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Many of the executives I know have at least two things in common:  obsessive multitasking disorder, and an avid appetite for reading.  In my particular case, I am a multitasking reader.  I  often find myself reading three or four books at one time, almost never in chapter sequence; as well as four or five periodicals, and at least a couple of published reports and the like.  Currently on the nightstand at one side of my bed are several books in various stages of digestion. 

To satisfy my professional and intellectual appetite:

• Everything is Miscellaneous by David Weinberger
• Microtrends by Mark J. Penn
• The Real Wealth of Nations by Riane Eisler
• Putting Hope to Work by Harry Hutson & Barbara Perry
• Now is Gone by Geoff Livingston

 To satisfy my emotional appetite:

• Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva

Then there is the miscellaneous collection of Business Week, Fortune, More, Oprah, Self and Vanity Fair issues that keep me up to date on what’s going on in the larger world at any given moment. 

Finally, just so I can be assured there is balance in my life, on the nightstand at the other side of my bed are books I keep as staples. I reach for them often when I need to be in the moment and to remind myself of all that I have to be grateful for:

• Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
• The Energy of Prayer by Thich Nhat Hanh
• Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
• The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace by Jack Kornfield

Obviously, being an executive is not a prerequisite for having a nightstand that looks like the return desk of your local public library branch.  But it’s the only excuse I have.   

So what’s on your nightstand?