November’s reading list was pretty deep! All 5 of these books posed deep questions about society and human nature from different points of view.
Favorite Book Of The Month: “Permanent Record”
Permanent record is the first book we are reading in our “Boothie Book Club” (post to follow). Between the news articles, documentaries and stories in general Snowden’s actual story became lost in the headlines. Permanent record sets the record straight on who he his, his family’s background, his struggle to make the decision to release the docs and why he did it. It is profound and really makes you question just how much do we care about our personal info, and how deep can the government truly dig into our lives. (there’s a reason why people cover their laptop cameras). This book is current American history. Snowden had and will continue to have an impact on our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not.
To Piggy Back: “Weapons of Math Destruction”
This book ties pretty closely to Permanent Record in that it is looking at data and access to our personal information, but through a company’s lense. If you have a working knowledge of how data and AI work, and how its used to target you daily – this read may be a tad elementary. But if you are just beginning to learn about where your data goes and how its being used, yu should pick this one up.
Must Read: “Crucial Conversations”
Crucial Conversations should be on every persons shelf – because we all have them. And, unfortunately, most of us don’t know how to have them well. (Ask my family, holidays are always a true test of character and conversational ability). We have daily situation where the stakes are high. However, there is always a better way to handle a tough conversation. Use the tools in this book to stock up your toolbox – I’m sure you’ll use them.
Just To Be Reminded: “Start With Why”
This may seem obvious, but you should always start with “Why?”, in any endeavor that you partake in. This book is very repetitive, but gives you a million reasons to ask yourself Why when trying to inspire and not just lead. Lots of people can lead, but few can inspire and create change. If you aspire to inspire – this will give you great examples of how.
Beautiful Story: “State of Wonder”
Ann Patchett’s “State of Wonder” is an adventure into the Amazon, where you are forced to question the value of relationships, the boundaries of science and life itself. This story leaves you questioning what you would do if put in various characters shoes and forced to defend your point of view. Enter the jungle – I think you’ll enjoy it.
MBA: The Blog 