It’s still a New Year, and there’s plenty of time to create a new and better you! One of the best ways to improve yourself is through knowledge. I believe reading, (as well as travel, and learning through your life experiences) is one of the best ways to increase your knowledge. Below are some wonderful books to read this year. Many are new, and some have been around for years. I’ve put them in specific categories. Some are more intense than others, but they will all enlighten and inspire you.
Business/Finance:
The Little Book That Beats the Market, by Joel Greenblatt: 2009 was a tough financial year for many. However, if you have extra funds, this is the year to invest in the stock market. There are numerous strategies and theories as to how to pick the best stocks. But I’m convinced this book is the best! I’ve been following Joel Greenblatt’s theory for three years, and I’ve done well. The concept is simple: pick good companies (defined as ones that have a high return of capital) and buy them only at bargain rates (defined as prices that give you a high earnings yield). You ask, how do you determine that? The formula is spelled out in the book, but even better is that Joel Greenblatt saves you the trouble by constantly analyzing these companies and then providing them on his web site (www.magicformulainvesting.com). So why isn’t everybody following this? Beats me. I suppose many people don’t have the sticktoitiveness to stay with the formula. But besides the positive results Joel Greenblatt has published in both his book, and on his site, my stocks profited 10% last year.
Getting Started in Consulting, by Alan Weiss, Ph.D: Now I’m really giving away my secrets. But I’m more than happy to do so. :) What I love most about the advice in any of Alan Weiss’ books, is that he can take complex ideas and issues and net them out to common sense. His tips are time saving, and logical. They are especially helpful if you have no sales experience (there are a lot of people with great intelligence, but have no experience selling or pitching their ideas). If this is the field you want to enter, than Alan Weiss is your guru!
The Power of Inclusion, by Michael Hyter and Judith Turnock: Some people role their eyes when you bring up the importance of diversity’s role in the work place. To some degree I can understand why. Too many leaders have made decisions that were only about being outwardly diverse, and they didn’t necessarily make the best people choice. I still believe in something a former FedEx executive shared with me: “Recruit diversity, but hire the best.” Women do not want to be hired solely because they are a women. If a leader make a good faith effort to recruit the right women, than the best woman will be hired and not a token woman. This book explains why it benefits companies to view diversity in a new light and how the power of inclusion can really contribute to the bottom line.
All three books by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval: I recently had the privilege of interviewing Linda Kaplan Thaler. She is nothing short of a creative genius! I couldn’t pick just one of her books to share. They are all wonderful. Bang! was her first book about getting your message heard in a noisy world. In it you’ll learn about what it takes to develop concepts that will stand out and hopefully be revolutionary in your field. She talks about how the AFLAC duck came in to reality, and how unconventional ideas and wisdom can be some of the best. The Power of Nice and The Power of Small both touch upon the importance of being nice and considerate to others, and how (if genuine) this can pay off in the business world. I especially like how each of the chapters end with little exercises to help you bring these theories to your reality.
Intellectually Stimulating:
Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner: Both economists can take the dry subject of economics (which I actually love) and turn it into the most fascinating reading you can come across! GENIUS! Here are some example titles: How is a street prostitute like a department-store Santa? Why do drug dealers still live with their Mom’s? What do school teachers and Sumo wrestlers have in common? You may not like economics or these subjects may be of no interest to you. But, I promise you, once you read their books, and they open your eyes to the logic that surrounds our world, you will NEVER see things the same again!
Spiritual:
Love, by Leo Buscaglia: Forget what your individual faith is, ALL faiths believe love is at the center of their existance. This man is passionate about getting his message across: Love is what life is all about. I believe his book is especially helpful if you are trying to understand any of your personal relationships, especially the relationship you have with yourself.
Internal Family Systems Model, by Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D.: Recently PBS ran a series called This Emotional Life, and many of the same concepts discussed in the series are in this book. Mental health is still a subject that is discussed little, yet has such a great impact in our lives. This concept is one of the fasted growing approaches to psychotherapy. In short, this process helps you begin to relate to yourself differently, and truly begin to love yourself. It helps people under what’s behind their impulses and automatic reponses. It helps you transform that critical inner voice you hear into something postive.
All the Women of the Bible, by Edith Deen: Have you ever heard of the prophetess Deborah? Not likely. Unless you’ve really studied the Torah or the Bible, this is one woman you may not be familiar. Religion has focused on the male leaders over the years. In fact many even believe “religions have become instruments of oppression of women and girls.” (Op-Ed Columnist- Religion and Women- NY Times.com 1/10/10). I don’t feel that strongly about it, but as women, we need to better understand ALL of our roles models and hold our instituitions accountable for holding them in high regard like they do the men. If you need a basic education on the women in the bible, this book is perfect. Back to religions in general, I’m referring to ALL religions. Ever hear of Kadisha....again, most likely not.
Physical:
Body for Life for Women, by Pamela Peeke MD, MPH, FACP: Too many health studies focus on men as their subjects. Keep that in the back of your mind next time you read breaking news on the results of a health issue. As much as we want to be compared to or equal with men, there will always differences between our genders, health being one of them. I enjoyed the first book Body for Life, but Dr. Pamela Peeke had the right idea when writing the same concepts but for women. Men don’t have to deal with hormonal issues, and this is very much a part of our physcial make up. It comes into play in how we feel and sometimes how we’re motivated to eat or exercise. Thank you Dr. Pamela Peeke for going the extra mile and expanding on this subject.
A Woman’s Guide to Weight Training, by Muscle and Fitness Hers: Lets face it ladies, we need to do strength training of some kind in our exercise regiment in order to ward off osteoporosis. This is simply not negotiable. This book does a great job of making weight training easy to understand and less intimidating. If you still do not like to weight train, the options become fewer. There are push up and pull ups. And some yoga moves can increase your strength, but it will take a lot of the latter to equate to weight training. Weight train at least twice a week, hit all muscle groups, and if necessary hire a trainer to keep yourself accountable. I’m just looking out for you.
Personal:
Half the Sky, by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO READ THIS. PERIOD. The fight for women’s rights is far from over. Many of our problems have been addressed in the United States, but the rest of the world is far behind us. Did you know that many women are forced into slavery and forced into prostitution? The authors of this book rightfully point out that this century’s paramount moral challenge will be the sttruggle for gender equality in the developing world (like slavery was in the 19th century and totalitarianism was for the 20th century.) Together we can have a great impact in how this movement is shaped and the authors share how you can help.
I’ve mentioned numerous times before that all aspects of our lives are important, not just the professional side. If we do not focus on all areas, personal, spiritual, physical, intellectual, financial, we are no good to our employers. I hope you enjoy and learn from some of these books as I have, to help make you the best professional possible!
