“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen King

You don't have to travel for vacation this summer. Just grab a book and it'll take you there.

And if you're looking for a book or three to round out your summer reading list, I've got you covered. I tore through 23 books during the first half of the year. Here are my favorites.

BOOKS ABOUT WORK

Love + Work, by Marcus Buckingham. Those two words — “love” and “work” — are not mutually exclusive. They are meant to go together. We just spend more time focused on the “work” side of the equation. Marcus Buckingham says it’s time to flip that script. “Ask someone what they do, and you probably won’t find much excitement,” he says. “Ask them what they love about what they do, and you’ll get much different answers. You don’t need to love everything you do. You just need to know what you love about what you do and focus on that.”

A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life, by Brian Grazer. Much has been made of the importance of innovation and creativity, especially in our chaotic, ever-changing world. But how do we become more innovative and creative? Acclaimed Hollywood producer Brian Grazer points to what he calls “curiosity conversations” as a huge part of the answer. “Curiosity is the tool that sparks creativity. Curiosity is the technique that gets to innovation,” Grazer writes. “Questions create a mindset of innovation and creativity. … Curiosity allows the possibility that the way we’re doing it now isn’t the only way, or even the best way.” A great book about the power of asking better questions.

Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business, by Kindra Hall. CPAs aren’t number-crunchers — they’re communicators. They’re the storytellers of the business world, helping leaders understand what the numbers mean for their businesses, their teams, and their clients. But how does one tell a great story? Kindra Hall has the answers in this ultra-useful how-to guide for storytellers. It boils down to a four-step formula that every good story follows. The process is simple but not easy, so Hall relies on — you guessed it — stories to help her readers learn to tell stories that stick.

Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time, by Jeffrey Pfeffer. Thought leaders would have you believe that the gold standard of leadership embraces truth, trust, transparency, modesty, and the welfare of those who work for them. The reality shows that most leaders embrace few, if any, of those traits. By failing to acknowledge that reality, we’re doing ourselves, and those we work with, a disservice. “There are certainly leaders who are truthful, trustworthy, concerned for the welfare of others, and modest,” author Jeffrey Pfeffer writes. “We should honor and celebrate such people. But by failing to acknowledge their rarity, we underestimate and misunderstand our challenge if we really do want to create the world that now exists mostly just on the pages of leadership books.”

How Good People Make Tough Choices: Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living, by Rushworth Kidder. Rushworth Kidder tackles the complex challenges we face when navigating ethical dilemmas. Through insightful stories and practical guidance, Kidder explores the core principles that guide good decision-making and offers a framework for evaluating conflicting values. With a conversational tone, this book equips readers with the tools to make tough choices while maintaining their integrity and moral compass in a world filled with ethical gray areas.

Ethics 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know, by John C. Maxwell. A thought-provoking guide that explores the fundamental principles of ethical leadership, starting with the most foundational principle of all: Treat others the way you would want to be treated. The book emphasizes the importance of integrity, trustworthiness, and accountability in decision-making processes, reinforcing CPAs’ role as trusted business advisors by highlighting the significance of ethical conduct and fostering long-term relationships with clients based on honesty and transparency.

BOOKS ABOUT LIFE

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, by Ronan Farrow. The Harvey Weinstein investigation did more than launch the #MeToo movement. It exposed the despicable lengths to which powerful people will go to protect their dirty secrets. Investigative reporter Ronan Farrow brought all of it out into the light of day with a series of New Yorker articles in 2017 and 2018, and with this amazingly researched and reported book. It’s All The President’s Men for the Hollywood and morning news crowd.


Educated: A Memoir, by Tara Westover. Education is expansive. It allows us to build bridges that connect us to a wider world and forge relationships that otherwise wouldn’t exist. It also can be destructive, cutting the threads that tether us to family, friends, youth and tradition. Tara Westover has experienced both. In this heartwarming, heartbreaking memoir, Westover — a daughter of survivalist and anti-government parents — recounts her uneducated upbringing and her self-educated journey that led to degrees at BYU, Cambridge and Harvard. It’s a beautiful story about the unlimited joys and extreme costs that come with an education.

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America, by Beth Macy. When they introduced the painkiller OxyContin in 1996, the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma unknowingly unleashed a demon. Or maybe they did it knowingly. Either way, they ushered in the dawn of a new age of addiction, first to opioids, then to their less expensive, easier-to-get cousin, heroin. Beth Macy’s heartbreaking, infuriating book traces the origins, victims, heroes and villains that have defined the past three decades of addiction in America. The most heartbreaking lesson of all is this: There seems to be no end in sight for this decidedly American tragedy.


Like a Rolling Stone: A Memoir, by Jann S. Wenner. For us left-leaning, rock-loving children of the ‘70s  and ‘80s, Rolling Stone was our guidebook to the world. It covered the music, the issues, and the people who mattered, and we devoured it. At the center of it all was founder and editor Jann Wenner. He went everywhere, knew everyone, and (thanks to his team of legendary correspondents) saw everything, and he showed it all to his readers. This expansive memoir is as entertaining and behind-the-curtains insightful as anything that appeared in his magazine. Wenner’s self-proclaimed mission in launching Rolling Stone was to change the world, and while he may not have succeeded, he damned sure tried — and he revolutionized cultural and political journalism along the way.

Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization, by Neil deGrasse Tyson. An awe-inspiring exploration of our place in the universe. Equal parts scientist, ethicist and standup comedian, Tyson takes readers on a journey through the history of astronomy, sharing mind-bending discoveries and insights about the cosmos. From the birth of stars to the potential for life beyond Earth, this book challenges us to ponder our existence in the grand tapestry of the cosmos and appreciate the wonders of the universe that surround us.

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works, by Dan Harris. I never considered meditation as a wellness exercise until I heard Dan Harris speak. Once I did, though, I couldn't stop thinking about how amazing meditation might be as a form of self-help. I quit smoking in 1999 through hypnosis — which, when you think about it, is simply a form of meditation. Imagine if I broadened the scope of that exercise to all parts of my life. I can’t wait to get started. Read this book and open your mind to that power.