Books to get you Thinking - Special Holiday Edition I

The big Nor’easter of October 29th put a sudden end to the lingering memories of summer and as I watched the vibrant Fall colors enveloped in a thick blanket of snow it inevitably brought up happy thoughts of hot cocoa, wrapped up presents and Holiday festivities just around the corner. To get an early start on your Holiday gifts here is a selection of nonfiction books covering varied topics from biography to science to travel, management and current affairs. Books could make the best gift for just everyone on your list from your favorite aunt to your best friend. Also keep in mind next month’s edition of Books to Get You Thinking which will include titles from both fiction as well as cooking and entertaining.

That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back by Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum

Friedman, the well known columnist from New York Times teams up with Michael Mandelbaum, a distinguished expert in foreign affairs in this compelling book that examines the ominously serious problems facing America on so many fronts – economic stagnation, growing income inequality, unemployment, competition arising from globalization and a dysfunctional political system. The book highlights the importance of addressing pressing issues such as high energy consumption and falling education levels to help bring the country back on its feet again.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Featured in last month’s column as well, this captivating, well researched biography will likely be a favorite read and a popular gift this Holiday season. Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs as well as his colleagues, friends and relatives, Issacson draws a compelling portrait of the charismatic, creative and multi faceted technology innovator whose face became synonymous with Apple, and who single handedly transformed a whole industry and the way we

communicate.

The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks

Brooks, the author of the New York Times op-ed columns who writes about policy and politics takes a fascinating look at underlying social relationships and interactions which in his opinion define the dynamics of the prevalent economic and political cultural milieus. Through the lives of two fictitious characters, Harold and Erica, Brooks illustrates the importance of the unconscious, the emotional and social relations surrounding people, as primary determinants of policy and politics in the economy.

The Time of Our Lives: A Conversation about America: Who We Are, Where We've Been, and Where We Need to Go Now, to Recapture the American Dream by Tom Brokaw

The former NBC news broadcaster and author of New York Times bestselling titles, writes this poignant discourse on the past glory of America and the crossroads where the country currently stands. He makes a passionate case for a grassroots movement where education, social values, and commitment to the welfare of society serve as driving forces and where political accord ensures a bright future for coming generations.

A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor

A fascinating volume where the Director of the British Museum takes us on a journey through time observing different civilizations that have lived over different eras, examined through the kaleidoscope of the objects that they created. A hundred different objects from the Museum ranging from a two million years old stone chopping tool to a contemporary solar powered lamp have been picked out to display the long history of humanity.

Secret Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Best Hidden Travel Gems by National Geographic

This beautiful volume is definitively so much more than just a travel guide. In the brilliantly illustrated pages, rich with eye popping color photos, National Geographic presents vivid views of 500 different locations around the world along with the top ten things to do in those places. Fascinating facts about the history and culture of the place, and interesting personal travel experiences that have been juxtaposed, add to the lure and excitement of the places visited.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

In 2002 Daniel Kahneman won the Nobel Prize for his pioneering work on decision making that challenged the commonly held economic premise of rational behavior in economic decision making. Here Kahneman builds an elegant framework for analyzing how the human mind thinks, reacts and takes decisions. In analyzing the human thought process, Kahneman identifies System One which is the unconscious, intuitive part and demonstrates how it invariably dominates over System Two which embodies rational and logical reasoning.

Change the Culture, Change the Game: The Breakthrough Strategy for Energizing Your Organization and Creating Accountability for Results by Roger Connors and Tom Smith

In an increasingly competitive business environment, the authors lay out a compelling step by step strategy for setting up an organizational work culture of individual accountability. Using case studies and best business practices, the book outlines a Pyramid model that would help achieve cultural change in the way managers, team members and employees think in an organization. The model outlines how the three components of experiences, beliefs and actions interact to achieve results.

The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential by John Maxwell

The author identifies five different levels for effective leadership in an organization that are intrinsically based on inspiring and empowering every team members to achieve his or her highest potential. At different levels people would follow you for different reasons: in position because of your job title, permission where they follow on their own accord, production where you lead because of your contribution to the organization, people development where they follow you because of what you have done to help them and finally pinnacle where your leadership rests solely on your achievements.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

The book paints a vivid picture of life in poverty stricken Malawi where William grew up, and his struggle to realize his dream of building a windmill that would provide water for irrigation and help avert the frequent famines that ravaged his village. Unable to attend formal school William poured over science books at the library and using scrap from the countryside eventually succeeded in setting up a working windmill that drew worldwide attention.

The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos by Brain Greene

The Pulitzer Prize winning author who had formulated the Sting Theory in his earlier book The Elegant Universe now makes a fascinating case for multiverse where many alternate universes exist besides the universe that we live in. For his analysis he draws upon different elements of theoretical physics including the theory of relativity, the Big Bang Theory and Black Holes. Though sometimes dealing with difficult scientific concepts, the author tries to simplify complex material to make the book readable for an audience with little or no knowledge of physics.

Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews

Chris Matthews the host of MSNBC’s Hardball writes an engaging biography of Kennedy based on interviews with people who knew Kennedy first hand. The book discusses several facets of Kennedy’s personality - his fascination with Winston Churchill, his support of civil rights and nuclear disarmament. The author analyzes Kennedy’s role in many historical landmark events including the Yalta agreement and the Bay of Pigs, giving readers unique insights into Kennedy’s values, thinking, beliefs and leadership on a host of issues.

For more exciting titles in fiction, cooking and entertaining do come back and check the December column of Books to Get You Thinking!