I love a lazy summer day on the beach. My phone is strictly there for my playlist. My calendar app is turned off. There is nowhere for me to be except under an umbrella, with a good book and a large iced tea.
In this spirit, I thought I’d put together a summer reading list to share with you. It features a mix of books for some fresh business ideas, introductions to interesting people, and a few reads just for fun.
Consider making room in your beach bag for one or more of these.
This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See by Seth Godin
Godin always shares a thought-provoking point of view in his books, and this one is no different. Though this book was published in 2018, its message is timeless: Marketing is about understanding the people you can serve and creating work that matters to them.
Godin challenges you to think beyond product features and marketing tactics. He brings the focus back to empathy, trust, and meaningful connections. This book will help you sharpen your marketing without bringing a textbook to the beach.
The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett
This book gathers 33 principles related to business, leadership, decision-making, and personal growth. Bartlett draws from his experience as an entrepreneur and host of The Diary of a CEO podcast, presenting the lessons in short, approachable sections.
Some ideas may confirm what you already believe. Others may make you rethink how you lead, communicate, or make decisions.
All I Did Was Ask – Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists by Terry Gross
I’d never listened to Public Radio’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross podcast. But when I stumbled upon her book at a used book stall, I was intrigued. For this collection, Gross selected more than three dozen of her best interviews. Reading this book was a fascinating way to get to know artists, writers, actors, and musicians at a deeper level.
The conversations include people ranging from Sonny Rollins to Conan O’Brien and Mario Puzo.
It is a good reminder that thoughtful questions can open the door to incredible stories.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin is best known as a music producer, but this book will resonate with anyone responsible for creating ideas. Rather than treating it as a rare talent, Rubin explores, in a series of short reflections, creativity as a way of observing, thinking, and working. I haven’t read this book yet, so it’s earned a spot in my own beach bag.
Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
Leonardo da Vinci was more than the painter behind the Mona Lisa. He was also an inventor, scientist, engineer, and lifelong observer of how the world works. Drawing from Leonardo’s notebooks, Walter Isaacson explores the curiosity and imagination behind his art and discoveries.
I’ve always been fascinated by how prolific and creative da Vinci was, and how his works still resonate today. This is another one that’s landed in my beach bag.
Heart Life Music by Kenny Chesney and Holly Gleason
I couldn’t do a summer reading list without at least one guilty pleasure. I read Chesney’s memoir in the dead of winter, and it instantly brought me back to flip-flop summers. A fun read for his fans, it’s the story of Chesney’s music and the people who helped make it.
Sometimes that is exactly the kind of book summer calls for.
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – The Debutante Detective by Bruce Rule
Rule, a veteran of Bloomberg News and The Associated Press, is a fine storyteller. He and I worked together on several Advantage Marketing accounts, so I’m especially excited to get my hands on his first novel, which I pre-ordered in early June.
Pre-release notes describe this book as ‘A twisty New York City-set mystery that sees Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter, Alice Roosevelt, team up with Holmes and Watson to save the president from a kidnapping and attempted assassination on the eve of international peace talks.’
Sounds like fun to me.
What will you read first?
Pick the book that fits your mood. Start with a chapter or two from one of the business books in the morning, then switch to a lighter read after lunch. All of these books are available at Amazon or through your favorite local bookstore. Enjoy, and happy summer reading.
