What should you read to get to grips with a new job? Employee manuals or classic management titles can be an obvious starting point. But for many professions, a more informal reading list can offer greater insight than official resources. These offbeat classics, picked by people working in key sectors, can act as spiritual guidebooks, revealing the subtler nuances in corporate culture or the artistry of the day-to-day.
For on-the-job reading, she recommends de Botton’s 2006 look at beauty and built environment, which examines how the buildings we live in shape our lives. “This book discusses the importance of our surroundings and the way they impact on our well being. I find this concept incredibly interesting, and not at all surprising.