Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose
Rating: 5/5 | If you’re looking to be inspired, learn something, and maybe also kind of sob like a baby, please read this book (or listen to Joe read it himself as an audiobook, like I did). I loved Joe Biden before this book, but now that gut feeling has been affirmed. (Click the post to read more.)
What Happened
Rating: 4/5 | What Happened is an honest, straightforward, passionate retelling of Hillary Rodham Clinton's experiences leading up to the 2016 election. She tells us why she always loved working in public service, how and why she decided to run for President, the way it felt to have Donald Trump "loom" over her onstage, and her frustration when the media focused on one thing—emails—rather than any of the policy-related things she said or believed. I am glad that I listened to the audiobook version, as she read it herself. (Click the post to read more.)
Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change
Rating: 5/5 | Wow. This is the book I didn't know I was waiting for. In this book, Ellen tells the story of how she was repeatedly promised the world and given the gutter at the behemoth venture capital firm where she worked. Then, she spent hundreds of thousands—if not a million—dollars of her own money to challenge the firm in court. She was eventually out-gunned by the firm's greater financial and legal resources, and she lost, but it was close. She had many, many opportunities to settle the case for a significant sum, but chose to surrender her money in order to be able to write this book and tell her story. (Click the post to read more.)
Made to Stick
Rating: 5/5 | I am always looking for ways to learn new things, especially as it helps me get closer to accomplishing my professional goals. As a result, I've read a lot of books in this "self-help-for-business" genre. At this point, I sometimes feel like I've read all the advice before. This book pleasantly surprised me; all of it was engaging and entertaining as well as educational and thought-provoking. I learned something new and related the lessons back to my experiences with every turn of the page. (Click the post to read more.)
Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley
Rating: 3/5 | This book was not my favorite, but it was enlightening. As someone who works in digital marketing, Martinez' insights into the actual day-to-day of Silicon Valley, and especially Facebook, were fascinating. As someone who recently finished business school and conducted a job search, they were even more so. (Click the post to read more.)
Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating A Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder
Rating: 3/5 | Some self-help books are amazing. This one wasn't bad, but it didn't necessarily open my eyes to anything revolutionary.Arianna Huffington is an impressive woman, and she writes well. She also has a lot of interesting stories and snippets of knowledge that keep this book engaging. (Click the post to read more.)
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
Rating: 5/5 | I didn't study English or literature in college, but I wish I had taken at least one or two classes. I love to read, and I'm sure there are deeper meanings I'm missing. I did some poking around online to figure out the best way to get started, and I found my way to this book. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I recommend that you do too. (Click the post to read more.)
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Rating: 3/5 | I do not consider myself an artist or someone who is regularly creative, but I still got a lot of good information out of this book. I actually listened to it as an audiobook, which I love to do with memoirs and similar books because they are usually read by the author themself. (Click the post to read more.)
Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America
Rating: 5/5 | I picked this book up shortly after it was released, knowing that Michael Eric Dyson is a well-known, well-liked author who does a good job of framing social justice issues. (Click the post to read more.)
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Rating: 5/5 | This book seems like it is the original from which all other leadership books have been born. Dale Carnegie's advice is simple, straightforward, and timeless. Nothing is revolutionary, but it is all framed in a way that makes it easy to remember and apply in your daily life. (Click the post to read more.)
Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen
Rating: 5/5 | You don't have to love grammar and language to enjoy this book, but if you do love words, it's positively delightful. Mary Norris writes exactly as well as you'd expect her to, and she's just as lovely as The New Yorker itself. (Click the post to read more.)
When Breath Becomes Air
Rating: 5/5 | What an absolutely beautiful book by an absolutely beautiful person. I often find memoirs interesting, but it is rare that I find them so moving. Paul is not only a brilliant doctor with a unique story to tell but also a fantastic writer. (Click the post to read more.)
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression in Opportunity for Women Worldwide
Rating: 5/5 | I had heard of this book before, but I finally picked it up as part of Emma Watson's book club, Our Shared Shelf. I am so glad that I did. My eyes have been opened to so much more that happens in the world and to new ways we can actively make those things better. (Click the post to read more.)
If Harry Potter Ran General Electric: Leadership Wisdom from the World of Wizards
Rating: 5/5 | Many of you in the leadership world may have heard of Tom Morris’ famous book, If Aristotle Ran General Motors. In it, he discusses how the principles addressed by great historic philosophers translate to the business world today. Many major organizations face questions about ethics, human nature, and competitive excellence. According to Morris, the great thinkers of old had much to say on these subjects. (Click the post to read more.)