4 books to read now
It may be physically impossible for me to leave a conversation without recommending a book.
I guess we’ll never know - because it has yet to happen.
As a book geek, I have a high bar for what’s good. It has to be thoughtful, accessible and well-designed.
These are my die-hard faves. Certainly for those starting their career - but also anyone else who cares about what they do.
Sally’s top reads - absolute bangers.
Tiny Experiments: How to live freely in a goal-obsessed world
Anne-Laure le Cunff
This book tops the list because it’s unlike any other book I’ve read and it is mega practical.
The premise is this: goals can be really useful… but what if you don’t know what you want?
Enter the concept of ‘tiny experiments’. The author is an entrepreneur and neuroscientist - and you can tell. The experimental approach she recommends, in which goals are discovered, pursued and adapted on your own terms, is magic. I used this framework when I was in limbo, after closing my first business, and it helped me get really clear on what I wanted next.
It’s a new kind of ambition. One that values continuous learning and progress, over big money shots. Love.
“Intentional imperfection isn’t about settling for less or not trying your best. It’s about striving for sustainable excellence rather than fleeting perfection.”
Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
2. Choose Yourself: Be happy, make millions, live the dream
James Altucher
If you ignore the god-awful sub-heading, this is a great read. In fairness to the author, this book is over a decade old now - crazy! - and I suspect he might also feel the ick if he read it today.
Despite its age, this came on my radar only this year. I like it for a couple of reasons:
You don’t have to be in a stable place to read this book. Chapter 8 is even called ‘What if I’m in a Crisis?!’. It’s guaranteed to make you feel less alone and more able to move forwards.
Altucher’s voice is really strong. It’s conversational and light, yet goes deep and heartfelt when needed.
The book focuses on getting the basics right: the physical body, the emotional body, the mental body and the spiritual body. Smart tips, strong advice.
He speaks from a place of honesty. He uses his (many) F-ups as lessons to show how we get off course - and how we can get back again.
You don’t have to be in a stable place to read this book. Chapter 8 is even called ‘What if I’m in a Crisis?!’. It’s guaranteed to make you feel less alone and more able to move forwards.
“You need to make the mind sweat so that it gets tired. So tired that it’s done for the day. It can’t control you today. TIRE IT OUT.”
Choose Yourself by James Altucher
3. Rebel Ideas: The power of diverse thinking
Matthew Syed
It’s a tough call whether I’ve pressed this or Tiny Experiments into more hands…
Matthew Syed is a fascinating character - writer, presenter and former #1 English table tennis player - and the beauty of this book is the stories he uses to illustrate his ideas. Many of them are absolutely bonkers and it makes for a very entertaining read.
His big push is around the importance of cognitive diversity, not demographic diversity: differences in perspectives, insights, experiences and thinking styles.
This is super-valuable when you enter work, for a couple of reasons:
You’re going to meet a lot of people who think differently from you. Embrace this. Everyone feels smarter around people who agree with them, so learn the value of stepping outside that box.
You are the outsider with the edge. Everyone else is stuck inside the system, which means they won’t even consider the questions you want to ask. So ask them, please - it’ll make the team better.
Remember this: right now, you are the rebel. It’s one of the most important roles you’ll ever have. So don’t give it up too easily.
“Cognitive diversity was not so important a few hundred years ago, because the problems we faced tended to be linear, or simple, or separable. With complex problems, however, the logic flips. Groups that contain diverse views have a huge, often decisive, advantage.”
Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed
4. Linchpin: Are you indispensable?
Seth Godin
Seth Godin is a marketing legend - and if you haven’t heard of him, go and check out his work immediately.
This book is all about marketing yourself by being a stand-out player at work. The person who figures out what to do without a rule book, who surprises and delights others, and turns each day into a kind of art.
Yes, there’s a running theme here… don’t get bullied by the system.
You have to understand it, so you can play the game. But once you do, navigate the margins so you can turn up as yourself and really turn on your brilliance.
Seth is a very Side Door kind of guy. And isn’t being indispensable what we all want?
“You can be an artist who works with oil paints or marble, sure. But there are artists who work with numbers, business models, and customer conversations. Art is about intent and communication, not substances.”
Linchpin by Seth Godin
Got any recommendations for me?
I love a passionate book recommendation. So if you have one, find and message me on LinkedIn - I want to hear it!
