12 books you and your content marketing team should be reading

I distinctly remember the day my colleague and TrueSix co-founder Julia got back from Mobile World Congress 2019, yet another tech conference our team members occasionally attend throughout the year.

When asked how the event went, she responded:

A comparatively small issue as it might be on the big scale of things, but Julia didn’t need to say more.

You see, our team might not be the heavy-weight readers who speed through 100+ books a year. But at the same time, each of us carries their Kindle or an actual physical book with us at most of the times.

For comfort, for entertainment, for the possibility to be learning always and on the go. And here’s why I love that our team reads:

First and foremost, I love that my teammates are fellow readers because of the simple and slightly selfish reason that on numerous occasions, it has helped me discover new literature I wouldn’t necessarily come across on my own.

Looking from a more scientific point of view, research has indicated that fiction-reading, in particular, activates neural pathways in the brain and helps readers better understand real human emotion, improving their social skillfulness.

There are plenty more reasons why reading is beneficial, for example:

Considering all benefits, it’s no wonder companies around the world are encouraging employees to read more.

For example, aside from the usual perks like vacation time and healthcare programs, Twilio employees receive $30 per month for e-books to continue their learning and education. Similarly, Amazon employees get discounts on products sold and shipped by Amazon, including Kindles and books.

But encouraging reading in the workplace isn’t just about changing office policies. You can start with the little things, like occasionally discussing books over lunch or creating a dedicated book corner in the office.

To that end, our content marketing team picked our favorite books (and some anti-recommendations, too) that will help you and your team get started.

“The Cuckoo’s Calling” is a crime fiction novel written by no other than J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series who wittingly published her debut detective mystery using a pseudonym to be independent of her prior success.

The book follows private investigator Cormoran Strike, a former war veteran, as he solves the brutal death of a legendary supermodel Lula Landry. In the process of investigation, Cormoran is helped by his trusted assistant-sidekick Robin Ellacott.

“The Cuckoo’s Calling” was one of those books that gained the attention of our team one person at a time. One of the teammates read it, then recommended the book and lent her copy to another colleague, and soon nearly the whole team was familiar with the adventures of Strike. The thing is — it’s books like these, with broad appeal, that can get your whole team — and even your family — started on a reading journey.

“This was the perfect Christmas gift for my father who is crazy about detective novels. Great was his surprise when he later found out that Robert Galbraith is the alias for J. K. Rowling. Of course, I read the book right after him — which was the plan all along!” says TrueSix writer Ieva.

Why you’ll like it: the novel is easy to read, is set in modern-day London (a treat for all you Britophiles out there), and is the first one in the 4-book series if you want to keep following the adventures of Strike a bit longer.

No list of must-read books is fully complete without this classic dystopian novel by satirist George Orwell.

“1984” is set in Airstrip One (formerly the United Kingdom) where working, eating, sleeping, talking, thinking, and even procreating are controlled by the state and “the Party” and its leader Big Brother. The story revolves around Winston Smith, an employee in the Ministry of Truth, who is a dutiful employee but secretly hates the Party and dreams of rebellion against Big Brother.

Now, why does this 70-year-old novel continues to still be relevant today? Even though it was published in 1949, it predicts how the ultimate totalitarian state might work, describing deeply twisted ways one might keep a population under total control.

Why you’ll like it: “1984” might not be your casual happy read. In fact, it’s bleak, dark, and even ranks as one of the most terrifying novels ever written. However, this book is so thought-provoking it will change the way you look at ideologies and leadership. In addition, the book is very likely to strike up a heated debate as to how you and your teammates would survive under this kind of totalitarian regime.

After more than 30 years since the publication of the first book, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” still continues to be more than just a comedy science fiction series. Rather, it’s an international pop-culture phenomenon that’s been transformed into radio series, TV series, a computer game, major stage productions and even inspired Radiohead’s masterpiece album “OK Computer”.

The book (as well as the whole series) follows Arthur Dent, the last survivor of planet Earth, and his friend Ford Prefect as the pair journey through space aided by quotes from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide”.

The book easily made our team’s must-read list after hearing the enthusiastic recommendation of our colleague Julia. In her words:

Why you’ll like it: not only is the book well-written, it also gives meaningful perspectives into the meaning of life, death, politics, truth, science, religion, war and has been known to make people cry from laughter (and vice versa).

Dale Carnegie was an American writer and lecturer who taught about self-improvement, public speaking, interpersonal skills, and salesmanship. He wrote “How to Win Friends and Influence People” in 1936, a bestseller with more than 15 million copies sold that remains popular today and has supposedly carried many famous people up the ladder of success.

In the book, Carnegie teaches six ways to make people like you, twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and nine ways to change people without creating resentment.

Even though content marketing revolves around writing, an activity that’s mostly done in solitude, oftentimes the work means that you have to come out from behind of your computer and actually interact with people. TrueSix co-founder Krista explains:

Why you should read it? Carnegie’s principles will help you improve the relationships you have with your teammates, friends, and family, and can help you achieve your maximum potential in business and your private life.

If you’ve recently started writing or want to refresh your memory on important tips and how-tos, we have written just the book for the occasion.

“The Art of Business Blogging” contains the very essence of our 6+ years experience in content marketing and is meant to help others write blog posts that readers love. The book’s bottom line is this: you can definitely learn to write well. This ebook will give you the right toolbox.

Co-written by the four indisputably enthusiastic TrueSix writers, the ebook is divided into 10-lesson online course where you’ll learn about:

Why you should read it? If you ever considered writing a blog either for your own private use or for your business, this ebook is for you. It will teach you the repeatable format to write and distribute great blog posts from scratch.

Written by American author Steven Pressfield, the book is centered around the secret that real writers supposedly know, but wannabe writers don’t: nobody wants to read your sh*t. To solve the problem, Pressfield gives invaluable tips on how to write what you want to say in order to turn it into something actually worthwhile reading.

As the author himself puts it, “when you understand that nobody wants to read your shit, you develop empathy. [..] You learn to ask yourself with every sentence and every phrase: Is this interesting? Is it fun or challenging or inventive? Am I giving the reader enough? Is she bored? Is she following where I want to lead her?”

Why you should read it? The book is no nonsense and depicts what the art of writing really is about — even though the reality might be a bit harsh. As Julia points out, “this is the closest thing to a writing blueprint you’ll ever come across.”

If you’re looking for a book that’s likely to become one of your ultimate favorite reads, “Educated” is it. Tara Westover’s coming-of-age memoir has been highly praised by critics and readers. It topped the best-selling lists of New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Boston Globe.

Even former US president Barack Obama has said “Educated” was one of his favorite reads of 2018, and Bill Gates put it on his holiday reading list. And all for good reason.

“Educated” is a tale of a young girl’s remarkable journey from her Mormon survivalist family home in rural Idaho to Cambridge University. Despite lacking any formal education, Tara begins to educate herself and eventually earns a Ph.D. in History. Although facing one major struggle after another, Tara overcomes the odds and manages to reinvent herself and see her life through new eyes.

Why you should read it? Unanimously loved by the whole TrueSix team, this powerful book shows how strength, grit, and perseverance can change a person’s life story. Also, it will have you gripped starting from the very first pages.

“Becoming” is the revealing memoir of Michelle Obama, the Former First Lady of the United States and the first African American to serve in that role.

Through honest, warm, and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama tells the reader about the experiences that shaped her. The story first takes us to Obama’s childhood and reveals what it was like to be raised on the South Side of Chicago. The book also provides in-depth insights into what it was like managing demanding work life and motherhood. And of course — the highs and lows of life with Barack Obama.

Our whole team agreed that throughout the entire book, Michelle Obama managed to create a genuine feeling of girl power — as if she was there with us to confirm “yes, you can!”

For me personally, it was actually quite difficult saying goodbye to this daily personal conversation I’d been having with Mrs. Obama. After seeing all her triumphs, as well as disappointments, it really made me think — what impact in the world do I want to leave? What’s going to be my footprint?

Why you should read it?

On the course to become the most popular autobiography to date, Michelle Obama’s story reflects that hard work, dedication, and passion for what you believe in is the key to defying expectations.

There are only so many eye-opening books in the world that have the potential to change the way we perceive life, humanity, and the world around us. “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” is exactly that kind of a book.

In “Sapiens”, Dr. Yuval Noah Harari explores how the currents of history have shaped human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities. Harari covers all aspects of history, including evolution, anthropology, geography, psychology, religion, ideologies, and even touches on what’s for the future of humans.

As my teammate Ieva put it:

Why you should read it? An eye-opening and cleverly written book that’s full of factual knowledge and mind-altering ideas.

Seth Godin is an American writer and business executive who was inducted into the American Marketing Association’s Marketing Hall of Fame in 2018. Godin has written 18 books, many of them, including “All Marketers Are Liars” becoming bestsellers.

“All Marketers Are Liars” is a marketing guide book that teaches why stories are a marketer’s most important tool and how to tell authentic stories that set your brand apart from the competitors.

Many entrepreneurs and marketers see Godin as an expert on a wide variety of subjects, finding his ideas on marketing, branding, and story-telling expressed in this book visionary.

“It’s very possible that 10 years ago when “All Marketers Are Liars” was published, it was groundbreaking,” expresses Julia. “However, now many of the lessons outlined in the book seem self-evident.

Why you should (or shouldn’t…) read it?

Looking from our point of view in 2019, we wouldn’t suggest people with a current understanding of content or pull marketing to spend the time reading this. At the same time, the book would be a decent place to start for a complete marketing beginner.

In “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing”, Al Ries and Jack Trout, two world-renowned marketing consultants, construct the 22 laws of marketing that must be followed at all times if you want to launch and maintain a successful brand.

There are many entrepreneurs, like Tim Ferriss, who recommend this book as a must-read for anyone involved in marketing, startups, and business.

However, we found that the majority of the laws and examples are either quite out-of-date by now or simply very subjective. One must keep in mind that the book was published in 1993, an era before where one could only predict the rise of the Internet and social media. In short, the laws would apply if you were working in marketing for a large company in the mid-nineties.

Why you should (or shouldn’t…) read it?

While “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” might have been a 90s marketing classic, the book seems quite outdated by now and merely provides insight into the era when the book was written. The authors also repeat themselves too much, and you might end up wasting your time with this read. Follow the laws at your own risk.

When a book makes it to the New York Times bestselling books list, it’s prone to get some attention. No wonder “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck”, the bright little self-help guide by blogger Mark Manson, also landed on my teammate Julia and Krista’s reading list.

Supposedly, the book cuts right to the chase. As opposed to sugar-coating and focusing on “cultivating positivity”, Manson tries to be direct and honest by argumenting that improving our lives is not based on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade. Instead, we should be learning to stomach lemons better — or, as Manson puts it, “sometimes things are fucked up and we have to live with it.”

Frankly speaking, we found it difficult to understand the hype around the book. My teammate Julia was rather blunt about it:

Why you should (or shouldn’t…) read it?

If you want to search for the meaning of life by digging through profane humor and numerous poop jokes, go for it. However, all of the points Manson makes have been previously been expressed by other writers and can be found on other, more extensively-researched self-help books.

We hope you found our book tips useful and some of them will end up on your reading list.

We’d also be happy to hear if there are any good ones we might have missed. Something on improving writing skills? Growing business? Or perhaps there’s a great fantasy series we should definitely check out?

Let us know in the comment section below!

Source: Medium.com

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Content marketing • Remember the Day • Mobile World Congress • Amazon Kindle • Reason • Literature • Science • Point of view (philosophy) • Scientific method • Fiction • Reading (process) • Brain • Reading (process) • Understanding • Reality • Emotion • Reading (process) • Employee benefits • Employment • Employee benefits • Annual leave • Health care • Twilio • Employment • E-book • Education • Amazon.com • Employment • Product (business) • Amazon.com • Reading (process) • Employment • Little Things (One Direction song) • Content marketing • The Cuckoo's Calling • Crime fiction • Novel • J. K. Rowling • Author • Harry Potter • Publishing • Debut novel • Detective fiction • Mystery fiction • Pseudonym • Private investigator • Cormoran Strike • Supermodel • Cormoran • Sidekick • The Cuckoo's Calling • Time • Book • J. K. Rowling • Pseudonym • J. K. Rowling • London • Utopian and dystopian fiction • George Orwell • Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland • State (polity) • Ingsoc • Adolf Hitler • Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four) • Winston Smith • Ministries of Nineteen Eighty-Four • Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four) • Totalitarianism • Ideology • Totalitarianism • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy • Comic science fiction • Popular culture • Television program • Video game • Radiohead • OK Computer • Arthur Dent • Earth • Ford Prefect (character) • Hitchhiking • Writing • Meaning (linguistics) • Meaning of life • Politics • Truth • Relationship between religion and science • Dale Carnegie • Self-help • Public speaking • Social skills • Sales • How to Win Friends and Influence People • Today (U.S. TV program) • Content marketing • Person • Value (ethics) • Family • Memory • Blog • Content marketing • Blog • Book • E-book • E-book • Blog • E-book • Blog • Steven Pressfield • Empathy • Boredom • Art • Coming of age • Memoir • The New York Times • The Wall Street Journal • The Boston Globe • President of the United States • Barack Obama • Bill Gates • Mormons • Survivalism • Family • Idaho • University of Cambridge • Education • Doctorate • History • New Eyes • Memoir • Michelle Obama • First Lady of the United States • African Americans • Storytelling • Michelle Obama • Narrative • Childhood • Barack Obama • Michelle Obama • Girl power • Yes You Can (album) • Michelle Obama • Life • Human • Homo sapiens • History of the world • Homo sapiens • Yuval Noah Harari • Society • Personality psychology • History • Evolution • Anthropology • Psychology • Religion • Ideology • Human • Knowledge • Seth Godin • American Marketing Association • Marketing Hall of Fame • Seth Godin • Marketing • Lie • Marketing • Lie • Marketing • Narrative • Marketing • Tool • Brand • Entrepreneurship • Marketing • Seth Godin • Expert • Idea • Marketing • Brand management • Marketing • Lie • Push–pull strategy • Al Ries • Jack Trout • Marketing • Marketing • Brand • Entrepreneurship • Tim Ferriss • Marketing • Business • Internet • Social media • Marketing • The New York Times Best Seller list • Self-help • Sugar • Lemonade • Fucked Up • Meaning of life • Profanity • Humour • Reading (process) • Time management • Writing • Business • Fantasy •