Jordana Zizmor of @WhatsJordanaReading shares her favorite books
Jordana Zizmor, the woman behind the Instagram account @WhatsJordanaReading, is here to share her favorite reads this month.
#1 ‘No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention’ by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer
No Rules Rules is very much a business book and not the story of how Netflix came to be. The CEO of Netflix writes about how to hire the right people and create a culture where everyone is comfortable both giving and getting feedback. The advice in here is useful if you are hiring for a company or even hiring a babysitter. Hastings says that if you hire top notch people — even if it’s more expensive up front — it will be less costly than hiring someone who is not reliable. He explains that hiring someone great allows for structural rules to be less of an issue because you are confident the work will get done and hours won’t matter as much. An inspiring business book to start 2021!
#2 ‘The Last Queen’ by Clive Irving
If you are into reading about the royals and history, this book is for you. Clive Irving focuses on how the queen has not only survived but managed to change and adapt with the times quite well. Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in British history — starting in 1952. I loved reading all the behind the scenes history in this!
#3 ‘The Class of COVID-19’ A Student Memoir Collection
The Class of Covid-19 is a historical record of this crazy time. It’s a beautiful and meaningful collection of essays from high school seniors at Cliffside Park High School in Bergen County, NJ. The essays are beautifully honest and not too long. You can read the book in one sitting or in bits and pieces. The students cover missing grandparents, parents who go back into addiction, getting sick with the coronavirus and what this past year has been like for teenagers in a pandemic. I purchased the book on Amazon (link below), and the proceeds go to supporting students. I can’t recommend this enough!
#4 ‘Healthy at Last’ by Eric Adams
I don’t know about you, but I am always in need of inspiration to eat healthier — especially in the new year. This book does just that! Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams woke up one morning and could hardly see. He went to the doctor and his A1C was through the roof. He was diabetic. It was a wake-up call for him and after doing some research, he adopted a plant-based diet. His book talks about how “soul food” is not that healthy and that diabetes is too large a part of the African American community. I love that the book has recipes. The vegan desserts are some of my favorites.
#5 ‘I Came as a Shadow: An Autobiography by John Thompson with Jesse Washington
I am not really a sports fan, but I could not put this book down. I Came as a Shadow is the story about one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, John Thompson. Thompson was the head coach at Georgetown University in the 1980s and became the first Black head coach to win an NCAA Championship. This is not just a basketball book. Thompson writes about his own life story. Every page is filled with insights and gems that you can apply to your life. Everyone will get something out of this book.
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Jordana Zizmor grew up in New York City where she worked in the city government’s Community Affairs and also in tech startups. She later founded a hospitality-focused social media business and co-founded Zero G Kitchen, which operates the first commercial kitchen on the International Space Station.
