Eric's

I try to spend an hour a day reading a physical book because I like the way it feels and the way it engages a different part of my brain after spending all day in the digital realm producing content.

Talk to Me

by Dean Nelson PhD

I have spent the bulk of my life talking to and interviewing other people for my radio show, podcasts, videos, job interviews, etc. so a book with this title is sure to grab my attention. Dean Nelson is the Director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University and has written for the New York Times and the Boston Globe. This book that in some cases works more like a textbook is one of the best on the subject of asking better questions. If you are curious about the world around you, work in journalism, or just want to have better conversations this book is a game changer and would be a fantastic gift for a graduate who is about to enter the “real world” and make connections to create their own life outside of their parents ecosystem. Asking questions is how we make sense of the world around us, if you can ask better questions you will have a better understanding of the world around you and why I love this book so much.

Here is Real Magic

by Nate Staniforth

Nate is a professional magician who stands at the peak of the mountain that was his career and wondered, “is this it?” At this point he has fallen out of love with magic and his shows had become routine, taking all of the “magic” out of what he has always wanted to do. So, he quit, walked away – with the understanding that he would come back once he understood the meaning of real magic. Nate would travel to India in search of the origins of magic, devoid of the image in your mind of a Vegas show – actual magic that defies logic and questions what you know of your own world. In other words, he wanted to bring wonder back into his life. This book is a gift in the way that it explores the discovery of wonder and how vital that is to enjoy what little time we have here. I have always been fixated on wonder and the power that brings to problem solving, decision making, and everyday life and “Here is Real Magic” was a powerful read for me, so much so that I have read it three times this year already.

The Passage

by Justin Cronin

I have a rule that there has to be some fiction titles on my bookshelf because it helps my creative juices flow. The Passage is an older book that friends have recommended to me from time to time but for whatever reason I never picked up. However, when FOX picked up the book for a show with Mark Paul Gosslar as the start (yes, Zach Morris + vampires) I was interested. The pilot for the show, was bad – very bad, so I reached out to those friends who said, “read the book!” So, I picked it up and devoured it. I love the universe Cronin built here and cannot wait to finish the other two books in the trilogy. If you have not checked this one out and dig the genre bending where horror and sci-fi meet this end of the world dystopian trilogy will make a GREAT beach read.