I usually skip over the emails from companies of whose newsletters I have knowingly or unknowingly signed up for. However, a couple of days ago an email from Amazon.com caught my eye: Books for Grads. Thinking this would be great info to share with the blog, and add to my reading list I eagerly opened it and was very pleased with the selections. Here’s some of the ones I’ve read on the list, that I can promise will not be a waste of time and be very beneficial in your post college life search:
1. The Alchemist: This book by Paulo Coelho is hands down my favorite book of all time. The reader learns several life lessons as they follow the journey of a young boy on his quest to find his “personal legend.” It really makes you stop and question what your own life purpose is and encourages you to seek the right friends, knowledge, family and mentors to help you find it.
2. What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles. The cover says it all, ” A Practical Manual for Job hunters and career changers.” It’s filled with resources such as career tests, personality tests and a self-evaluation. As one Amazon.com reviewer put it, “It’s like having a high-paid career coach.” (Did I mention it’s updated yearly?)
3. The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. Okay, so this one wasn’t on the Amazon list, but this is a must-read for every age, especially recent grads. He encourages everyone to follow their childhood dreams, live life to the fullest, accept constructive criticism and remain positive and energetic despite what obstacles come our way. Great advice to know BEFORE you take your job and enter the working world.
4. Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes (An After-College Guide to Life), by Kristen Fischer: While they had me at the book title, the content was just as captivating. It is a very uplifiting and motivational book that encourages grads to look forward to this exciting time in their lives, and gives some helpful tips on finding jobs, moving back home and dealing with finances.
5. What Now? This is an incredible book by best selling Author Ann Patchett (Whom you may know from her books Bel canto, The Patron Saint of Liars and more) She writes about her own life inspired by her commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College where she addressed the many crossroads in her life and personal struggle with the question, “What now?” after college. This can be enjoyed by people of all ages as her 86 year old mother in law said, “The question (what now) is always there. It’s just that sometimes you hear it a little louder.” This book helps you do just that.
These are only a handful of the many other wonderful books out there that provide great advice and inspiration for graduates or any person at a crossroad of their life. More to come!!
Tags: Amazon.com, Ann Patchett, books for grads, Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes, The Alchemist, The Last Lecture, What color is your parachute
I really love the Alchemist. It’s a book I re-read almost every new year to gain perspective.