I fell into the trap of surfing on Amazon this past weekend, and of course, ended up finding a ton of books to add to my “must read” list. I also re-visited my Amazon wishlist and rediscovered a couple things that have been on there FOREVER (don’t you love when that happens?).
(Aside: one book I did end up buying — I finally downloaded Yuli Ziv’s Blogging Your Way to the Front Row. It’s on sale for $4.99 right now on Kindle! I don’t even own a Kindle, but I downloaded it and plan on reading it on my laptop!)
Here are some books that made the list. Any others that should be here?
Thin Places: A Pilgrimage Home – I’ve had this book on my Amazon wishlist for a long time. From one of the reviews, “Trained at Harvard, the author ventured to rural southeastern Nepal during the 1990s to study the relationship between the villagers and their land use in a region bordering a new national park. Her developing connection with these hard-laboring, superstitious people transformed not only her research but the way she resolved to live her life.”
740 Park: The Story of the World’s Richest Apartment Building — The title pretty much says it all! I’m fascinated to learn more about the history and residents of one of New York’s most famous apartment buildings.
Bringing Up Bebe — I first came across this book when the Wall Street Journal ran an article about it several weeks ago. I think it’s interesting to see how different cultures approach parenting. And — not that I’m anywhere close — but maybe it’ll come in handy some day.
Thinking, Fast and Slow — I love non-fiction books like this. From the review: “Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble.”
Imagine: How Creativity Works – Another fascinating non-fiction read, this book lookt at the myths around creativity, how to enhance it, and why there’s no such thing as a “creative type.” Interesting!
The House I Loved — A novel with Paris as a back drop during the Haussman building era? Yes, please!
Chanel: Collections and Creations — I’m always happy to add new “coffee table” books to my collection. While I’m amassing a good number of interiors books, I own hardly any fashion retrospectives, and this Chanel tome would be a good place to start.
Valentino: Themes and Variations — Ditto!
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey — Downton Abbey is officially between seasons, but to sate any cravings, I’m thinking about diving into this book, written by the current Countess in residence at the real Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle.
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die — The marketing nerd in me loves the concept of this one: “Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? Made to Stick is a book that will transform the way you communicate ideas. It’s a fast-paced tour of success stories (and failures)–the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who drank a glass of bacteria to prove a point about stomach ulcers; the charities who make use of “the Mother Teresa Effect”; the elementary-school teacher whose simulation actually prevented racial prejudice. Provocative, eye-opening, and often surprisingly funny, Made to Stick shows us the vital principles of winning ideas–and tells us how we can apply these rules to making our own messages stick.”
Any of these sound good to you?
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