The Best Definition

I love a definition that not only tells you what something is, but also contains the blueprint on how to get it. In this case, Katty Kay and Claire Shipman have cracked the code with their exploration of confidence and their singular definition on confidence. The book has inspiring and insightful stories from the perspective of high performing women and the best and only definition of confidence that you will ever need.

A Toxic Ideal

Michael Sandel argues that meritocracy is a Trojan horse for perpetuating inequality and eroding social solidarity. In his critique, Sandel suggests that while meritocracy ostensibly rewards talent and effort, it also masks the underlying injustices and structural barriers that prevent equal access to opportunities. This leads to a society where the successful believe they deserve their success solely through their own efforts, fostering a sense of superiority, while those who do not succeed are seen as personally responsible for their failures, leading to increased stigmatization and social division.

Sandel posits that meritocracy undermines the common good by promoting an individualistic ethos and neglecting the role of luck, family background, and societal support in achieving success. This, in turn, results in a corrosive impact on democracy and social cohesion, as it breeds resentment and diminishes the sense of shared responsibility and community.

The real deal…

My intuition about this book proved correct. If an African American woman could become a senior executive at several Fortune 500 companies, she must really understand something about power in Corporate America. If you want to learn how to generate power, Francine provides the real roadmap. Perhaps generate is not the right word because as I learned, power is not available on demand, but rather, is amassed over time through relationships you must cultivate carefully. The sad truth is although power is available to us, some of us start from a less fortunate position and even among those who are more fortunate, most will not take the steps needed to truly achieve power. If you are serious about understanding and wielding power, this is the book for you!

So many questions answered…

Did you know that performance and success are NOT the same thing? And did you know that often this can make a huge difference in your career and business results? This books answers so many questions about success and high performance that I never understood.

2022

Ask and Ye Shall…

It’s seems almost cliche, but asking is an important part of getting more, whether it is an extra serving of your favorite dish, a raise, or an opportunity to shine. This book puts asking into a better context to help you recalibrate your thinking around how asking is a good thing, for both the asker and giver and unlocks success for everyone involved.

2021

Before your next big presentation

Patti and her team have learned the in’s and out’s of presenting virtually like a pro so you can benefit. No tricks of gimmicks here, just solid strategy and advice for how to distinguish yourself as a presenter in the virtual space - no small task.

For people who don’t read sales books

Mareo has packed in so much great content to help you increase your influence and persuade people to act, whether you are in sales or not. A little known secret he shared with me is most sales people don’t read sales books! Also, the short form format is perfect for discussion groups and books clubs.

Negativity bias

Ever notice that one insult can supplant and ruin several compliments. Why do we often gloss over the compliments and obsess over the critiques? This book covers the very normal psychological underpinnings about why this happens and what you can do to make this work for you, instead of against you!

2020

Helpful framework

It’s one thing to know what a story is, it’s another to have a step-by-step process to create compelling stories. This is what author Kindra Hall provides as she breaks down what makes stories work and the different types of stories you may want to use. To be able to intentionally craft and unleash the power in the stories you already have is a great power. Please use responsibly!

Taking Control

You will not meet a more genuine, helpful person than the author, Sarah Elkins. Her podcast, with the same name as the book was the first podcast I ever appeared on and gave me the extra boost I needed to start my own. In this book, Sarah shares her hard earn wisdom about how a story is not just a story, it is a lens through which we see ourselves and how it can shape how others see us.

Loads of Wisdom

Dr. David Lieberman provides advice that can you can immediately apply to help you with your anger by helping you understand it and yourself better. I was fortunate to also have him as a guest on my Why It Works podcast, where he shared a lot of this wisdom in a unique, fun format. This is not just a book about anger, but about living a better life through improved perspective.

Anything is Possible

We don’t realize it, but our beliefs dictate a lot of our results. This book really challenged me to look at how my perspective could really shift what was possible for me in terms of results. This holds true both in business, career, and personal relationships. I love books like this that give me an “Ah-ha!” perspective! Thanks to super author and coach, Jeff Ikler for recommending this to me.

Life saver

If you are having trouble getting something done, and just can’t seem to stop procrastinating, this is the ONLY book I’ve ever read that really helped me understand and effectively battle procrastination. Whether it’s a work or home project, school assignment of Ph.D. thesis, the insights and advice in this book are amazing!

Principles of Joy

I learned so much about the things we overlook or intuitively know, but don’t truly understand about how joy is generated. The best thing about this book is once you understand how joy works, you can set up your life to experience and hold more joy. What’s not to like?!

Skill vs. Chance

If you’ve ever wondered about the relationship between skill, chance, and success, this book has plenty of insights into how they all interact together in our lives — using high stakes tournament poker as a metaphor for life. The author, Maria Konnikova, actually ended up becoming a professional poker player while researching the book and training with some of the best poker minds in the world. My favorite thing about reading this book is the research and the stories helped cement some recent thinking I’ve been doing around luck and gave it more context. Whether you play poker (I don’t really) or not, this is an entertaining and insightful read.

For Introverts and Extroverts!

Everyone should read Quiet, by Susan Cain. Even if you are not an Introvert yourself, you definitely know, work, and possibly live with one or more Introverts. And if you are one yourself…self-awareness time! The value I got out of this book was understanding that there are positives and negatives to both Introversion and Extroversion, that you are not exclusively doomed to be one way all the time, and that society, and in particular Western society, in many ways favors the Extroverts among us. Check it out!

2019

Make It Rain

This book will turbo-charge your understanding of how getting on shows really works and moreover, will teach you how to make the most out of your appearances to advance your career. See my Connection Counselor book review here.

A New Earth

A helpful way to think of your ego and an approach to bring more inner peace into your life. It’s Oprah’s favorite book by the way.

Atomic Habits

Just blows other books about habits right out of the water. It’s that good.

The Challenger Sale

Leverages the principles of connection, leading and behavior change that I know to be true and applies them to the high stakes area of complex solutions sales. No gimmicks here, just hard-earned wisdom.

Code of the Extraordinary Mind

Just the section on “Brules” makes this book worth the read.

The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work

Exposes myths about the effectiveness of marriage counseling and conflict resolution and shares what is really needed to make a marriage work.

The Dip

Best short book you will read this year. Know when to hold them, know when to fold them — applied to life.

Integrity

A manual for living a whole life and fulfilling your potential.

The Aladdin Factor

If you are an obliger, or have a difficult time asking for things, this is the book for you. Within the first few days I was receiving things I never would have even thought to ask for before. It’s a lot of fun, once your get over the terror.

The Dichotomy of Leadership

Battle-tested, real-world leadership skills. Need I say more? My favorite part is how the book, rather than being a macho manifesto, is driven by principles underlying emotional intelligence and Daoism. Seriously. What’s not to like?

The Year of Magical Thinking

Just a beautiful memoir and reflection on life, love and loss from one of the most impactful writers of our time.

Principles

I’m all about finding the underlying principles of why things work and this book delivers that. I don’t entirely agree with the system, but there is a lot to learn from here.