Rethink, Relearn, Reboot
It's a brand new year—the perfect time to start over, learn something new, cultivate a healthy habit, or just keep the good things going. Here are eleven inspiring books to help you get set with the right intentions and priorities. It's time to rethink, relearn, and reboot!
Why do so many of us stop learning new skills as adults? Are we afraid to be bad at something? Have we forgotten the sheer pleasure of beginning from the ground up? Or is it simply a fact that you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Inspired by his young daughter's insatiable need to know how to do almost everything, and stymied by his own rut of mid-career competence, Tom Vanderbilt begins a year of learning purely for the sake of learning. He tackles five main skills (and picks up a few more along the way), choosing them for their difficulty to master and their distinct lack of career marketability—chess, singing, surfing, drawing, and juggling. What he doesn't expect is that the circuitous paths he takes while learning these skills will prove even more satisfying than any knowledge he gains. Weaving comprehensive research and surprising insight gained from his year of learning dangerously, Vanderbilt shows how anyone can get better at beginning again—and, more important, why they should take those first awkward steps.
... more
... less
+ Reading List
After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset will reveal how you can use this method to achieve success in your life!
... more ... less
+ Reading List
... more ... less
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.
... more
... less
+ Reading List
You're About to Make a Terrible Mistake!
We make decisions all the time. It's so natural that we hardly stop to think about it. Yet even the smartest and most experienced among us make frequent and predictable errors. So, what makes a good decision? Should we trust our intuitions, and if so, when? How can we avoid being tripped up by cognitive biases when we are not even aware of them? You're About to Make a Terrible Mistake! offers clear and practical advice that distills the latest developments in behavioural economics and cognitive psychology into actionable tools for making clever, effective decisions in business and beyond.
... more
... less
+ Reading List
How do we learn? What are the most effective ways of educating? And how can the science of learning transform education to unlock our potential, as individuals and across society? In Grasp, renowned professor Sanjay Sarma takes readers across multiple frontiers, from fundamental neuroscience to cognitive psychology and beyond, as it explores the future of learning. Along the way, Sarma debunks long-held fallacies (such as the noxious idea of "learning styles"), while equipping readers with a set of practical tools for absorbing and retaining information across a lifetime. He presents a vision for learning that's more inclusive and democratic—revealing a world bursting with powerful learners, just waiting for the chance they deserve. This is an insightful read that will challenge you to open your mind!
... more
... less
+ Reading List
Do you want to be able to learn effectively? Learning How to Learn teaches about the importance of both focused concentration and letting your mind wander, how the brain makes connections between different pieces of information, the value of metaphors in developing understanding, why procrastination is the enemy of problem solving, and much more. Filled with illustrations, application questions, and exercises, this book makes learning engaging and accessible.
... more
... less
+ Reading List
Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That’s a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live.
... more
... less
+ Reading List
New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath asks what happens when we take our thinking upstream and try to prevent problems before they happen. When we shift our energies upstream, we stop dealing with the symptoms of problems and we start fixing problems. If we can stop crimes from being committed, we do not need to work to 'solve' crimes. If we can prevent chronic diseases from developing,we do not need to treat these diseases. If we can provide affordable housing, we do not need to provide shelter for the homeless. Looking to business, politics, and society, Dan Heath shows us that we have the capacity to solve some of our thorniest personal, organisational and societal issues. It's time to re-prioritise and start thinking about the systemrather than the symptoms!
... more
... less
+ Reading List
Entrepreneurs and leaders face big questions every day: What’s the most important place to focus your effort, and how do you start? What will your idea look like in real life? How many meetings and discussions does it take before you can be sure you have the right solution? Now there’s a surefire way to answer these important questions: The Sprint. Designer Jake Knapp created the five-day process at Google, where sprints were used on everything from Google Search to Google X. He joined Braden Kowitz and John Zeratsky at Google Ventures, and together they have completed more than one hundred sprints with companies in mobile, e-commerce, healthcare, finance, and more. A practical guide to answering critical business questions, Sprint is a book for teams of any size, from small startups to Fortune 100s, from teachers to nonprofits. It’s for anyone with a big opportunity, problem, or idea who needs to get answers today.
... more
... less
+ Reading List
Many of the activities we take for granted are in fact contrary to a healthy lifestyle. In this groundbreaking book, long-held beliefs are exploded by new science: drinking eight glasses a day is too much; breakfast isn't the most important meal of the day; smartphones are not making us all depressed.
Bringing to bear the latest research in psychology, nutrition, biology, and physics, best-selling author Dr Stuart Farrimond unearths the facts behind the fads, and provides take-away advice on every area of our lives—and all delivered in Dr Stu's trademark style; approachable, authoritative, and above all, entertaining.
The Science of Living debunks pseudo-science and delivers only the facts. Find out what are the actual things that are beneficial to your life. ... more ... less
+ Reading List
Bringing to bear the latest research in psychology, nutrition, biology, and physics, best-selling author Dr Stuart Farrimond unearths the facts behind the fads, and provides take-away advice on every area of our lives—and all delivered in Dr Stu's trademark style; approachable, authoritative, and above all, entertaining.
The Science of Living debunks pseudo-science and delivers only the facts. Find out what are the actual things that are beneficial to your life. ... more ... less