What’s your relationship with reading been during lockdown? Getting lost between the covers or struggling to concentrate beyond page 4?
Or a bit of a yo-yo between the two?
I know I have been. Some weeks I’ve got through pages and pages, and other weeks I’ve read the news.
That’s been enough to put you off reading anything!
So these are a bit of a mixed bunch between started, finish and a good intention or two. There’s also a couple that are also diametric opposites, but I think it’s good to keep our reading varied.
Simple Thinking: How to Remove Complexity from Life and Work
I’ve been thinking about simplicity a lot over recent months. I think many of us have been talking about the things we do, the things we have in our lives.
I’m dipping in and out of this. I think the premise is fascinating, but some days are easier than others. Perhaps when I get to the end of it then it’ll be easier to keep on making things simpler. But it’s a good ambition.
Your Move: The Underdog’s Guide to Building Your Business
I’ve not started this one, and I have to admit that I hadn’t heard of Ramit Sethi. He came up during a training course I’m doing with the Do Lectures. Plus I do a lot of work with small companies, challenger brands, so many of them would cast themselves as the underdog. Now, this is a little American so some may like that, some may not.
Jury’s still out for me. But his work comes highly recommended so I am sticking with it.
Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Profit and Purpose
Personally, I love the premise of this and think there’s lots of businesses who do this really well. If you want a good overview, Alex wrote a good piece in Entrepreneur about the current crisis and it being an imperative for responsible business practice.
It’s such a simple concept, that it’s not about anyone winning or losing if we grow the pie together. Some may think it’s all a bit woo woo, but some of the stats around business success in here are quite compelling.
Can’t Sell Won’t Sell: Advertising, Politics And Culture Wars
I haven’t got started on this one yet, and it’s certainly a challenging perspective. The author suggests that advertising land has become so left-leaning that they don’t want to “stoke capitalism’s engine of growth”.
Wow.
That’s some starting point, but I’m fascinated to see where it goes. I mean, I’ve certainly worked with some agencies who seemed reluctant to make ads that people could work out what we were selling. But I didn’t know it was because they objected to capitalism!
It’ll be fascinating to see how the argument pans out.
Modern Toss: A Decade in the Shithouse
Okay, it’s been tough over these months. We all need a laugh. And Modern Toss gives me that. Who doesn’t need a moment’s light relief?
So, those are five I’ve worked through, am working through or about to get going. What’s on your list? Anything you’ve read and really taken a lot from, or something that’s still on the stack at the side of your desk?
And completely non-work related but I’m really loving Jamie Oliver’s 7 Ways cookbook. Never really been a fan before but these recipes are really good, and delicious sounding.
