Inspiration for life and business: 3 books you might not have read

As an entrepreneur, I read a lot of books—about one per week. I look for original and disruptive content to give me valuable business insights. Here are three of my favorite recent reads. These books got my creative juices flowing, bringing new perspectives on dilemmas I’d been grappling with for awhile.

Do you prefer to color outside the lines, or at least take a step back from your normal routine from time to time? Then you’ll appreciate the refreshing takeaways of these books.

#1 Power Play: How Video Games Can Save the World

by Asi Burak and Laura Parker

Video games have long had a bad rep as time-wasters, too violent, or appealing only to antisocial teenagers. Recently they have become more mainstream and are being recognized as valuable tools for communication and education. Power Play shows gaming as a driver of social good around the world. Per the authors, “there is no genre of games more compelling than ‘games for change’: those designed to help solve the thorniest problems in the world.” This book explores real-world scenarii where role playing and immersive games have helped tackle global conflict, women’s rights and cancer.

The stories in this book have stirred up my imagination. Gaming can teach and inspire us, and even change the way the brain functions. At VisionHub, this book has been inspiring us a few problem-solving methods and has even given us some new ideas to alter the customer journey in our kiosks!

So, are you ready to solve an ongoing business conundrum? Just press (Power) Play.

#2 Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2

by Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli

If I asked you to name the first leader or hero that came to mind, whom would you mention? Most people name a male. I would like to see that change. One of my personal heroes is rocket scientist and aerospace engineer Dr. Anita Sengupta. She sets a great example for us all, but especially for girls wanting to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers. I was actually hoping to run across her story in Rebel Girls 2, but alas, I may have to wait till volume 3!

In fact, there are so many courageous women doing amazing things, we need to celebrate them! Here’s a collection of 100 stories of women who have changed the world, often via unexpected paths. For example, Julia Child was a wartime spy before becoming a famous chef. From resistance fighters to pirates to rock stars, these women aren’t angels, and maybe that’s the point.

These are real life stories that speak not only to rebel girls but also rebel boys, because they show how you can defy all conventions and embrace greatness. If you have kids, it's never too soon to talk to them about women's issues and gender equality. This book is an endless source of inspiration for grown ups and future feminists in your family.

#3 Petit traité de manipulation à l'usage des honnêtes gens

by Jean-Léon Beauvois

A French best-seller, the title roughly translates to a “Concise Handbook of Manipulation in Honest People's Favor.” Manipulation is often viewed negatively, yet we come across it regularly in the business world. And it can actually be a means to a positive end.

I like this book because it sheds light on the underlying mechanism of manipulation. We learn to recognize it so that we can use it purposefully or avoid being manipulated. This book not only helped me become a better negotiator, it showed me how to steer clear of biases that could adversely affect management decisions. In a way, this is a playbook to help you step completely out of the box when needed.

Have you read any of these, and if so, what did you think? What book inspires you to think outside the box and become a better business person, or just a better human being?