Now that summer is officially here—and all the vacations, barbecues and beach outings are rapidly approaching—it’s time to put down the smartphone and indulge in some bookish indulgence. The great thing about summer is whether it’s a vacation down the shore, or just a lazy Sunday afternoon in the park, there’s no shortage of places to get some reading done now that the days are long and the weather is warm.
Hopefully there’s time in the short months before the unperturbed seasons move onward to not only get sucked into a good story, but also to learn something new and better your professional self as well. The unfortunate reality is that on top of work, family and fun this summer there just isn’t enough time to cover everything. In the search for the perfect reading list, difficult decisions are sure to be made. In an effort to help you along the journey to literary enlightenment, here are six books from various genres that PR pros should check out this summer.
End of Watch—Stephen King
The final installment in King’s Bill Hodges Trilogy showcases his gift for somehow making the terrifying a sublime experience.
The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build and Accelerate Your Brand—Karen Leland
Individuals have been building personal brands for centuries, and in some cases people were branding themselves long before brands even existed. Leland offers insights from CEOs, entrepreneurs and executives to help readers build a personal brand they can be proud of.
The Girls—Emma Cline
The Washington Post said it best: “The most remarkable quality of this novel is Cline’s ability to articulate the anxieties of adolescence in language that’s gorgeously poetic without mangling the authenticity of a teenager’s consciousness. The adult’s melancholy reflection and the girl’s swelling impetuousness are flawlessly braided together. . . . For a story that traffics in the lurid notoriety of the Manson murders, The Girls is an extraordinary act of restraint.”
Doing It the Right Way: 13 Crucial Steps For a Successful PR Agency Merger or Acquisition—Rick Gould
This how-to book provides in-depth guidance for how PR agency owners can boost their profitability, enhance their valuations and execute a successful sale. The 13 steps featured in the book run the PR M&A gamut, from what PR owners need to do once they commit to a sale, to how to understand the needs of potential buyers.
Hamilton: The Revolution—Lin-Manuel Miranda & Jeremy McCarter
Alexander Hamilton—Ron Chernow
If you—like countless others—haven’t been able to score tickets to the Broadway sensation that is Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s book traces the tumultuous and unlikely story behind the creation of the hit play. The book features exclusive photos, notebooks and emails, and interviews with Questlove, leading political commentators and more than 50 people involved with the production. This coupled with the widely praised biography of Alexander Hamilton that the show is based on should placate the ticketless among us.
Follow Mark: @MarkRenfree