Five Books: Read them because they are good not because I say so.

The following books will not make you a better social media guru.  They will not make you a rock star on the internet or insure the success of your startup.  They won’t make you look better or help you to lose weight. I was reviewing my year and I thought I would share with you a few books that I have consumed in 2009 that I would recommend that anyone looking to upgrade their brain in 2010.  Really, you should read these books.

	Confessions of a Public Speaker Scott Berkun I waited all year for this book to come out, not long after Scott mentioned he was working on it at Presentation Camp. The book covers some of the techniques behind what great communicators do that make them great communicators.  I still don’t believe everyone can be made to communicate well, but the book is full of information anyone who talks and expects someone to listen can use. The book was worth the wait and I finished it over a weekend of off and on reading.
	How We Decide Jonah Lehrer This book is about exactly what the title says. If you want the same marketing drivel then you should not buy this book. if you are interested in the scientific research for why people make the decisions they do including why we buy stuff, then this is the book for you.  I love Jonah’s writing style and how the book isn’t just raw science but also tells interesting stories.
	In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing Matthew E. May If you are looking for "go and do" kind of books this book will not help you. But that doesn’t mean that this book won’t provide you with lots of food for thought on products and product design.  It could be said that this is the definitive guide to the ‘less is more’ mind-set and those who would apply that mind-set to work. I have spent more time thinking about this book and how I could apply it than any other book I read this year.
	American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House Jon Meacham I have a thing for history. I really enjoy military history and books about men and women who lived in extraordinary times. My hope is to learn what made them great.  This was probably my favorite history book that I read this last year. I don’t buy books about leadership from people who’s exploits include writing books about leadership. I would rather learn from those that were faced with greater challenges than my own.
	Brain Rules John Medina This is one of the most fun books on science I have ever read. Having met Professor Medina and watched his Ignite talk at Thingamajigger a couple of years ago this book has been on my “must read” list for a while. After learning about Adult ADHD this year I began reading anything I could on how the brain has evolved and its effect on our lives. This book was the only one that left me thinking of ways to get more out of the most important organ. Reading this is a must.

I was looking at my Amazon order history and my iTunes Audiobooks list and I bought and consumed a lot of books this last year. My approach in reading is to try and avoid the hyped books (i.e.  anything by anyone in the social media space.) and stick to books that will push me in ways those books couldn’t.  Personally, it seems more appropriate to seek books that have an original thesis, tapped into trends in a unique way, or simply provoke me with some fresh ideas.  Now that I am rocking a Kindle I am looking for some ideas on books.  I want to build out my 2010 reading list, let me know what you read that  in the comments or your recommendations.

Jeremiah Andrick

Tagged as: Adventures, books, learning, Reading