Yes, Spring has come and gone and now the lazy days of summer lie ahead. For some anyway. While many go on vacation (perhaps to a Six Flags for a new coaster ride or two) others are still reading away during the hot months of the year. Here’s what some people outside of the United States are taking to their air conditioned offices or to beach…

Germany – tops the listing in June with the book, Collaboration: How Leaders Avoid the Traps, Create Unity and Reap Big Results. It was published earlier this year and available in hardcover right now. It tells the reader why some leaders can lead while others fail. It’s written by Morten Hansen and published by Harvard Business School Press

Switzerland – is next with the book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. This is quite a popular book and if you haven’t checked this book out yet, what are you waiting for? This title delves into marketing campaigns that have worked for companies and is a must for anyone in the marketing/sales area. Actually it’s good for anyone trying to get inspiration. And if you don’t want to take this to the water’s edge – it’s on CD format too! Oh, it’s written by Chip Heath and Dan Heath and published by Random House.

United Kingdom – comes in third with No Man’s Land: A Survival Manual for Growing Midsize Companies. The paperback edition was just released in January of this year and gives advice to companies that are in limbo (not too big or not too small). It’s written by Doug Tatum and published by Portfolio.

China – is next up with the book Inside the Mind of the Shopper: The Science of Retailing. And, you may have guessed it, but it deals with the retail experience and how to understand the customer in various business transactions (What they’re thinking, how they behave and how they can impact how business is conducted, etc). This is written by Herb Sorenson and Wharton School published it this May.

China is also responsible for our last entry in June’s international best sellers with the book A Sense of Urgency. Global author John P. Kotter penned this little gem of how to take the first step in transforming your organization. He creates this ‘sense of urgency’ by getting the reader able to envision the need to shake things up. Put out by Harvard Business School Press in 2008 – it still is a much needed tool in these turbulent times.

There you have it, just a little sampling of what different individuals are stuffing into their briefcases or beach bags this summer. Maybe it’s given you an idea of what you would like to read or learn more about. Maybe this has you realizing that you haven’t done any reading this summer (shhh I won’t tell).

Happy reading!