Time to indulge in our favorite things — romantic movies, dark chocolates, bejeweled presents for our significant others, and sticking it to our single friends!
…Unless you are the “single friend” yourself, in which case, you have the good fortune this month to indulge in something infinitely better than corny rom-coms, tooth-rotting sweets, and expensive rocks:
BOOKS!
(Of course)
So as a proud card-carrying member of the Single Friends Club (and an obsessive book-lover), I’m pleased to share with you a few of my personal recommendations to help you sharpen your brain and broaden your perspective in February 😉
Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Daniel Lapin
If you feel poor or have ever felt secretly guilty for making money, you need to read Thou Shall Prosper, pronto.
No, this is not one of those new-age fluffy unicorn books that tells you to “dream about a million dollars and you shall have it,” despite the tone of its title.
Instead, Thou Shall Prosper is written by a Jewish rabbi, endorsed by popular radio host and financial teacher/author Dave Ramsey. The book is about the Jewish people’s attitude toward and ancient principles about business and money and how their perspective has helped them to become financially successful no matter what time or culture they happen to live in.
In this insightful book, Rabbi Lapin reveals these ancient Jewish money management concepts in the form of “10 money commandments” that everyone needs to know. Including you. And me. (Ahem. Time to re-read!)
Defying Hitler by Gordon Thomas
For all you WWII history buffs out there, here is another book to give you a glimpse of what it was like to live in fascist Germany.
Defying Hitler is the fascinating true stories of brave (or foolhardy?) people who resisted Hitler when he was at his worst. From Communist sympathizers to Christian schoolchildren, the motley crew of (mostly doomed) resistors are brought to life in the pages of this book.
Author Gordon Thomas skillfully weaves together each character’s story, showing the good, bad, and ugly of the stories and characters of few people who dared to resist the most infamous dictator of the 20th century.
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
Talking to Strangers is another engrossing book by talented writer Malcolm Gladwell. In this thought-provoking look at how people understand (and misunderstand) one another, Gladwell uses gripping, real-life stories to illustrate how we all know each other less well than we assume.
If you’ve ever wondered how Neville Chamberlain could have misunderstood Hitler, how prisoners are wrongly condemned for crimes they did not commit, how sexual predators can hide in schools for decades without being caught and punished, this book has the answers.
Warning: This book will remain on your mind for quite a while after you read it.
F#ck Content Marketing by Randy Frisch
In spite of its provocative title, F#ck Content Marketing really doesn’t have any dirty language or ideas inside, I promise.
Author Randy Frisch is the co-founder of Uberflip, a content experience platform. And in this book, he reveals his strategies for creating an effective content marketing strategy, using his personal experience in the content industry.
Although this book is geared more toward business owners who are interested in incorporating a better content strategy into their marketing plan, content writers and anyone interested in business will find this book helpful as well.
The Big Short by Michael Lewis
I remember the first time I tried to watch The Big Short movie: Did. Not. Get. It. At. All.
I wanted to understand what created the 2008 recession, but unfortunately there were too many unfamiliar terms and concepts and I couldn’t keep up. So I decided to borrow the book.
And boy am I glad I did. Michael Lewis is a gifted writer, capable of making gnarly financial concepts understandable for the average non-financially-savvy lay reader like me.
If you are interested in economics and finance, or just want to know what the heck happened in 2008, this book is for you!
(Recommendation: Read it slowly, and revel in the feeling of your brain getting smarter with every page 😸)
…And that’s the book list for this month!
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