My Kind of Reading

Growing up, I wasn’t a massive fan of reading, especially fiction. At school my idea of the worst homework EVERRR was being told to read a book and then to write a book review… coincidently the book I always chose to read happened to be a movie as well…

A friend of mine suggested I tried reading non-fiction, business style, motivational books. The book she recommended for me to read to ease my way in, was ‘Lean In’ by Cheryl Sandberg. This was a great read and undeniably one of my favourite books!

I see reading these books as inspirational. I find they help me broaden my knowledge of the diverse business world I appear to have found myself in. They give me insightful ways of thinking outside of the box and teach me valuable life lessons.

I love reading about successful people, and how they overcame obstacles, shaping them into the people they are today.

 My three favourite books.

 Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Cheryl Sandberg

Sandberg is a Philanthropic, American business executive, who serves as the COO of Facebook, who wrote a book called Lean in. Sandberg talks about the barriers which woman face on a day to day basis and how they unintentionally hold themselves back.

I found this book not only inspiring, but very real as Sandberg offers insight into her journey of becoming as successful as she is through subjective anecdotes and making herself vulnerable.

Street Smarts by Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham

What instantly grabbed my attention to read this book was the title. I would consider myself street smart rather than book smart, so before I had even bought this book, I felt as though I connected with it on a personal level.

This book gives advice on initially starting a business, and then growing the business. It talks about each stage, the difficulties, and something which really stands out to me; the importance of relationships on the journey to success. From employees, to competitors, to retailers, to customers, to the person who cleans the office every day. Everyone is just as important as each other. I loved this book and I would recommend anyone who is looking into starting up a business to have a read.

This is Not a Fashion Story by Danielle Bernstein

An intimate book about Danielle Bernstein (@Weworewhat), a fashion influencer on Instagram, who became a designer, CEO, and tech entrepreneur. The book takes you through Danielle’s life of where she grew up and what she went through, and most importantly how she was given 6 months to prove that her @Weworewhat blog could become a fruitful career.

This book verifies the fact that success is not down to a university degree nore how affluent your background is growing up. The collective piece of advice which I took from reading this book was, you should always trust your instinct on risk taking, and to always fight for what you want in business, love and life. 

Next up on my reading list:

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Maverick by Ricardo Semler

Please leave a comment below of your favourite book and why you’re so passionate about it.