Janet's Book Recommendations
Bookstores and libraries are packed with books on personal and professional growth. It can be hard to weed through the shelves and find the books that will inspire us to make a change. Here are few I’ve read in the past year that spoke to me. If you have books that you think should be on my “to read” list, send me an email or post it on my Facebook page for everyone to see.
I was a little late to the game on this one given that Amoruso’s multi-million dollar company Nasty Gal filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last November. That being said, her book talks about the grit, dedication, and creative thinking required to get a business off the ground. I really liked her openness about choosing a rocky (and illicit) start to her adulthood and how she managed to turn it around through smarts and hard work.
DO NOT JUDGE THIS BOOK BY ITS COVER! When this book was released, I saw an ad for it in The Real Deal, while working at a commercial real estate firm, and I rolled my eyes. A year later I spotted it at the library and decided to give it a try. I wished I had read it when it first came out. Despite his smarmy demeanor on the cover, Eklund is fun and inspiring throughout the book. It is equal parts memoir and instruction manual for selling your true self to the world. Loved it!
Receiving feedback with grace and professionalism can be difficult in the best of times and nearly impossible when it comes from an unwanted source. Being able to accept and use criticism from our friends, family and colleagues is how we develop (or not). Stone and Heen help the reader benefit from all types of feedback and ask for the kind of feedback they want and need depending on the situation.
This is his second book and speaks to those who are eager to be a thought leader in their industry. My biggest take away from this book was how “Originals” create enough security and stability in one area of their lives to free them up to take important risks in other areas. I’m looking forward to reading his new book Option B, which he wrote with Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In. If you have read it already, email me and let me know what you thought!
If you decide to read any of these books, please consider purchasing from an independent book store or supporting your local public library!