Five Minutes on Monday by Alan Lurie is quiet gem. I have not seen it on any lists, but it should be. The author is an architect turned rabbi turned manager. He brings a wide breadth of knowledge and experience to his quiet Monday insights. The book is a compilation of Monday morning talks a business team. While many of the insights come from the Jewish tradition, they are peppered with stories and concepts from philosophy, science and other religious traditions. The tone of the book is very soft, encouraging reflection on the deeper meanings of the ideas.

The topics range from justice to creativity to resolving conflicts to being authentic while facing fears and cultivating happiness. Quiet and powerful. I started to just read through the book, but found that randomly opening it and reading a bite-size section was better. There is an index that is very helpful in finding pertinent themes. Even the short highlighted quotes are useful. For example, I just randomly opened the book to this one:" With experience and guidance, we discover that mistakes can, in fact, often be turned around and transformed into a positive growth experience."

The chapters are short since each was a short Monday talk. I recommend reading one at a time, perhaps daily, and spending some time with the thoughts presented. Again, it is a quiet gem. It does not loudly shout about transformation, the power to change or our need to heal the planet. The truths are simple, direct, and applicable to individual life. The chapters left me thoughtfully inspired...a nice feeling.

I recommend this book to anyone in a leadership position needing some insight, anyone wanting to deepen their daily reflective practice, anyone wanting some quiet inspiration, and anyone interested in applying Jewish (or other) philosophy in a mainstream setting.