Summer can serve as a time to relax, recharge, and refresh. And in addition to those 3 R’s, there is a hopefully room for fourth as we enter the Fall: to read!

To kick off my new series of reading lists, here are some books curated for folks interested in embracing growth, and building habits to grow their personal & professional development.

These titles have been hand-picked to help you — or someone you know — deepen your knowledge on all kinds of subject matter — from sleep and rest, to teamwork and happiness.

If you find yourself struggling to make time to read — like I do — these titles are available as audiobooks, so you can listen on the go.

I strongly recommend checking your library to see if the physical, e-book, or audiobook versions of each of these texts are available before purchasing them.

Download and set up the Library Extension in your preferred web browser and download your library’s smartphone / digital app to see if you can secure these texts for free.

Support your local libraries and save hundreds of dollars in the process!

https://amzn.to/44nUqga (Audiobook FREE via the New York, Brooklyn, and/or Queens Public Library)

How to Grow: Nurture Your Garden, Nurture Yourself by Marcus Bridgewater

• Provides helpful frameworks for personal development, especially helpful for those early on their self-discovery journeys. An essential guide for those developing their growth mindset. The author uses his love of gardening as a metaphor to help illustrate his helpful lessons.

https://amzn.to/3HgKuKz (Audiobook available FREE via the New York, Brooklyn, and/or Queens Public Library)

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Dr. Brené Brown

• This book offers guidance on how to embrace vulnerability to create connection, overcome shame triggers, and how to treat our (perceived) flaws as strengths in all we do. A personal favorite from Dr. Brown’s eye-opening collection of published works.

https://amzn.to/3HEd1ef (Audiobook available FREE via the New York, Brooklyn, and/or Queens Public Library)

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD

• An eye-opening read that examines the importance of sleep on everything from how we retain information and our creativity, to how long we might live. Guaranteed to change your sleep habits.

https://amzn.to/3NzwX5F (Audiobook available FREE via the New York, Brooklyn, and/or Queens Public Library)

The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Dr. Robert Waldinger

• Highlights excerpts from the world's longest study of happiness. (Spoiler: Relationships, connection, and community are key ingredients to sustained and shared happiness.)

https://amzn.to/3VWD3zy (Audiobook available FREE via the New York, Brooklyn, and/or Queens Public Library)

Together: Why Social Connection Holds the Key to Better Health, Higher Performance, and Greater Happiness by U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy

• Discusses the transformative power of community, connection, and the ongoing epidemic of isolation, further onset by our overdependence of technology. This book was written and released just at the onset of the pandemic, so imagine how that experience multiplied the impact of the author's findings.

https://amzn.to/48mRAcT (Audiobook available FREE via the New York, Brooklyn, and/or Queens Public Library)

Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy by Daniel T. Willingham, PhD

• Explores some of the most common myths on how we learn. The author offers research-backed alternatives to common study and teaching methods to ensure that the lessons we learn — or the lessons we produce for our students — are both engaging and easy to retain.

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