A Little Light Reading
The man who refuses to read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot.
– Mark Twain
I’ve always been a reader. I was one of those kids that hid under the blanket with a flashlight and read until early in the morning.
I had mixed emotions the first time I caught my kids doing the same thing. But, if it turns them into lifelong readers, a few late nights are probably not a bad trade off.
Yesterday I talked about the importance of continually writing. (Publish or Perish: It’s Not Just for Academics.) Equally important is constantly learning. For some roles that means certification classes, continuing education.
It should also mean reading. It doesn’t even really matter what you read.
Okay, that’s probably not completely true. But, if you are in the IT field, you don’t need to stick to reading about computers and networks. If you are in the construction you don’t have to just read about architecture and building materials.
You can read those topics, of course, but being well read is about reading a variety of topics. I recently posted some book reviews:
Crucial Conversations
The End of Jobs
The Power of Habit
Here’s what is next on my list:
- Make Bright The Arrows – a book on living with mental illness by my talented sister, Jennifer Bliss
- The Six Sigma Pocket Tookbook – A book on process improvement by George, Rowlands, Price and Maxey
- Getting Things Done – A book on productivity improvement by David Allen
- Becoming – Michelle Obama’s autobiography
- From Plato To Nietzsche – A 60 year old book that my grandmother used to teach from
- The Execution Factor – by Kim Perell
- Done Right – By Alex Shootman CEO of Workfront
- Winner’s Dream – The story of Bill McDermott by Joanne Gordon
- The Art of War – by Sun Tzu
Honestly, the list keeps getting longer. Not because I don’t read them. But, I add to the list quicker than I read through them. I’ll also throw in an occasional Louis L’Amore or Clive Cussler, or John Grissam thriller.
Whatever your interests, read. Whatever the topic, read. Reading will take you places. It will teach you things. They will give you a language to discuss concepts with your boss and your coworkers. It will help you solve problems you know about and those you don’t.
Reading can help you meet the greatest thinkers and business people in history. And if nothing else, the books look good on your shelf at work.
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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