My Pandemic Reading List

Not everyone has had more time to read during these (perpetually) unusual times- but everyone seems to feel that the world has been turned upside down, to one degree or another. Reading- even a few minutes a day, can help to bring perspective and joy to an otherwise chaotic lives. Here are the books (or blogs) that I find myself recommending most often- and if you are one of the people who is much busier these days, please keep reading, because some of these suggestions will take no more than two minutes a day, but will certainly be worth your time!

1. The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday — this book was gifted to me a couple of years ago, and it is a gift that keeps on giving. In a few minutes a day, the ancient wisdom of the Stoics is presented in a thought provoking and digestible way. There is also a daily email and blog you can read from the dailystoic.com, which is a free and easy way to get started focusing on these life changing insights, perfect for providing pandemic-grade perspective.
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear — maybe you put on a few quarantine-related pounds, or are thinking more about becoming the leader you want to be- whatever change you want to make in life, Atomic Habits are a great way to break down how small changes can get big results. The metaphor here is that of compounding- consider the difference in getting a 5% return on your money vs a 20% return. In one year it is not that significant, but over a lifetime it makes a huge difference in wealth creation. So it is with our habits. The cool thing is that James Clear also has a weekly email called 3–2–1 Thursday which you can find also at jamesclear.com. It’s 3 ideas, 2 quotes, 1 question and the tag line is

“Working to deliver the most wisdom per word of any newsletter on the web.”

and in my view, he succeeds!

3. Work Rules by Laszlo Bock — this is not a new book, but the insights from Google’s former head of HR are relevant in these times of challenging hiring environments- from the perspective of hiring managers. How do you think about screening employees that you can’t meet in person? What are the most effective ways to interview? Turns out we had these same issues pre-pandemic, but often we convince ourselves that we know a candidate or can assess them well because we had a really good in-person 45 minute chat. Now we are more aware that our methods of interviewing and candidate selection are not sufficient (and Mr. Bock knew that a long time ago!). A very worthwhile read for anyone in a position of bringing on talent.

4. My Antonia by Willa Cather — to me, one of the underrated classics, My Antonia is perfect for reminding us that life is usually pretty hard for people trying to eke out an existence (which is most of the history of humanity, and most of the current population of the world). It is also a beautifully told story in a pastoral setting, great for taking minds off of being stuck inside. It is also a relatively short read and clearly written. I spend a small percentage of my reading hours on fiction, but this is the sort of book that makes that time worthwhile.

5. Scripture- whatever your faith, there has never been a better time to dig into the written wisdom that is provided there. Finding the meaning in life that is given to us, which addresses our spiritual growth, is key. Only you know what that means to you- but even five minutes a day connecting to what matters deeply beyond ourselves is key in gaining perspective.

What not to read? The less time on social media the better. The less time focusing on vitriolic headlines — particularly as the election season heats up- the better. I am a big believer in being very discriminating on consuming media (including movies, books — and news), focusing on those that will be enriching or that I can act upon in a productive way. If you find yourself getting worked up by the news, a small dose of the Daily Stoic, for example, can be just the remedy. Just a few days ago, the post was enticed “No One Can Trigger You”- an excellent example of why this is so useful at this time!

Happy Reading!