Chicago Booth and Beyond — The Physical Book Tour

Writing is a superpower. The more you write the more it rewires your brain. New possibilities emerge and you start to imagine a different path. The process of creating and publishing is a force for good — it provides new opportunities to readers and authors alike. New connections are formed, opening up new possibilities for lifelong learning and friendship.?

These points were reinforced when a collection of four authors and their books gathered for an event curated by Augustin du Payrat in Singapore for alumni of The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. All of the authors are graduates of the MBA program.?

This article provides a brief overview of each book and imagines what might happen next. For example, maybe we can recreate this event at each of the three Chicago Booth campuses — Hong Kong, London, and Chicago. Maybe writing a book can be a new elective subject for current and former students.

Ruchira Chaudhary

Coaching, the Secret Code to Uncommon Leadership (Penguin Random House),?is a book for our times. Businesses are facing a new reality, characterized by a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world. This new reality has forced organizations to depart from conventional command-and-control practices to a completely new model – a model in which leaders support and guide, rather than instruct and control, their team members.

Exploring some of the key ingredients of impactful leadership, the book offers tips and tricks, backed by research and incisive insights, on how to become an effective leader-coach. Peppered with interesting anecdotes and analogies, drawn from sports, performing arts, and other walks of life, the book is an easy and accessible read. Interviews with corporate leaders and academics further enrich the narrative. The book is relevant to leaders, aspiring leaders, and especially those who wish to transition from being good leaders to extraordinary leaders.

Learn more about the book and the author — various podcasts and videos are included at the below site.

Steve Golden

Heritage Shops of Singapore is the perfect book for anyone interested in exploring Singapore’s vibrant streets to find authentic, family-run shops that have been in business for more than three generations. These shops include such gems as Singapore’s last European-style shoemaker; a glasses shop with an original eye chart with shapes as in the far past the literacy rate was low; and the oldest tea shop in the country that has been run by the same family for five generations.?

Organized by neighborhood, this book can be used as a guide to exploring Singapore’s less-known streets and areas, and to learn about a fascinating side of its history that is still alive today. With a book in hand, you can engage with the shop owners and artisans and even tailor your own “tour” of Singapore’s heritage shops. It was nominated for a Singapore Book Award in 2023.

Learn the story of photographer Steve Golden’s search to find Singapore’s authentic heritage shops in the below video.

Pedro Uria-Recio

?Machines of Tomorrow grounds the reader in a thorough history and description of Artificial Intelligence, enabling an appreciation of its real trajectory and ultimately a deeper level of engagement with the core concept of the book: what should societies expect from AI in the coming decades?

How will AI affect employment and education in the near term and mid-term? How will AI affect our society, economy, government, culture, and geopolitics? What are the likely utopian and dystopian outcomes of AI implementations, and who will be impacted? What is going on with China and the new AI Arms Race? Will Synthetic Biology lead to human-cyborg coexistence, finally impacting human evolution? What should we be demanding of our leaders now to prepare for the inevitable progress in this technology?

These are just some of the hard-hitting, polemic questions asked and answered by Pedro Uria-Recio and Randy McGraw, an ex-McKinsey consultant and Chief AI Officer and ex-Amazonian who for years have been working globally with this technology.

Whether you're a technologist or a homemaker, a businessperson or a student, a voter or a policymaker, or simply curious about the future of humanity, Machines of Tomorrow provides essential guidance for navigating the complexities of Artificial Intelligence and our collective future.

Learn more at the below link.

Peter B. Williams

Productive Accidents is a playbook for personal and professional adventure. It provides a path to creating a steady stream of opportunities, helping readers to develop a more complete and comprehensive life. Each chapter provides actionable insights backed by personal examples and practical steps that bring the ideas to life. The insights can be put into practice by anyone who wants to live a generous and interesting life — an evolving adventure.

At its most ambitious, the book represents a recipe to beat a mid-life crisis and could even be a remedy for regret. Productive Accidents is also an invitation to connect and suggest what should happen next — feel free to reach out, start a conversation, and discover that serendipity can be a predictable and repeatable experience.

As an aside, each of the books in this article reinforces key ideas in Productive Accidents. Steve's Heritage book provides a practical way to explore your local community, which is a great way to discover new connections, shared interests, and collaboration opportunities. Ruchira's Coaching book includes a section on Adam Grant and the long-term benefits of being an intentional go-giver. Pedro's Machines of Tomorrow reflects the benefits of being a curious lifelong learner. All powerful ideas that make our lives more complete and interesting.

More information is available at www.peterbwilliams.com

Collectively, we have contributed to many podcasts, interviews, articles, and panel conversations. We are open to connecting and welcome all invitations to share our insights, including speaking engagements and consulting services. Please reach out to start a conversation.

Books can be purchased at the following links:

• Steve Golden: Heritage Shops of Singapore
• Ruchia Chaudary: Coaching - The Secret Code to Uncommon Leadership
• Pedro Uria-Recio and Randy McGraw: Machines of Tomorrow
• Peter B. Williams: Productive Accidents (book) and (audiobook)

Ps. During the restrictions of COVID-19, a series of Virtual Book Tours were created. Each episode included four authors and can be viewed at this link.

Learn more about Chicago Booth here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/