Books that impacted me in 2023

This is my personal, idiosyncratic sharing of books that impacted me in 2023. I don't much get into what the books are about (lots of places to do that), but share a couple of lines for each about the role they played in the evolution of my thinking this year.

?? Thinking In Systems (Meadows) - a seminal introduction to Systems Theory. It helped me understand better the interplay and tensions between models and complex reality; between a global 'whole' and its dynamic parts. Meadows helped me understand (like Scale, below) how it is that everyone from climate collapse deniers to technological positivists miss the dynamic interrelatedness of natural and social systems.

?? The Management Myth (Stewart) - the revelation of the historical complicity of consulting firms and business schools in forging a myth of insight and leadership. This one set me on fire because it made me realize that as a consultant and an academic I am working in a system fraught with deception and self-deception.

?? The Technological Society (Ellul) - a profoundly disturbing exposure to the truth of technocratic capitalism, consumption and dehumanization. This book provided another angle on the evisceration of Elton Mayo's charades in The Management Myth, and how the Human Relations movement in HR risks being a tool for numbing us to the pain of being absorbed into the machine of efficiency and consumption (Ellul's 'la technique').

?? The Red Book (Jung) - an awe-inspiring hallucinogenic-feeling journey through the unconscious with a human being absolutely committed to that journey. This book reminded me again of the importance of moving through and accepting the continuous sequence of light and shadow in our lives, and of living a consciously creative, reflective life. I am though, in awe of the depth of Jung's commitment. It is the work as much as the results that inspire me, in this book.

?? Scale (West) - while the exploration of sub- and super-linear scaling in biology, cities, and organizations is interesting, the real hit comes at the end: the revelation of the need for 'singularities' (instances of transformative technology) to occur at an exponential rate given population growth. This is a powerful response to the mythology of technological positivism, which ignores both the dynamic and exponential nature of what is going on. Like Thinking In Systems, this book taught me that most of the arguments and solutions presented by politicians, conspiracy theorists and armchair social/science critics, are dangerously simplistic.

?? Confessions (Tolstoy) - the idea that no matter how far apart we are, if we bring humility to the conversation we can find some point of common ground. I am left with a powerful image of two humans climbing up the incline of a conflict until we find the one "needful thing" we both agree on, and then asking ourselves how that one common value might influence how we treat each other in all other things we don't agree on.

?? The Fearless Organization (Edmondson) - the communication of the truth in organizations is predicated on the ability of a leader to make it safe to do so. When I work with employees and students and someone in power in the organization attacks the 'laziness' or 'entitlement' or 'lack of accountability', this book reminded me that the first place to look for an explanation for that behaviour, is in the mirror.

?? We Are Electric (Adee) - a detailed reminder for me that the scientific method does not make science immune to politics and deep distorting biases that can prevent important truths from emerging for decades.

?? Winners Take All (Giridharadas) - an exploration of the distortions of the win-win myth of technocratic capitalism and its shock troops, the 'thought leader'; a brilliant companion-read to The Management Myth. The populist extreme Right is not entirely wrong. The book provides a whole new vocabulary of images and stories for me, that further my mistrust of corporate, technocratic, and business school orthodoxy. It also resonates with a Ricardo Semler quote that lives in my head (on the social activities of the wealthy): "If you are giving back, maybe you took too much."

?? Masters of the Universe (Jones) - the real history of neo-liberal economics. It started in part as a terror of recreating the conditions that resulted in the totalitarian-collectivist states of Hitler and Stalin. But it was transformed into a machine for greed and domination when it touched transatlantic politics of Thatcher and Regan (supported by the evangelical blindness of Friedman). This book reminded me, as many do on this list, that often my initial judgements of people and movements lacks the compassion only available to me if I take the time to understand the full story. History doesn't change wrong into right, but it creates the compassion necessary for the conversation Tolstoy calls us to in finding the "one needful thing".

?? The Happiness Trap (Harris) - a book that fuels my personal growth and recovery. Understanding that catastrophizing and anxiety are just our neurology doing its best to protect us. We have values-related choices we can make every day, no matter what is going on. Drawing on the exercises in this book (with the support of a professional), I have learned how to talk to myself more effectively when hit by anxiety or panic.

?? Regenesis (Monbiot) - soil and agriculture are staggeringly complex and beautiful. Oh, and if we continue farming the way we are we're f***d. See: Scale. I'm a carnivore, but this book may have given me the best argument yet for rethinking that. Also, this book is - in passages - a reminder that a talented writer can evoke wonder of almost any subject, even of earthworms and apples.

?? On Revolution (Arendt) - dense like The Technological Society but richer in its historical explorations. Completely changed my understanding of how we constitute a society. Two more things. For all my love and commitment to the work of improving organizations and communities, Arendt's endless depth and synthetic grasp remind me I'm just a beginner. Yet, she does this while also opening doors of thought and story I didn't know were there before. Just the areas of constitutions and constituting and republics will be enough for me to explore for years.

?? Humble Inquiry (Schein) - confirms Schein's place as one of the few people I think of as a legitimate guide on human (organizational) relationships. I love the idea of humble inquiry of the self. For me Schein's work connects deeply with the Buddhist idea of the 'mind of the beginner', the careful and intentional entering into a space of humility in each interaction with people and the world. It is for me an ever-present reminder to be vigilant for (barely conscious) belief I already have the answer before I ask the question.

?? Bittersweet (Cain) - one of those books that IS its subject. The book is a bittersweet celebration of the bittersweet realities of life. A joy to read. Like the Red Book, Bittersweet is to me a reminder to 'sit' with each moment, bitter, sweet, light, dark and allow myself to experience - and often learn from - that moment fully.

?? A Book Forged in Hell (Nadler) - a wonderful introduction to the political and philosophical thinking of Spinoza. Something in me connects Spinoza to Jung, but I can't articulate it. As a lover of history (professionally and personally) it was a revelation to be taken back to the 17th century Lowlands and explore the social and religious landscape of the time.

?? Man's Search for Meaning (Frankl) - a re-read (third time?) for me. There is for me something in Frankl's logotherapy that links into Spinoza and Jung - the exploration of the interplay of awe, a natural universe, and the self... something... Certainly, like The Happiness Trap, this book reminds me that a pragmatic, realistic approach grounded in the ultimate meaning of service and human relationships means I have a choice in how I react to even the darkest or most overwhelming situations.

?? Voltaire's Bastards (Saul) - another re-read. This one interacts in my mind with The Technological Society, The Management Myth, and Winners Take All. Saul helps me understand the history of rationalism and bureaucracy, pushing further back in history than the other books, to trace the rise of a technocratic elite. Like those other books, this one reminded me that it is crippling to disregard the dynamics feeding the populist Right and conspiracy theorists. They are not wrong in much of what they are trying to call our attention to.