP TV is a deep commitment to spotlighting strong, innovative, creative women and men equally. Good Life Project is a continuous source of inspiration to me.
The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle 
One of the most influential books ever written, in my humble opinion. You’ll find this one on the top lists of every spiritual and thought leader. In a nutshell, be in the present moment. That’s all there is.
The master of horror shares his personal journey of becoming an author and sustaining his creativity. Hilarious and thought provoking insights into the man and his career as he shares his wisdom and experience. A must read for any writer.
Marketing genius and the man behind the digital book revolution. He blogs almost every day, but the wisdom is shared in small easy-to-digest bites. I highly recommend subscribing to this blog, if only to get an email every day that makes you think about the global marketplace in a new and different way.
A Whole New Mind – Daniel Pink
Wow. I ate this up like candy. Pink gives us the sign posts of transformation happening right now as we move from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. Read it. This is where the future is headed, folks. Clue: the subtitle of this book is “Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.”
If you sign up for her daily inspirations, you receive an email containing a one liner quote which you can link into to get a full blog post on the topic. Much inspiration and humor from the ultimate life coach and she shares it freely with us.
The follow-up to her book The Gifts of Imperfection which I included on the 2011 list. A look inside the “never enough” culture and how having the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead.