It’s that time of year again: Whether it’s your kid, a friend’s a neighbors, or even your student, someone you k now is making that scary, exciting leap into the unknown.

Having finally graduated, they are heading out into the real world,

Ready to go, but scared to leave…

Excited to take on the world, but absolutely no idea what’s in store…

Eager to pursue their dreams, without a plan in the world of how to get there…

Sure, you could go the Dr. Seuss route. It’s a time-honored classic. But I sense you’re looking for something more impactful. Lovely though it is, we can do better than Oh, the Places You’ll Go… can’t we?

Here are five books to give as gifts that every recent grad should read to find their place in the world, understand their relationship to those around them, and earn a comfortable living doing work that matters.

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

by Seth Godin

This is THE defining personal success book from the most prolific author and thought leader of the past quarter-century, Seth Godin.

Learn how to be indispensable to your organization, to be more than simply a cog in the industrial machine, to be the one we can’t live without – by overcoming the resistance and doing work that matters.

Linchpin changed my life in the most profound way, and I believe everyone who reads it will find themselves walking through the world with a completely different posture, of generosity and purpose.

Seth Godin is a 19-time New York Times Bestselling author, father of “permission-based marketing,” and publishes one of the most popular business blogs in the world, with over 7000 posts and millions of daily readers. This interview with Seth may change your life. And this book will empower your grad.

Favorite quote: “Stop settling for what’s good enough and start creating art that matters. Stop asking what’s in it for you and start giving gifts that change people. Then, and only then, will you have achieved your potential.”

 

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster

Originally intended for middle-schoolers, The Phantom Tollbooth endures as one of the greatest pieces of fiction ever written, regardless of age.

It is the story of a boy, Milo, who isn’t so interested in anything, until a tollbooth appears in his bedroom. He drives straight through it into the Kingdom of Wisdom where he has a fantastical adventure. The book weaves meaningful and poignant life philosophy with the whimsy of Alice in Wonderland, and the wit of a master comedian.

The story is fundamentally a metaphor for being a lifelong learner; there are always new things to discover, new perspectives to explore, and new relationships to form.

You’ll laugh, cry, and reflect more than you believed possible from a book written for 10-year-olds.

Favorite quote: “There are no wrong roads to anywhere.”

 

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

by Susan Cain

There are two types of people who will benefit from Susan Cain’s global bestseller masterpiece: those who are introverts, and those who aren’t.

I’m the latter, an extrovert, and this book fundamentally changed how I see the world, for the better.

An introvert is someone who gains energy during alone time. Introverts are not necessarily antisocial or shy, but drain quickly from socializing. Extroverts, on the other hand, gain energy from socializing, and drain during alone time.

Somewhere between one-third and one-half the world’s population are best described as introverts.

Why did this book make such an impact? It had never occurred to me that so many of the people I interact with on a daily basis have a fundamentally different relationship with the world that I do. Quiet taught me how to identify introverts and give them the space they need to reach their potential, in a way that we all benefit.

My wife Lindsey, a self-described introvert, introduced me to this book when we were first dating, to help me understand her better. So in honesty, I have Susan Cain to thank for my incredible relationship.

And if you’re an introvert, you’ll find this book supremely empowering.

Favorite quote: “There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.”

 

Mr. Palomar

by Italo Calvino

This is definitely the most obscure book on the list, but you shouldn’t dismiss it. Italo Calvino is a wizard with words, an Italian fiction author from the mid-20th century who reinvented himself with every novel.

In Mr. Palomar our titular character makes a series of observations as he navigates life, from simply observing the waves as they crash into the beach, to exploring the meaning of drawings on ancient Aztec architecture, to pondering the language used in a cheese shop, to ultimately facing himself in contemplation of his own mortality.

Each chapter reads as a very short, independent story, the only continuity being the character.

Those familiar with my popular TEDx talk “How to Magically Connect with Anyone” may recognize my opening line, “Our world is a shared experience, fractured by individual perspectives,” inspired by a line on the back cover of Mr. Palomar: “A world familiar by consensus, fragmented by individual perception.”

This book will confound and mesmerize; you won’t be able to put it down, and you won’t know why.

Favorite quote: “The universe is the mirror in which we can contemplate only what we have learned to know in ourselves.”

 

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended On It

by Chris Voss

Easily the most actionable book on the list, this is for go-getters who want to kick off their careers and instantly set themselves up for success.

Chris Voss is the former lead hostage negotiator for the FBI, who now trains people and organizations to get optimal outcomes from every negotiation. It’s a broader skill than you may think.

We negotiate all the time, every day: when we are interviewing for a job, seeking help from a customer service rep, asking our colleague to get their end of the project completed, debating which movie to see with friends, or arguing with our significant other over who should take out the trash.

His stories will blow your mind, and his advice is almost all counter-intuitive. Give a little to get a little, right? Nope! Not according to Voss, who knows better than anyone that when it comes to negotiating, you can never split the difference.

Favorite quote: “Conflict brings out truth, creativity, and resolution.”

 

BONUS OFFER

Three New People: Make the Most of Your Daily Interactions and Stop Missing Amazing Opportunities

by Brian Miller

“Brian successfully blends story, philosophy, science, practical how-to, and HUMOR (holy crap is he funny) to turn a touchy-feely topic into a hands-on skill that will change you for the better in every area of life. I felt like Keanu Reeves from the Matrix. I just closed the book and said, “I know conversational Kung Fu.” “

-Tim David, New York Times Bestselling Author of Magic Words

This is my first book, a manifesto on the beauty and power of human connection. We’re rushed, frazzled, distracted, and frankly, scared to talk to strangers. But what if it didn’t have to be that way?

What if we could easily connect with anyone we meet – on the airplane, at the coffee shop, waiting in line, in the elevator – and take the chance of making a new connection: one that might last for seconds, or for a lifetime?

While human connection is universal, I wrote this book with young adults and young professionals in mind. Part personal-success book and part how-to guide, I’ve been just thrilled at the reader response.

Click the cover above to purchase directly from Amazon OR…

Get $5 off a signed copy with bonus wristband and stickers by using the code collegegrad2019 at BrianMillerMerch.com – limited run. Be sure to list who you’d like me to dedicate it to when you checkout!

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