Stephen King says that if you want to be a writer, there are two things you must do: read a lot and write a lot. This is about the “read a lot” part. I include reading lists and book reviews that will help you do business more effectively and write better for business.
In this post, I point you to reviews of Reach by Andy Molinsky, How to Make a Spaceship by Julian Guthrie, and Messy by Tim Harford.
From Bob Morris: Reach
“According to Andy Molinsky, ‘In an ideal world, no one would have to reach beyond their comfort zone to succeed at work, and all the tasks and responsibilities we need to perform would fit perfectly with our personalities…But unfortunately, this is not usually the case. Conflict-avoidant managers often need to embrace conflict — or at least learn to tolerate it. Timid entrepreneurs need to be able to pitch and promote themselves and their ideas…introverts need to network…self-conscious executives need to deliver speeches…and people pleasers need to deliver bad news. You get the idea.’”
From Theodore Kinni: Peter Diamandis’s Excellent Adventure
“Stephen Hawking believes we humans won’t survive another thousand years unless we colonize space. And if we do colonize space, people will probably erect statues of Peter Diamandis in town squares across the universe. At least that’s the impression that ex–San Francisco Chronicle reporter Julian Guthrie gives in How to Make a Spaceship.”
From Wharton: Good News for Messy People: How Disorder Can Contribute to Success
“In the corporate environment we are encouraged to be efficient and have our work in order. But what if being a little messy made you a better employee? That’s the idea in the new book Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives, by Tim Harford, a senior columnist at the Financial Times. ‘There is always a gap between how things look very nice and neat and tidy on the spreadsheet … but seem very different when at ground level,’ says Harford, who is also a host of a BBC Radio 4 show called More Or Less. ‘What may look messy in theory may actually work very well in practice.’”
From Kevin Eikenberry: Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives
“One look at my desk at Remarkable House and you might think – ‘Yeah, this guy needs to read the book titled ‘Organized’ rather than one titled messy.’ And if you saw my office desk right now, you would be right.”
From Shane Parrish: Why Cross-Pollinating Your Work, Works
“In Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives, author Tim Hartford walks us through some amazing examples of cross-fertilization and how purposefully adding a measured dose of chaos to your work can benefit you greatly.”
And, here’s a pointer to my review of Messy.
Reading recommendations are a regular feature of this blog. Want more recommendations about what to read? Check out my Three Star Leadership blog, Michael McKinney’s LeadingBlog, and Bob Morris’ Blogging on Business.