It’s the season of “best of” lists of every type. So, I’d like to offer up my “best book” list of 2012. (Spoiler alert: It’s short, and no books featuring vampires were considered for this list.)

But first, some insight into what makes them so memorable, and what that means for communication.

Every book that I could not forget in 2012 challenged me to think in a very different way. Along with the fiction entries, I happened to read “The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation,” by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson last year. Here’s the connection: this non-fiction book presents new research on what the most effective sales style is. It’s the challenger – the sales executive who makes the prospect, including the C-suite, think differently about their business, their market, their business plan. After getting that “aha” moment and musing about the challenge, the sales executive then steps in to tell the story in terms that the prospect can understand and relate to on both an intellectual and emotional level.

Thinking differently and telling a compelling story sounds like parallels to both PR and to good novels. And here at Scott Public Relations (SPR), we’ve already begun to use the challenger model in our campaigns in PR and marketing.

Enough suspense. Here’s the list of my top three books of 2012:

“Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir,” by Doron Weber. This story of a remarkable teenager who succumbs to complications from heart surgery that should have been preventable with vigilance from his so-called expert cardiology team was, frankly, one I avoided reading for some time – mainly because I have a teenage son myself and it cut close to home. Written by Damon’s father, there is no more luminous testament to a child’s life and unique soul. I’m so glad I read and embraced this story. It changed the way I view health care, but most of all it transformed the way I feel about the unbreakable bond between parents and children.

“Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn. You will never view marriage in the same way, yours or anyone else’s. This book’s masterful plot turns and revelations challenge the perspectives we have of people, relationships, and love.

“Defending Jacob,” by William Landay. This story about a D.A. whose teenage son becomes the prime suspect in a murder he is investigating was so riveting and ultimately, horrifying, that I had to read it twice. Immediately. This is another great read that challenges the intellect and changes the heart.

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