Leadership Advice Straight From the Source

If there’s one thing you should never underestimate, it’s the loyalty of a Bostonian. We are the believers who persevered through Curse of the Bambino with our Red Sox hats and utter faith that this year is our year. No self-respecting New-Englander would purchase their morning coffee anywhere but Dunkin. As for football, don’t even suggest that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are not the greatest in the history of the sport. Same goes for our books.

Accordingly, Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking was the most popular leadership book in Massachusetts, published by Back Bay Books, a Bostonian literature staple.

Malcolm Gladwell isn’t the only influential author to have drawn inspiration from the streets of Boston. Louisa May Alcott lived in Boston around the age of 20, where her first story, The Rival Painters: A Tale of Rome and her first book, Flower Fables were both published.

Robert Frost is another classic author famous for his love and descriptions who lived in Boston for some of his life. He taught poetry at a little college you might have heard of, Harvard University. During this time, it’s believed that he wrote The Figure a Poem Makes.

While Henry David Thoreau is famous for living in the woods, he lived in the nice part of Boston during his young life! Beacon Hill, his hometown, is mentioned in a passage in Walden, one of his most famous publications.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous House of Seven Gables and The Scarlett Letter were both written while working at the Boston Custom House. Unfortunately, it’s a rumor that working at the Custom House stalled Hawthorne’s creativity, so one could say that Boston wasn’t the best place for his creative juices, but it still gives us bragging rights.

Finally, we get to take credit for the founding father himself, Benjamin Franklin. He might have done most of his work in Pennsylvania, but he was born here, so we take credit for the Boston blood that was responsible for his tenacity!

Wherever we go, Massachusetts natives have a passion for Boston and it’s culture. We take pride in the writers who draw inspiration from our streets and the history of our city. It’s not surprising at all that Massachusetts citizens look for a local publication when they need business or leadership advice!