So 2021 is underway, and you’ve probably made a few resolutions. Maybe one of those resolutions is to read more. We’ve put together a reading list for 2021 to help you make good on your resolution...or maybe inspire you to pick up a few new books even if you weren’t planning on it.
We’ve included some books on industry topics that will keep your brain in gear, but we’ve also thrown in some books that are a little lighter and will let you relax a bit, too. It’s all about balance!
Books for when you’re trying to stay switched on…
First on the list is Jonah Berger’s Contagious: Why Things Catch On. Named the Best Marketing Book of 2014 by the American Marketing Association, Berger explores the mechanisms behind what exactly gets popular, and why. Berger is a marketing professor who has been looking to answer this question for over 10 years, and this book is the end product of that journey. Not only does it look into why certain stories get shared, it tells you the steps you can take to help your own ideas spread. With a four-star rating on Goodreads, this book is both informative and entertaining and we think it’s the perfect book to start 2021 with.
If you have an interest in psychology, you may like Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert B. Cialdini. With 35 years of research experience, Cialdini has put together a book that explains exactly how to persuade people - a key skill for any marketer. Far from being a psychology textbook, it’s written in a conversational tone that makes it as enjoyable to read as it is educational.
Often in marketing, you aren’t selling a physical product but rather a service or even an idea. In Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing, Harry Beckwith discusses practical strategies to do this, such as making your work easily accessible or making your value proposition to clients clear (if you want to know more, you’ll have to read the book!). With glowing reviews, it’s the perfect book to add to your shelf this year.
Maybe you have enough of marketing at work and you want to keep your brain in gear while learning something new, instead. If technology is something that sparks your interest, try Mary Aiken’s The Cyber Effect, in which the world’s leading expert in forensic cyberpsychology explores how the Internet is shaping development and behaviour. In this day and age, it’s pretty much impossible to avoid the internet, so it’s worth knowing how it might be affecting you! The writing is not too heavy so it’s easy to get into.
If you’re into startups, or interested in starting your own, you may enjoy Peter Thiel’s Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future. Thiel is a billionaire entrepreneur and venture capitalist, and in his book he offers a new way of thinking about innovation as well as an exploration of the mechanics of startups.
Books for when you want to reconnect with yourself…
The idea of self-care isn’t new, but 2020 definitely reminded everyone how important it is. After the year we’ve had, we deserve to treat ourselves, and the beginning of 2021 is the perfect time to start building a self-care habit.
Our first book for this section is Mind’s Take a Moment: Activities to Refocus, Recentre and Relax Wherever You Are. Filled with affirming quotes, breathing practices, and various physical and creative exercises, this book is described as the ‘self-care companion for anyone who could do with a little help putting their wellbeing first’. Self-care is often easier said than done, but this book will give you lots of starting points.
Stress is, unfortunately, unavoidable, but there are ways of managing it. Mithu Storoni explores these in her book Stress-Proof: The Scientific Solution to Protect Your Brain and Body. The book explores common causes of stress and offers simple solutions to combat these, turning scientific research into an easily digestible guide to improving your wellbeing.
In Tara Brach’s book Radical Compassion, she offers a four-step meditation that encourages your love of both yourself and the world around you. The four steps (Recognise, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) are complemented by personal stories that help illustrate the importance of finding love, forgiveness and compassion.
Books for when you want to relax in the bath…
Sometimes, you don’t want to read about marketing and you don’t want to read about self-love, you just want to read a good old piece of fiction that you can escape reality with.
If you recently found yourself escaping reality with Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, you may be pleased to hear it was a book first, written by Walter Tevit. If you haven’t found much time for reading lately, getting back into fiction can be slightly easier if you start with a book whose story you already know. The series has already proved that chess is far more exciting than anyone expected, so why not read the book and rekindle your fantasy of becoming the next chess Grandmaster?
If you remember learning about Greek myths at school as a child, why not revisit them with Madeline Miller’s Circe, a reimagining of the story of an ancient story about gods, witchcraft and monsters. Miller certainly depicts a very different world from the one we live in, making it the perfect bit of escapism for your evening bath.
Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing is another top pick, with 4.47 stars on Goodreads. It tells the story of Kya, a girl who lives an isolated life in the marshes of North Carolina, and of survival, loneliness, love and hope. It was first published in 2018 but recently experienced a surge of attention, and is definitely a good book to read when you’re taking a break from your own life - get lost in the marsh setting that will be unrecognisable to most readers, and enjoy the story that takes place there.
We hope this reading list gives you some inspiration, and provides you with some ways to make the time you would have spent on your commute a little more entertaining. Whether you planned to read more this year or not, there’s a lot out there to get stuck into!