Unconventional book recommendations for your marketing career
Spoiler: None are about marketing
Over the last 12 years, I’ve read many books to support my career. While I love Seth Godin as much as the next marketer, Purple Cow did not, unfortunately, have a profound impact on my work.
Looking back, the reads that influenced me most actually aren’t about marketing at all.
Below, I share five of my favorites, including a brief synopsis of each, who they might be helpful for, and a taste of the content.
Get your Kindle ready.
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
My elevator pitch: This is the most conventional, business-y book on the list, so we’ll get it out of the way first. Said simply, Radical Candor teaches you how to be a good manager. Kim Scott’s framework maintains that the best bosses Care Personally and Challenge Directly. Sounds simple, but learning how to give timely, critical, and empathetic feedback is a complex skill. She makes it easier.
Who I’d recommend it for: Anyone becoming a people manager for the first time, or anyone who’s already a people manager but wants to be more effective — basically, all people managers.
A sample: “Some professionals…advocate the ‘feedback sandwich’— opening and closing with praise, sticking some criticism in between. I think venture capitalist Ben Horowitz got it right when he called this approach the ‘shit sandwich.’ Horowitz suggests that such a technique might work with less-experienced people, but I’ve found the average child sees through it just as clearly as an executive does.”
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
My elevator pitch: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re a marketer, not an artist. Me too. But we’re more alike than we think, especially regarding the creative process. The Creative Act examines that process through the belief that everyone is inherently creative, documenting the internal experience of the creator and encouraging everyone to live a little more artistically.
Who I’d recommend it for: Anyone tasked with idea generation as part of their job, and anyone responsible for giving feedback on creative.
A sample: “In addition to meditation, we might softly hold on to a question and go for a walk, swim, or drive. The question isn’t being worked on, just loosely held in awareness. We are posing it gently to the Universe and opening ourselves to receive an answer. Sometimes the words seem to arise from the outside, and other times, the inside. Whatever route the information arrives through, we allow it to come by grace, not effort. The whisper cannot be wrestled into existence, only welcome with an open state of mind.”
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
My elevator pitch: This is a masterclass for anyone who wants to become a better writer and communicator. On Writing Well is approachable and full of practical tips, no matter what you’re writing about or for. I couldn’t stop highlighting Zinsser’s advice, and I imagine this will be a book I come back to frequently for refreshers.
Who I’d recommend it for: Anyone who writes. Emails count.
A sample: “Prune out the small words that qualify how you feel and how you tink and what you saw: ‘a bit,’ ‘a little,’ ‘sort of,’ ‘kind of,’ ‘rather,’ ‘quite,’ ‘very,’ ‘too,’ ‘pretty much,’ ‘in a sense,’ and dozens more. They dilute your style and your persuasiveness.”
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
My elevator pitch: If you’re on Substack, you’ve heard about this one. But I wouldn’t exactly call it a book. It’s more like a very involved, very worthwhile program? The Artist’s Way offers a pathway to creativity and purpose through self-discovery. If that’s a little too lofty for you, it helps you get to know yourself better. I particularly love the insightful exercises, activities, and prompts. If you’re into journaling, you will too.
Who I’d recommend it for: Anyone who feels stuck or uninspired regarding work.
A sample: “...the truth of a life really has little to do with its quality. The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.”
The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday
My elevator pitch: This book is excellent for the rough patches of life. The Obstacle Is The Way is a guide to stoicism, crafted explicitly to help you through challenging moments. Many traditional self-help books read feel too cheerleader-y for my taste. Holiday takes more of a tough love approach, encouraging resilience through practical philosophy and logic.
Who I’d recommend it for: Anyone having a hard time with work. Examples: you’re struggling with your boss, you’re under a ton of pressure, you got fired, you got laid off, you’re struggling to find a new job, etc.
A sample: “It’s a huge step forward to realize that the worst thing to happen is never the event, but the event and losing your head. Because then you’ll have two problems (one of them unnecessary and post hoc).”
What’s the best non-marketing book that has helped your career? Give me your recs!
I've seen so many people recommend The Obstacle Is The Way, I'll have to pick that up next!
Radical Candor is my #1 recommendation for anyone in the workplace! Obstacle is the way is absolute GOLD. Can't wait to read the writing books you have recommended!