Recommended Reading for the Industry Professional
By Brian Finn | Marketing Advisor, Unique Venues
Remember books? You know, the bound pages with fancy covers found on the shelves behind most every zoom backdrop. You can’t turn on the TV without finding an interviewee positioned perfectly in front of their well curated bookshelf and I find myself mesmerized, often missing the point of what is being said during the interview as I try to decipher the titles and getting waaaay too excited anytime I can identify one of their own works. Some are more-subtle than others in their self-promotion.
But this new quarantine game I’ve invented isn’t the point of today’s blog. Looking at these books got me thinking about some of the great business and self-help books I’ve read or probably more accurately have thought about reading over the years. Admit it, many of us include the obligatory “Read More” among our New Year’s resolutions only to find that first pick has barely been cracked open before the Valentine’s Day chocolates are gone.
Part of the issue for many is simply getting started. It can feel overwhelming at times trying to decide on what book to choose. Do you go with a selection from a business classic or take a ride with one of the latest self-help authors that I also like to refer to as “Airport Authors.” You know the books I’m referring to. You can’t walk 20 feet through a terminal without bumping into a Hudson News stand with a title screaming at you. By the time I make it to my gate I’m never quite sure how to feel about myself.
Another roadblock to reading more is time and even comprehension/retention. Kevan Lee from Buffer has written an excellent blog on the Art of Reading, Remembering and Retaining more books. While becoming a speed reader is likely not in the cards for many of us, there are tricks and tools available to help us increase our pace and get through more titles. The average adult reads 300 words per minute compared to an eighth grader who reads 250 and an average college professor at 675. (Speed readers are 1500 and the world champion is 4700!) There are apps to assist with these issues such as SPRITZ that helps you read faster one word at a time and BLINKIST which is a modern cliff notes for popular non-fiction titles. Please note that both are subscription sites and Unique Venues is not affiliated in any way.
As for comprehension and retention, it’s recommended to take notes. It’s easy for forgetfulness to set in after finishing a book and having the ability to go back and browse your notes quickly can help refresh your memory. E-readers like Kindle allow you to highlight notes and has a tool that will show you random highlights daily from your archive to keep books on top of mind. Even audio services like Audible allow you to clip highlights to replay later.
So now that you are ready to rediscover the joy of reading, the staff at Unique Venues has teamed up to share with you some of the books that have shaped us along the way. We hope you enjoy!
Alyson Salem, Director of Marketing
*Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be – Rachel Hollis
*You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth – Jen Sincero
Corey Salem, Director of Sales
*The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable – Patrick Lencioni
*The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary – Joseph Michelli
Todd Wonders, Director of Technology
*Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life – Spencer Johnson, M.D.
Joel Hauff, Director of Education
*Robot Futures – Illah Reza Nourbakhsh
*Decisions Matter: Using a Decision Making Framework with Contemporary Student Affairs Case Studies – Annemarie Vaccaro
Brian Finn, Marketing Advisor
*Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service – Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles
*Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World – Tim Ferriss
Looking for more ideas? Check out this list of the 31 most influential books ever written about business.
Happy Reading!
