Recommended Reading

Lately, I seem to have developed and insatiable appetite for reading and audiobooks.  Below is a list of books and audiobooks I would like to recommend for the artist and seeker of wisdom.

Man's Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl,


Frankl was a prisoner in Aushwitz and other Nazi camps, and used his experiences there to formulate a new system of psychology which he termed logotherapy.  This was developed through his study of human nature during tragedy.  The most significant school of Psychology since Freud or Adler schools, logotherapy is rooted in the idea that problems are rooted in our desperate need to find meaning and ultimately purpose.  Mostly his system focuses on the triumphs to be had by the "defiance of the human spirit", and through achievements made in the human spirit, not in the material world.


The Art Spirit, by Robert Henri.

Robert Henri was a renowned and well loved art teacher in the early 1900's.  This book is repleate with wisdom for the artist spirit.  And it is profoundly practical.  A MUST READ!!!


Aesop's Fables,

If you havent read this, you are truly missing out!  I love these little fables!


The Consolation of Philosophy, by Boethius

This is now in my top 20 favorites of all time!  Boethius, a Roman statesman, poet, philosopher, is imprisoned for being too virtuous and conscientious in his politics.  His adherance to virtue attracts the disdain of those around him.  From prison he holds a discourse with Philosophy who comes to console him, test his faculties of reason and rhetoric, and set him on the path again to higher wisdom and God.  This book is so brilliant, there is little I can say except, READ IT!

Stealing the Mystic Lamb, by Noah Charney

This book is fantastic!  Charney delves into the history and creation of Jan van Eycke's Ghent Altarpiece.  From its groundbreaking style, scope and techniques, to the life of the artist, to its repeated theft, this book covers everything!  A great read.

Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Marie Rilke

This is one of my all time favorites.  This is for writers what the Art Spirit is for artists.  It shares the correspondance between Rilke and an aspiring poet.  It shares immense wisdom for the creative individual.  It discusses our vision of the world, and how to survive as a sensitive creative person.

The Art of Power, Thich Nhat Hanh

This little book is filled with spritual wisdom about the true source of power and what power is.  Profound.

The Art of War, Sun Tzu

If you have not read this, it is a must.  It is a great source of life strategy.