My somewhat attainable 2012 reading list

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Jaime Stein

I had a great conversation on Twitter the other day with Aiden (@AidanNg) about books. I confessed that I was old school and still have piles and piles of books lined up that are waiting to be read. He was in a similar situation and asked what I was reading. I figured it might be helpful to share my 2012 reading list on my blog since I’m always interested in hearing what other people are reading, as well.

I’d say about two-thirds of my reading list is based upon recommendations from people I know, people I have heard speak or lists from people I follow on Twitter. The other third are books I grabbed off the shelf while perusing through a book store.

Presently, there are massive piles of books in my office and on my nightstand that I’m trying to get through. Having worked full-time while completing my MBA part-time over the past three years, the piles have grown and grown. I do not have a target completion date and below is not the order I plan on reading through these piles of books. It is simply a list aimed at sparking discussion and hopefully soliciting some feedback on which of these books are worth reading next – or which other books I should add to the list.

Here is my current reading list:

Well typing out that list has made me realize just how daunting it will be to read 45 new books! About a year ago, I shared the idea of the ’50 in 50 club’ with one of my mentors – that is where you read 50 books in 50 weeks; it is like a mental marathon – and he took on the challenge. He actually completed it, so I do know that this is indeed possible.

What books on this list did you enjoy? What are some of the books you have read recently that you really liked? I believe only one of the 45 books on my list is fiction, so clearly I need to broaden my fiction horizons.

Happy Reading!

About Jaime Stein

Jaime is the Senior Manager, Social Media at Hootsuite. He is a digital marketer with expertise in social media and content marketing. His experience stems from leading the social media strategy for two national brands. Jaime holds an MBA with a focus in Marketing and Strategy from the Rotman School of Management where he was selected valedictorian by the students of the Morning MBA Class of 2011. He is the former radio voice of the Toronto Argonauts and currently lives in Vancouver with his wife and two sons.
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5 Responses to My somewhat attainable 2012 reading list

  1. The Blog That Gives says:
    January 9, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    Thank you for taking the effort to put together this list, Jaime! Which one have you read that you would recommend? Based on title and author, I think I would give Race Against Time: Searching for Hope in AIDS-Ravaged Africa by Stephen Lewis a go first, as you know I’m big on philanthropy and heath.

    Check back with you later, Jaime!

    -A&g

    • Jaime Stein says:
      January 10, 2012 at 9:17 am

      Thanks for dropping by and reading my post. I’m in the middle of reading Brandwashed right now. It gives a pretty interesting behind-the-scenes look at why/how marketers are successful. I’m generally read/buy book related to what I’m studying or working on in the moment. Stephen Lewis’ book has been on my shelf since 2007 when I volunteered in Tanzania – I should probably make it a priority since it has been sitting there so long!

  2. Marc Stuyver says:
    January 9, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    What a great goal to set for yourself, best of luck with it. Just some food for thought: your list is composed entirely of business books, biographies and memoirs. To each his own, but you may want to throw a few pulp fiction novels, literary classics, scientific periodicals, etc into the mix. It keeps your brain fresh and helps you create connections between disparate concepts. Inspiration is often derived from unexpected sources, business books aren’t necessarily the best places to derive business insights from.

    • Jaime Stein says:
      January 10, 2012 at 9:20 am

      I agree 100% with your assessment, Marc. I think it is important to be well-rounded and that starts with accessing different sources for learning. Spending the past three-years at Rotman has led me to amass a disproportionate amount of business books. One of my goals with this post was to gain more exposure to what other people are reading – outside of business – so that I could compliment my current choices. I used to be a big fiction reader, I’m hoping to get back on that bandwagon, too.

  3. Neate Sager says:
    January 10, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    The Fleury book is a fast, fun, frightening read. Scorecasting was overrated. Some chapters worked and some did not. I found the chapter about the high school football team that never punts a scream, but the one about strike zone judgment by baseball umps was impenetrable.

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