Just hanging out in the summer sunshine.
Today marks the longest day for us here in the Northern Hemisphere. Time to welcome summer! I read an article this morning on STAT listing 23 of the best health and science books to read this summer and it got me to thinking about my own picks. In my last post, I mentioned David Epstein’s new book, Range. I’ve almost finished it and give it two big thumbs up. Here’s what else is in my pile for the summer:
First, a couple of things for work. Being new to management, I picked up Kevin Hoffman’s, Meeting Design, which talks about how to use design principles to plan and facilitate better meetings. If there’s one thing I quickly remembered when I returned to the library last summer, it’s that we have LOTS of meetings. I might as well learn some ways to make them both more efficient and maybe even a little fun.
I also have Julie Zhuo’s very readable, The Making of a Manager, on my desk. A Silicon Valley product designer, Zhuo found herself in a management role a good bit before she expected. She offers up first-hand stories of lessons she’s learned, along with great tips for finding your own way. And it’s got fun comics by Pablo Stanley throughout.
Finally, my fun summer read (it’s likely gonna take me all summer to read it, too), is the really enjoyable Prairie Fires, Caroline Fraser’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder. It’s the choice of my book club for the summer and I’m finding it fascinating. Great pick!
What’s on your list for the summer? Share in the comments section.
BONUS: It’s also Make Music Day, a world-wide celebration of the joy of music. I hope everyone is able to find a good book and some good, live music to make this a wonderful day!
A Librarian by Any Other Name 
Wow, all sound good – adding to my list. I’m in a similar boat new to management. Can we have a club?! Thanks for sharing!
Yes, let’s have a club! 🙂
Just bought David McCullough’s Newest book, “The Pioneers: The heroic story of the settlers who brought the American ideal west.” I’m a big McCullough fan, but to make things more interesting, he did much of his research in the Marietta College Archives, and MC is my alma mater! Also, Charles Mann’s 1493, (finished 1491 already) boy did I learn a lot about the Indian civilizations in the Americas. (As you can tell, I am a non-fiction reader.)
I’m much more of a non-fiction reader, too, Marion. Book club choices get me to reading fiction, though. I appreciate that. 🙂
If you haven’t read it, I just finished Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. After every chapter I would pause to let it all sink in…an excellent read. I would also love to have a book club!
Thanks for the recommendations, Claudia!