Category Archives: Must Read
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
This book presents a very interesting concept, that many of our relationship problems are problems of our own creation. In simple terms, there is a trap that we can get in where we are setting up others to fail. Then we watch them fail and blame them for it!
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
Love Michael Lewis, he does a great job of explaining what happened during the 2008 financial meltdown, and introducing you to some of the most odd financial wizards that actually made money off the housing collapse because they saw what was going on and bet against it.
Spend ’til The End
I had been reading Scott Burns posts on financial investing and came across a reference to his book. This book just wowed me with the concept of income leveling. The idea is to have a constant standard of living throughout your lifetime. That is, spend to the end. Our biggest obstacle to this goal? We cannot borrow enough while we are young.
My favorite chapter – Scott analyzes the fortunes of a woman and her jobless surfer boyfriend. (A sexist turnabout.) Also interesting is the analysis that there is a U in the plot of standard of living vs. income. How? Government subsidies phase out faster than income rises. What’s the worst income to be at you ask? You will have to read the book!
A must read, even if you don’t buy into the whole income leveling concept.
Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People
Jane Quinn writes financial columns for various news organizations in addition to several books. So what does this book cover? Just about everything in personal finance? How much insurance should you carry? How to save for college for your children. What investments are good to put into your retirement savings. You can find this advice in lots of columns spread out, or read it all in one place and save yourself the time. That is why this is on the must read list.
People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts
I debated a little on whether or not this title belongs in the “must read” category. The explanations of the difference between submissive, assertive and aggressive behaviors are very enlightening. The clincher for me is one of the early chapters which describes road blocks. Road blocks are simple statements that have the effect of ending conversation, and thereby communication. Usually this is intentional, but not always. Positive statements can be road blocks – clever politicians know how to use them this way! The material otherwise aligns with the two Leadership Development courses I have taken: Coaching for Performance and Results and Effective Communication. I would recommend taking the former class, then reading this book as a follow-up some time latter.
Now, Discover Your Strengths
This book is the follow-on to First, Break all the Rules. I don’t think it is as well written as the first. The target audience is the individual. If you buy your own copy of the book, you get a code with which you can take their Strengths Finder online survey (this is also true with First, Break all the Rules). That tool gives you your top 5 strengths, in order, which is what is missing from First, Break all the Rules. My opinion is if you have read the book(s), then take the quiz, that can skew your quiz answers. I believe the strengths it identified for me, just not sure that the order wasn’t affected by my having read both books in their entirety first. (And no, you can’t just pay $$$ and take the quiz online, they are VERY adamant you buy a book.) I would recommend start reading this book first even though it is second in the series UNLESS you are a manager; then I would take the quiz using the code from this book when they tell you to (around chapter 4), put the book down, and read First, Break all the Rules.
First, Break All the Rules
You can’t take the title seriously (some of the Amazon.com reviewers did). The book is about what Gallup has found makes effective managers of people during its research for various clients over 10+ years. I really agree with the general findings. After reading it you will be even more disappointed with management around here than you could have thought possible and will realize where HR found some of the latest changes in the performance review process (such as twice a year dialogues). The book is targeted more at managers than at the individual. It has a whole chapter devoted to interviewing which I have used. It is well written.
Why does it make my must read list? The book is really about expertise, that a successful business values and develops experts, and assembles teams of experts.