Good Books to Read for Business & Pleasure * May 2014
This May, it’s mostly about committing to creativity.
Friends, my birthday was Monday, and it was quite a busy and enjoyable day. I spoke with three people who have strong entrepreneurial spirits, and one who is having trouble finding hers. That’s sad, and, in a world like ours, difficult. We need an entrepreneurial spirit so we can adapt to changing technology, opportunities, and conditions. One thing I’m grateful for is creativity, and the will to back it up. After all, creativity without discipline — or at least motivation — really doesn’t get you anywhere. I first blogged about this idea in a post called Talk Minus Action Equals Zero for Tech Savvy Women.
Get up and get going, people! There’s so much fun, adventure, and productivity to be had!
Here’s what I’ve been reading (read on, readers!):
Good Books to Read
Business
The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life [!] by Twylah Tharp.
I don’t get to dance performances as often as probably I should, but Twyla Tharp is a grand dame of American creativity and when I learned about this book I snapped it up! The Creative Habit is great because it says what we all know in a new way: In order to get it done, you need to get it done. Yet she also offers inspirational exercises that help you get unstuck (if you are) plus offers her own experience — and not just the pretty parts. I think that knowing highly successful creative people share feelings with those of us have more striving to do — as well as techniques they use to manage feelings like fear and insecurity — is both practical and uplifting.
If you would like to have this book for your very own, purchase The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life at the Anna Colibri Amazon shop.
Here is an example of her work. Love the beat, love the energy. Gotta dance!
Pleasure
Balthazar by Lawrence Durrell.
Balthazar is part of the Alexandria Quartet, which is an exploration of modern love. I am really enjoying the series because it is relatively fearless in de-romanticizing romantic love. Lately, I’ve been thinking (here, Céline, a nod in your direction) that I was wrong to think that romantic love is the most important thing in the world. Of course, I’m still a romantic love fan, but experience has taught me that romantic love is a bit of an underdog, and Balthazar‘s cold, hard look supports my new point of view while being too sensual to be depressing.
Like it’s predecessor, Justine, this book uses rich language that will expand your vocabulary. As a sad-but-true bonus feature, the book chronicles — in what is said to be the first instance in British literature — gay-bashing. Not to be celebrated, but to be recognized as part of our collective human experience.
If you would like to have this book for your very own, purchase Balthazar at the Anna Colibri Amazon shop.
Children
The 13 Clocks by James Thurber.
The 13 Clocks rulz! Friends, of the three books I’ve reviewed here, today, read this one first. Great illustrations. Great use of language. This book will take apart at least some of what you thought you knew about language and rearrange a synapse or two, which we could all use. It’s so important for seo copywriters like me to have the ability to play with language and make it sound delicious. So. If writing is important to you, read this!
If you would like to have this book for your very own, purchase The 13 Clocks at the Anna Colibri Amazon shop.
Three great books to help you improve your creative capacities! Enjoy!
{Image credit: Denna Jones}
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