As we head into the dog days of summer, great shout-out by CultureTalk’s Andrea Cotter, who links 12 must read books with your personality type. -Bob Kelleher, Chief Engagement Officer, @BobKelleher
By Andrea Cotter, Founding Partner, CultureTalk
Welcome to summer vacation everyone. Are you ready for a summer reading list that includes a little fun and laughs, a little Zen-like mindfulness, a little business learning, and some page-turning stories? Here is a mix of fiction, non-fiction and memoir. You can transform your reading choices with one or more books selections made with insights of your individual personality profile. Discover your archetype with this sample free quiz now.
1. Caregiver:
Compassionate and empathetic, making people a priority
Me, Before You by Jojo Moyes – Louisa Clark, desperate to find a job, becomes a paraplegic’s daytime caregiver and companion. In her wildest dreams as a former coffee shop waitress in a small historic suburb of London, she never, ever thought she would be caring for a belligerent Will Traynor. In the story, which is now a movie, her Caregiver archetype evolves from a fight for Will’s quality of life into appreciation for her bootstrapping capabilities and ultimately, into love – a not-to-be-missed page-turning beach book.
2. Innocent:
Trusted exemplars of hope and faith who offer simple acts of kindness
Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido – The sometimes hilarious and often touching story of an only child, Kathleen, who adopts a big, brawling, brood – the family of her college professor – and has her innocent, faithful eyes opened to the imperfections of life and the meaning of true love. In a surprising twist at the end, we know that her Innocent archetype has been reignited.
3. Sage:
Those who believe “to know is to grow.”
Training the Mind, Healing the Body by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D – Whether or not you are on a journey of mindfulness and healing or if you like holistic health and wellbeing thinking, this book is worth an Audible listen. Sages Chopra and Simon are the live narrators who present complicated concepts of Ayervedic medicine with a light touch, explaining the most important takeaways. Individual chapters on the most prevalent diseases – cancer, heart, and diabetes – provide useful information about how disease can be reversed or positively altered with mindful, healing approaches.
4 Hero:
Inspirational individuals who motivate others to be brave and face adversity
Rising Strong by Brene Brown – Using stories of her own struggles with adversity, family misfortunes and career mishaps Brown creates a compelling case for authenticity and for facing up to truth with personal power. She describes how to be your own hero – owning your story and telling it your way. If you aren’t already a Hero archetype, you will adapt as one by reading this book.
5. Everyperson:
Providing a sense of belonging and dignity to all people
I-Engage, Your Personal Engagement Roadmap by Bob Kelleher – Best-selling author and keynote speaker, Kelleher shares a methodology for improving your own and your employees’ engagement in the workplace. In step-by-step workbook-like chapters, Kelleher shows us how engage in our work at a level that integrates with our personal lives for a more purposeful and meaningful sense of belonging and involvement.
6. Ruler:
Possessing strengths in leadership, authority and making things happen in an orderly fashion.
Cultureship, The ABC’s of Business Leadership by Jason E. Bingham – Bingham, a President of Energy Services at Ingersoll Rand, offers 10 belief statements on effective cultural competence and leadership with examples and stories throughout. There are steps after each chapter on how to assess group beliefs, implement the advice and lead change in your organization.
7. Creator:
One who can help others express or reinvent themselves
Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions by Guy Kawasaki – This little 2011 book is as compelling today as the day it was published. Kawasaki – former Marketing Leader of Apple, best-selling author and keynote speaker – describes ways to change skeptics into believers by creatively enlisting their goals and desires and building their trust. He helps creators become influencers of constituents that support innovation.
8. Lover:
Following your heart and doing what you love
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante – The first in a four-novel series about the story of two friends, Elena and Lila, raised in a post-WWII poor Neapolitan neighborhood. The two young women learn to rely on each other while growing up. As adults their lives assume very different paths, transforming and evolving, but the powerful bond of their friendship sustains.
9. Explorer:
One who loves adventure, freedom and the chance to learn by doing.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett – This is a riveting story about drug development in the Amazon jungle and the secrets of the American corporate scientists working there. The story fantastically pushes the limits of science through a discovery of an ancient tribal secret that allows maternity at any age. The book begs the question: “Who would dare take this journey into life-threatening territory and would they tell others what they found?”
10. Jester:
One who can succeed at taking the pain out of life’s hardest moments.
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller – A memoir by an author who was raised in Africa during the 1960’s and 70’s – a tumultuous period of drought, revolution and hunger in Kenya and Rhodesia. Her Scottish mother and British father persisted in their life there in spite of horrible conditions. With many setbacks, they always sought the humor and fun for their children and themselves. The author tells a charming, unusual story that is tinged with the pain of having lived with Jesters that habitually ignored and avoided the hard stuff.
11. Magician:
One whose presence and ideas are transformative, catalytic or healing.
The Waters of Eternal Youth by Donna Leon – This is the latest in the Detective Brunetti series by Leon, a Venetian mystery writer. Leon brings to life the magical city of Venice throughout her Brunetti stories. In this one, the detective solves a “cold case” and delivers new hope to the family of a young woman by literally being able to interpret the waters of the Venetian canals and the wine-filled glasses of the criminals. He envisions a vindicated life for the family and finds a way to convince others to see it his way.
12. Revolutionary:
Channeling frustration and dissatisfaction into constructive change.
Thunderstruck and Other Stories by Elizabeth McCracken – Short stories can be very good for quick bursts of rest time in a fun-packed vacation. This collection is for the brave-hearted and non-conventional reader.
The stories are funny, poignant and very unusual all at once and show how people navigate between love and loneliness in very dramatic ways. In one story called “Property” a young widower decides to refurbish his Maine rental house (and his memories at the same time) by removing and discarding the landlord’s possessions.
From one avid reader to another – happy vacation reading!
Andrea Cotter is a founding partner of CultureTalk and entrepreneur. With work-life experience around the world, she guides others with her profound insights on brand cultures and the power of storytelling.
