What's on Your Summer Reading List?
Have you read any good books lately?
Summer is such a great time to slow down a bit and pick up a book. There was a time when I’d head home from a visit to the Strand, New York’s great bookstore, with a dozen purchases. Not to mention house sales, yard sales, etc.
Last summer, I wrote about the books that were on my reading list.
They were:
- Shareology by Bryan Kramer
- Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant
- Retention Fundraising by Roger Craver
- The Secret Language of Symbols by David Fontana
And I have two recommendations from the last few months:
21 Reasons Creativity Is Like Sex by Courtney Smith Kramer
Sure, the title’s provocative, to say nothing of some of the content. So you’ve been warned. But assuming you can get past that – and there’s a lot – this is a fun, leisurely read with lots of exercises, factoids, and little insights to help make new connections in the creative process, and so much more.
Got Your Attention? by Sam Horn
This is a useful, concise handbook with many practical tactics for getting others to pay attention to you and your ideas. To be an effective communicator, you have to create “intrigue,” and she tells you how to do it.
For this summer? Here’s what’s made my list so far.
The King of Madison Avenue by Kenneth Roman
I wanted to include a biography this time, and who better to start with than David Ogilvy, the advertising legend? I read Ogilvy on Advertising years ago, so learning more about one of the great copywriters/mad men of all time should be a real treat.
Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
Even though I write every day, I’m not as good a writer as I’d like to be. I need a lot of help. Ann’s the Head of Content for Marketing Profs, so I know she’ll have plenty of tips and recommendations.
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
It’s been a while since I’ve read a really worthwhile business parable. So I want to check out their take about how success depends on helping others. As much as I think that’s what my job is all about, I’m certain there’s so much more I can learn.
So, how about it, marketers? What books can you recommend that have inspired and motivated you? Please share!
