Favorite Book Of The Month: The Fountainhead
For months, my friend Ryan Black, the co-founder of Ruby, was pushing me to read this book. When I shared that it was on my list, I got so many messages urging me to stop before I start. But, I’m glad that I finished what I started. This book has been deemed one of the best books of the 20th Century, and rightfully so. Ayn Rand explores society and the different types of people that make it run. She makes you question and ponder which type of person you are within society and what type of person you don’t want to be via the choices that you make. It’s a long one, but it’s worth it.
See Religion and History Differently : Zealot
I am not as religious I would like. I tend to lean on pragmatism, history, science and facts when forming opinions or thoughts – which doesn’t fit in super well with religious thought. As a History and English major, this book was gold. Zealot gives you a historical account of the world that Jesus lived in, who he actually was within society, and other characters that influenced thought and religion during his time. The scriptures and gospels that we read in the bible are stories. They are idealistic, not realistic. Zealot helps root these stories in fact.
Get Inspired: The Moment of Lift
Melinda Gates in many ways is just as inspiring as her partner Bill. If you don’t know much about her, or the work that she has done with the Gates foundation, you need to read this book. Melinda and her team have figured out so many amazing global solutions by looking through the eyes of women, by listening to women, and by believing in the power of women. This book is packed with stories from women across the world, and they are worth knowing.
Great Airplane Read: Vicious
This book has it all – superheroes, paranormal activity, murder, labs, love, family.This book has so many little twists and turns that keep you hooked on Victor and Eli’s intertwining lives. What if you think that you are the hero, when everyone else sees you as the villain? Who gets to pick who is a hero? This read was so good, that I read it in one sitting. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found yourself in the same position.
You Get The Point: How To Do Nothing
This was on Barack’s list, so I gave it a shot. We all know that we are addicted to the attention economy, as we are constantly if not endlessly berated with notifications, calls, emails, and texts. Yes, our attention and time are out most valuable assets and we must figure out how to better take control of them and parcel it out, as our brains are literally restructuring (check out “What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains” to learn more about that). However, although I agree with Odell’s argument about the attention economy and what it is doing to our lives, I found myself wanting more of a call to action for how to deal with that – outside of go look at birds outside.
MBA: The Blog 