Jim Smith's Eighth Annual Summer Reading List
Each year, prior to taking my two weeks of R&R in coastal North Carolina coast, I put out a note asking my coaching/training/consulting colleagues and clients for their current book recommendations. I'm looking for serious – tomes on coaching, leadership, change, and so on – as well as "frothy little beach books." I look at all the submissions, consider what “signals from The Universe” I’ve received, then pick what will be in my beach bag. I share with you here the entire final list. How to use this list:
Immediately following the title are a mini-description and any comments submitted by the person who recommended the title. [Jim’s Notes: My own comments, if any, are in brackets.] I hope that you enjoy this year's compiled list. Have fun, and happy reading!
First, a note about MY list versus Oprah’s: Much is made of Oprah’s Book Club, and every time she names a book to her list, sales skyrocket. Truth be told, I’ve pulled many books from her recommendations and never been disappointed. At the same time… Oprah is usually not at the front edge of the literary world. Her picks are often years or even decades old. Recently the novel Middlesex made her list. I just want to remind my readers that this book was on Jim Smith’s list LAST YEAR – and if you’d picked it up on MY recommendation at that time, when it subsequently showed up on Oprah’s list you could have smiled smugly and said, “Why yes, I have read that book,” thus elevating yourself to near superstar status in the world of bibliophiles. (OK, so maybe not superstar.) Just for the heck of it, I reprint at the END of this document my review of Middlesex: A novel from my 2006 list. Oprah, eat your heart out that I was first! :o) |
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Scan the list. Notice what emerges for you (look for signals from The Universe!). Pick a book or two, and dive in. If you are pressed for time, just read the list, and make THAT your summer reading. There’s enough here to be able to hold your own at cocktail parties and coffee shops – you won’t be able to discuss key plot points, but at least you’ll have some idea what other people are talking about when they mention the 4 Hour Workweek!
