School is out and it is almost the fourth of July. Since it is the middle of 2017 already, here are the three best books I have read this year. My recommendations for summer reading.
Business/Work Related:
Scaling up Excellence: Getting to More without Settling for Less by Robert I. Sutton & Huggy Rao
There are countless books that describe business process and hard facts. This is refreshingly different as it profiles companies who are growing and want to maintain their identity. The authors find patterns and pitfalls in these scaling stories and many of the chapters are relatable to things we get right or struggle with at Sprague.
Non-Fiction:
The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple
An in depth look at what might be the toughest job in America, this book is well interviewed (all 17 living former chiefs of staff) and two former presidents. It has the luxury of hindsight to help piece together what makes a White House run well and what derailed them in the past.
Fiction:
A Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
This is book two of a three part series and I liked it so much I re-read book one to make sure that I could not miss a detail for book two. The exercise in imagination around this hero story is worth the time and is a delightful departure from the seriousness of life.
Happy reading.