Interesting books

Books that we find fascinating are:

— Tom Peters: Re-imagine!

Management guru Peters shouts you awake with this book: be an entrepreneur! (And he is right too.)

— Bill Bryson: A short history of nearly everything

Impressive and very readable book on all relevant scientific developments. Recommended!

— Stephen Covey: The 7 habits of highly effective people

Logical and plausible ways to change your way of thinking and doing. An illustrative quote: "The challenge is to apply the principles of creative cooperation, which we learn from nature, in our social interactions."

— Peter Block: Flawless consulting: A guide to getting your expertise used

The bible for everyone who wants his or her ideas implemented.

— Jared Diamond: Guns, germs and steel

Impressive book that explains why people in (for example) Papua New-Guinea are poorer than people in the western countries.

— Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton: Now, discover your strengths

Well argumented and logical eye-opener that you better should focus on improving your talents than on improving your not so strong points.

— Alvin Toffler: Powershift

A classic about changes in society and how to deal with that.

— Edward de Bono: Lateral thinking

Useful book on creative thinking and idea generation.

— Ray Kurzweil: The age of spiritual machines

An interesting theory on the (mental and physical) integration of people and computers.

— Roger Schwarz: The skilled facilitator

The most advised book by professionals that enables you to help groups in becoming more effective. Let go of the idea that you understand the situation and others do not (and therefore disagree with you).

— David Allen: Getting things done

Helps you getting organized, in your professional and personal life, with often remarkable simple techniques. Do everything immediately when it takes less than 2 minutes and always ask the question “What is the next action?”. A successful book that created a lot of ‘GTD’-adepts.

— Dale Carnegie: How to win friends and influence people

This “golden oldie” helps to focus on the interests of others to create sincere relationships.

— Robert B. Cialdini: Influence: The psychology of persuasion

Describes our pre-programmed responses to certain stimuli and how you can recognize it and resist it (or use it yourself).

— George Leonard: Mastery: The keys to success and long-term fulfillment

Emphasizes in a very sympatic way that you need ample time to attain mastery: it is a lifelong journey.

— Richard Florida: The rise of the creative class

Explains clearly the (economic) importance of attracting creative talent (for a geographical area).

— Gerald Weinberg: The secrets of consulting

Easy readable guide on practical advising (surely not only useful for the full time advisor), with a very strong start.

— Deepak Chopra: The seven spiritual laws of success

Perhaps a somewhat too mysterious perspective and principle on how to live your life. The book gives food for thought however. Consider for instance the opening quotation (from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Chapter IV.4.5):

"You are what your deep, driving desire is.
As your desire is, so is your will.
As your will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is, so is your destiny."

— Nicholas Boothman: How to connect in business in 90 seconds or less

Make contact easy and in a very natural manner.

— Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist

Realize your dreams. An easy read with a pleasant aftertaste.

— Stephen Hawking: A Brief History of Time

Not an easy book, but hey Hawking explains the universe.

— Ellen Langer: Mindfulness

Greet the unknown, do not accept the way of doing things in the past as the only option, and use your intuition.

— Steven Levitt en Stephen Dubner: Freakonomics

Explains very original a number of issues in our society, the content is sticky, but the original article would have sufficed.

— Robert Kaplan: The ends of the earth

Provoking, rather pessimistic traveler's tale on global social change.

— Bertrand Russell: Why I am not a Christian

Intellectual journey into the insights and reasoning of this great philosopher.

— Douglas Hofstadter: Gödel, Escher, Bach: An eternal golden braid

Recursive book on human thought and creativity, illustrated by mathematical concepts.

— James Redfield: The Celestine Prophecy

In its time inspiring. A lightweight quest to discover nine interesting insights.

— Desmond Morris: The naked ape

Our behaviour explained through comparison with apes.

— Malcolm Gladwell: The tipping point

Disappointing because of lightweight analysis.