Many of the colleges and universities connected with the Christian Reformed Church have inaugurated new presidents recently. Over the next months, we’ll feature profiles of the reading, listening, and watching preferences of the presidents of some of these schools.
This fall, Dr. Erik Hoekstra took over as president of Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Erik kindly took a few moments away from his job, his wife, and his four children to fill us in on what he enjoys in his limited spare time.
Q. What are some of your all-time favorite books?
A. The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge (Doubleday Business)
Anything written by Patrick Lencioni, i.e. Five Temptations of a CEO, The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family (Jossey-Bass)
Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport—Richard J. Mouw (Zondervan)
Leadership Is an Art by Max DePree (Crown Business)
Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (Bibliotech Press)
Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras (HarperBusiness)
The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle by James Hunter
Q. Are there any that have particularly influenced your life or work?
A. The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge (Doubleday Business)
Dying of the Light by James Tunstead Burtchaell; historical survey of Christian colleges losing their way (Eerdmans)
Joy at Work by Dennis Bakke (PVG)
Q. What are you reading now or hoping to read soon?
A. What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael J. Sandel (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller (Dutton)
Q. Do you prefer to read paper or digital books? Which do you do most often?
A. Call me old school, but I only read paper.
Q. What is on your iPod or in your CD player right now?
A. Christian folk, Sinatra, classic rock (70s/80s), gospel, bluegrass, zydeco, jazz
Q. If you could only have three albums for the rest of your life, what would they be?
A. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
Hymned Again by Bart Millard
Nothing But the Best by Frank Sinatra
Q. Do you have any favorite movies that have stuck with you long after watching them?
A. Not much of a movie watcher
Q. It's evening, you're home alone, and you just want to sit in front of the TV for a while. What will you watch?
A. The History Channel
Q. What websites do you find valuable for your work?
A. USA Today is my go-to site to ensure I’m up on the news (love their new format)
“World” magazine and “Christianity Today” are weekly e-reads or website favorites
Q. What sites do you find yourself wasting lots of time on?
A. Web surfing and movies are about in the same category for me . . . not much time for either
Q. Are there any podcasts that make your running/walking/odd jobs much more fun?
A. The World and Everything in It, the podcast from “World” magazine
Bloomberg News Podcasts
About the Author
Kristy Quist is Tuned In editor for The Banner and a member of Neland Ave. CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich.