4 BOOKS TO GET YOU THINKING DIFFERENTLY

There is something undeniably refreshing about getting a new perspective, especially when the accepted one is outdated and ineffective.

Holding onto old ways of thinking and beliefs can get tedious, and often this is only realised in hindsight, looking back and contrasting what was right, true and inevitable to what is now possible. It is almost as if a new lease on life occurs.

There is great freedom that comes from challenging current ways of thinking. Not just for the sake of it, but in the quest to create value, sustainability and inclusiveness.

If you, like me, have a strong desire to learn, unlearn and relearn to create a better world, these four books are a must!

1. The Fifth Discipline

There are usually two reactions to the mention of this book. One is absolute reverence by those who love it and use it as a handbook for business and leadership, and the other is exasperation. This book is an old favourite for the MBA syllabus. The content seems to go against the grain of standard “industrial aged” thinking. Love it or loathe it, it is well worth the read.

Written by Peter Senge back in 1990, his work still makes waves today. He is an American scientist, teacher and director of the Center for Organizational Learning at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

If you feel, like many do now, that the current way of working with command-and-control hierarchical management structures in business and schools requires change, then this book is the answer to that change.

If you love learning – this is a must!

2. Deviate

A high school teacher once said that science and art do not belong together. This was his justification for why a student could not combine the two when selecting subjects in her early high school years. Enter the lab of misfits. A genius experiment started by the author Beau Lotto, bringing artists, dancers, children, mathematicians, investors and neuroscientists to collaborate, innovate and develop ideas and prototypes. This book is one of the products of this exercise.

There is so much to gain from this book. The biggest is self-discovery through understanding how the brain functions.

3. The Invisible Gorilla

Written by two experimental psychologists, they describe the most common yet unbelievable tricks the brain and intuition can play and how this shapes reality. It also poses some interesting questions for the justice system – what is the truth if two people can hold opposing views on the same observed incident?

This book makes you smarter by reminding us just how little we know – Time Magazine.

4. Tuesdays with Morrie

Not the typical business book one might consider, but it is filled with everyday wisdom. It tells the story of an egocentric man and his enlightening conversations about life, death, love and success with his old and dying college professor. This book is a reminder to see beyond daily grinds and the demands of life. It challenges the status quo and social norms and offers an opportunity to reconsider what is really important in life.

It is one of those books that deserves a second, third and even fourth read.

I would love to hear your recommendations! I believe learning is a collaborative and community effort. Drop me an email with your best reads that have changed the way you think.

May your learning be a lifelong love.