Here at Buckeye, our team is always eager to learn, and as you know, we are a bunch of geeks.. so we want to share our favorite books with you. From social media guides to zombie survival guides, from The Alphabet of Manliness to middle school classics, we highly suggest you read any/all of the following:
Steve
1984, George Orwell
George Orwell’s classic about a dystopian police state is a cautionary tale of what happens when privacy is diminished and “Big Brother” sees all. Orwell’s novel has always been a great argument against society’s “share everything” mentality when it comes to social media, but the novel is especially poignant now in light of the current NSA surveillance practices that have been brought to the public’s attention.
The Alphabet of Manliness, Maddox
Internet humorist Maddox released this alphabetical listing of masculinity in 2006 and is a great read just before building something and/or upper-cutting a grizzly bear. Chapters include “Ass-kicking”, “Pirates”, and “Norris, Chuck.” You won’t find this work on the shelves of any classic literature enthusiasts, but how many of those could fight off an entire army of ninjas? That’s what I thought.
Josh
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers
A pseudo-autobiography by Dave Eggers and an interesting take on how people deal with tragedy, especially those who are younger generationally. It is a glimpse into how people handle situations that they are thrust into. New responsibilities may be sudden or expected, but we are forced to deal with them both personally and publicly under the perceived scrutiny of society as a whole and what it means to be proper.
Sarah
Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business, Erik Qualman
This was one of the first books I read after changing my major from Bio (Pre-Dental) to Marketing/Public Relations. It is still a book I often refer to for inspiration in the digital space and is a contstant reminder of how to treat your customers online. Qualman does a great job advising companies to patiently build relationships with customers through social media, rather than grabbing a name and e-mail address and spamming them into becoming a customer. “Good businesses realize that it’s not all about the instant win of getting someone into a database,” he says. “Rather it is cultivating that relationship via social media.”
The Twilight Saga, Stephenie Meyer
Don’t judge me. This is my favorite love story.
Tony
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
I’m one of those people that read this book at the perfect age to let it really make a full impact. J.D. Salinger’s classic about a boy named Holden Caulfield and his story of rebellious teenage angst and complete alienation from the world that surrounds him absolutely strikes a chord with most young adults, and I was no exception. Told to the reader from Holden’s perspective as he leaves prep school and journeys home, the book deals with issues such as the loss of innocence, the resistance of growing up, authenticity versus phoniness, and even death. It’s an absolute must-read in my opinion.
The Zombie Survival Guide, Max Brooks
The ultimate guide on how to survive successfully in the case a zombie apocalypse should ever occur. The book is not written as a narrative, but as the title implies, as more of a guide that’s broken down into several sections. In this book, you’ll learn how a zombie operates and behaves, the different ways in which to fortify and protect your home or base, which weapons to use and when/how to use them, recommended equipment and clothing, best methods of transportation, how to explore a zombie-infested world efficiently and successfully, ways to adopt a survival mentality, and so much more. It’s obviously a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it’s absolutely written as a “real” guide that could theoretically be used should the dead ever rise.
Tori
I’m not one to pick up many self-help books, and just reading this title may freak you out, but this is honestly one of the most raw & realistic books I’ve read. As stated in a previous blog post, Augusten Burroughs is one of my favorite authors (if not my #1). He’s been through every awful experience listed in this book. He’s honest. He’s real. This book is about the elephant in the room that nobody speaks of, and how to remove the weight of the world from your shoulders.
Paul
What it Takes to Be #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership, Vince Lombardi Jr.
A good family friend gave me this book as a graduation present, and it quickly became one of my favorites. In under 300 pages, Vince Lombardi Jr. breaks down his father’s lengendary leadership style step by step. He condenses the key aspects of this style into simple and easy to remember “Lombardi Rules,” and backs each up with real world examples.
What are your favorite books? Have you read any of our favorites?
