My Favorite Books for 2016

in 2016 I have read these Books and journals & Articles. we are learning new things everyday from the world. In 2016 I learned many things from my mentors , my families , my friends , my managers and my colleagues and... from the Books and others..

So I would like share with you my favourite Books for 2016... Photo by me...

Best Regards ,

Dr. R. Erdem Erkul, 31.12.2016

Thinking, Fast and Slow , Daniel Kahneman

Daniel Kahneman, nominated to 2002 Nobel Economy Award with his psychological study focused on rational judgement and decision making, is one of the most important writers in our century. In this book, he gathers his findings including economy, medicine and politics. He explains when it’s better to think slowly and whether we can trust our instincts or not. Thus, he talks about using different techniques on how we can make a decision in our daily and business life alongside how to be protected from cognitive mistakes. Thinking, Fast and Slow will change your ideas about thinking. Kahneman highlishts that we cannot trust first part of our brain. It is advised that don’t believe those you see is all.

Black Swan ,Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Taleb is a writer, partially broker and investor who is born in Lebanon but identified as Ottoman citizen. He is known as a philosopher who dedicated himself to history, uncertainty, possibility and knowledge. He has a wide range of career including selling and purchasing currency and derivatives, operating for one of the Wall Street firms in Chicago and giving a class in New York University on Theory of Possibility on Risk Management.

By “Black Swan”, Taleb refers to explanations that are referring to things are not expected to happen but realized and generated a major effect. He recalls that in political, economic, scientific and technologic history, everything that leaves a mark behind is considered as ‘Black Swan’. To sum up, he explains that Black Swans are not predictable and only thing we can do is to make comment after them.

The Art of Thinking Clearly: Better Thinking, Better Decisions , Rolf Dobelli

Our brain is optimized for hunting and gathering life. But today, we live in a completely different world. Because of that, we made systematically thinking mistakes and these mistakes may bring bad consequences for your wealth, career and happiness.

Those who know how easy they may make a mistake, are more shipshape. In this book, Dobelli examines our most common thinking mistakes and gives answers to those questions:

Why we exaggerate our own knowledge and see others stupid then ourselves?

Why something is not true even though millions of people believe so?

Why we cannot leave theories that are proven as wrong?

Incognito , David Eagleman

What makes you to approach brake pedal without seeing the danger? Why we are not good at keeping secrets and good at finding someone attractive without knowing why? If conscious mind is only a small part of the brain, what occupies the rest of our mind?

Well known neuroscientist Eagleman explains a second self that manages most of our actions, ideas and feelings in this book. He expresses the way our brain works with focusing on the conscious and subconscious separation.

It is explained that even though we are dependent on brain functioning for our internal existence, our mind decides its own show. Even the second self cannot intervene that.

Talk Like TED , Carmine Gallo

Named with the first letters of Technology, Entertainment and Design, attention TED conferences receives is continuing incrementally all over the world. Quoted with the slogan of ‘’Ideas worth sharing’’, TED talks which affect people so deeply have been watched more than 4 billion times on the internet. But why? What is the secret of these talks affecting so many people so deeply? What do we need the most to give an effective, convincing and inspiring presentation? Talent?

No, it is not as you know. Speaking in front of crowds is not that frightening. This book of Carmine Gallon which made it to the Wall Street Journal Best Sellers list is bringing together analysis of more than 100 TED talks, conversations with TED’s most loved speakers, and the opinions of specialists from the fields of psychology, neuroscience and communications.

This book which we draw on while preparing our presentations is telling the 9 secrets of speaking in front of crowds according to the most brilliant brains of the world. One sentence from the introduction part of the book affected me the very much: ‘’Ideas are what valid currency of the 21st century..’’

 

The Remains of the Day , Kazuo Ishiguro

This is the novel of Kazuo Ishiguro which received a booker prize in 1989. I can say that from the very first sentence it signals the fluency of the book and starts affecting the reader with the beauty in its narrating. Kindness in the conversations is what strikes the eye if you read it in English and you can feel the British accent as if the conversations are taking place near you.

We have an idea of class differences, World War I, hints about coming of the World War II, prestige, loyalty, love and the places in England worth seeing. We see the respect of the butler Stevens, his commitment to his work, and his dedication to his work and employer. Founder and CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos suggests this book as one of his favorites.

 

Communication for a Life without Regrets , Do?an Cücelo?lu

Written for those who want a life without regrets, it points out healthy relations in family, work place and society.

‘’I wish I spent more time with my child!’’

‘’I wish I listened my conscience!’’

‘’I wish I didn’t say those words!’’

How often we hear the word ‘if only’. One who says ‘’I wish I knew what I know today while I was young!’’ voices his regret due to the wrong decisions he gave. Is he wrong? What else do we have except this life given to us?

Knowing who you are and what you want is not enough for a life without if only; you also need to know living your existence and sharing it. Think about this: You see that most of your regrets are arising from human relations.

This book was written for those who value human relations in family, work place and society, who want a life without ‘if only’; in order for you to not say ‘’I wish I could live my own life!’’ at the end of your life!

This na?ve, easy-to-read book of Do?an Cücelo?lu can be a bedside book for you. I think that this is a must book for especially families with children and those who want to succeed in work place relations.

 

Harvard Business Review (Magazine)

World’s most prestigious work and management magazine Harvard Business Review has been directing and guiding the management and offering fundamental problems of work life practical and reel solutions for 90 years. I read this magazine monthly with utmost pleasure and I read particularly its special editions again and again.

Series of Best of 1 and 2 has been a great work in 2016.

While being a reliable information source for the managers facing with every kind of situation, with the aim of being the source of best ideas for creating, managing and transforming work life, Harvard Business Review is the world’s management magazine without a rival since 1922.

HBR articles offer an intense wide range of content for different sectors, management units and geographical locations. Focused on leadership, organizational change, negotiation, strategy, management, marketing, finance, HR, HBR is both rich in terms of variety of its content and with its rigorous analyses, elaborate studies and its experience appeals to top level managers who became authority in work life. Main characteristic of HBR content is being realizable, applicable and testable in real work life.

For details: https://hbrturkiye.com/hakkinda

Harvard Business Review Publications (Book)

·        Essentials

·        Strategy

·        Managing Oneself

I read these three books in one breath throughout the year. You will read these books including case studies, success stories, and articles in one breath too.

Essentials;

You can start here if you haven’t read anything regarding management!

In work life too the only constant is change. Either we will learn to adapt ourselves to this or afford being outdated. Besides, we need to know that problems we will face will never decrease. That’s what makes this book a must read. 10 articles compiled by most influential specialists of management field are at a premium for the managers in search of inspiration.

My favorite 3 articles:

·        Peter F. Drucker, Managing Oneself

·        Daniel Goleman, What makes a leader?

·        Michael E. Porter, What is strategy?

Strategy;

My favorite 3 articles:

·        W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, Blue Ocean Strategy

·        Gary L. Neilson, Karla L. Martin & Elizabeth Powers, The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution

·        Robert S. Kaplan & David P. Norton, Putting the Balanced Scorecard to Work

Managing Oneself;

Starting with the famous article of Peter Drucker, the book comprises valuable articles regarding management. I often suggest this article of Drucker to my colleagues and friends. I highly value one’s knowing himself/herself.

My favorite 3 articles:

·        Peter F. Drucker, Managing Oneself

·        Stewart D. Friedman, Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life

·        Robert S. Kaplan, What to Ask the Person in the Mirror

The Ten Commandments for Business Failure , Donald Keough

Don Keough, former director of Coca Cola, now is manager of Allen & Company which is a banking company. During his 60 years career, he witnessed bankruptcy of many companies (including New-Coke) and established close friendships with the most successful names of businesses such as Bill Gates, Jack Welch, Rupert Murdoch and Peter Drucker.

Now as a man with experience he is explaining us how big companies end up in problematic situations. He shows us even the most successful and smart managers depend on these qualities so much, make simple mistakes and fall into traps. After this situations, bigger mistakes follow up each other.

In this plainly written ‘how we fail’ book, he gives place to anecdotes from his career, major mistakes and failures from businesses. Some of the main headlines from his book: Give up Taking Risks, Don’t Be Flexible, Isolate Yourself, Be Afraid of Future.

This book is also one of the favorite books of Muhtar Kent.

As the author tells us ‘’within a long career, I didn’t create a formula which leads to success step by step. What I did as opposed to this was thinking how I could lose. I guarantee you that those who apply the formulas in this book will succeed at losing.’’ I believe that it will be beneficial to glance at commands and approaches of Keough for every manager.

ps. : Book Reviews are from https://www.idefix.com also..