15 Inspirational Reads & Videos You Can Share This Holiday

Why Not Cozy Up to a Good Book This Season?

It’s cold. It’s windy. And despite how much our office dog, Mia, would like to go for a walk, even she would rather stay home and read. Well, that’s what our anthropomorphising office team believes anyway.

Are you in the same boat?

Perfect! This list is for you. It’s also for you if you’re looking for something funny to enjoy while lying on a beach, soaking up the sun. It’s for you if you need some gift-giving inspiration, want something to skim while waiting in the carpool line or need to mix-up your morning coffee and paper routine.

For Entrepreneurs and Leaders

Lincoln on Leadership – Lincoln’s profound ability to inspire those around him is undeniable. Just what made him such a great leader? For the first time ever, a book examines Lincoln’s diverse leadership abilities and takes a close look at how they can be applied to today’s world.

Rework – This isn’t your typical business book. If you’re looking for business plan – investor backing traditional approach, Rework isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for a book that inspires you stop making excuses and start working, pick this one up. Jason Fried’s ideas are fresh. They’re straightforward. This is the kind of playbook all entrepreneurs should at least consider using.

Next Draft – The best news digest you’ll find anywhere on the web. And it is entertaining to boot. Perfect for when you want to stay on top of the headlines without all the fluff.

For Web Designers

Eloquent Ruby – Writing Ruby code is pretty easy. Writing great Ruby code is an entirely different story. In Eloquent Ruby, Russ Olsen draws on his years of experience using and teaching the art of this coding language. His book is immersive, allowing you to fully embrace the power of this language’s elegance and expressiveness.

JavaScript: The Good Parts – It’s said you have to take the good with the bad. And that’s true. Unfortunately when it comes to JavaScript there often seems to be an overwhelming abundance of bad. Thankfully, Douglas Crawford’s book, JavaScript: The Good Parts, outlines those elements we love, effectively revealing a subset of JavaScript that’s more reliable, readable, and maintainable.

A Book Apart Library – This library compiles some of the best works in web design from recent years. Highlights include Jeremy Keith’s debut original HTML5 for Web Designers and Jason Santa Maria’s exquisite One Web Typography.

For Marketers

Talkable – We don’t believe the success of your brand is directly proportional to the size of your budget. And, we’re guessing you don’t either. Guy Richard’ certainly doesn’t. His book Talkable explored what it means for a brand to deliver such a great experience people can’t help but talk about.

For Artists

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts – This entertaining guide to the history of type asks a very important question: What does your favorite font say about you? It explores the fonts we see everyday and how they affect us. Plus, it provides exceptional inspiration for using and developing fonts in your own work.

For a Laugh

All Creatures Great and Small – Hilarious and heartwarming, All Creatures Great and Small captures the unforgettable journey of a Yorkshire veterinarian through the English countryside. From struggling with the position of a calf for birthing to comforting an old man after the loss of his dog, it depicts the relationship between man and animal with humor, compassion, and love.

The Oatmeal – PLEASE NOTE: This one is not for kids. Pushing the envelope on creativity, The Oatmeal can at times be a bit risqué in it’s compilation of language and topic. But, we also believe in pushing the envelope. And, we can’t help but be enchanted by this sites collection of truly laugh-out-loud comics.

How It Should Have Ended – This is one of our favorite YouTube channels. These hilarious spoofs capture alternative endings to some of our favorite movies and TV shows throughout time.

For the Force Inclined

Star Wars - Heir to the Empire Trilogy – Several authors have tried to craft a story worthy of the Star Wars name. Timothy Zahn succeeded. His five-year flash-forward to a time when the Rebel Alliance’s peace and prosperity is being threatened offers enough action to keep you turning the page and enough perspective to make you think. For any Star Wars fan, this is a must read.

For Foodies

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table – Molly Wizenberg’s memoir, **A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, is one of the best food inspired pieces released in recent years. The chapters are short enough for a quick read here and there. The language is sharp and witty. The sentence structure is exceptionally thought provoking. And, the story of mourning a loss and finding a love is down right inspiring. Plus, there’s food. Need we say more?

my name is yeh – You might not even know you need baked doughnuts in tour life. Or perhaps you didn’t know that Taiwanese meat sauce is a thing, a very beautiful, beautiful thing. Or maybe, just maybe, you dig reading about life on a small farm where making cakes every day is totally acceptable and tater tot pot pie is to be expected. Plus, did we mention the pictures might make you drool.

For Linguists

The Elements of Style – New grammar books are constantly hitting the market and they are definitely worth a read. But The Elements of Style is one of our go-to reads for brushing up on the basics.