Curated Book Recommendations
Summer is in full swing. A time of year that many associate with a slower pace of life, affording a little more free time to read. To honor the summer reading season, we asked our Curated by Colony providers what their favorite summer reads are. Here’s what they said.
Truvay Travel
For Mimi Lichtenstein of Truvay Travel, books and travel go together like peanut butter and jelly. She loves to read and recommend books about destinations as she plans custom vacations and experiences for her clients. These books are currently at the top of her list:
Stolen Lives (MOROCCO) “I’m currently reading this. It was recommended to me by a friend who is a professor of Middle Eastern studies at Dartmouth when I asked him for a great book set in Morocco. It’s a memoir of the daughter of the King of Morocco’s closest aide. She was adopted by the king at age 5 to be a friend for his daughter, brought up in the court harem and was living the life as one of the most eligible heiresses in the kingdom – then her dad attempted to assassinate the king. He was executed and her mom and siblings were sent to a penal colony in the desert.”
Last Days of the Incas (PERU) “A MUST read before you go to Machu Picchu! It reads like a novel, but it’s history. The story of the Spanish conquistadors who, although vastly outnumbered, took down the Incan empire.”
Chasing a Croatian Girl (CROATIA) “This is a fun real-life account of an American man who married a Croatian woman and how they blended their relationship from two different cultures.”
The Power of Moments – “I loved this book so much my copy is dog eared throughout. It’s a book that inspires you to create more ‘peak’ moments in your life. Not to wait until you are X age, you retire, you have enough money in the bank, your kids are grown, etc. Do it now – plan for the moments and make them happen now while you can enjoy them with the people who matter most to you. Your life will be so much richer because of it.”
LSS Art Advisory
Curated provider LSS Art Advisory assists Colony clients with art purchases, collection management, insurance and valuation, and curated visits to galleries, museums, and art fairs. As experts in the art world, they find nothing more alluring than a book about NYC’s art world.
“Ninth Street Women invites you into the party of NYC’s mid-century art world, where groundbreaking art and captivating personalities collide. As art advisors, we found this book powerful because it charts the often-overlooked lives of female abstract expressionist artists Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler, cementing their instrumental role in revolutionizing the art scene of the past century.”
Epic Private Journeys
Curated by Colony’s newest travel provider creates bespoke travel experiences with independent and privately guided journeys to destinations including Africa, South America, Antarctica, and Australia. It’s no surprise they recommend Love, Life and Elephants: An African Love Story.
“In this unforgettable memoir, Dame Daphne Sheldrick tells of her remarkable career as a conservationist and her tireless campaign to preserve Kenya’s elephants and other endangered wildlife. We find it both inspiring and heartbreaking as it recounts Dame Sheldrick’s journey growing up in Colonial Africa to rescuing and raising newborn elephants with her husband, world renown conservationist David Sheldrick. To this day, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is the most successful orphan rescue and rehabilitation program in Africa.”
Total Digital Security
Total Digital Security founder and CEO Brad Deflin recommends The Age of AI: And Our Human Future, by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt and Daniel Huttenlocher. According to Brad, “this book is a must-read to jumpstart your comprehension of AI. It’s readable, compelling, and relevant to the critical challenges we face individually and collectively today.”
Private Prep
Private Prep offers test prep, tutoring and college and graduate school admissions consulting to clients of The Colony Group and their families. If you’re interested in lifelong learning and self-improvement, Private Prep suggests Make it Stick: the Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, “an engaging look at how our brains work that is equally great for students and professionals. Many students and adults have understandings of learning that aren’t backed up by science, and Brown uses narrative interwoven with experimental results to reteach his readers how to study effectively. Spoiler alert: re-reading is almost certainly a waste of time! “
Conscious Leadership
Matt Chapman, certified executive coach at Curated by Colony executive and career coaching provider Conscious Leadership, suggests The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. “I’ve read this book 8 times and get more out of it each time I read it. An outstanding book that didn’t do well when first released and now has become a global best seller with millions of copies sold. It’s an amazing story of a young man’s journey following his dream and learning many valuable life lessons along the way. He learns to follow his heart and his knowing. I’m a huge fan of many of this author’s books.”
Care Right
Annalee Kruger, founder and president of Care Right, Curated by Colony’s concierge of elder care planning, suggests Happy to 102: The Best Kept Secrets to a Long and Happy Life, “for anyone looking for secrets to longevity and inspiration to live a happier, healthier life at any age.”