Summer Reading: Raising the Bar

Book Title: Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar Inc.
Author: Gary Erickson

This story is about how a man saw a need and filled that need.

Gary Erickson, the founder of Clif Bar, tells how a long bike ride in his 30s led him to create the iconic, organic energy bars and other related products when there was really only one on the market at that time.

I enjoyed reading his short stories throughout the book about his mountain biking trips and other excursions he took with friends and how the lessons he learned from those trips apply to how he runs his business.

It's great to read about how some businesses owners, like Gary, stay true to their passions in their business instead of conforming to practices that compromise their values.

I recommend this book for anyone, especially businesses owners, outdoor enthusiasts and organic foodies.

Summer Reading: Writing on the Wall

My book collection can sometimes be thought of as a garden. I collect books from time to time, just like I do plants. People recommend books to me, just like they do plants. And books are great to share with others, just like plants.

This summer, I've been sharing about some of the books that I've been reading, and maybe you might find your own copies to read at the library or your local bookstore.

I recently finished the book Writing on the Wall: Social Media - The First 2,000 Years by Tom Standage. He is a New York Times bestselling author, and the book interested me, so I put it on my Christmas list. Yes, I just now got around to reading it.

This book talks about how social communication through media changed from the ancient Greeks to today. For example, I found it fascinating that in one culture, graffiti was not thought of at taboo. Instead, it was common for people to etch messages to each other in the sandstone walls outside people’s houses. And people would reply. In addition, this book covers how certain inventions like Morse Code, the telegraph, radio, television, etc. came to be.

I recommend it for anyone who is interested in history, communications, media and journalism.

Please let me know what books you're reading this summer!

Summer Reading: Lean In

I loved this book!

Author Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, did an excellent job in her book Lean In describing some of the struggles she and other women face throughout their careers and why many women don’t strive to be leaders.

These include lack of self-esteem, feeling overlooked, being stereotyped, and much more.

She uses research and personal stories to make her arguments, and she reflects on how she is not perfect but strives to the best she can. She seeks to help women and men reach their full potential and learn to work as a team.

I recommend this book for women and men because we can all learn a lot from it.

Summer Reading: Producer--Lessons Shared from 30 Years in Television

My latest summer reading pick.

I really enjoyed reading the book Producer: Lessons Shared from 30 Years in Television because I work behind the scenes in the television industry and I identified with some of the same experiences the author, Wendy Walker went through.

In this book, Walker names the chapters after lessons she's learned. These include lessons like "freaking out is not an option" and "everything happens for a reason."

As the senior executive producer of Larry King Live, Walker illustrates these lessons with anecdotes about the famous people she's met and worked with and the challenges she's faced at her fast-paced job.

I also liked reading about her career path from college, to working at a clothing store, to working for the Kennedy family, and beyond.

I recommend this book for anyone who likes to read about interesting people and places and wants to learn lessons in the process.