Do you ever ask yourself any of these questions regarding your professional life and/ or its impact on your personal life?
- How do I ensure that, apart from being technically-brilliant, I possess other relevant skills (communication, presentation, emotional intelligence, etc.) that may help me for a new job or a new role?
- How do I inculcate the habit of reading?
- What can be a better way to spend a holiday, away from social media and OTT?
- Why do I fail to appreciate the finer things in life (family, friends, nature, etc.) while constantly worrying about work, exams, etc.?
If you’ve answered, “Yes”, then you should consider adding these books to your ‘to-read’ list. If you’ve not answered, “Yes”, then too you may read them all the same, perhaps as a precaution.
1. Tuesdays with Morrie – An old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson
Author: Mitch Albom
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.
“A light and breezy read, this book grips us with its simplicity and moves us with its profundity.”
In this poignant story of a dying teacher, who meets an old student (author) by a stroke of destiny, the author reminisces about their past, their heartfelt conversations, and the teacher’s life lessons. A supplementary theme is the teacher’s fortitude and positivity in accepting his own death, and how he faces life in his final days.
A light and breezy read, this book grips us with its simplicity and moves us with its profundity. Life is a game of perspective and this book helps us in course correction. It reminds us about what really matters in life, the finer things, which we often take for granted and appreciate/ miss only when they’re gone. It makes us view life and the world around us with a renewed sense of love, gratitude, and kindness.
2. STORIES AT WORK – UNLOCK THE SECRET TO BUSINESS STORYTELLING
Author: Indranil Chakraborty
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Pvt. Ltd.
“Distinguishing between ‘speaking to share’ and ‘speaking to shine’, this book departs from the standard operating procedure of using glib-sounding platitudinous jargon to embellish business communication and teaches us about the power of using stories while communicating any message.”
The author explains the benefits of using stories in business communication considering their impact on the human brain by referring to case studies, evolutionary evidence, and neuro-scientific research. Besides describing the innovative applications of storytelling in business, the author shares tips on listening to and collecting stories, retrieving them, and structuring/ presenting them.
Distinguishing between ‘speaking to share’ and ‘speaking to shine’, this book departs from the standard operating procedure of using glib-sounding platitudinous jargon to embellish business communication and teaches us about the power of using stories while communicating any message. This new approach seeks to connect with the listener, bring the intended message to life, and ensure that it stays in the listener’s mind in the intended form. The scientific reasoning and case studies drive home the point sought to be made in this book. The author also generously shares a ‘do-it-yourself’ guide for readers who wish to practise the art/ science of business storytelling.
3. HOW TO WIN FRIENDS & INFLUENCE PEOPLE – THE ONLY BOOK YOU NEED TO LEAD YOU TO SUCCESS…
Author: Dale Carnegie
Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
“If there’s one book you should read and periodically revise to improve your people skills, then it’s this one.”
If it’s not already clear from the name, this book contains eternal wisdom on how to communicate with people in a better way and enhance relationships, whether at home or at work or in public. The book is divided into four parts – handling people, being liked, convincing people, and bringing change – and each part is replete with examples where people have applied or observed the principles enunciated in this book. The author has also explained the purpose of writing this book and given suggestions on how to approach this book, in order to get the best out of it.
If there’s one book you should read and periodically revise to improve your people skills, then it’s this one. While the principles discussed in this book may seem obvious, the anecdotes shared by the author throw light on the benefits of actually practising those principles. The casual and lucid style of writing helps in delivering the lessons with the optimum impact, besides making the book a quick and light read for busy readers.
4. Corporate Chanakya – Successful Management the Chanakya Way
Author: Radhakrishnan Pillai
Publisher: Jaico Publishing House
“Way before western management gurus entered the field, Chanakya was enlightening India, that is Bharat, with his eternal wisdom on the subject and this book is a welcome effort towards simplifying the Arthashastra for contemporary businessmen and corporate employees.”
In this book, the author cogently explains how various sutras from the Arthashastra can be applied in our contemporary business/ corporate scenarios along with citations from the Arthashastra, for those who wish to go back to the original text. The author begins the book with a short story that instantly makes readers connect with the author and grasp the context of this book. The author also gives a brief introduction to the eponymous guru, also known as Vishnugupta and Kautilya.
Way before western management gurus entered the field, Chanakya was enlightening India, that is Bharat, with his eternal wisdom on the subject and this book is a welcome effort towards simplifying the Arthashastra for contemporary businessmen and corporate employees. It is interesting to see how a work of literature as old as the Arthashastra contains solutions to the problems we face today. Another good thing about the book, especially for busy readers, is its structure – it is divided into various segments and chapters, each dealing with a specific issue (e.g., how to delegate work to subordinates), and readers may choose to read the same in any sequence, depending on their needs.
