Odd Books That Will Change Your Life

Seriously.

Jen Glantz

May 23, 2022

Jen “Odd” Glantz here! Last night, I put my winter coats and thermal pants on the top shelf of my closet and declared, loud enough for my neighbors to hear, “Summer is here!”

I’m a Floridan who has lived in New York for 10-years. Winters still haunt me. But now that summer is here, I’m gearing up for more fresh air and more quality time on a lounge chair. Rather than scroll through Instagram, I want to up my summer reading with curated books that can help me get ahead.

I have a 2022 goal to re-read most of the books I already own. Which is why today I’m sharing a handful of reads that I adore and swear by. Each book will leave you with immense value and give you odd tips that you might need at this moment in your life.

Wondering what’s on my list? Keep scrolling.

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Odd Books You Need to Read This Summer

Never Split the Difference

After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a hostage negotiator brought him face-to-face with a range of criminals, including bank robbers and terrorists. Reaching the pinnacle of his profession, he became the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator.

Never Split the Difference takes you inside the world of high-stakes negotiations and into Voss’s head, revealing the skills that helped him and his colleagues succeed where it mattered most: saving lives. In this practical guide, he shares the nine effective principles—counterintuitive tactics and strategies—you too can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal life.

Read here

Skip the Line

The entrepreneur, angel investor, and bestselling author of Choose Yourself, James Altucher, busts the 10,000-hour rule of achieving mastery, offering a new mindset and dozens of techniques that will inspire any professional—no matter their age or managerial level—to pursue their passions and quickly acquire the skills they need to succeed and achieve their dreams.

I adore this book so much. Here’s why.

Made to Stick

In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the human scale principle, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating curiosity gaps. Along the way, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds—from the infamous “kidney theft ring” hoax to a coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony—draw their power from the same six traits.

Check it out.

Living With a Seal

Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler will try almost anything. His life is about being bold and risky. So when Jesse felt himself drifting on autopilot, he hired a rather unconventional trainer to live with him for a month-an accomplished Navy SEAL widely considered to be "the toughest man on the planet"!

A motivating read.

Reach Out

The book features personal stories on networking from some of today’s top thought leaders. Studies, statistics, and real world examples illustrate the key concepts of Reaching Out. Whether you’re just starting out, changing jobs, or well-established and just eager to know more people, Reaching Out will help you turn career dreams into professional success by helping you connect with others who can put you on the fast track.

You’ve got to read this.

Brag Better

Does talking about your accomplishments feel scary or icky because you're worried people will think you're "obnoxious"?

Does it feel more natural to "put your head down and do the work"?

Are you tired of watching the loudest people in your industry get disproportionate praise and rewards?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you might be self-sabotaging. You need to learn to Brag Better. Meredith Fineman has built a career working with "The Qualified Quiet": smart people who struggle to talk about themselves and thus go underestimated or unrecognized. Now, she shares the surefire and anxiety-proof strategies that have helped her clients effectively communicate their achievements and skillsets to others.

Learn more.

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do

Everyone knows that regular exercise and weight training lead to physical strength. But how do we strengthen ourselves mentally for the truly tough times? And what should we do when we face these challenges? Or as psychotherapist Amy Morin asks, what should we avoid when we encounter adversity? Through her years counseling others and her own experiences navigating personal loss, Morin realized it is often the habits we cannot break that are holding us back from true success and happiness. Indulging in self-pity, agonizing over things beyond our control, obsessing over past events, resenting the achievements of others, or expecting immediate positive results holds us back. This list of things mentally strong people don't do resonated so much with readers that when it was picked up by Forbes.com it received ten million views.

Read it here. PS. Amy was a guest on my podcast (give it a listen).

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