Core

Whether you’re on the go, headed to the beach or wrapping up the final volume in your favorite series, a good book can help you escape the mundane work week.

To add to your current book list, we asked the Arketi team to share some of their favorite reads. From biographies to thrillers, there’s something for everyone. Perhaps a few of these best-selling business books and engaging novels will make it onto your summer reading selection.

To make it easier to know where to begin, we’ve broken out our staff picks into Business/Professional and Leisure sections.

A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life

by Brian Grazer
Grazer has met with anyone willing to answer his questions for a few hours. From scientists to spies, and adventurers to business leaders, these informal discussions sparked the creative inspiration behind many of Grazer’s works. Movies and TV shows include Splash, 24, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Arrested Development, 8 Mile, J. Edgar, Empire, and many others. Arketian Jim recommends this book explaining, ”To have a great life, you need to be curious.”

Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company – and Revolutionized an Industry

by Marc Benioff
Ever wonder how salesforce.com grew from a start up into the world's fastest growing software company in less than a decade? Marc Benioff, the visionary founder, chairman and CEO of salesforce.com, tells how he and his team created and used new business, technology, and philanthropic models tailored to this time of extraordinary change. Arketian Star shares, “A number of executives have referred to this book as one of the best business books written in a long time.”

Confessions of an Advertising Man

by David Ogilvy
David Ogilvy was considered the "father of advertising" and a creative genius by many of the biggest global brands. First published in 1963, this seminal book revolutionized the world of advertising and became a bible for the 1960s ad generation. It also became an international bestseller, translated into 14 languages. Arketian James explains, “It’s a great read due to its wisdom, but it’s also a recommendation for the sheer joy of stepping into the mind of an industry legend.”

Evil by Design: Interaction Design to Lead Us into Temptation

by Chris Nodder
This book melds psychology, marketing, and design concepts to show why we're susceptible to certain persuasive techniques. Packed with examples from every nook and cranny of the web, it provides easily digestible and applicable patterns for putting these design techniques to work. Arketian Charles shares, “This book takes an interesting look at how User Interface and User Experience can be used to trigger certain behaviors and direct users to take the flow you want.”

How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie
The time-tested advice in this book has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives for more than sixty years the rock-solid. Now this previously revised and updated bestseller is available to help you achieve your maximum potential throughout the next century! Arketian Kristen explains, “This book shares great advice on how to maintain solid relationships in your business and personal life.”

Never Eat Alone

by Keith Ferrazzi
Do you want to get ahead in life? Climb the ladder to personal success? Master networker Keith Ferrazzi claims the secret is in reaching out to other people. As Ferrazzi discovered in early life, what distinguishes highly successful people from everyone else is the way they use the power of relationships—so that everyone wins. Arketian Rachel read the book at the beginning of her career and explains, “As a young professional, Keith really spoke to me about some of the best practices for networking, and those perspectives have stuck with me ever since.”

Rise

by Patty Azzarello
Patty Azzarello became the youngest general manager at Hewlett-Packard at age thirty-three, ran a $1 billion software business at thirty-five, and became a CEO at thirty-eight-all without turning into a self-centered, miserable jerk. In Rise, Azzarello shares the insider secrets to advancing your career (while having a life) in three practical steps. Arketian Erica saw Patty speak at a Marketo conference a few years ago and explained, “I was amazed and inspired by her story.”

The ONE Thing

by Gary Keller
People are using this simple, powerful concept to focus on what matters most in their personal and work lives. Companies are helping their employees be more productive with study groups, training, and coaching. Sales teams are boosting sales. Focusing energy on one thing at a time can help us all live more rewarding lives – deepening faith, building careers, strengthening finances, losing weight and getting in shape, and nurturing stronger personal relationships. Arketian Star shares, “in a world of distraction, this book helps you refocus on things that will drive the greatest success.”

The Total Money Makeover

by Dave Ramsey
You can turn those fat and flabby expenses into a well-toned budget. Do you want to transform your sad and skinny little bank account into a bulked-up cash machine? Then get with the program. Arketian Rachel shared, ”This is a great summer read for anyone who is looking for an easy way to gain a better understanding of personal finances.”

The Virgin Way

by Richard Branson
Richard Branson has never shied away from seemingly outlandish challenges that others (including his own colleagues on several occasions) considered sheer lunacy while building the Virgin Group over forty years. Arketian Micky explains, “This book provides leadership advice from one of today’s most successful business leaders who continually proves nice guys CAN finish first.”

Ultimate Guide to Link Building

by Eric Ward and Garrett French
The web today is comprised of trillions of links: links between websites, links within social media venues like Facebook and Twitter, and even links in email inboxes. Who links to a site and how they link to it is one of the most important factors that search engines rely on when ranking results. But how do marketers control this? Link building expert Eric Ward provides the answers. Arketian Hailee recommends this book because, “This one-of-a-kind guide is a great SEO and search resource!”

UnThinkable

by Scott Rigsby
After losing both of his legs at age 18, Scott Rigsby battled his way back from depression and addiction to achieve the unthinkable―become the first double-leg amputee to cross the finish line in the sporting world’s most grueling and prestigious competition, the Ironman Triathlon. Scott has since become an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of physically challenged and able-bodied athletes the world over. Arketian Mary Rose met Scott in-person at a local TAG Marketing event and shared, “After listening to his motivational speech, I was inspired by his story and wanted to know more!”

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works – A True Story

by Dan Harris
Nightline anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey. According to Arketian Mike, "Dan has penned a great book that one can use to 'rein in that voice' in one’s head. Meditation is the answer…while I am FAR from a nuts-and-berry kind of guy seeking Zen or a self-help guru, this book is a fun read and got me into meditation. It taught me that the power of 'responding, not reacting.' On top of that it is a great read about the crazy, behind-the-scenes dysfunctions in newsrooms (and Dan raises some valid points about ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir’s hair)."

A Thousand Splendid Suns

by Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns is propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic. A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love. Arketian Jackie shares, “I’ve had this follow up for a while and was not disappointed by this novel.”

Devil in the White City

by Erik Larson
Erik Larson—author of #1 bestseller In the Garden of Beasts—intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction. Arketian Erica shares, “This is a great Summer read if you love history and mystery!”

East of Eden

by John Steinbeck
This novel is set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley. This sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Arketian Erin explains, “This is my favorite book because of the way Steinbeck makes the story of one family applicable to the story of humanity.“

Every Good Endeavor

by Timothy Keller
Tim Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, has taught and counseled students, young professionals, and senior leaders on the subject of work and calling for more than twenty years. Now he pulls his insights into a thoughtful and practical book for readers everywhere. Arketian Mary Rose shared, “I’ve never read a book from Keller that I didn’t learn and grow from, and I hope others feel the same after reading this enlightening book.”

In the Woods

by Tana French
Three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours. Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective and keeps his past a secret until a young girl is found murdered in the same woods. Arketian Erin sums up the novel by explaining, “Who doesn't love a good thriller?”

Love Does

by Bob Goff
An autobiography filled with short stories and musings, Love Does focuses on catalyzing “love” from a noun to a verb. Arketian James shares “Goff presents each day, as mundane as it may appear, as a chance to embark on your very own whimsical adventure. Whether it’s sailing for sixteen days across the Pacific Ocean or offering legal service to impoverished children in Uganda, the stories are deeply immersing and offer ways you can begin living your own story of love and whimsy.”

Sharp Objects

by Gillian Flynn
Reporter Camille has hardly spoken to her mother for years or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Returning to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. This book is sure to keep you turning the pages, but Arketian Kristen also cautions, “It may keep you up at night!”

The Century Trilogy (Fall of Giants, Winter of the World and Edge of Eternity) 

by Ken Follett
Follett does it again with a “page turning” soap opera-style book that made everyone love him when they read The Pillars of the Earth. Throughout the trilogy, the books deliver all the elements that fans of Follett have come to treasure: historical accuracy, richly developed characters, and a sweeping yet intimate portrait of a past world that you'll fully inhabit before the first chapter is through. Arketian Mike shares, “It’s also way cool to be reading about the 20th century in a historical epic book. Simply fun – and really a fast read despite the 1,000+ pages in each book.”

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

by Rebecca Skloot
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta's cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown. Arketian Jackie shares, “This book is both educational and eye-opening and is a great reminder not to take things for granted.”

Truth or Die

by James Patterson & H. Roughan
Attorney Trevor Mann may have finally hit his stride. He's found happiness with his girlfriend Claire Parker, a beautiful, ambitious journalist always on the hunt for a scoop. But when Claire's newest story leads to a violent confrontation, Trevor's newly peaceful life is shattered as he tries to find out why. For our beach wayfarers, Arketian Micky explains, ”This action-oriented, somewhat mindless ‘popcorn’ read is ideal for your quiet time in the sun and sand.”

Werewolf The Apocalypse

by Various Authors
Just as it sounds, this is a storytelling game of savage horror. The lore, mythology, stats, and stories of the Garou are compiled together for the 20th anniversary edition of the classic “World of Darkness Game” setting. According to Arketian Charles, “This is the definitive players guide to the Garou where werewolves live in secret in a world that is terribly close to dying.”

Thanks for reading Core. If you discovered a few books that piqued your interest, please spread the word!