Summer Reading: What Airshippers Are Reading For Business and Pleasure

Summer is a great time to catch up on all that reading you wish you could be doing the rest of the year. Over the next few months, we’ll be highlighting team members from across Urban Airship, showcasing how they stay up-to-date on our rapidly changing industry and keep up role-specific professional development, as well as what they read for fun. Not everyone is going to admit their deep love of [insert embarrassing guilty pleasure here] unfortunately, but take a look — you may discover a new favorite “everyday” read!

This week we’re featuring some books from Strategic Consultant Emily Buckman’s summer reading list.

1. The Digital Revolution: How Connected Digital Innovations are Transforming Your Industry, Company & Career, Inder Sidhu

As we move towards the Internet of Everything, I am amazed at the advances taking place across the world in education, transport, cities, health and retail to deliver truly innovative connected experiences. This book has endless examples and global case studies of people and brands pioneering digital transformation.

I’ve been surprisingly fascinated by the stories of smart trash cans, 3D printed biosensors assessing the safety of water for bathing and drinking in third world countries, the ability for TESLA to release a software update that can increase handbrake sensitivity or raise suspension and the number of students from the far reaches of the planet logging on to participate in MIT online lectures.

For his book, Inder has worked with business leaders from Apple, Google, Facebook, Cisco, Amazon and Starbucks, as well as with academic leaders from Stanford, Yale, MIT, Coursera, Khan Academy, and more. I would highly recommend it!

2. Talk Like Ted: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds, Carmine Gallo

What is it about some presentations that just make you want to drift off to sleep? Too many slides, too many words, tone of voice, content … too many potential factors to count. And how is it that TED presenters more often than not don’t have any slides, move people to tears and end in standing ovations? My role at Urban Airship involves quite a lot of public speaking so I’m always interested in learning more about how these people achieve such incredible results.

One secret the author reveals: the importance of mastering the art of storytelling. Every ‘secret’ is illustrated by countless stories from TED speakers and has lead to me learning about some incredible individuals with admirable passion, diverse backgrounds and experience … an unexpectedly brilliant read.

3. The Further Adventures of An Idiot Abroad, Karl Pilkington

Based on the U.K. TV series An Idiot Abroad, this book is the hilarious post-travel diary of Karl Pilkington, a grumpy, uncultured, northern radio producer with a very dry sense of humour who is sent by his colleagues around the world to experience the weird and wonderful. From tribal vine bungee jumping into mud pits, to mongolian wrestling and dwarf villages he shows you a side to most countries you may already have visited you had no idea existed!

Continue to follow Summer Reading every Friday throughout the summer to learn more about how Airshippers both stay on the cutting edge and let loose.