The Boston Business Journal Executive Pursuits column featured thoughts from Larry Gennari, partner at Gennari Aronson. Larry shared highlights from some of the business books he has been reading as curator of the annual Authors + Innovators Business Ideas Festival.
Below is an excerpt from this article with a link to read the entire piece in the Boston Business Journal.
Executive Pursuits: Time to reflect on ‘vocational discernment’
by Larry Gennari
As we close out one year and begin another, many of us use this as a time for reflection, both personal and professional. If you are contemplating your career and your work, you are not alone. While there are many books to turn to, here are some that are worth your consideration.
Boston University Professor Ellen Ruppel Shell’s latest book, The Job: Work and its Future in a Time of Radical Change, discusses how work gives us an identity and a sense of purpose and place in the world.
For the entrepreneurs out there, begin with the basics, including startup guru Chris Guillebeau’s books: The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make A Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future and the more recent Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days. Both are fun, engaging and easily readable. Or check out lawyer-turned-chocolatier Shawn Askinosie’s thoughtful book, Meaningful Work: A Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling and Feed Your Soul. Just a note, if you can’t find a job you like, you might do well to create your own.
Other compelling reads that will give you insight into various professions and professionals include Phuong Uyen Tran’s new book, Competing with Giants, Paul Freedman’s Ten Restaurants that Changed America, or former Saleforce CMO Tien Tzuo’s new book Subscribed.
Finding meaning in our work is a challenging and often lifelong process. Reading insightful stories about how others have found meaning in theirs — might help you take the first step.
