Vireo co-owner Ashleigh Mattern is an avid reader. Her goal for 2018 was to read 52 books, and while the majority of those were fiction, these are the top non-fiction books she read this year.
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Mastery by Robert Greene
Using real life examples from masters in a variety of fields (animal science, writing, art, medicine, robotics, and more), Robert Greene lays out what it takes to master a field. If you’ve ever had a passion but struggled to see the path to mastery, this book is enlightening. If you’ve never had a passion, the book lays out how you can find and develop your calling. Even if you have no interest in mastering a field, the book is a fascinating study of some of the brightest minds humanity has ever birthed.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Yuval Noah Harari touches on so many aspects of humanity and civilization and Life that you’re sure to come across many ideas totally new to you, even if you’re familiar with the topics. He doesn’t have all the answers, but that’s part of the draw – the book is a conversation starter, a lesson in learning to say, “I don’t know; what do you think?” Who are we? What are we doing here? What do we want? The answers aren’t clear, but thinking about the possibilities is fascinating.
They Ask You Answer by Marcus Sheridan
This book completely changed the way I think about blogging. Its main idea is so simple, it seems crazy you didn’t think of it yourself: Answer your customers’ questions. It’s shocking how many companies aren’t doing this, i.e. hardly any of them. This book made me rethink my content strategy for both of my companies, and for the companies I serve. If you want to see your business succeed, you need to read this book.
21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph
I thought I knew what the Indian Act was, but I was completely wrong. This book is incredibly eye opening, and something every Canadian should read. Luckily, it’s short and well written, and author Bob Joseph does a wonderful job of keeping a book about a legal document entertaining. While the topic is sometimes disturbing and often sad, Joseph keeps the vision positive. This is education. This is reconciliation. This is moving forward into a better future.