It’s now the end of 2020, and you’re probably tired of getting book recommendations from your friends and family. We get it – there’s been plenty of down time this year to sit back and read this year.
But, what kind of business education company would we be if we didn’t offer you a list of our recommendations for you to dive into this summer?
As we approach the holidays, we thought we’d share our list of favorite books and podcast that we’ve been paying attention to. We’ve curated this list with you in mind, so we hope you sit back (hopefully on a beach somewhere) and enjoy.
BOOKS:
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The Responsible Company (revised edit.) by Yvon Chouinard & Vincent Stanley. With this book, you’ll get an inside look into the 40 years’ behind one of the most recognizable clothing companies, Patagonia. The Responsible Company shows companies how to reduce the harm they cause, improve the quality of their business, and provide the kind of meaningful work everyone seeks.
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Drawdown edited by Paul Hawken. Drawdown offers 100 solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research. It provides a big slice of hope and optimism about our ability to tackle global warming, with huge application for the role architects play in this process.
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Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat. Written by top Google executive, Mo Gawdat shows how he applies his superior skills of logic and problem solving to the issue of happiness in Solve for Happy. It’s a remarkable book about maintaining and creating happiness.
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Good to Great by Jim Collins. Here lies an oldie but a goodie. In Good to Great, Jim Collins unpacks how some companies make the leap from “good” to “great,” and why others don’t. This must-read is based off five years of research.
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Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. Based off meticulous research, this book explores how society was designed for men, ignoring half of the population. Though incredibly frustrating and alarming at times, Invisible Women is highly worth a read.
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An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. If you’re looking for a page-turner this summer, An American Marriage would do just the trick. The story, the fourth by Tayari Jones, tells the story of three African American people living in the South, one of whom is falsely imprisoned.
PODCASTS:
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Reasons to be Cheerful with Ed Miliband & Geoff Lloyd. A favorite within Archibiz, Reasons to be Cheerful has our top recommendation this summer. Each Monday, Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd invite forward-thinking guests discuss “ideas to fix the world.” The conversation ranges from B-Corp Certification to political divides in the United Kingdom.
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Seeking Wisdom with David Cancel. Hosted by serial entrepreneur David Cancel and Dave Gerhardt, Seeking Wisdom is the ideal podcast for those looking for quick leadership advice. The two Drift executives share lessons on career and personal development that they’ve learned in their careers.
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Fortunately with Fi and Jane. Once labeled as the United Kingdom’s “most candid” podcast, Fortunately is a weekly conversation between Fi Glover and Jane Garvey, two female radio presenters in the UK, and their guests. Hilarious and brazenly honest, this podcast is just the content you need on your next sunny holiday.
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The Daily Evolver – For those in need of something a bit deeper, we offer The Daily Evolver with Jeff Salzman and Steve McIntosh. Each episode looks at current events through the lens of the integral theories of Ken Wilbur. While it may sound heavy, it is actually incredibly perceptive in a number of ways.
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How I Built This – Hosted by Guy Raz, this NPR podcast reveals the fascinating stories behind some of the world’s biggest companies. The storytelling is top notch, so we recommend you want to give it a listen if you’d like to get into the minds of highly successful entrepreneurs and idealists.
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Radiolab – Radiolab showcases some of the most impressive long-form journalism in public radio. With co-hosts Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser, the podcast touches on complex scientific topics in a manner that is both captivating and easy to understand.
Want some educational reading? Download our beloved “Architect’s Guide to Marketing” and learn strategies to improve your architecture firm’s marketing so that you can drive more clients to your practice.