When you hit the beach with the kids this summer, leave the laptop at home. Take your e-reader instead, load it with these five books, and return to work with new energy for taking on the challenges of the fall.

1. The techie’s summer reading list
When you hit the beach with the kids this summer, leave the laptop at home. Take
your e-reader instead, load it with these five books, and return to work with new
energy for taking on the challenges of the fall.
By Jeff Jedras
Image courtesy of Michal Marcol at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

2. The Tinkerers
Have the creativity of a
tinkerer inside you? Gain
inspiration from the tales of
well-known tinkerers like
Benjamin Franklin, and less
well-known modern inventors,
and learn how to apply your
creativity to approach
problems in new ways.

3. The Power of Why
CBC business journalist
Amanda Lang looks at
the connection between
innovation and
productivity, and why,
instead of focusing on
working smarter, we
need to ask that simple
question that was so
natural to us when we
were children: why?

4. Social Business By Design
If your bosses aren’t
already talking to you
about a social strategy,
they will be soon. This book
shows how to choose and
implement a social
business strategy and
maximize its impact, with
real-life examples from
technology vendors such as
IBM and SAP.

5. Lean In: Women, Work, And The
Will To Lead
Facebook COO Sheryl
Sandberg’s book is caulk
full of advice for women
looking to succeed in
male-dominated
industries such as
information technology,
but her advice about
seizing opportunities and
stepping up to the plate is
valuable to both genders.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule
Historia
Enough with the serious
books – it’s summer. Read
up on the history of The
Legend of Zelda franchise
with never-before-seen
concept art, the full history
of Hyrule, the official
chronology of the games,
and more. Also includes an
exclusive comic by The
Legend of Zelda manga
creator Akira Himekawa.