January can be a good time to wipe the slate clean and begin anew. Whether you want to become a better leader, motivate your team to achieve greater productivity or learn how to think differently about recurring problems, this book report, featuring seven author interviews and two book reviews, offers ideas on how to address the challenges that lie ahead.
For example, if you want to know what to do in the face of a future you can’t predict, Nassim Taleb’s new book, Antifragile, might suggest some answers.
If you only focus on developing one virtue this year, Swarthmore College professor Barry Schwartz recommends Practical Wisdom, an Aristotelian ideal that is also the name of his recent book, co-authored by Kenneth Sharpe.
If you want to give more thought to how to grow your organization in the coming year, Mauro Guillen talks about the winning strategies of emerging multinationals in this interview about his new book, Emerging Markets Rule, co-authored by Esteban Garcia-Canal.
If you are itching to turn an invention into a real product or you want to get your hands dirty, Wired editor Chris Anderson’s book, Makers, explains the new micro-manufacturing trend that inspired him to print 3D furniture for his daughters’ dollhouse and start the company DIY Drones.
If you are ready to go back to basics and rethink the strategy your company is based on, Lisa Bodell’s Kill the Company may be the inspiration you need. She provides advice on how to get companies to face their own vulnerabilities.
Two books offer insights into the world of finance. A review of former Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) director Sheila Bair’s book, Bull by the Horns, presents a unique perspective on the 2008 financial crisis. Maneet Ahuja, who began her career at age 17 as a credit risk analyst at Citigroup and is a producer at CNBC’s Squawk Box, spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about her new book, The Alpha Masters, which profiles leading hedge fund managers.
To learn more about what makes a good leader or how to get a promotion, we turn to New York Times editor Adam Bryant, who has interviewed more than 200 CEOs about what it takes to succeed, which he discusses in his book, The Corner Office, and in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton.
To start your year off right, Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and a new book, Happier at Home, reveals how to make (and keep) resolutions and why boosting your energy might be the best place to start.
Happy New Year – and happy reading!
