Spring Reading Recommendations

Here are some reading recommendations to help you harness the optimism of the longer, brighter days ahead.

PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY

Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams and Organisations by Mary Murphy

Mary Murphy, a disciple of Carol Dweck, shares their latest psychological research into how fixed vs. growth mindsets play out in the real world.

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POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq by Steve Coll

A deep study of the relationship between the US and Saddam Hussein and the mindset traps on both sides that led to the American invasion in 203 and the subsequent collapse of Iraq into fundamentalism.

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking by Michael D. Watkins

Watkins, author of the classic The First 90 Days, provides an incredibly pithy blueprint for strategic thinking. Every leader should use it as a checklist to correct their blind spots.

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HISTORY

How the World Made the West: A 4,000-Year History by Josephine Quinn

?Quinn, an ancient history academic, overturns the prevailing idea that Western civilisation originated in the 19th century, inspired by the philosophies of classical Athens and Rome. Instead, she shows over 4,000 years how Islamic, African, Indian and Chinese influences shaped our culture.? She argues that it’s only very recently that the ‘clash of civilizations’ took shape as the story we told to make sense of ourselves.

RELATIONSHIP PSYCHOLOGY

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connectionn by Charles Duhigg

The author of The Power of Habit offers a fascinating analysis of the latest psychological and neuroscience research about what makes some people highly effective at conversation. A good conversation, he explains, is one where you can walk away knowing that you genuinely understand what another person thinks or feels. “And even if we walk away disagreeing, then that conversation has been a success.”

PERCEPTION SCIENCE

Look Again: The Power of Noticing What was Always There by Tali Sharot and Cass Sunstein

The core of this book is that habituation, our brain’s natural drift to respond less and less to things that remain constant, is the source of both opportunity and problems we face in an over-stimulating environment. It features intriguing research and ways to stay awake and notice more of what’s happening.

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WELLBEING PSYCHOLOGY

How We Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living by?Vincent Deary?

?The first half provides a powerful insight into how burnout and breakdown manifest in seemingly successful lives.? The second is a set of strategies based on clinical research to help us avoid the pitfalls that rouge narratives create in us. “The work of wellbeing is not to change the play but to?be the theatre… hold your self-stories lightly and be lightly held by them.”

SOCIAL ANALYSIS

Who Are We Now? by?Blaise Aguera Y Arcas?

This is a groundbreaking exploration of how we see ourselves today. AI researcher Blaise Aguera Y Arcas asked thousands of anonymous respondents across the US over five years to share their sense of identity. The answers flip many of the media’s pronouncements on culture and society on their heads. Turns out we’re both weirder and more normal than we thought.

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SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness?BY Jonathan Haidt

The lauded psychologist Haidt examines how smartphones have created hyper-anxiety in a whole generation and the consequences of a mental health crisis. How do we better balance the incredible benefits of new technology and not lose our humanity in the process? It is not just for parents but a primer for helping leaders think about how we create cultures that get the best from our people.

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