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People and Pop Culture

Executives and sports figures talk about what they’ll be reading on vacation this summer.

DAN SCHORR
Chief opportunity officer, Start2Finish Marketing

“The Rough Guide to Iceland,” by David Leffman and James Proctor
I am traveling to Iceland and look forward to folding real page corners and highlighting sections of a real paper book.
“A Dual Inheritance,” by Joanna Hershon
About two guys who meet at Harvard and is being called the best book about male friendship written this young century.
“Who: The A Method for Hiring,” by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
Still the most important act we do as leaders, finding the right people for our organizations.
“Francona: The Red Sox Years,” by Terry Francona and Dan Shaughnessy
I am a Yankees fan living in Boston, but he is so likable and successful that it would be great to get his take on the greatest rivalry in sports.

CAMERON WAGNER
Senior vice president of client services, GMR Marketing

“Inferno,” by Dan Brown
Thrillers are my go-to reading for relaxing. I love the way Dan Brown combines mystery with art history and iconic cities.
“Unbroken,” by Laura Hillenbrand
It was on my book club list and I skipped it. Everyone said I had to go back and read it.
“Cooked,” by Michael Pollan
I have read all of his books, and it has changed the way I eat. This is his new one, and I have been saving it for farmer’s market season.
“The Lords of Discipline,” by Pat Conroy
I always read an old favorite in the summer. More often than not, it’s a Pat Conroy book.
“The Wisdom of Hair,” by Kim Boykin
Spectacular Southern fiction written by our very own Kim Boykin. Perfect for my beach bag!

JIM RUSHTON
Chief revenue officer, Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium

“The Loyalty Leap,” by Bryan Pearson
Sports is one of the few industries that has millions of fans and very few customers (i.e., 1,300,000 “likes” on Facebook, yet only 20,000 customer ticket accounts). Turning fans into loyal fans, and loyal fans into customers, and customers into loyal customers, is a journey we’ve set ourselves on and need to learn more about!
“The Challenger Sale,” by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
The selling process is an ever-evolving craft for our sales team and organization. Teach, tailor, take control — all with constructive tension. Chad Estis and the team at Legends would be proud we’re following their lead with this read!
“Blue Ocean Strategy,” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
An annual summer read. While sitting on the beach looking at the ocean, always a good time to take a moment to use this book to reflect on where our business is and where it needs to or could go. Ford, Southwest, Cirque du Soleil, Yellow Tail Wines, etc., serve as the backdrop stories of reinvention and defining new paths in industries steeped in tradition.

JEN FLYNN
Assistant general counsel, Boston Red Sox;
General counsel, Fenway Sports Management

“Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” by Susan Cain
A former Wall Street M&A lawyer, Cain explores differences in the psychological makeup of introverts and extroverts and the different traits that allow both groups — despite common societal misconceptions about introverts — to be effective and successful leaders and managers in the business world. The liberal arts/psychology major in me was drawn to this book.
“The Interestings,” by Meg Wolitzer
This was the most enjoyable and thought-provoking novel I’ve read in a long time. She tells the story of a group of teenagers from various backgrounds that meet at a summer camp in 1974 and how their camp experiences together keep their lives intertwined through the present day. It highlighted that even the most seemingly inconsequential choices we make at such a young age can change the trajectory of our lives indefinitely, and the importance of keeping the right people close during the journey.
“How Will You Measure Your Life?” by Clayton Christensen
This book evolved from a speech Christensen gave to the 2010 Harvard Business School class about maintaining professional and personal happiness and fulfillment, and how individuals’ resources and focus can be allocated appropriately and strategically to best do so. I found this book insightful, particularly with respect to Christensen’s observations about identifying a satisfying career path at the outset, since job seekers asking how to start out in the sports industry often do so with a seemingly clear view on where they want to end up.
“Obsessed: America’s Food Addiction — and My Own” and “Knowing Your Value,” both by Mika Brzezinski
I’m reading both of these books because whatever the topic, from women’s issues around body image or equality in the workforce to health issues stemming from U.S. food industry practices, Mika doesn’t mince words. (Plus, she’s a Red Sox fan!)

ALBERT “SCOOTER” VERTINO
Vice president and executive producer of content, Turner Sports

“Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘The Wire’ to ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Breaking Bad,’” by Brett Martin
A title with two colons in it? Easy call. Yes, the behind-the-scenes anecdotes of several iconic series doesn’t hurt, either. I really enjoy a peek behind the curtain when it comes to the entertainment side of TV. I think there are parallels between that side and sports broadcasting: storytelling, timing and leaving the audience wanting more.
“The Forgotten,” by David Baldacci
I should point out that anything he writes, I read. I think I’m drawn to him as a lot of his books take place in the D.C./Northern Virginia area, where I grew up.
The Charlie Hardie Trilogy (“Fun and Games,” “Hell and Gone,” “Point and Shoot”), by Duane Swierczynski
I am slightly embarrassed to say I have fallen behind reading Duane’s work recently, and I always want to stay up to date. I’m a bit biased, but I think Duane’s work is consistently great. He is a fantastic storyteller and his stories read like a whirlwind thriller coming to life. (I am “biased” because Duane lived across the hall from me during my freshman year at La Salle University. His talent and drive was readily evident 20 — was it that long? — years ago).

What’s on the Bristol bookshelf?

SEAN BRATCHES, executive vice president of sales and marketing
“A Delicate Truth,” by John le Carré, and “An American Caddie in St. Andrews,” by Oliver Horovitz

CHUCK PAGANO,
executive vice president and chief technology officer
“Paperboy: Confessions of a Future Engineer,” by Henry Petroski
Henry Petroski, Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University, describes his youth in New York where he endearingly shows how his after-school paperboy route prepares one for a future as an engineer. I love Petroski’s style and content and this book caught my attention because I too got my interest in engineering as an outcome of having two paper routes and working for my local newspaper’s distribution department. I was a mechanical engineering student years later and it was because I loved the complexity and beauty of mechanical printing presses. I quickly changed to electrical engineering because the mechanics were a challenge (mathematically).

■ AARON TAYLOR, senior vice president of marketing
“Odd Man Out: A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit,” by Matt McCarthy
A fun, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read about the Yale graduate’s year in the Angels’ minor league system. I read the excerpts when it came out, but didn’t buy it. A friend sent it to me this spring, and I really enjoyed it.
As I head out on vacation, I’ll be taking two books with me. “The Emperor of All Maladies,” by Siddhartha Mukherjee, is a history of cancer. We have a very close friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. She’s reading it, and it sounded fascinating to me. I feel like I should know more than I do about cancer. The other is “Baseball as a Road to God,” by John Sexton.

■ JOHN WALSH, executive vice president and executive editor
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” by Ben Fountain, and “Matterhorn,” by Karl Marlantes

■ JOHN WILDHACK, executive vice president of production
“The Presidents Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity,” by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy


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