CVC exclusive tool: 'Search for growth' reading recommendations

Few of us have the luxury of a having a personal “life coach” to help us in our pursuit of personal and professional growth. The search for growth never ends and requires commitment. One way of stimulating yourself to develop and grow is by reading nonveterinary medical books and publications and gleaning as much as possible from people who have continued their search and are trying to assist others on their way to being the best they can be.

This reading list includes a few of the books that have helped me. Some are recent publications and will be easy to locate, while others will be a challenge to find.  None are precisely related to being a practicing veterinarian, but all contain valuable information. Read them with a hungry mind and look at similarities to your life.

The Successful Professional Practice

Robert P. Levoy

Although this book was published in 1970, I recently reread it, and given the state of our profession and the need for focusing on client relationships, it is still timely.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Chip Heath and Dan Heath

The authors demonstrate how to communicate with people, not as we want to communicate with others, but as they want us to communicate with them. The book focuses on six key qualities that enhance the likelihood of successful communication and making an idea stick.

Don't Retire, REWIRE! 2nd Edition

Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners

Though designed for people in career transitions, this book gives you the tools to identify your “drivers”…what really makes you fulfilled in what you do and how to do more of that. Find your bliss in your career.

The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

Jonathan Haidt

Not a book you read to relax, but rather to better know yourself. The author focuses on how the mind works by discussing 10 great ideas from ancient cultures and how they still apply.

Skills for Communicating with Patients

Jonathan Silverman, Suzanne M. Kurtz, Juliet Draper

Although it is written for human health care providers, this book reveals how we all must deal with people in difficult situations. The authors provide communication tools that will change the experiences of you and your clients.

Becoming a Category of One: How Extraordinary Companies Transcend Commodity and Defy Comparison

Joe Calloway

How to beat the competition. Define your practice, earn client loyalty, and truly set yourself apart from others.

Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard

Chip Heath and Dan Heath

How to create lasting change in anything. Learn to motivate employees, family, and ourselves. Addresses the rational and irrational parts of our mind and why we seem to fear change, but most importantly, how to get past that fear.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less

Barry Schwartz

Too many choices can make life more stressful. How too many options may be worse than none! When can too many choices lead to inaction?

Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness

Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein

How we make choices, and how to make better ones.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference           

Malcolm Gladwell

When change begins with just a few people, it spreads and ultimately can become the new norm.

@Your Service: How to Attract New Customers, Increase Sales, and Grow Your Business Using Simple Customer Service Techniques           

Frank Eliason

A guide to refocusing your business on those who matter most: customers and employees.

Ready, Fire, Aim

Michael Masterson

Self-made multimillionaire shares his knowledge from creating numerous businesses and helps guide small businesses through the four stages of entrepreneurial growth.

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

Chip Heath and Dan Heath

A four-step process designed to help people make good personal decisions.