We love reading at Vistatec! Our worldwide Vistatec Book Club meets every month of the year, enabling employees worldwide to participate. The book club consists of many people passionate about reading books based on a topic and an agreed-upon reading list. We asked Vistatec people to share what book they would reread in celebration of World Book Day. Here is an interesting list of books that some of our avid readers feel are worth reading.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
“I’ve read it more than once and have some highlighted quotes, and I re-read it now and then; it helps me find motivation. The author explains why routine is the secret to success: we can achieve big goals by making a few changes to our routine.
Recommended by: Maria Mateos, Strategic Account Director – Life Sciences
Summary: No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies to teach you how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. This book will reshape your thoughts about progress and success and give you the tools and strategies to transform your habit.
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window Into Human Nature by Steven Pinker
“It’s a fascinating insight into language and why we use communication as we do.”
Recommended by: Alan Duffy, Localization Group Manager
Summary: Bestselling author Steven Pinker possesses that rare combination of scientific aptitude and verbal eloquence that enables him to provide lucid explanations of deep and powerful ideas. His previous books have catapulted him into the limelight as one of today’s most important popular science writers. In The Stuff of Thought, Pinker presents a fascinating look at how our words explain our nature. Considering scientific questions with examples from everyday life, The Stuff of Thought is a brilliantly crafted and highly readable work.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
“I’ve reread this book about once a year since high school. It’s a classic coming-of-age story about a poor girl in Brooklyn in the early 1900s, about the dynamics of her family and how she strives to achieve better than what her parents had. It’s comforting, and every time I reread it, it reminds me of being back in high school.”
Recommended by: Meredith Hutchinson, Marketing Solutions Project Manager
Summary: Francie Nolan needed to be made of strong stuff from the moment she entered the world. Growing up in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn, New York, demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Smith has created a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place and deeply resonant moments of universal experience.
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
“This is an endlessly fascinating masterpiece: satirical, funny, and challenging enough for a good re-read at least every ten years. The translation into Swedish is masterful. It has had cultural influences on the Rolling Stones, among others.”
Recommended by: Unn Villius, Chief Sales Officer
Summary: Nothing in literature compares with The Master and Margarita. One spring afternoon, the Devil, trailing fire and chaos in his wake, weaves himself out of the shadows and into Moscow. Mikhail Bulgakov’s fantastical, funny, and devastating satire of Soviet life combines two distinct yet interwoven parts, one set in contemporary Moscow, the other in ancient Jerusalem, each brimming with historical, imaginary, frightful, and beautiful characters.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
“As the author indicates, it is a book that lacks everything that generally makes a book. However, it carries you along without your noticing and leads you into the main character’s mind, to another dimension and a different way of seeing things.”
Recommended by: Raquel del Álamo, Senior Supply Chain Business Partner
Summary: In The Slow Regard of Silent Things, Patrick Rothfuss brings us into the world of one of The Kingkiller Chronicle’s most enigmatic characters. Full of secrets and mysteries, The Slow Regard of Silent Things is the story of a broken girl trying to live in a fractured world.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
“It is incredibly clever and humorous. The story unfolds, revealing the true nature and intent of the characters and the crazy world they live in.”
Recommended by: Ian Bloomer, Multimedia Specialist
Summary: Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of American literature and one of the funniest—and most celebrated—books of all time. Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—his army keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
“This is a book that I could read over and over again. It is an inspirational story about personal development and how you should pursue your dream. We each have a different one; just follow your own.”
Recommended by: María Roa, Global Events Manager
Summary: Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom, and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, this book tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. Santiago’s journey teaches us the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, recognizing opportunity, reading the omens strewn along life’s path, and, most importantly, following our dreams.
Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy by Mark Schaefer
“Mark Schaefer is a globally-recognized keynote speaker, futurist, business consultant,
and author. He studied under Peter Drucker for three years, holds seven patents, and is a faculty member of the graduate studies program at Rutgers University. Mark’s books are used as textbooks at more than 70 universities, translated into 15 languages, and available in more than 750 libraries worldwide. His tenth book, recently published, is certainly worthy of rereading.”
Recommended by: Simon Hodgkins, Chief Marketing Officer
Summary: Bestselling author and futurist Mark Schaefer explains why community is a vastly overlooked marketing opportunity for most organizations. He explains how three major trends collide, making brand communities the future of marketing strategy.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
“What struck me about the book was the vivid descriptions of the marshes and surrounding areas in North Carolina and the comfort and wonder a young girl takes from that to escape a very traumatic and difficult family environment. As that family environment gets progressively worse, her surroundings save her and show her the beauty that’s all around her. Without any formal education, she takes that knowledge of the animals and plants to bring it to life in her books, educating those who would have looked down on her and her family. It’s a wonderful juxtaposition of finding what’s good and beautiful in nature and bringing out the best in the most adverse conditions.”
Recommended by: Pat Kelly, Chief Commercial Officer
Summary: For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. In late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. However, Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens.