July #HRBookClub Selection: Living With The Monks

Hey, everybody.

We’re halfway through the year, and the #HRBookClub has featured these books:

• You Are a Badass
• Ask a Manager
• HR on Purpose!
• Herding Tigers
• Everything Happens for a Reason
• The New Rules of Work
• A Chance in the World
• Year of Yes
• Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
• Braving the Wilderness

Not every book was a winner, but some were pretty good. I’m a fan of Brené Brown and Shonda Rhimes, and I enjoyed Steve Browne’s book.

The one piece of consistent feedback I’ve received about the book club?

“Can we lighten things up a little? I’m not a depressed HR lady. I love my job, and, while things are a little hectic, I don’t need to reboot my life.”

Wait, am I the only one around here who’s a middle-aged woman tackling perimenopause and looking for meaning in my life?

Fine, okay. You want to learn and laugh? I’ve got the perfect book for July.

A few years ago, my friend Sal told me to read a book by Jesse Itzler called, “Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet.” It’s one of the funniest business books I’ve ever read. Since that time, nearly everybody in my social circle has read it. Even my husband enjoyed it. Every once in awhile, Ken will still look at me and say, “Burpee test, motherf***er.”

Go read that book on your own.

Jesse Itzler has a new book on the market called, “Living With The Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus.”

Jesse is the husband of the Spanx lady, which every HR lady knows. If you’re not an HR lady and suspicious about the title — and you think I’m trying to trick you into reading something on Tibetan Buddhism — go look at the cover. These are Christian monks.

So, right off the bat, this book is different and surprising! It’s also very funny at times, and a little less vulgar than the first book if you’re sensitive to things like that.

I’ve read this book to make sure it’s not a clunker, and it’s a quick read that’s definitely worth your time. Jesse’s hilarious stories about the elite business world make me laugh, but this book is at its best when it’s exploring the rush-rush and hurried nature of our daily existence.

I like the plainspoken style and direct tone of this book, and I think it’s a great read for working professionals who are all about wellness but don’t always prioritize well-being in their own lives.

Is that you?

That’s me.

So, enjoy the July #HRBookClub selection. And I’ll be back in a few days to talk more about how we’re going to meet and discuss the book at the end of the month.

– Laurie