Summer is nearly upon us.

And with summer comes vacation plans that include a few hours here and there for reading. Even if you aren’t heading out of town between June and September, a few hours on the beach every so often is the perfect time to read through some excellent business books.

Over the course of the next two posts, we’ll provide you with a list of the year’s newest and most popular business books, titles which can inspire you and provide insight into how you can strengthen your business acumen.

“Your Best Year Ever: A Five-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals” by Michael Hyatt

Hyatt is a business vet and a productivity guru whose new book is a great way to renew your vigor for the goals you set at the beginning of the year.

Here’s how the book’s website describes the type of person who could benefit from Hyatt’s newest tome:

“We all want to live a life that matters. We all want to reach our full potential. But too often we find ourselves overwhelmed by the day-to-day. Our big goals get pushed to the back burner—and then, more often than not, they get forgotten.”

What’s interesting about this particular tome is that Hyatt offers packages for individuals and businesses that serve as a multi-week course focused on the principles the book lays out.

The hardcover version of the book goers for $15.13 on Amazon.com and has an average rating of 4.8 stars from more than 250 Amazon customer reviews.

“Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life” by Daymond John

Daymond John, he of Shark Tank fame, was part of the founding team of FUBU, the international clothing brand made famous in the ‘90s. John took out a $100,000 mortgage on his home to launch the business. He split his home in half and used one part of it to live and the other part of it to produce clothing.

If there’s anyone who knows how to grind his way to success, it’s John. His book focuses on how you can draw on the methods he used in his own life to implement and accomplish the business goals you’ve set for yourself. Here’s how Business Insider’s Richard Feloni and Shana Lebowitz describe the book:

“He’s drawing from his own career and those of fellow entrepreneurs to compile the rituals, habits, and best practices for sustained success, whether you’re leading your own company or not.”

John’s book is available on Amazon for $15.04 in hardcover. It gets an average of 4.5 stars from more than 400 reviews.

“The CEO Next Door: The 4 Behaviors that Transform People into World-Class Leaders” by Elena Botelho and Kim Powell

Botelho and Powell gathered up data from thousands of CEOs and those aspiring to executive positions to compile a list of four common behaviors that make people succeed.

Both women have the credentials and expertise to back up their observations, too. Botelho is a Wharton grad and Powell received her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.

Their book has drawn high praise from thought leaders. Here’s what author Daniel H. Pink said in his recommendation about the sources used for the book:

“They may not all come from fancy schools, but they do know how to make smart decisions, adapt to changed circumstances, and work honestly and directly with customers and employees. Whether you’re running a large organization, or simply have your eye on the corner office, this book should be your guide.”

This book is an excellent choice if you’re working from the bottom up or you’re in mid-management and want to find the edge you need to ascend.

“The CEO Next Door” hardcover is available on Amazon for $16.30. It gets an average rating of 4.7 stars from 27 reviews at the time of publishing.

Part 2: Three More Business Books for the Summer

In our second post on the best business reads for the summer, we review three books that delve into personal experience or product development and mine some of the important principles that worked well for the authors or the products they researched.

It’s important to keep in mind that these success narratives aren’t hard and fast rules from which you can’t waver; contextualize the principles into your own workplace situation.