Summer Reading Recommendations

As Thames recently mentioned, we had a great discussion with James Kane this summer about getting “Unstuck.” In advance of the conversation, we all took this Stuck Quiz to find out how much we really know about getting “Unstuck.” Candidly we didn’t know much! So we learned a lot. One of my favorite takeaways from the conversation was learning that reading more is one of the most effective ways you can increase empathy and comprehension.

At our house we start and end our days reading. Here are a few of my summer reading recommendations:

• Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And How Anyone Can Harness It. Even You.) by Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas: As we all know, laughter really is the best medicine. Maya Angelou says, “I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh.” These Stanford Graduate School of Business educators use research to tell the story that humor can be one of the most powerful tools for accomplishing serious things.
• Listen Like You Mean It: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection by Ximena Vengoechea: Listening is the most important skill you need to build trust and rapport and is a skill you can improve. This book gives some practical tips to build rapport with strangers, ask better questions, and navigate “off the rails” conversations.
• The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macaulay: The hilarious story of Aunt Dot, Father Chantry-Pigg, Aunt Dot’s deranged camel, and Laurie, who are traveling from Istanbul to legendary Trebizond on a convoluted mission. This is my first Rose Macauley novel and will not be the last.
• Rumours of Glory by Bruce Cockburn: A fun memoir of the legendary Canadian songwriter and musician we have been listening to a lot this summer. His song Last Night of the World is a favorite.
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown: We re-read this book with a group of client friends this summer, listened to Brené’s podcast with her sisters and have had some group discussions about living a more wholehearted life.
• Milk Street: Tuesday Nights Mediterranean, Milk Street: Tuesday Nights, and Milk Street: Cookish by Christopher Kimball: Cookbooks are read like novels in our house. All three of these cookbooks have simple, healthy recipes that are easy to riff.
• Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch by Erin French: French overcame unimaginable struggles before achieving fairytale success with her restaurant The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine. Resilience, determination, and passion are inspiring, and since food is my “love language,” it really resonated. Check out her great cookbook , too – The Lost Kitchen: Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom, Maine: A Cookbook