I hit my monthly goal of reading four books in my July reading list. Books that are part of my July reading list include Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman, An American Iliad: The Story of the Civil War, The Origins of the Second World War, and The New Girl: A Novel. Each of these books was enjoyable to read but I will give the nod to Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman as my favorite book that I read. Author and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard kept me engaged throughout this book. For all of the books I have read this year, check out my reading lists [HERE].
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman was an informative read giving me much-needed firepower on how to continue building my business. Chouinard is a one-of-a-kind founder. He’s someone I would love to work for. An American Iliad: The Story of the Civil War helped build my knowledge of the Civil War in this short read. The Origins of the Second World War was similar to An American Iliad: The Story of the Civil War in that The Origins of the Second World War ignited my desire to learn more about World War II. Lastly, The New Girl: A Novel changed the pace for me bringing a novel to the table. Let’s run through the list of my July reading list.
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman
Yvon Chouinard tells his story in Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman. Chouinard’s childhood fascination with nature inspired the companies he would later find like Patagonia. It is safe to say Chouinard is obsessed with the outdoors and protecting our planet. Chouinard’s maniacal focus on building companies that care for their employees while being a force for good are two important takeaways for me in the book. I kept thinking throughout the book that every founder can use Chouinard’s business principles to build companies that can help us all. Patagonia has and continues to do so much for local communities and the world. This is partly due to Chouinard’s assertion that companies can and should help those and the planet every day.
An American Iliad: The Story of the Civil War
Author Charles Roland tells the story of the Civil War through the use of key battles and military campaigns using accounts of the “major political, diplomatic, social, and cultural events” in An American Iliad: The Story of the Civil War. Roland does a solid job of contrasting the styles of the opposing presidents and generals in the book. I found it interesting to read the traits and leadership styles used by Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. Note, Lincoln, and not Davis, is who to model your leadership style after. In addition to Lincoln’s leadership, his military leaders like Ulysses S. Grant were able to forge a more effective military strategy over time compared to Robert E. Lee. An American Iliad: The Story of the Civil War made it clear to me how dark life can be when you are fighting your countrymen.
The Origins of the Second World War
The Origins of the Second World War focuses on why World War II broke out in 1939. Author Richard Overy then explains why World II expanded into a world way two short years later in 1941. Overy argues that Adolph Hitler hoped for a short war conquering Poland. What Hitler received instead was both Britain and France declaring war on Hitler’s Germany. The Origins of the Second World War explores that the origins of World War II can be found in the instability of the international system that created the war in the first place. The decline of the British and French empires led to the rise of new empires in Italy, Germany, and Japan. These new empires were looking to not only expand but conquer the world alongside their ally Germany.
The New Girl: A Novel
Mystery surrounds who the new girl is at an elite and exclusive private school in Switzerland. Who is the raven-haired girl arriving at school in a motorcade typically reserved for heads of state? The new girl is rumored to be the daughter of a wealthy, important international businessman. The New Girl: A Novel reveals that the girl is the daughter of Khalid bin Mohammed, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The crown prince is now reviled for his role in the murder of a journalist. Before, he was celebrated for his progressive social and religious reforms. The New Girl: A Novel is a story of the lengths that Mohammed will go to find his daughter who was kidnapped. As expected, this book is fast-paced, zig-zagging across the world following the one and only Israeli spy Gabriel Allon.
