The 10 Best Books I’ve Read in 2021 So Far

I’m delighted to have read 52+ books in 2021 so far. In my latest LinkedIn article, I have shared the 10 best books I’ve currently read in 2021 in case anyone is looking for some book recommendations.  

1) The Muslim Problem: Why We're Wrong About Islam and Why It Matters

Why are Muslim men portrayed as inherently violent? Does the veil violate women's rights? Is Islam stopping Muslims from integrating? Across western societies, Muslims are more misunderstood than any other minority. But what does it mean to believe in Islam today, to have forged your beliefs and identity in the shadow of 9/11 and the War on Terror? Exploding stereotypes from both inside and outside the faith, The Muslim Problem shows that while we may think we know all about Islam we are often wrong about even the most basic facts. Bold and provocative, The Muslim Problem is both a wake-up call for non-believers and a passionate new framework for Muslims to navigate a world that is often set against them.

2) GaYme Changer: How the LGBT+ community and their allies are changing the global economy

The LGBT+ community: for a long time marginalised, stigmatised and criminalised - today the ultimate champions of creativity, diversity and innovation in a highly competitive world. In addition, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical demands for organisational inclusivity have now become economic directives every organisation would like to attain. Gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer individuals are symbols of diversity and economic power - true GaYme Changers - developing the global economy faster and for the better. Supported by up-to-date research and illustrated by fascinating stories, Jens Schadendorf has traced the LGBT+ community and an increasing number of their allies from across the globe to discover the start of a revolution. It becomes clear, even in times of hostility and resistance, it is economically and ethically beneficial for companies and societies everywhere in the world, to let LGBT+ members develop into dynamic forces - rooted in new forms of cooperation for game changing results.

3) Wake Up: Why the ‘liberal’ war on free speech is even more dangerous than Covid-19

In 2020, the world faced its biggest crisis in a generation: a global pandemic. In the UK, it exposed deep divisions within society and laid bare a toxic culture war that had been raging beneath the surface. From the outset, Piers Morgan urged the nation to come to its senses, once and for all, and held the Government to often ferocious account over its handling of the crisis. COVID-19 shed shocking light on the problems that plague our country. Stockpilers and lockdown-cheats revealed our grotesque levels of self-interest and the virtue-signalling woke brigade continued their furious assault on free speech, shutting down debate on important issues like gender, racism and feminism. Yet just as coronavirus exposed our flaws, it also showcased our strengths. We saw selfless bravery in the heroic efforts of our healthcare staff. A greater appreciation of migrant workers. A return of local community spirit. And inspiring, noble acts from members of the public such as Captain Sir Tom Moore. Wake Up is Piers’ rallying cry for a united future in which we reconsider what really matters in life. It is a plea for the return of true liberalism, where freedom of speech is king. Most of all, it is a powerful account of how the world finally started to wake up, and why it mustn’t go back to sleep again.

4) So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

Cal Newport's clearly-written manifesto flies in the face of conventional wisdom by suggesting that it should be a person's talent and skill -- and not necessarily their passion -- that determines their career path. Newport, who graduated from Dartmouth College (Phi Beta Kappa) and recently earned a PhD from MIT, contends that trying to find what drives us, instead of focusing on areas in which we naturally excel, is ultimately harmful and frustrating to job seekers. The title is a direct quote from comedian Steve Martin who, when once asked why he was successful in his career, immediately replied: "Be so good they can't ignore you" and that's the main basis for Newport's book. Skill and ability trump passion. Inspired by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs' famous Stanford University commencement speech in which Jobs urges idealistic grads to chase their dreams, Newport takes issue with that advice, claiming that not only is this advice Pollyannish, but that Jobs himself never followed his own advice. From there, Newport presents compelling scientific and contemporary case study evidence that the key to one's career success is to find out what you do well, where you have built up your "career capital," and then to put all of your efforts into that direction.

5) The Binding

Emmett Farmer is a binder’s apprentice. His job is to hand-craft beautiful books and, within each, to capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If you have something you want to forget, or a secret to hide, he can bind it – and you will never have to remember the pain it caused. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, row upon row of books – and secrets – are meticulously stored and recorded. Then one day Emmett makes an astonishing discovery: one of the volumes has his name on it.

6) Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast-Track Your Career

This title features real stories and practical advice on how individuals - especially women - can find, manage, and leverage a sponsor for career growth. You need more than a mentor. Traditional pathways to career progression have all but diminished. Mentors used to be the answer but in today's world, research shows that they are not enough to help you advance. Sylvia Ann Hewlett - economist, prolific author, and originator of such prominent ideas as off-ramping and on-ramping - shows why sponsorship is the new route to success. What makes a sponsor different from a mentor is critical in terms of getting you into the role you covet and deserve. A sponsor serves as your advocate - not just doling out advice but also offering the powerful backing inside the organisation to get you where you want to go. From making important introductions to senior leaders to expanding the perception of what you can offer the organisation, sponsors are your personal brand advocates in the workplace and in your industry at large. They inspire, propel, and protect-to help you progress. Combining real examples with practical advice, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor shows how to build this important professional relationship, position yourself for leadership, and effectively work with your sponsor to achieve career success.

7) In Their Shoes: Navigating Non-Binary Life

Combining light-hearted anecdotes with their own hard-won wisdom, Jamie Windust explores everything from fashion, dating, relationships and family, through to mental health, work and future key debates. From trying on clothes in secret to iconic looks, first dates to polyamorous liaisons, passports to pronouns, Jamie shows you how to navigate the world and your evolving identity in every type of situation. Frank, funny, and brilliantly feisty, this must-read book is a call to arms for non-binary self-acceptance, self-appreciation and self-celebration.

8) The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy

The bestselling The Millionaire Next Door identifies seven common traits that show up again and again among those who have accumulated wealth. Most of the truly wealthy in this country don't live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue-they live next door. This new edition, the first since 1998, includes a new foreword for the twenty-first century by Dr. Thomas J. Stanley.

9) Kids: Child Protection in Britain: The Truth

What was lost when Kids Company imploded last summer? More than reputations. The charity’s founding vision, that there is a gap called love in how the state responds to abused and abandoned children, also vanished. In this book, the founder of Kids Company lays out the thinking behind a model of care that broke the cycle of neglect for thousands of vulnerable children. She reveals the true scale of Britain's failure in children's services, making public two decades of candid exchanges with prime ministers and senior politicians to explain why the sector has not improved since Victorian times. She also reveals the deceits used by local authorities to stop the magnitude of the problem becoming known. This is a book of hope, however. Calling on a plethora of moving case histories, it presents the science that gives cause for optimism; proof that even the most troubled young lives can be turned around. Looking forward rather than back, the book shows how a new model of support could be cheaper and far more effective than existing provision. Kids Company has gone. And yet something like it must be the future.It is imperative that the breakthroughs in understanding that came from its work are now shared with the widest audience. This book is an unusual collaboration between two outstanding individuals. One author is Camila Batmanghelidjh, who spent thirty years working with troubled families. The other is an award-winning journalist, Tim Rayment, who was sent to investigate Camila but decided instead that the real public interest lay in hearing her vital, life-changing message.

10) Just F*cking Do It: Stop Playing Small. Transform Your Life

JUST F*CKING DO IT will take you on a mind-altering journey of self discovery and personal transformation using an approach which combines psychological rigour with spiritual power - helping you to become the best version of yourself and create a life of happiness and abundance. True personal development can only be achieved by changing how you think and interact with the world. This book, by the creator of the hit podcast 'Think It, Get It', will demonstrate that, alongside purposeful and practical steps to improve your life, you have the power to multiply your success and happiness by harnessing the Law of Attraction. Whatever obstacles you face, this book will show you how to stop thinking small, make positive changes and live the life you deserve.

If you enjoyed and valued reading this article you may also enjoy some of my other related articles here:

• 10 books about mental health which changed my life: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/10-books-mental-health-which-changed-my-life-mayur-gupta-he-him-/
• 26 books written by women which changed my life: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/26-books-written-women-which-changed-my-life-mayur-gupta-he-him-/
• 10 books about race which changed my life: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/10-books-race-which-changed-my-life-mayur-gupta-he-him-/
• 10 lgbt+ books which changed my life: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/10-lgbt-books-which-changed-my-life-mayur-gupta-he-him-/
• 5 great books about goal setting: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/5-great-books-goal-setting-mayur-gupta/
• The 5 best biographies I’ve read: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/5-best-biographies-ive-read-mayur-gupta/
• The 5 best business books which changed my life: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/5-business-books-which-changed-my-life-mayur-gupta/
• How to read 52+ non fiction books per year: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-read-52-non-fiction-books-per-year-mayur-gupta/