January 18, 2017

1 Book A Week Challenge

I’d like to challenge myself to read one book per week during the next one or two months. It’s not just because of the recent hype around reading. But mostly for the following reasons:

  • There are tons of books on my reading lists. Especially in psychology, management, and personal development. And I really want to learn from these books. :)
  • Improve my English vocabulary and reading speed.
  • Improve myself, and find answers.

And to that purpose, I’ll use my blog as a motivation tool. Reviews of my reading pricks will be posted every week!

(EDIT: The reading challenge was a success. I’ll probably slow down from now on. But my reading speed definitely increased and I’ll keep on reading books regularly. The next step is to write more and improve my writing skills!)

Reviews

  • Creativity Inc

Wonderful. Probably the most inspiring book about what it means to be a leader. With Pixar, Ed Catmull built an amazing company culture. A flourishing environment with strong and deep values, where everyone is proud of giving their best every day. Companies are founded with a purpose that is beyond money alone. That’s how it should be done, that’s how Pixar is working. To me, this book is worth more than any management textbook.

  • Thinking Fast and Slow

Brilliant and mindblowing. Everything you need to know about psychology and how your brain works are in there. We’re bad at being rational. We’re subject to biases. Even major CEOs take decisions badly. Reading Daniel Kahneman’s work really helps to raise awareness about this and gives strong indications about our potential room for improvement

  • Originals

From his TED Talks, I knew that Adam Grant was an eminent psychologist. Even though the first chapters of Originals were captivating, I felt disappointed by the book. The truth about how successful entrepreneurs approach to risk and think out of the box is surprisingly counter-intuitive. Yet the book felt too long and redundant to me.

  • Give and Take

BUT, reading Adam Grant’s first book and best-seller Give And Take was absolutely what I needed. Why and how givers can be the winners at the end of the day. Learn why there’s nothing wrong is being too kind in business, but also how to prevent you from burning out.

  • Happiness by design

What’s our purpose in life? Understanding what motivates people truly fascinates me. And asking what is happiness is basically the same thing. People want to be happy. But what does it actually mean? Paul Dolan definition is happiness really makes sense: people are sentimental hedonists. Seeking pleasure and purpose in life.

  • The 4-Hour Work Week

I’m not sure if everything in Tim Ferriss’ method is morally and ethically correct to me. Nevertheless, the best advice I found in his book is this: It’s way easier than we think to get OUT of the corporate routine and live our life the way we want. Don’t kill yourself at work for nothing — simply because you’re expected to.

  • Zero To One

I was curious about Peter Thiel personality and opinion. His book is a best seller. Yet his recent support for Trump caused mixed feelings in Silicon Valley. Zero To One is short, I read it during a Paris-London bus trip. I don’t really understand what made this book this successful.

  • Mindset

How can our education system still be that bad (especially in France)? Parents, teachers, and professors… please read Carol S. Dweck’s book. It’s very simple yet super effective. Believe in your potential. Adopt the right mindset. Highly Recommended.

That’s it for now! If you have any book recommendations or questions, or if you want to borrow a book feel free to ask. The following books are on my current to-read list:

  • Predictably Irrational
  • Hooked
  • ReWork
  • TED Talks
  • Grit
  • Pre-suasion