My Third Recommended Reading List

As a follow up of my previous recommended readings, here is a new list of books for you to enjoy in the coming new year:

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

I came across this book when I was watching a video about creative photography. Creativity is not a gift from the gods bestowed by some divine and mystical spark. It is the product of preparation and effort, and it's within reach of everyone who wants to achieve it. All it takes is the willingness to make creativity a habit, an integral part of your life: In order to be creative, you have to know how to prepare to be creative. 

In The Creative Habit, Tharp, one of America's greatest choreographers, takes the lessons she has learned in her remarkable thirty-five-year career and shares them with you, whatever creative impulses you follow--whether you are a painter, composer, writer, director, choreographer, or, for that matter, a businessperson working on a deal, a chef developing a new dish, a mother wanting her child to see the world anew.

What I found fascinating is that many of the principles she described in the book could apply very similarly for innovation in technical or business world.

The Other Side of Innovation by Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble

The real innovation challenge lies beyond the idea. It lies in a long, hard journey—from imagination to impact.This book’s fundamental prescription: Each innovation initiative requires a team with a custom organizational model and a plan that is revised only through a rigorous learning process.

The wisdom of wolves by Jim and Jamie Dutcher

The book is an incredible story about wolf, probably the most misunderstood animal on the planet. To some, wolves were demons to be feared and hated, vermin whose eradication has been justified. To others, they were the spiritual embodiment of connection with nature—a pure and infallible creature more symbol than substance. The authors, through their years of intimate observation of the life’s of wolf packs see reflections of things human have come to value in ourselves. They care for their pups with a familiar devotion and share our reflexive instinct to care for youngsters, related or not. They hold a place in society for their elders. They push boundaries and explore, then return to visit their families. They care what happens to one another, they miss each other when they’re separated, and they grieve when one among them dies. They do all of this with a clarity of purpose that we often struggle to achieve.

Leaders: Myth and Reality by General Stanley McChrystal

By examining the lives of thirteen leaders from different time period who lead in completely different walks of life, the Leaders reexamines notions of leadership--especially the outdated view that history is shaped by great men going it alone. General McChrystal shows us that leadership can take many forms, leaders often have different strengths, and great leaders can come from anywhere. 

The key concepts to take away from the authors’ description of the importance of context, relationship, and symbolism in leadership. According to the authors, when those concepts are taken into account, leadership can be defined as “a complex system of relationships between leaders and followers, in a particular context, that provides meaning to its members.” This implies that leaders exercise a twofold role as “a bottom-up servant to enable action and a top-down symbol to motivate and provide for meaning.”

Astroball by Ben Reiter

Bringing home a championship is a dream for any sports team, but Houston Astro winning the 2017 World Series baseball championship was extra sweet by lifting the spirit of the city shortly after the disastrous flood which devastated a large part of the city. The book by Ben Reiter, Astroball: the new way to win it all, describes in details how general manager Jeff Luhnow systematically led the transformational change of Houston Astro from a historically worst professional baseball team in 2014 to a world championship in a few short years.

Healing: A Woman’s Journey from Doctor to Nun By Sister Dang Nghiem

A very touching account of a young Vietnamese woman's healing journey from depression to mental stability through following the Mindfulness practices as taught by the monk Thich Naht Hanh. This book will teach you the importance of appreciating the moments of your life as you experience them. Sister Dang Neheim said that she "clung to the past and chased after the future," and she had to learn to be mindful of the present.

Beyond reasons: 8 great problems that reveal the limits of science by A.K. Dewdney

Interesting and challenging read. This book is geared towards to readers with a technical background. Admittedly I was not able to follow all the chapters. But for the most part, anyone who took high school math and physics should be able to understand it. The author takes readers to a mind-bending excursion to the limits of science and mathematics by examining eight insurmountable mathematical and scientific roadblocks that have stumped thinkers across the centuries.

Principles by Ray Dalio

Even if you just read the first part of the book where the author starts the book by giving the reader a background on who he is and how he arrived at the principles that were outlined, it would certainly be worthwhile. He described in some fair details of how he started his business, the ups and downs, and eventually build a 150 billion dollar hedge fund. The second part of the book describes all the principles he developed over the years. To be honest, it it hard to follow and implement all of them. However, there are plenty of gold nuggets in those principles and you will be able to pick out plenty of them that you will find useful. 

Best wishes for peace and prosperity in 2020. Wishing you a fresh start with renewed energy throughout the New Year.

Related Articles

My Second Recommended Reading List (9/9/2018)

My First Recommended Reading List (12/1/2017)

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