Here at DCKAP, we are taking some time to reflect on this past year, and we are honing in our vision for 2016. As we wind along through that process, we’re reminded of the different thought leaders who’ve recently influenced us. While we were passing unsolicited book suggestions around the office, we thought to share them with you. All of our recommendations are relatively easy reads, mostly business (in a good way), with 1 fiction thrown in – just because.
Zero to One by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters
Using a course he taught on startups at Stanford as his catalyst, Thiel shares unique perspective on creating lasting value. “Doing something different is what’s truly good for society…” “The essential first step is to think for yourself.” Thiel masterfully re-frames big arguments in ways that help nudge understanding forward. Don’t miss his “Seven questions all business’ must answer,” to help you benchmark your own enterprise.
How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen
‘How Will You Measure Your Life?’ – by Clayton M. Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor, offers ‘tools’ that he calls ‘theories’ in his book, which will help us to make good choices, appropriate to the circumstances of our life.
Rather than ‘what‘ to think, it aims to teach you ‘How‘ to think.
Using lessons from some of the world’s greatest businesses, he provides incredible insights into challenging questions like – ‘How can I be sure that I’ll find satisfaction in my career? How can I be sure that my personal relationships become enduring source of happiness? How can I avoid compromising my integrity?’
It will be a great holiday read and an inspiration for your New Year resolutions.
Quiet by Susan Cain
Cain argues that “Extroverts rule the world. But introverts rock the world,” and we like it. She turns mountains of research and rigor into a fun read, full of truths to help us better understand ourselves and the people around us. Quite will help you unlock “the power of introverts in a world that won’t stop talking.”
Uncommon Service by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss
What does it mean to “make it simple for your people to be great?” And just how might you go about it? Frei and Morriss turn what you thought were shopworn case studies on their heads. Learn 4 key areas for optimizing your business – making huge trade-offs to help you flourish, and how to be “bad in the service of being great.”
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Epic. Adventure. Live vicariously through “Lin” as he melts into the rush of Mumbai, running from his criminal past in Australia. This is the sort of well crafted story we love getting lost in. The kind of book you start to read more slowly, as you near the end, to make it last. Gregory recently released his follow up book, The Mountain Shadow.
Relax, read and enjoy.
Happy Holidays and a Prosperous 2016.
