#ReadToLead: Books You May Enjoy

I'll jump right to it; here are some of my favorite books that I read in 2016:

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

If you can only read one book from this list, then I highly recommend you read this one; after reading it, you may find better ways to manage your time so that you can read other books on the list.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

I wish I had read this book earlier! When a Nobel laureate psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, explains the hidden forces that control the way we think, we shall pay attention. This book takes a deep dive into cognitive biases and behavioral psychology; I view it as an apt sequel for Malcolm Gladwell's Blink and Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational.

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

I hesitated to spend my spare time reading about checklists but I figured how wrong I was once I started reading this book. Its case studies and interesting theories of managing complex problems made it worthwhile.

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

If you want to know what made products like LinkedIn; Pinterest; Facebook; and the like successful, look no further. I can relate to what Nir Eyal describes in Hooked in my daily work.

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

Because it's fun to think about silly things in ways that aren't really that silly when you break them down to the basic math and science. I recommend listening to Wil Wheaton's narration of the book, he makes it even more fun.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Ashlee Vance takes us into the world of one of the crazy ones. After reading the book, you will see how Musk fits the description we heard in the famous 1997 Apple ad: “Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

In Other Words

For all language lovers, this is a fun reference to have handy; it helps avoid getting lost in translation.

Happy reading!