4 Great Books to Read on Your July 4th Holiday

With the 4th of July around the corner, hopefully you’re looking forward to some well-deserved time off. Although this year’s holiday falls on a Wednesday—preventing many of us from taking a long weekend—make sure to carve out some time to focus on relaxation and maybe even some personal development. 

All of these books come recommended by one (or more) Reflektive employees and each focuses on ways you can make yourself a better employee and person, so you can use your time off to focus on yourself instead of your work. Bonus: they’re all available as e-books or hardcopies for under $20! 

1. “The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism”

Olivia Fox Cabane

This book comes recommended by our customer marketing manager, Audrey Zigmond.

“This insightful, research-based book is basically an instruction guide to becoming more charismatic. It teaches us that charisma is not inherited, it is a learned skill that even the most introverted person can access in order to enhance their clout and likability. The best practices shared are especially useful for current and aspiring leaders alike who want to be respected and approachable for feedback from their colleagues.”

2. “Lean In”

Sheryl Sandberg

I recently brought this book along with me while on vacation visiting some family in Italy. This was probably the third or fourth time I’ve read the book, but I continue to find something new to take away.

About a week into the trip, my dad finished the books and New Yorker issues he brought along for himself, so he sneakily decided to steal and read “Lean In” while I wasn’t paying attention.

After my Dad finished it, he began quoting Sheryl for the rest of the vacation. There was even a point during dinner one night where my aunt was describing a challenging decision she was facing in her career, and to my astonishment my dad chimed in and said, “Ana, I think you just need to lean in to the opportunity.”

Once you read this book, I can assure you that you’ll find yourself referencing it almost every day just as my Dad has been since our vacation. If my 65-plus-year-old retired NASA employee father can find value in it, anyone can. Not only is it incredibly relevant for professional young women, but it has pieces of advice and anecdotes that are applicable for all people regardless of their career stage.

3. “Principles: Life and Work”

Ray Dalio

Though this book’s length might require you to take an additional day off work, it’s highly worth the investment. In “Principles,” Dalio strikes a great balance between personal and professional development tips within his five-step process to achieve what you want in life.

Below is a great video alternative to reading the book with all of Dalio’s main takeaways –

4. “Thanks for the Feedback”

Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen

It’s no secret that we value and crave feedback at Reflektive. This is why “Thanks for the Feedback” is an all-time favorite in our office. If you’re looking for helpful examples and exercises to improve your feedback giving and requesting skills, look no further than this light and humorous read.

Plus, it’ll be a great “gift” to pass along to coworkers or friends that could benefit from the feedback advice once you’re done with it.

Whether you’re looking to improve your charisma, or improve how you deliver feedback, be sure to mark down whichever books you don’t get to during this short holiday and revisit them the next time you cash in your PTO.