“Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway” is one of my mantras when I’m anxious. Spending time with Susan Jeffers’s book will give you some powerful insights into your behaviour. Those incredibly insurmountable obstacles that prevent you from having a carefree life will be challenged, and you will be pushed to try to make small changes that will lead you to a much happier existence. You have to feel the fear, but when you do it anyway, the rewards will be huge!
If your self-esteem needs a pick-me-up then read Nathanial Branden’s “Six Pillars of Self-Esteem”. Of all the judgments we pass in life, none is as important as the judgment we pass on ourselves.
“Lean In” by Sherryl Sandberg is a deep dive into the reasons behind the lack of women in leadership and some great pointers for women on how to lean in to get recognised and break through that glass ceiling!
What I love about ”Rework” is the punchiness of the concepts offered by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson about how to work smarter and be more productive. The concepts are often thought-provoking. Entrepreneurs and business owners will love this book as it dares you to tackle some of the textbook ways of running a business in a completely different way. If you read this, I guarantee that you will change some of the ways you work for the better. I particularly like the sections on culture, hiring the right people and the piece called “meetings are toxic”.
If you’re looking to improve your life then read Tim Ferris’s “4-Hour Work Week”. Entrepreneurs will love this book for the tools and tips to help you make a living and a life. The design your life section will appeal to workers who can get some flex in their work week to create a space for doing what they love. Two entrepreneurs I admire are living the dream after reading this book.
The art of networking is explained in Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. The old ones are still the best!
Does anyone one else get as excited as I do about checklists? Reading “The Checklist Manifesto” by Atul Gawande is an absolute indulgence in my “get it done and cross it off the list” approach to those more process driven tasks we need to do at work.
Learning about where they came from, what makes a good one and where to use them is enlightening.
I use checklists regularly for planning and implementing learning programmes. They are my saviour from making mistakes when juggling a million moving pieces. The beauty of working with a useful checklist is it stops you having to remember what’s already done and worrying about what’s next to do as it’s plain to see on the checklist. The best thing about using a checklist is it leaves you with more head space for other important things to think about.
Henry Marsh is a leading English neurosurgeon who gives an astonishingly generous and honest account of the mistakes he made over his five-decade career in his book “Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery”. His mistakes have on occasion been fatal or life-changing for others and this often sad read teaches us that speaking up and being accountable for mistakes and learning from them is our duty and can help us to get it right the next time. A fabulously memorable read.
I’m a major Michael Lewis fan! His book “The Undoing Project” is different from many of his books which are mostly about large, real-life characters in finance and business. His book “The Big Short” is now a film starring Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale and Brad Pitt that you can watch on Netflix. It’s a great film and an equally good read. His entertaining storytelling about the financial crisis cannot be rivalled, and his books that cover this topic, from many different angles are amazingly interesting and eye-opening. “Liars Poker and Flash Boys” are two of these that are also riveting. “The Undoing Project” is a factual story this time about two psychologists who discovered a groundbreaking theory about human behaviour and decision-making. It’s an interesting deep dive into cognitive bias.
Ever wondered what life is all about? “The Path” is a summary of teachings of ancient Chinese philosophers with some alternate views of what a good life is.
We all want to live a good life, right? When we’re working long hours trying to make money to build a nest for our family, then we sometimes query if we are enjoying life the way we should. “The Path” by professor Michael Putt and Christine Gross-Loh explains to us that our work hard to provide ethics originate from Protestant roots and are engrained in our culture, but demonstrates through the teachings of ancient philosophers that there are other ways to engage with life. Some of these other ways or paths are incredibly different to our modern way and are insightful. This book is a nerdy read rather than must read.
“The Art of Breathing” is a beautifully crafted book by Dr Danny Penman who teaches us how powerful the breath is for calming the mind. You can dip into this lovely book to try some of the soothing exercises for instant relaxation.
Looking for a gift then share the stories of one hundred amazing women and their extraordinary lives. “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls” by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo will inspire our next generation.