A man reads a book at the Anantara Rasananda in Koh Phangan, Thailand.Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
Summer’s officially begun, and that probably means you’re going to need something to read on your next trip to the beach or for the long flight to your vacation destination.
You’ll be kicking back, but might as well bring something educational to accompany that magazine you picked up at the airport.
To help you out, we’ve selected our favorite business memoirs, career guides, and the most exciting research on the future of work.
You’re sure to find something to like that will also leave you with some ideas to take back to the office.
‘Sprint’ by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz
Ever wonder how you could bring some of Google’s magic into your office without installing a quirky slide between floors or investing in an on-site chef? “Sprint” can help you out.
It’s a guide from Google’s venture capital arm GV. Its design partners Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz explain how to implement their signature five-day “sprint” session.
They’ll show you how they’ve used this method to launch game-changing products with companies like Blue Bottle Coffee, Slack, and Nest.
‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight
Nike is not only the world’s biggest athletic company, with a market cap of about $88 billion. It’s also, remarkably, been able to be a worldwide leader of “cool” since the 1970s.
It all started with a new college grad named Phil Knight who sold running shoes out of his parents’ garage.
Knight is retiring as the chairman of Nike this month, and he’s using his book “Shoe Dog” as the definitive story of how he built an empire. It’s a well-written and emotionally engaging story about an entrepreneur growing as a human being alongside the company in which he completely invested himself.
‘Originals’ by Adam Grant
Adam Grant is a star in his field. He’s the highest-rated professor at Wharton and the youngest to ever reach “full professor.” His success is built on some of the most exciting and practical work in behavioral science.
In his latest book, Grant takes a look at some of the most innovative and daring thinkers of the past 100 years, from Martin Luther King, Jr. to the founders of Google, breaking down what goes on inside the mind of an “original.”
‘O Great One!’ by David Novak and Christina Bourg
When David Novak retired as the chairman of Yum Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut) in May, he left behind a legacy of 41,000 restaurants across 125 countries and a market capitalization of about $34 billion.
His book “O Great One!” is a parable based on his own career that communicates the No. 1 leadership lesson he learned: The greatest thing a leader can do is show appreciation for great work.
‘How to Have a Good Day’ by Caroline Webb
Caroline Webb is the CEO of consulting firmSevenshift and a senior adviser to McKinsey, where she was formerly a partner. Her book is a collection of career best practices she’s learned in her 16 years as a consultant.
“How to Have a Good Day” may sound like a book full of self-affirmations, but it’s densely packed with field-tested career advice, from how to have productive meetings to how to deal with an annoying coworker.
‘Grit’ by Angela Duckworth
What’s the one thing that West Point cadets, spelling-bee champs, Jeff Bezos, and Julia Child have in common?
Ask Duckworth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a winner of the MacArthur “genius” award, and she’ll tell you: grit. That is, a combination of passion and perseverance that plays a huge role in determining your success in life — more so even than intelligence or innate talent.
To be sure, “Grit” and the psychology behind it have its critics, some of whom say that the research doesn’t add anything especially new. Regardless of where you stand, the book is a compelling read that will encourage you to start questioning your own potential for achievement.
‘An Everyone Culture’ by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
In nearly every workplace, employees are working two jobs: the one they signed up for and the one spent navigating office politics, argue Harvard professors Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey in “An Everyone Culture.”
There are, however, companies that avoid this, and the authors call these Deliberately Developmental Organizations (DDOs).
Kegan and Laskow thoroughly analyze what they perceive to be the benefits of radical transparency through case studies on hedge fund giant Bridgewater, ecommerce company company Next Jump, and real estate company Decurion.
‘Quench Your Own Thirst’ by Jim Koch
Today, Americans can walk into nearly any neighborhood supermarket or corner store and find at least one quality craft beer. But when Jim Koch left a consulting job with a $250,000 salary in 1984 to start a beer company and compete with the likes of Budweiser and Heineken, he seemed like a lunatic.
Today Koch’s Boston Beer Company, maker of Sam Adams, is a $2 billion company and one of the reasons why it’s no longer seen as crazy to open a brewery in the US.
“Quench Your Own Thirst” is the story of how he got there, told in Koch’s blunt, wry delivery — for example, in one chapter he breaks down the “F— You” rule he implemented at Boston Beer.
‘Deep Work’ by Cal Newport
In 2016, nearly anyone living in the developed world has a short attention span from years spent jumping among smartphone apps and web browser tabs. It’s not a benign cultural change, argue Georgetown professor and bestselling author Cal Newport, because the greatest output is the result of what he calls “deep work.”
Newport’s book of the same name explains how one can build sessions of deep work into their work days to get more top-quality work done in the span of an hour than they otherwise would in the entire day.
‘Ego is the Enemy’ by Ryan Holiday
For someone at the start of their careers, acting on ego can prevent them from constructive learning opportunities; for someone who has already experienced success, acting on ego can prevent them from adapting to change.
Bestselling author Ryan Holiday draws from history and philosophy to show how one can master one’s own ego, using examples that range from New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
‘The Inevitable’ by Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly, one of the founders of Wired magazine, has established himself as a guru of Silicon Valley. “The 4-Hour Workweek” author Tim Ferriss un-ironically calls Kelly “the most interesting man in the world” and legendary tech investor Marc Andreessen dubbed “The Inevitable” an “automatic must-read.”
In it, Kelly gives you a sneak peek at the future, and how it will be shaped by maturing forces like artificial intelligence and the on-demand economy.
‘The Sleep Revolution’ by Arianna Huffington
In 2007, after she’d been founder and editor of The Huffington Post for two years, Huffington fainted and woke up in a pool of blood. The likely reason, she determined later, was sleep deprivation.
Today, Huffington is a champion for snooze time. (She says she personally gets a full 8.5 hours of sleep every night.)
In “The Sleep Revolution,” she shares research and expert opinion on why it’s important to prioritize sleep, as well as tips on how to get a better night’s rest. Hint: Don’t bring your smartphone into bed with you.
‘Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules’ by Jeremy C. Miller
Investment analyst Jeremy Miller’s “Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules” is a thorough but easy-to-understand analysis of the investing principles of Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, one of the greatest investors in history.
In fact, Miller’s analysis is so spot-on that the Oracle of Omaha himself gives it his full endorsement. “Mr. Miller has done a superb job of researching and dissecting the operation of Buffett Partnership Ltd. and of explaining how Berkshire’s culture has evolved from its BPL origin,” Buffett wrote.
‘Never Split the Difference’ by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
I know more than you ever will – how dare you try to teach me! I need to reply to all emails immediately – even during sensitive meetings. 
I hear no feedback, I change nothing! Don’t innovate and just do it my way.
I am laid back and I am awesome. I have a new vision speech every week but can’t seem to follow through on any plans. I think it’s because I am a perfectionist and if I cannot do it perfectly, I won’t do it at all. 
The 50th Law by 50 Cent
