If a person was so inclined, he or she could read a new business book every day, never leaving enough time to get around to actually doing business. Sadly, I know a few people who do that, and every time I talk to them, they ask me why they never get promoted, even though they work so hard…but that’s another story for another time.

I try to limit myself to one business book every month or two, and right now, I’m working on Personality Not Included: Why Companies Lose Their Authenticity And How Great Brands Get it Back.  The title is kind of a mouthful, but so far, I’m thoroughly impressed by the book.  Although it is a business-specific book, there’s actually a lot of psychology included, so it’s actually an interesting read for almost anyone.  If nothing else, it will give you some insight into the types of things companies do to win your business and attention.

I’ll admit that I initially picked it because I loved the cover art (what can I say, I’m a sucker for chickens), but I’m actually really glad that I did.

In case you didn’t know it, I’m a huge sucker for anything with pictures of birds, trees, or fish. Seriously, it’s almost dangerous. When I head into a cute card shop, I always bring a friend who cuts me off if I get too crazy. On the Internet, I have no such monitor. Here on the information superhighway, it’s just me and my credit card.

This morning I happened upon the website for Pinecone + Chickadee, and sure enough, they have bird notebooks. This time, instead of irrationally buying, I’m going to try something new. I’m going to put up a picture of this adorable notebook and let it taunt all of you instead. That way, I get to “ooh” and “ahh” about how cute it is without actually having to buy it. Of course, if everyone writes back and agrees with me about how cute it is, we could have trouble.

Anyway, what do you think? Just click the picture if you want to check it out on the retailer’s site.

There’s no point in looking fantastic if the whole effect is shot to hell when you open your mouth. I love looking good and having nice things as much as the next girl, but I also make a point of reading at least 2-3 books each week. Although I know not everyone has that kind of time, I can’t be alone in my desire to improve my mind.

For that reason, I’m going to start sharing the highlights of my reading list in hopes that someone else can enjoy the books as much as I did. First up - one of my all-time favorites, Frank Herbert’s Dune.

I’ll warn you right now that Dune is a sci-fi classic. That said, you’d be making a terrible mistake to avoid it for that reason. If you’re not accustomed to reading sci-fi or fantasy novels, you’ll probably find the first 20-30 pages to be a little rough. Once you get a feel for the world Herbert’s created, though, you’ll be right at home.

I first read Dune when I was about 11, and I didn’t really understand a lot of what I read. It was a great story, but when I re-read it recently, I was blown away all over again. If you enjoy stories of power struggles with a lot of underlying psychology and spirituality, you’ll love Dune.

Girl tip for reading sci-fi: Picture the lead male (and the lead is nearly always a male) as the hottest man imaginable - your imaginary fantasy man or future husband. Sci-fi heroes tend to be incredibly brainy, dashing, amazing men, so getting a good mental picture going from the start is a sure-fi way to add another element of awesomeness to the reading experience.