Recommended Reading
The following are books that I've found most meaningful. Each relates to design in some way: be it imagery, process, people, business, or life itself. In addition, I consider this small group of authors to be a personal "tribe of mentors."

Man's Search for Meaning
Vicktor Frankl was both a neurologist and a Holocaust survivor. His account of finding meaning in the worst circumstances sweeps away assumptions of what we think we need. He directs us to ask the question, "If I died today, what important task would be left undone?" For those who have a why to live, can bear almost any how. Frankl's post-holocaust psychiatric work, entitled logo-therapy (meaning-therapy), is truly a light in the darkness. Thank you, Viktor.

Pretty Much Everything
Aaron Draplin is the graphic designer who has given me the most inspiration. His enthusiasm for simple and functional design work is contagious. Many others list Aaron as an influence as well, with good reason. Thank you, Aaron.

12 Rules for Life
Jordan Peterson is a well-known Canadian psychologist. He is somewhat controversial in today's political climate, but my position is that his voice is invaluable, lest we forget lessons we learned from global conflicts and failed ideologies of the 20th century. On a more personal level, his advice helped me see life more clearly during darker times and remains applicable every day. Thank you, Jordan.

2 Second Lean
Paul Akers is the founder of Fastcap and perhaps the world's most enthusiastic evangelist for lean methodology. Discovering lean was a watershed moment for me, leading to the realization that my low tolerance for disorder doesn't actually mean that I'm crazy! There are a lot of complicated books out there on Six Sigma, Toyota Production System, etc., but Paul's approach to lean is a simpler one: Just make little 2-second process improvements every day. Fix what bugs you! When everyone is doing this it makes for a far better organizational culture— not to mention a better life. Thank you, Paul.

The Ideal Team Player
Patrick Lencioni is the author of several business books told in easy-to-read fables. The Ideal Team Player emphasizes building a team of people who are humble, hungry, and people smart. The book details the benefits of having such people on your team, as well as the risks involved when hiring people who lack in one or more areas. The three attributes are elegantly placed on a Venn diagram, which I love so much I included it in the Team Forge logo. Thank you, Pat.

I first read this book while coaching high school soccer and immediately applied its wisdom to the team's culture. If any of my former Tavares players are reading this, I am extremely proud of how you came together during adversity. To me, you are all legendary.

The Great Divorce
C.S. Lewis is often cited from the church pulpit as a great author and theologian, but many ministers are quick to point out that Lewis's theology is not flawless. This intrigued me, as I'd developed issues with modern church theology and wondered what might be so controversial about Lewis's thoughts. In short, this wonderful story set me on a long and brutal path of challenging my faith. Today I am more at peace and I believe that there is hope for everyone. Thank you, Jack.

Oathbringer
Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy series in not for those who don't enjoy diving into heavy 1,200 page tomes. It's definitely an investment, but a worthy one. The main character in book three is the reason the title makes this list. To not spoil anything, I'll sum up in one quote:
You can't have my pain.

We must learn to value our own suffering, and face it bravely instead of running from it. This is another point made in Man's Search for Meaning. Our painful experiences shape who we are becoming, and shape our ultimate purpose— in which we find true meaning. Oathbringer tells the story of a man coming to grips with his own failures in a fantastic setting. It gave me goosebumps and brought me to tears. Thank you, Brandon.