Ready For A Little Spring . . . Reading

Ready For A Little Spring . . . Reading Spring is coming, and its my favorite time of the year.  One of my favorite things to do is grab a book, a cup of coffee, and head for that sunshine that beckons just out on the patio.  Time for some spring reading ! While Im certainly glad to have you as a Ms Career Girl reader, I hope you also have a regular reading habit.  There are a ton of benefits to reading.  These are just a few of those (from Lifehack.com) Mental Stimulation. Stress Reduction. Knowledge. Vocabulary Expansion. Memory Improvement. Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills. Improved Focus and Concentration. Wondering what to read?  Theres no lack of great reads out there, from classics to insightful and practical guides to every aspect of life.   Heres seven great springtime reads that came our way recently that are worth a look. The A Player Just like back in school, an A player is in the top 10%.  And that position is as much for you as anyone.  Anyone can be an A player so make the decision and commitment to six factors the author says are critical:  A service mindset, a can-do attitude, a caring heart, ownership, accountability, and responsibility.  Starting with a personal assessment for the reader and numerous examples of how to improve, the book shows you how to be an A Player, or how to create and manage an A Team. Fearless And Free Career burnout?  Deadend job?  If its time to reinvent yourself, rebrand your image, or relaunch your career, this book inspires you to take it on.   As career or entrepreneurial women, were often held back by internal and external expectations.  But what if you erased those expectations and painted a new reality for yourself?  Or, as the author says, decided to create your own serendipity?   Shell show you how you can. Managing Annoying People Whether youre the manager or aspiring to such a sometimes loathsome position, theres one thing for sure.  Youre going to have to know how to deal with odd, quirky, and sometimes downright annoying people.  Most of the time, you wont be able to do a lot to change them, because its just their personality.  But you can control how you handle them, and yourself.  The author of this short but to-the-point read nails it. Unemployable:  How To Be Successfully Unemployed Thinking about taking the leap to entrepreneurship?  There may be a variety of reasons to choose that path, but theres one common thread: we want to create our own destiny.  And were so determined and valuable in that pursuit that the ultimate  goal is to become unemployable.  What a great thing it will be when you can say to some would-be employer you cant afford me.   Get inspired to start on your path today. Positive Thinking Will Never Change Your Life But This Book Will Not, thats not my endorsement of the book.  Its the title.  While I think the title is a little gimmicky, the author David Essel does a good job of driving home the reality of life and success.   You can do all the chanting, wishing, and visualizing you want to.  The key ingredient to making progress is taking action.  If youve found less than satisfactory results from following the advice of the countless gurus out there, this book delivers a clear message that your results are up to you. Goats Of Anarchy Its subtitle is A Womans Quest To Save The World One Goat At A Time.  And thats a hint as to what drove the author to give up a successful career and launch her own goat rescue.  I dont know which is more inspiring, her personal story and the narrative she includes about her little rescues, or the heartwarming pictures.  If youre an animal lover of any kind, consider this one not only for your own pleasure but also for a place as a conversation piece on your coffee table. One Minute Mentoring If youre tired of the typical hot-to and self-help books, this one is for you.  Short and full of great ideas, instead of the usual and sometimes dry step-by-step presentation the author uses a fictional story to make his points.  If you read the recent article by Jackie LaMar on mentoring, this is a great follow up.  Whether you are thinking about getting a mentor or being one, this is an easy reading reference.