From the city of San Francisco to the supermarket aisle, we recommend two books that focus on the changing socioeconomic forces shaping a particular place and industry. And from "giving up more often, failing faster, and mastering the art of starting over" to "creating lasting change without starting from scratch," we suggest two other books that can help you get unstuck and make a change in your own life.

All four titles are available online and on local bookshop shelves today. Interested in buying multiple copies for your team, book club, or employee resource group? Follow the links below or give us a call to purchase the books, or check out our services for bulk book buyers to learn more about how we can help.

Unless otherwise noted, all descriptions of the books below come from the publisher.

City on the Edge: Technology, Politics, and the Fight for the Soul of San Francisco by Jonathan Weber, published by Atria Books

The definitive and “captivating” (Marty Baron, author of Collision of Power) story of San Francisco’s meteoric transformation into a global capital of technology, and how the same creative and political forces that gave rise to its boom nearly engineered its collapse.

At the dawn of the 1990s, San Francisco was a beautiful if troubled mid-sized metropolis. It was still reeling from the AIDS epidemic and the Lome Prieta earthquake, its economy stuck in a post-industrial slump. Once considered to be the capital of the American West, and later the beating heart of the global counterculture, the mythic, fog-shrouded city at the edge of the continent faced an uncertain future.

But in that very moment, a band of free-thinking technologists, immersed in the creative zeitgeist of the city, were inventing the contemporary internet. San Francisco would undergo an epic political, social, and economic transformation as it claimed the title of tech capital of the world. Local politicians, including Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris, advanced to the national stage. An unlikely marriage of underground culture and technological optimism gave rise to the annual reverie known as Burning Man.

This should have been a happy story for San Francisco. But as the city’s tech economy roared, a host of urban ills lurked in the shadows: homelessness, drug addiction, mental illness, and a crippling lack of new housing. The city’s famous left-wing political establishment struggled to get its arms around the problems, becoming a punching bag for President Trump and the new right. When the pandemic arrived in 2020, it created new crises and laid old ones bare, shattering a “City Family” that had ruled politically for more than thirty years and prompting a sharp rightward turn by the once-liberal tech industry.

Jonathan Weber saw it all up close as a reporter and newsroom leader. He offers a sweeping history of a city that rose to dizzying heights, only to be undone by the heedlessness of a tech industry it did so much to spawn and politicians who had lost the plot. Drawing on 200 interviews with mayors, CEOs, political leaders, activists, entrepreneurs, and artists, City on the Edge is more than a simple chronicle of a city. It’s the story of a war waged for the heart of San Francisco—one that anticipated the culture wars raging around the world. Its outcome would have an impact far beyond the city’s famed Golden Gates.

Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty Wages, and the View from Behind the Supermarket Register by Ann Larson, published by One Signal Publishers

In the tradition of bestselling classics such as Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed and Benjamin Lorr’s The Secret Life of Groceries comes a character-driven exploration of the modern supermarket, unpacking what works and what doesn’t, and delivering a blueprint for a better way to shop.

Unemployed and looking for work during the pandemic, journalist and activist Ann Larson found a job as a cashier at a supermarket in Utah. Though she had written about low-wage work for years, nothing could have prepared her for what she experienced. 

Informed by her time behind the register, Cleanup on Aisle Five is Larson’s deep dive into supermarkets and how they operate from the inside out: from the low-wage workers stocking the shelves and the customers coming through at all hours, to the communities these stores serve and the larger capitalist forces and corporate interests at play that control how we shop for food. In the process, she chronicles the evolution of the grocery store, unpacks the political implications of the battles between shoppers and staff, and invites us to imagine grocery stores as places where one can foster community and even equity—if we can separate food distribution from profit motive.

Deeply reported and refreshingly insightful, Larson follows the interactions between the workers, including Stanley who can’t afford a sandwich, Nick who doesn’t have health insurance, and Scarlet who is all out of patience, and customers, including the old lady who finds comfort in tidying the shelves to the one homeless guy who only comes in to use the facilities. From the unforgettable characters to the common challenges we face when it comes to food, Cleanup in Aisle Five will forever change the way we look at grocery stores.

How to Try Again: An Approachable Guide to Navigating Chaos and Making Change THAT STICKS by Steve Kamb, published by St. Martin's Press

Founder of Nerd Fitness Steve Kamb's guide to help readers transform their lives by giving up more often, failing faster, and mastering the art of starting over.

Some people wake up at 4AM, run 15 miles barefoot, take an ice bath, drink unicorn tears, meditate for an hour, and then write the great American novel.

How to Try Again is not for those people. It’s for the rest of us. In other words, humans.

Humans who are desperate for hope. Unfortunately, they’re sold false promises of optimized wellness and unlimited productivity. Predictably, when these life hacks fail the result is personal blame and guilt. Fortunately, breaking free from this madness is Steve Kamb’s super power. For the past 16 years, Kamb has helped tens of millions of readers make positive changes through his advice at NerdFitness.com.

You might recognze his name from the pages of James Clear’s Atomic Habits or the back cover of Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***. Which makes sense, as this book comfortably sits at the intersection of those two juggernauts: full of empathetic humor, relatable stories, and practical guidance for making change. How to Try Again will help readers forgive themselves faster, fail more enjoyably, restart differently, and finally reach their goals while staying delightfully, infallibly human.

Just Open the Jar: A DIY Path to Creating a Life You Love by Paula Blankenship, published by Matt Holt Books

Sometimes the most powerful transformation starts with the smallest action—and you already have everything you need to begin. From a high-school dropout turned multimillion-dollar entrepreneur, a powerful memoir about creating lasting change without starting from scratch.

Paula Blankenship, founder of Heirloom Traditions paint company and Forbes-dubbed “Queen of Paint,” had an unconventional path to building a business empire, all while navigating many of life’s unexpected turns. Her story is a blueprint for anyone feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or convinced they need to tear everything down to start over. As Paula’s life proves, meaningful change doesn’t require a complete life overhaul, unlimited resources, or perfect timing.

Through deeply personal stories spanning decades of entrepreneurial ventures, relationship challenges, and single motherhood, Paula reveals how she built her empire, one small creative step at a time. From mixing paint in her kitchen to help her teenage son adjust to a new city, to creating a revolutionary product that eliminates the need for primers and prep work, her path demonstrates that transformation often begins with the courage to simply start where you are. Paula’s honest and unflinching memoir sheds light on how to:

• Recognize opportunities for change in your current circumstances without waiting for ideal conditions
• Transform creative impulses into sustainable business ventures and personal growth
  
• Navigate major life transitions while building something meaningful
  
• Develop confidence to trust your instincts and take calculated risks
  
• Create lasting impact through small, consistent actions rather than dramatic overhauls

Just Open the Jar is more than a business success story—it’s a nudge for anyone ready to stop waiting for permission and start painting their own masterpiece, one brushstroke at a time.