Part Two
In last week’s column, Angeline related how her mentor, whom she holds with great respect and high esteem, has urged her to read a lot to get ahead. She is beginning to get drawn into it, but asked us to reinforce the importance of reading and what books we would recommend for her.
We began with an example of how reading can change lives with an in.com article, “Jeff Bezos Became the Wealthiest Man on Earth with the Remarkable Help of this Book.” Here, Peter Economy recounts how in a recent podcast, author and former Stanford Prof. Jim Collins “discussed his relationship with Bezos, and how one of his very own business books—Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t—changed the game for Amazon at a time when it had not yet turned in a profit.”
We then listed why reading is so important—how it exposes us to new things, expands knowledge and makes us smarter, broadens our imagination, and enhances our creativity. Reading also improves on our focus and concentration, enhances our memory, and is a great source of motivation.
In this column, we will discuss what books can enrich her knowledge and inspire her.
Now, what to read. Since Angeline’s work has a lot of do with communications, I would recommend that she turn to classic literature. Reading classic works improves one’s overall vocabulary and writing skills as a wealth of knowledge and entertainment can be found in every page of a classic piece. Classic literature is highly artistic, poetic, beautiful, and altogether lyrical, and has a cultural value. That is why your writing skills and vocabulary will undoubtedly improve as a result of reading classic literature.
And then, we would recommend that we take a cue from what some of the world’s most influential and admired people are reading.
In last week’s column, we mentioned how Bill Gates reveals in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, that he carries a tote bag full of books wherever he goes. Gates loves to read and reads often, telling the Journal how he gets through about one book a week, which is about 50 every year.
What’s on his reading list? In an In.com article, Ivan de Luce lists “4 Books Bill Gates Says You Should Read Right Now.” These include Prepared by Diane Tavenner, which “focuses on the story of Summit Public Schools, which teach children real world skills as opposed to lessons that are focused on preparation for state tests. And, judging by their college acceptance rates [99 percent according to the book’s blurb], Summit Schools are making an impact.”
Then there’s Loonshots by Safi Bahcall, on “how to nurture crazy ideas that win wars, cure diseases and transform industries”; These Truths by Harvard history Prof. Jill Lepore, which delves into the “history of the United States while asking critical questions about the nation.” Gates also told the Journal that “he plans to read every word David Foster Wallace has ever written before embarking on the novelist’s master work, Infinite Jest.
In another article on the In.com site, Jason Aten lists the “7 Business Books You Told Yourself You’d Read, but Actually Should This Summer.”
Creativity, Inc., Ed Catmull
“Ed Catmull’s book is about his time as president of Pixar. It’s full of stories and examples of how Pixar works its magic with plenty of practical nuggets who can use in any organization looking to foster a culture of creativity.”
Finish, Jon Acuff
“Jon Acuff is a master at weaving humor and wit with practical steps you can use to actually finish a growing number of projects, dreams, and ideas you’ve half-started and left hanging” says Aten. “it’s also a fast enough read that you’ll probably ‘finish’ it on the plane.”
Originals, Adam Grant
Adam Grant’s Originals is “about overcoming the challenge of bringing the idea in your head into the world and is full of engaging individuals that did just that.”
Grit, Angela Duckworth
“Angela Duckworth makes the compelling care that the trait most likely to align with achievement isn’t just being really good at something, but rather a combination of deep passion, and an unwillingness to quit.” This is something she calls grit.
Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson
“Walter Isaacson’s biography of the late Apple founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, is one of the most insightful looks at the life of arguably the most influential innovator of a generation. It also happens to be one of the few books Jobs actually cooperated with, and the result is a comprehensive look on what made him and Apple, one of the most successful business stories of our time.”
Dare to Lead, Brene Brown
Aten is a Brown fan, and Dare to lead, which is based on research with 150 C-level leaders and how they lead, is no exception.
Atomic Habits, James Clear
What Aten loves most about James Clear’s book, “is the idea that the best way to make real change is to do it 1 percent at a time. Instead of trying to make radical changes or setting huge goals that are far off, set a small goal you can accomplish today.”
It’s also brutally honest “about the fact that long-term accomplishment is usually reached by those who are willing to undergo the mundane process of developing the right habits today.”
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
Image credits: Andriy Dykun | Dreamstime.com