by Jesse Spear
Building the industry bookshelf one recommended read at a time
Each of these books hit me from a different direction — a friend, a Google search, a bookstore in South Africa. But they are all now bonded on my shelf and in my psyche.
After reading Daring Greatly, it’s safe to say I drink the Brené Brown Kool-Aid. She approaches self-help in a way that doesn’t scream “I know better than you,” but rather, “I’m in this with you, and here’s how I think we can get through it.” She provided me with a definition of vulnerability that I didn’t know I needed — at a time that I really needed it.
“And often the result of daring greatly isn’t a victory march as much as it is a quiet sense of freedom mixed with a little battle fatigue.”
This book serves as a reminder that while there’s bad during the good times, there’s also good during the bad times. It was recommended to me by a good friend and served as a bond for that friendship while helping me connect to my own emotions. The author approaches the sudden death of a loved one in a way that’s raw and real, resulting in a book that is equal parts grief, growth and giggles.
“Sometimes we even eat pizza and dance in the living room to reggae music and Annie Lennox. I never expected to dance in the living room again…And as time passes — as it inevitably does — the good days will outnumber the bad.”
To me, this one is less about not giving an F and more about prioritizing what to give an F about. It’s a beautifully vulgar collection of anecdotes stitched together to make us reflect on where we’re choosing to put our energy. I recommend picking up this gem right about the time you think you’ve got it all figured out.
“Certainty is the enemy of growth.”
They say you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but what about a gift herd of unruly elephants? Anthony teaches about patience, perspective, respect, and relationships through his journey with a strong-willed herd of nature’s largest (and most majestic, IMO) land animal. The pages of this book hold a little dose of whatever you might need — emotion, science, humor, action & adventure. And, of course, elephants.
“And there we were, a herd of elephants, two huge crocodiles, a dog and a bedraggled group of men united by the most basic instinct of all — survival.”
Next on my reading list is Jab, Jab, Right Hook, by Gary Vaynerchuk — reflection comin’ at ya real soon.