The Invisible Mentor

Invisible Mentors are asked which one book had a profound impact on their life, and if you were stranded on a deserted which five books would you like to have with you. The one influential book is often among desert island books, but in this instance, Invisible Mentor David Gray’s influential book was different from his desert island books.

David Gray’s Influential & Desert Island Books

1. Hero of a Thousand Faces [Influential Book] – Joseph Campbell (He taught me to ‘follow my bliss)
2. Don Quixote – Miguel De Cervantes (The first modern novel, this book revolutionized the imaginative approach to the then core myth of Chivalry, itself a central concept in most European’s self-construct. This book reminds us never to take at face value the assumptions of the society in which we happen to live because of vagaries of our birth in a particular geographical space, social context and time)
3. The Shield of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course of History – Philip Bobbitt (An erudite and sweeping review of European history until the 19th century and then an analysis of world history in the 20th and early 21st centuries viewed from the dual perspectives of Law and War. This book provides a context within which to grasp the complex geopolitics of the world we currently live in)
4. The Poetry of Robert Frost – edited by Edward Connery Lathem (This book reminds one that the only life worth living is one including a degree of reflection)
5. The Measure of a Man: a Spiritual Autobiography – Sidney Poitier (This book teaches a man how to live as a man. In a day and age when men are increasingly out of touch with their essential masculinity, Poitier’s story of his personal challenges, triumphs and philosophy of life reads like a melodic breath of very fresh air)
6. Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fuelled His Greatness – Joshua Wolf Shenk (A biography that reads like a detective novel. The real Lincoln is far more fascinating and inspiring than the manufactured American myth of the man. Like Poitier’s book, this one provides insights into what is possible to achieve and, far more importantly, what it means to live life as a man who is true to his own vision, come hell or high water. Interestingly, in Lincoln’s case it was the hellfire of a bullet, whereas for Poitier it was a near-death experience with high water)

April 2009 Book List

The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

Hero of a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell

Don Quixote, Miguel De Cervantes

The Shield of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course of History, Philip Bobbitt

The Poetry of Robert Frost, edited by Edward Connery Lathem

The Measure of a Man: a Spiritual Autobiography , Sidney Poitier

Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fuelled His Greatness , Joshua Wolf Shenk

While reading any of the books on the list, identify concepts that you can apply to work and life. Can you also identify any compelling reasons why anyone would want to take these books on a desrted island? What are five books that you would like to have with you on a deserted island?

Photo Credits: Avil Beckford

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