Autumn is Coming – A Reading List for Readiness

It’s officially the end of summer. 

A moment of silence please.

But if you’re like me, the summer isn’t necessarily a relaxing time. 

In the nonprofit world, as with the political culture of DC, time really only slows for August. So as August is now upon us, and many of us are finally taking that long awaited beach trip or simply using the lull to gear up for the hectic season that September brings, it’s time to tackle that forgotten reading list. You know those fantastic beach reads all your favorite bloggers, vloggers, and Instagram influencers have been toting since May about a lover lost, a family torn apart, or space zombies. 

Those do sound entertaining. But instead, I’d like to challenge you to read a book that will help get you ready for the bustle of fall and maybe one that will make you better. A better communicator. A better creator. A better human.

To help you cut through the clutter, I’ve compiled a list of my top summer reads to buy, load onto your Kindle, or if you’re an old fashioned bookworm like me, pick up at your local library! This is the list for the policy wonk who needs to be less wonky, the burned out fundraiser, and the aspiring think tank leader. 

Come one, come all, there’s something for everyone!

Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt by Arthur C. Brooks

One sentence summary: Jesus may have had a point…

Why I recommend it: Because of where I work, I frequently find myself surrounded by older fundraisers and think tank leaders in the movement. This has given me a unique opportunity to hear directly from them what irritates them about those of us newer to this line of work. One of the main problems seems to be that we of the younger millennial group tend to not only incite, but enjoy fostering vitriol and contempt among those who Arthur dubs our “enemies.” This usually takes place over social media, but I can’t help but think back to a few networking happy hours where guys have gotten into a screaming match over a policy disagreement. 

Reading this book, you quickly realize that Brooks only uses the term because many of us tend to think of those with opposing ideas to ours as such. But they aren’t enemies; they simply disagree with us. It shouldn’t need to be said, but, well, here we are. This book is a good reminder of why we need to treat others with respect and empathy if we want to win hearts and minds to our ideas, or at the very least, get people to listen. It’s been out for a little while, but I feel that the title may lead some people to overlook it. Don’t.

Every Tool’s A Hammer: Life is What Your Make It by Adam Savage

One sentence summary: Make time to make things.

Why I recommend it: This book is by one of my all-time favorite humans and just so happens to be my favorite on the list. I grew up with an engineer dad, and so in summer afternoons when he came home from work, we’d sit down and watch Myth Busters together. We’d laugh at the crazy concoctions Adam and Jamie made and puzzle over if we could build something similar without making mom angry or needing explosives. Savage is known in the nerd world as proof that you can make a career out of doing what you love if you are willing to work for it no matter how crazy it may seem. Here he recounts bits of how he got started and how he continues to find ways to be creative and ignite ideas even when it isn’t coming easily. 

As someone who’s been in DC doing non-profit work for 3 years, I know that hitting the proverbial wall can come much earlier for us than other industries. Whether a “maker” or something else, I hope it gives you a few laughs and inspires you to return to a lost hobby or come to a creative solution to a problem.

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch

One sentence summary: So if memes are a language, what does that mean for English? 

Why I recommend it: This one is for all of you who, like me, are obsessed (secretly) with behavioral psychology, a.k.a. the people who have taken every personality quiz from Myers Briggs to the Strengths Finder, and people who love communication. Being in the comms world myself, I know how important language is to the dissemination of ideas. Really any of us who work in policy need to be able to communicate well, even as these rules of communicating are shifting. Thanks to the internet, not only are we communicating more visually and differently than we used to, but it’s even changing our  own English language. McCulloch is a linguistics expert who takes us on a fascinating deep dive of what the internet has done to change language including memes, emojis, and the like. I know my fellow comms and marketing nerds will enjoy!

Give Smart: Philanthropy that Gets Results by Thomas J Tierney and Joel I. Fleishman

One sentence summary: Don’t be a complacent charitable giver! 

Why I recommend it: We give this book out at the Novus Society, a program designed to help younger givers be more thoughtful and strategic in their giving. It’s been out for a fair amount of time, but I find many millennials even in the world of nonprofits and philanthropy haven’t heard of it, let alone have read it. Give Smart is a great primer for turning your thoughts on charitable giving on their end and an all-around great resource for people who are already giving regularly and to those who one day will be, whether it be to religious institutions, humanitarian groups, Go-fund Mes, or organizations in the public policy sphere. You worked hard for that money, so make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck. Or, in this case, that your charitable dollar is doing the most good that it can towards the goals you want to achieve with it.

Don’t Label Me: An Incredible Conversation for Divided Times by Irshad Manji

One sentence summary: Prejudices are real and deeply rooted, and yes, this book applies to you (and me too). 

Why I recommend it: Normally I would ignore a book with this title because it sounds very anti-free speech, but it was recommended by a colleague. It’s written by someone who leans more towards the political left, but that shouldn’t dissuade you from reading it. And if it does make you want to not read it, then I’d say you are the person who definitely needs to read this book. Manji offers up a controversial perspective for why identity politics and diversity programs fail and in place suggests a more humble look at what makes us who we are and how to talk about it. This book is a great follow up to Love Your Enemies, albeit a bit quirky in her format (you’ll see what I mean). We all hold prejudices, but maybe if we start actively trying to find where our own lie and being willing to talk about them, we can take that first step towards a less divisive world.

And one book to keep a lookout for is Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell. I’ve heard a good number of friends and colleagues of various circles hotly awaiting this release, and based on his other works I know it will be good! Come September, it will definitely be on my nightstand! Maybe it can help us all be a little less awkward and maneuver stranger danger with ease. 

I hope you find something in this list that you will genuinely enjoy to read and that will help you keep kicking butt and taking names at whatever it is that you do. Just make sure you sit a good ways back from the waves while reading.