Summary of my 2019 reading list

This year I ended up reading nine books and have one more to go before the year 2019 ends in the next couple of days.

1. Stories at work 
2. To sell is human 
3. Being Mortal 
4. Ikigai 
5. Trillion Dollar Coach
6. Getting Better at Getting Better
7. The made in India manager 
8. Indistractable
9. Thinking Fast & Slow 
10. The biography of innovation ( pending) 

While I picked these books randomly to an extent, reflecting at it as I write this blog, it appears that there is some connection between some of my reading choices. Here is a quick snapshot that may pique your reading interest.

Books enabling my current presales role at work

• Stories at work: Unlock the secret to business storytelling (by Indranil Chakraborty) - This book is a guide on how stories can be used for communicating impactful messages, influence people and drive change. The author brilliantly elaborates techniques and structure that can bring the power of stories into everyday work life.  I made notes on this book in a blog titled “10 ways in which business story telling can help IT/Professional services organizations”
• To sell is human: The surprising truth about persuading, convincing and influencing others ( by Daniel H. Pink) – How has the business of “moving others” changed from what it used to be a century or so ago. My learning from this book are available in a blog titled “ What I learnt from Daniel Pink’s ‘ To sell is human’

Evidently, both books provide insights that can help any presales consultant up his game. Hard to pick a favorite here :)

Books on leadership skills

• Trillion Dollar coach: The leadership handbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell (by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg & Alan Eagle) – A bible on building teams. The authors interviewed over 80 folks who benefitted from Bill Campbell’s coaching. Using stories from these interviews, they codified his wisdom for readers to benefit.
• Getting better at getting better( By Chandramouli Venkatesan) – Essentially a supplement to the author’s previous book titled Catalyst, this one talks about how one can build his or her GBM, Get Better Model.
• The made in India manager ( By R. Gopalkrishnan & Ranjan Banerjee) – The authors try to identify the secret sauce of what makes the “made in India” manager tick in the global market place.

While each one of these books, provide leadership insights, my vote is heavily in favor of “Trillion Dollar Coach”. I would recommend this book be made mandatory reading for all wannabe leaders. 

Books on behavioral psychology

• Thinking Fast & Slow (By Daniel Kahneman) – The economics Noble Laureate dissects the human mind and explains how two distinct systems affects our way of thinking and making choices. A fast intuitive and emotional system and a slow logical and deliberative system
• Indistractable: How to control your attention and choose your life (By Nir Eyal with Julie Li) – The world we live in is always ON. We are hooked to habit forming apps and perpetually distracted. The author elaborates a 4 step model to be INDISTRACTABLE 1)Master internal triggers 2)Hack back external triggers 3)Make time for traction 4)Prevent distraction with pacts

The first book is detailed and slightly difficult to read, but is immensely insightful. The second one is a much lighter read. Both these books delve on behavioral psychology and will help the reader understand why he or she behaves or thinks in a particular way.  Again a tie :)

Books on life and purpose

Being Mortal: Medicine and what matters in the end (By Atul Gawande) – Losing my dad almost 2 years ago when he turned 72 to a sudden cardiac arrest made me face mortality.  I was keen on understanding a doctor’s perspective on what matters in the end. This book helped me make some peace with my dad’s death.

Ikigai : The Japanese secret to a long and healthy life ( By Hector Garcia and Fransec Miralles) –Several factors that seem to be the keys to longevity are found across Blue zones. The authors investigate these factors as it pertains to Japan’s blue zone, Okinawa. The book elaborates simple secrets that can be used by us to live long, meaningful and happy lives.

In some ways, it looks like both these books are like two sides of a coin. Difficult to pick a favorite.

If you already read these books, it would be good to hear your take away from them. Also, would be interested in knowing your 2019 reading list and plans for your 2020 reading.