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 Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement, Wait: The Art and Science of Delay, Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI, Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great, and Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence. Plus Bill Gates’ picks of leadership and management books.
From Skip Prichard: Are Your Conversations Worth Having?
“Imagine if everyone on your team became exceptional at having meaningful conversations. Do you think it would translate to more wins? I’m certain of it, and that’s why I thoroughly enjoyed reading a new book by Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres. The authors packed so much wisdom and experience into Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement that you will find yourself referring back to it as an essential conversation reference guide.”
From Kevin Eikenberry: Wait: The Art and Science of Delay
“There continues to be a tremendous amount of research being done on decision making and how to make better decisions. This is good news, since we make decisions all day long. As a leader, you are asked to make even more decisions, some with far-reaching and long-term implications. Unfortunately, while the research into decision making is vast, few of us know about it or have capitalized on it. This book can help you change that.”
From Wharton: AI and Humans Working Together Bring Big Productivity Gains
“The idea of artificial intelligence may strike fear in the hearts of some business leaders, but there is no need to panic. In their new book, Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI, Paul Daugherty and James Wilson make a compelling case for pairing this particular technology with human capital.”
From Michael McKinney: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great
“In Five Stars, Carmine Gallo states that ‘your ability to communicate persuasively is the single greatest skill that will set you apart in the next decade.’ Here’s the problem: finding people with the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively are ‘notoriously hard to find.'”
From Theodore Kinni: When Prediction Gets Cheap
“After reading Prediction Machines, by three Rotman School of Management professors, it turns out I’m not so much enamored with Waze as I am with the technology that powers it: artificial intelligence (AI). It is AI that enables the app to predict the best routes for its users.”
From Marcel Schwantes: Bill Gates Reads 50 Books Per Year. But Only These 6 Leadership Books Made His List of Recommendations
“While Gates has certainly read and recommended other business books, for this entry, I’ve highlighted every leadership and management book Gates has read and recommended on Gates Notes.”
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 Skip Prichard’s Leadership Insights.