Ah, summer vacation! Perhaps you remember with sunny fondness that annual event — before it became nearly extinct.
Today, Americans receive among the fewest vacation days (14) in the world. They also leave the most unused days on the table (four). Technology now allows 24-hour communication making many of us feel we are working all the time, even while on vacation.
If you can’t leave it all behind, you can still recharge your batteries — including your business savvy, creativity and insight — in ways that might help bring balance into your life and your work. Here are three authors whose work may do just that. Each has written several books; all have bestsellers. Instead of reading a single book, choosing an author can help provide stronger insight and perspective. That may help those scarce vacation days move just a little slower.
Malcolm Gladwell
“The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life,” writes Malcolm Gladwell in his now classic “The Tipping Poin,” “is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do.”
It can be argued that Gladwell’s writing has created its own phenomenal epidemic.
As one of the more original writers in America today, Gladwell has provided us novel and extraordinary insights into any number of topics. He has also contributed to our everyday vocabulary with “tipping point” and “outliers,” among others. He is also the author of “Outliers,” “Blink” “What the Dog Saw.” Gladwell is a keen storyteller with a talent for providing a novel perspective — one guaranteed to leave you thinking.
His latest book is “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants.” Gladwell illustrates how the “underdog” can use that status to his or her advantage, just as in the biblical story.
He also illustrates how what may be a disability may be seen as an advantage. A student with a learning disability may develop better listening and creative problem-solving skills. The phrase “use what you got” is attributed to Gladwell.
Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis is a diverse and prolific writer. From his bestseller “Moneyball,” about the pursuit of success in baseball, to a story about Silicon Valley during the internet boom, “The New, New Thing,” he covers diverse territory.
Lewis’ writing is brilliant and concise. Two of his books, “Moneyball” and “The Big Short,” were made into Academy Award-nominated films. Unlike many authors, Lewis excels in tackling a variety of subjects.
Lewis also is the author of “Flash Boys” and “Boomerang,” which like “The Big Short” deal with the global financial crisis. His forthcoming project, “The Undoing Project: A Friendship that Changed Our Minds” is due out later this year.
“Liar’s Poker,” an earlier Lewis work, is based in part on his own experience working on Wall Street for Salomon Brothers, which at the time was one of the leading investment firms. Lewis describes his own experience rising through the ranks from trainee to a bond salesman who made millions for the firm.
In this behind-the-scenes look at this time in American business, Lewis presents not only a view of greed and deception, but also a reality check into the future.
Tim Ferris
I first read Tim Ferris’ book “The 4-Hour Work Week” when I was working 70- to 80-hour weeks and was officially a business road warrior. Ferris’ insights were a revelation. While I didn’t choose to trade my weekly schedule in for a four-hour one, Ferris is an irresistible pied piper who could easily lead you down that path.
Ferris relates the story of how he went from working for 40 hours a week making $40,000 a year to working 4 hours a week, making $40,000 a year.
Even if you aren’t looking at a job change, this is an incredible guide to creating the lifestyle you want. Outsourcing what you don’t enjoy doing and focusing on what you do may seem obvious, but Ferris gives you the practical details.
Ferris followed his first book by two others: “The 4-Hour Body” (a guide to rapid fat loss, better sex and a tutorial on becoming superhuman) and “The 4-Hour Chef” (how to cook like a Pro). Ferris’ blog, “Experiments in Lifestyle Design,” boasts a million monthly readers and is consistently brilliant.