What they’re reading

CPAs constantly are looking for ways to devise winning strategies, achieve their goals, advance according to their values, and find balance in their busy lives. These qualities are all present in the business and leadership books that have inspired the guest editors of this issue of the JofA.

The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter by Michael D. Watkins (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013)

Watkins’s book provides valuable tools anyone moving into a new job can use to navigate his or her organization, recognize key relationships, and avoid early missteps that can compromise success.

Angela Ho, CPA, CGMA, who read the book as she began a new job in 2016, said it helped her set personal goals instead of focusing mostly on others’ expectations of her. She found particularly helpful the book’s advice on “managing sideways” to create influential relationships and collaboration.

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016)

In his latest release, bestselling author Ferriss outlines success strategies he has gleaned from interviewing the world’s top achievers—including celebrities, athletes, scientists, and military commanders.

The book is useful “for anyone trying to improve their craft, reach a goal, decide on a goal, or enhance their quality of life in general,” said Nnamdi Etoh, CPA.

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert (Vintage, 2006)

According to Harvard University professor of psychology and bestselling author Gilbert, the brain is an anticipation machine. Instead of enjoying the present, our brains are continually planning for the future. The problem with that, he writes, is that we’re notoriously bad at predicting what our future selves will ­really enjoy.

“This book has inspired me to be more intentional about how I think about the future,” said Lindsay Stevenson, CPA, CGMA. “It is no longer about working to get a promotion or a title or coming up with a plan to get something I don’t have. It’s about choosing ways to use my time and energy that nurture my values.”

Mom Boss: Balancing Entrepreneurship, Kids & Success by Nicole Feliciano (Mango, 2016)

This title, written by a former fashion executive and founder of the style blog Momtrends, offers advice for women seeking balance between working or running a business and being a great mother.

“The book has inspired me to continue to follow my passions because the key to balance is doing what you love,” said Nina Chmura, CPA.

Samiha Khanna is a freelance writer based in Durham, N.C. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Ken Tysiac, editorial director, at Kenneth.Tysiac@aicpa-cima.com or 919-402-2112.