Best books that I read in 2016

Like a year ago, this time as well, I needed to share the list of top books that I read in 2016. I read books on various topics, attended a few book launches and also did most of my reading on Kindle. Here’s my list of books that I read in 2016:

Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual 

Implement a zero email policy in the organization. Put employees first, and customers second. Set up an unlimited vacation policy. Ban non-competes. Ditch Performance Appraisals. Hire as a team. Make salaries transparent. Fire Managers. Celebrate departures. Yes, you must have often heard about innovative organizations trying out these new policies to improve productivity and morale. By referring to cases of small and large organizations, upheld by research and logic, the book challenges the traditional and widely accepted management practices and thinking. A separate chapter covers each topic. Some of the chapters such as "Close Open Offices" has findings that might surprise your thinking on open offices. Overall, an excellent book that you can read over a period. Chew and digest it because if you are a leader, at some point, you'll be exposed to this new management practice.

If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...: Encounters with Remarkable People and Their Most Valuable Advice

This was the surprise book of the year. A very light read, the book is authored by Richard Reed (founder of Innocent Drinks). Richard met about 60+ remarkable individuals from all walks of life (such as business, tech, politics, sport, art, spirituality, medicine, film, and design) and asked for their best piece of advice: Given all that you have experienced, given all that you now know and given all that you have learnt, if you could pass on only one piece of advice, what would it be? From Richard Branson to Andy Murray, from the president of Google to President Clinton, and from Mike Bloomberg to Indira Nooyi, every piece of wisdom is shared by a personal story of the individual. Good advice is like a nutrient-rich broth, made from boiling down the bones of life – I am glad that I discovered this book in 2016.

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

This was one of the most awaited book of 2016, and there were tremendous buzz and hype around it. I got to attend the Toronto launch of this book where I heard Adam Grant, the author, talk about the concept. It is an absorbing perspective where the author debunks the myth that originality requires extreme risk taking. With a few intriguing examples, surprising studies, the book discusses how one can can originate new ideas, policies, and practices without risking it all. There are also tips on how to sustain our originality as we accumulate expertise. I found the last section (“Actions for Impact”) very helpful -- if you are seeking to unleash originality, there are some practical actions that you can take. My personal favorite is about immersing yourself in a new domain as originality increases when you broaden your frame of reference. Adam Grant made an interesting TED presentation on this topic, and you can see it here.

TED TALKS: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking

I love Ted Talks. I can watch several of these 18-minute talks on different topics without any break. For every TED presentation that has made an impact on me, I love the way the talk is presented - the idea, clarity, storytelling, the absence of slides (most of the times) and the closure that invokes a strong call to action. How do the speakers prepare for it? What kind of effort is required? Is there a process behind this magic? That was dependably a mystery for me. Who else could disclose this to us in a better way than Chris Anderson, the curator of TED. He knows the art and science of public speaking. In the book, from the beginning, Chris makes it clear that there is no set formula and no two talks should be the same. He breaks the book into different sections –Foundation, Talk Tools, Prep Process, On Stage, and Reflection and guides us through it. If there is any book that you want to read on how to become a better public speaker or even communicate clearly, this one is for you. It’s a reference book that deserves your shelf space.

Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World and The Business Blockchain: Promise, Practice, and Application of the Next Internet Technology

In October 2015, the Economist ran a cover story, "The Trust Machine" which argued that the "technology behind bitcoin could change how the economy works" and in 2016, the hype cycle of Blockchain was at its peak. I heard the authors of the Blockchain Revolution (the Tapscott duo) a couple of times in Toronto - both before and after reading the book. I'd consider the Blockchain Revolution to be something that'll expose you to the world of Blockchain. The authors clearly are evangelists and advocating for a Blockchain future. With several examples across industries, particularly around Financial Services, the authors foresee that a new era of prosperity will arrive thanks to Blockchain. If you are a beginner and want to understand the possibilities, this one is for you.

Else, if you know about the technology and are looking to get a bit deeper, I’d recommend the Business Blockchain. The author, William Mougayar, describes Blockchain from various perspectives - technical, business and legal and reminds us that the Blockchain is not for everything. The constructs of Blockchain and terminologies are well explained. I followed William's blog posts and wanted to give this book a read. In view of your enthusiasm for this technology, pick one of these. It’s the best source on Blockchain available out there!

I hope to read more books in 2017. I’d be keen to get recommendations from you on which books to read. As it's been said, reading a good book is like taking a journey...Wishing you a Happy 2017 and keep reading!