It’s Sunday, and I’m continuing the streak in my Month of Content…Here’s Day 21.
In yesterday’s edition of The Saturday List on my Substack — that’s where I share what I’m “Watching, Reading, Listening to, and Rediscovering” — the “Reading” section included my friend Megy Karydes‘s book, 50 Ways to More Calm, Less Stress.
As I said yesterday:
Not only is it a well-written and well-designed book, it’s a fun read that isn’t overwhelming. The subtitle: “Scientifically Proven Ways to Relieve Anxiety & Boost Your Mental Health Using Your Five Senses.” Chapters include things like “Mood and Food,” “Painting for Perspective,” and “When It’s Time to Try Tinkering.”
What About a Business-Meets-Work Tome?
I asked my friend Barbara Jacobs: “What book do you recommend everyone read, and why?”
Here’s her response:
“I did book reports in elementary school – and uniformly aced them. [Peter Rabbit, A plus-plus-plus-plus!]
“But that’s not what Dave asked for.
“Instead, it’s your most fave book.
“Which is hard. I’ve reviewed books for decades, professionally (note: a long-term side gig).
“And my beat, which runs the spectrum from crafty tomes and mysteries to hard-nosed biz tracts to fanciful fiction, doesn’t really lend itself to top ten, let alone THE ONE.
“YET: There is one small book that I do constantly refer to – in life and for work.
“It’s The Four Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz). It gives me four tenets to remember, to live by, to refer to. Who could argue with
- Be impeccable with your word
- Don’t take anything personally
- Don’t make assumptions and
- Always do your best?
“To me (and to Oprah, The New York Times best-seller list et al.), these four comprise beliefs that guide actions and behaviors. [BTW: The hardest one for me is ‘don’t take anything personally.’] Some call it the works of a shaman. Others say it’s from the Mexican Toltec beliefs.
“Whatever the derivation, these four are prominent in my house and office, helping me lead my life to its fullest and bestest.
“What is your guidelight?”
How About Some General Advice?
I asked another friend, Barton Lorimor, for his “What to read?” advice. But my question to him was “What business book should people read, and why?”
Here’s his response:
“The best business book people need to read is any textbook that matches their current financial literacy and takes them to the next level. Forget for a moment the ‘”‘Get Rich, Retire Young!'”‘ and ‘”‘Best Business Management Strategies!’ books, as so many of those offerings have ulterior motives. Having a stronger understanding of accounting practices and terminology helps business managers better understand ‘the language of money.’ Being able to speak that language helps long-term business strategy development, operations management, and detecting how business authors might sneak a pitch into their work.”
In Case You Need Some Recommendations…
Between Megy, Barbara, and Barton, you still have time to grab a stocking stuffer or Hanukkah read.
