Like you, this past year has been one of changing and adapting for my business. And also like you, it’s meant big changes to my personal life. For one thing, I had more time to read. But instead of escaping into my usual murder mysteries or adventure thrillers, I found myself curious… about lots of things. I read more nonfiction books this year than in the past five. They weren’t all work-related but I learned many things I can apply to my work. (Well, except for all the books on genetics, and maybe the one about the Periodic Table, and those true crime books.)
This year, instead of doing a “best posts” wrap-up, I’m sharing a few of my faves from all that reading I’ve done.
Books that have an application to marketing:
- Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
Some of the tidbits of info are mind-blowing and it opened me up to new ways of thinking about clients’ and my own target markets.
- Expert Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Converting Your Online Visitors into Lifelong Customers by Russell Brunson
If you are female, you may just want to skip the introduction but don’t be put off. This book is easy to read with practical advice based on experience.
- Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends on It by Ian Leslie
Curiosity has a big impact on marketing. Did you know there are 3 types of curiosity? And that, as individuals, our ‘curiosity level’ is not consistent throughout our lives? I really enjoyed this one.
- Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong by Eric Barker
A book that dispels myths about what you think you know about being successful. This kept me turning pages late at night. Make sure to sign up for his blog so you’ll get his monthly insights.
- When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink
Timing is everything… or so they say. This book proves it. Applications for marketing, entrepreneurship, career-building and much more.
Books that were just darn interesting (and piqued my curiosity):
- Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund (physician, statistician, software designer)
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (historian & philosopher)
- Lone Survivors: How We Came to Be the Only Humans on Earth by Chris Stringer (paleoanthropologist)
- Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation by Bill Nye (mechanical engineer & science communicator)
- A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Stories in Our Genes by Adam Rutherford (geneticist)
Strategy Board Games:
Since I’m writing about my favourite things and holidays are coming, I’ll throw in a couple of my all-time fave board games.
- Ticket to Ride (and its many expansions) by Days of Wonder
I’ve been playing this for a few years and have many of the expansion sets. It requires some strategic thinking but is easy to learn. You wouldn’t expect to have so much fun playing with little plastic trains but, the last few weekends, my sister, bro-in-law and I (our family ‘bubble’) have been playing for hours and we’re ready to go again this weekend.
- Castles of Burgundy by Ravensburger
I originally bought this because it was highly recommended as an excellent 2-person strategy game but I’ve also played it with more and it’s quite addicting. Warning: the instructions are lengthy and it does take a bit to get set-up the first time… but it’s worth it.
Enjoy!