The role of books in my life and in my work as a coach

Books are a big part of my life and my work, and I can’t ever remember a time without them. I’ve always been an avid reader, and have always turned to books first whenever I’ve been keen to explore a new area.

The first book to make a really big impression on me was Around the World in 80 Days (Jules Verne, 1873). The story of this adventurous wager was not only a joy to read but also ignited a wanderlust within me. Since then, I’ve never missed an opportunity to travel.

I enjoy writing letters and have always loved reading literary letters. I read the novella Letter from an Unknown Woman (Stefan Zweig, 1922) at an early age, and I’ve never forgotten it. While my tech-savvy son sees letter-writing as a ‘totally ancient technique’, I still cling to it and occasionally send my clients a letter containing ideas and recommendations.

Every 14 days in my blog, I introduce the reader to a title about changes, special situations, crises, new beginnings or something similar. Although the books that I recommend there are in German, almost all of them have been published in several languages, which means I can also suggest them in my foreign-language coaching sessions. I always look forward to my clients’ comments about them, and to hearing about how my recommendations have helped them and other readers.