The summer seems like ideal time for reading. Maybe it all relates to time. Longer days, more time outdoors, and vacations that give us some time to let go a little, and open up to new ideas. There is also the perception of more opportunities to enjoy the simpler things in life, like a great book.
These seven diverse titles are inspiring and insightful, and will take you through the sublime stretch of summer and beyond.
1. The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity
by Dr. Norman Doidge
Norman Doidge, M.D., is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and researcher with two outstanding New York Times bestsellers under his belt. Doidge has a knack for taking convoluted subjects such as neuroplasticity or complex brain functions and writing about them in a way that stirs the reader ― drawing us into an action-packed adventure within the world of scientific discovery.
In The Brain’s Way of Healing, Doidge reveals the many ways that science and medicine are finding that life-threatening ailments and lifelong diseases can now be managed ― and in some cases permanently corrected ― utilizing natural, non-invasive interventions that awaken the brain’s own healing capacities.
2. Unplug: A Simple Guide to Meditation for Busy Skeptics and Modern Soul Seekers
by Suze Yalof Schwartz
This book by a former fashion magazine editor who turned her life upside down is a wonderful compilation of simple and practical approaches to meditation and mindfulness. If you don’t think you have time for meditation ― or don’t know how to begin ― Schwartz offers 15 daily meditation guides to get you started, including tips and relatable real-life advice. The beauty of Unplug is that you can pick it up anytime and open it to any page and glean useful bits of inspiration to help you quiet the mind and commit to a regular meditation practice.
3. Trap Tales: Outsmarting the 7 Hidden Obstacles to Success
by David M.R. Covey and Stephan M. Mardyks
It’s part of the human condition to feel stuck or trapped and become confused by certain situations we find ourselves in ― and we all experience this at one time or another. But what if you could see the “trap” before you fell into it? You could navigate your way around it, and move forward in a more positive direction. Trap Tales: Outsmarting the 7 Hidden Obstacles to Success by coauthors David M.R. Covey and Stephan M. Mardyks, takes you on a journey that is full of unconventional wisdom. By illustrating the seven most common traps in life and work, the authors provide a well-defined road map to avoid them.
This is not your typical “how to” business book. It is a riveting story of a self-absorbed husband and a disillusioned wife who have fallen into traps that many will resonate with. As the story unfolds, the “escape routes” from these traps are revealed, and the measures one must take to start living with purpose and intention become clear.
Susan Steinbrecher and Elizabeth VargasCREDIT: Maria Salcedo
4. Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction
by Elizabeth Vargas
I enjoy reading memoirs ― the insight you gain from another’s personal experience can be invaluable. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting award-winning correspondent and 20/20 co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas at a fundraiser for addiction awareness and recovery. After hearing her speak, I was drawn to read her book. In Between Breaths, she shares her lifetime struggle with anxiety and her descent into alcoholism. Vargas does not hold back. Her raw and forthright account of the choices she made and the trials she endured while living under the scrutiny of the public eye is, at times, brutal to imagine but it is also a narrative of grit and survival. Vargas’ inspiring story is told with candor and sincerity and would be insightful reading for anyone dealing with addiction and mental health issues, or those of a loved one.
5. Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family
by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia
The core message of Everybody Matters resonates deeply with me, both professionally and personally: when you interact with people with care, empathy as well as an open mind, incredible things will be made manifest. Raj Sisodia, a founding member of the Conscious Capitalism movement, joined forces with Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a global capital equipment and engineering consulting company, to relay examples of what a people-first, heart-centered leadership approach looks like. The authors take us behind the scenes at Chapman’s company and explain an enduring message of the virtues of treating their employees like family. Through story-telling and inspired leadership guidance, this book provides real-life examples of how simple it can be to create meaningful work and build an engaged workplace culture, where the reality is that every single person matters.
6. This Spaceship Earth
by David Houle and Tim Rumage
Futurist and Speaker, David Houle, unfailingly captivates us with predictions covering the abundant facets of change in one of the most tumultuous eras in the history of mankind. Houle’s newsletter, The Shift Age, makes for fascinating ― and eerily accurate ― reading, as Houle makes predictions on wide-ranging topics from finance, politics, social change, and the economy to transportation, energy and more. In his latest book, This Spaceship Earth, Houle focuses on Climate Change as a planetary reality with “no roadmap, plan or strategy we can pull from history.” This Spaceship Earth is a call to action to change our consciousness: to become “crew members” of the earthly spacecraft we call home, rather than unaware “passengers.”
7. The Go-Giver Leader: A Little Story about what Matters Most in Business
by Bob Burg and John David Mann
This delightful parable delivers key leadership tenets based on the original “Go-Giver” book philosophy: what to expect when you place the interests of others before your own. The Go-Giver Leader illustrates what it takes to be a true servant leader in a memorable and authentic way ― with plenty of unrivaled leadership advice. The authors hone in on five keys that define “legendary leadership,” including inspiring ways to lead with your mind and heart while trusting your gut, and ultimately, acknowledging that the best way to increase your influence is to give it away.
Originally published on Inc.com