Bill Stadick has a love of words and books, and has been an enthusiastic member of the Actionable Book Club since January of this year. We wanted to get to know Bill a bit better through his love of reading and passion for business books.
What’s your all-time favourite book?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I love how the author juxtaposes the lives of the title character and Konstantin Levin. Ultimately, Anna succumbs to the temptation of living only for herself while Levin fights that same temptation clear to the last page of the book. Quite actionable in its own way.
Has a book ever changed your life? If so, tell us about it.
The Bible. Since I’ve read and memorized passages since childhood, it will always have the most profound impact on everything. On the business/professional development front, I’ve found myself going back to Adam Grant’s Give and Take and Simon Sinek’s Start with Why often. Both authors show how transformational it can be to move beyond a dog-eat-dog mentality in our professional lives.
Do you read books outside of the business/professional development genre?
I read a lot of poetry: Mary Szybist, Charles Wright and Czeslaw Milosz most recently. I also enjoy a good book of essays, such as Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan.
Kindle or traditional paper books…which do you prefer?
I drive everywhere, which makes audio the best (and only) option much of the time. Kindle is great in tight quarters. Traditional paper is a welcome change during those few hours when I have elbow room.
Tell us about your reading routine (i.e. time of day, favourite spot, snack, drink).
I try to read (or listen to) books whenever I have a free moment.
We’re all about action. How have you implemented an idea from one of the books you’ve summarized and how as it helped to transform your life?
One of the Insights from Kevin Ashton’s How to Fly a Horse is “love the delete key (literally and metaphorically).” Since creation is more about relentless revision than sudden inspiration, there are no excuses for leaving a page blank.
What are you reading at the moment?
My next summary will be on A Beautiful Constraint by Mark Barden. I’m also working through Anthony Doerr’s novel, All the Light We Cannot See, and a book of essays by Roxanne Gay called Bad Feminist.
____
To learn more about the Actionable Book Club and add your name to the wait list, click here.
