10 books that will forever change your views

To live is to learn, and reading is an opportunity to learn from the experience of others. I work on the Blinkist project, we are completely absorbed in books: we plunge into the world of the best popular science books and squeeze the most important things out, turning them into small articles for reading. At this point, we have studied more than 600 books, having compiled (and also changed) our point of view on many things during this time.



Based on our personal experience, it seems to us that this list of 10 books created by influential writers and thinkers from various fields (from psychology to economics) can help you change your views on the world, work, other people, as well as on yourself .



BOOKS THAT CHANGE YOUR VIEWS FOR LIFE

')

“Fooled by accident. About the hidden role of chance in business and everyday life ”(Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance)

We seriously underestimate the impact of luck and chance in our lives, using such concepts as "talent", "determinism", when in fact "luck" and "chance" come into play.



In this book, Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Nassim Nicholas Taleb) gives examples from life, which will remove from your eyes a veil of confidence and show that all events in life, mostly under the power of chance. Read this book to take a fresh look at the ups and downs in life, and also discover why it is often unfair.

"The Wisdom of the Crowd" (The Wisdom of Crowds)

Of course, group thinking can be dangerous, but under the right circumstances, a crowd can make surprisingly reasonable decisions and even give better results than experts or smarter individuals in these groups. If there are many independent thinkers in the group who are ready to use their intellectual talent for the common good, then you reach the apogee of collective genius.



In this book, James Surowiecki collected examples from popular culture, psychology, biology, and more, to illustrate the impact of this idea on how we vote, make decisions, do business, and live in this world.



BOOKS THAT CHANGE YOUR VIEWS ON WORK

Born to settle down: Why do some ideas survive, and others do not "(Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas and Others Die)

Successful stories, advertising campaigns and viable ideas have the same general expressive characteristics: they are simple, unexpected, solid, reliable and emotional - their stories are similar.



In this book, Chip Hez and Dan Hez explain why some ideas survive, others do not, and how to make their idea more viable and “pristavuchey”, like the good old Velcro .

“Future for the right hemisphere. What to do and what to think in the age of new creative thinking "

(A Whole New Mind: Will Right Rule the Future)

Historically, people with a developed right hemisphere of the brain were underestimated, but with the transition from the information age to the age of conceptual economics, they become the superpower of the future.



In the business world, we are increasingly discovering that the analytical thinking that the left hemisphere of the brain provides is certainly important, but it is not enough. Creative thinking, ingenuity, sensitivity - this is what helps us to be successful in our professional life and contributes to our personal well-being.



In this book, best-selling author Daniel Pink invites you on a journey that talks about the potential of the two hemispheres and why the qualities that the right hemisphere is responsible for are increasingly appreciated (among them are the ability for decoration, sensitivity and humor ).

“The hunt for ideas. How to break away from competitors, breaking all the rules "(Weird Ideas That Work: Build a Creative Company)

Both routine and innovative work are important for the success of the company. But how do you actually recognize the difference between them and understand what kind of activity and where will be most useful? This skill is priceless.



Professor Stanford University Robert I. Sutton (Robert I. Sutton) proposes to explore the nature of innovation, experimentation, failures and creative freedom. It will change your idea of ​​creativity and suggest ways to use innovation in your business - with the help of certain expectations, employee choices and strategies that not only lead to success, but also help you to fight against failures.

“Drive: What really motivates us” (Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us)

Let's talk about external motivation: it is based more on rewards and sanctions that come from outside, external motivation is used for short-term projects. However, in the long run, it is passion and dedication that are the hallmarks of intrinsic motivation that give us the fuel to search for meaning and success.



The second (in our article) book by Daniel Pink tells us about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, what influences each of them, and how we can develop an awareness of intrinsic motivation, as well as inspire others.



BOOKS THAT WILL MAKE YOU OTHER A LOOK OUT AT OTHER PEOPLE

“Introverts. How to use the features of your character "(Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking)

Both introverts and extroverts have qualities that can be extremely valuable for people from their midst, but for both categories of personalities, different conditions and methods of work are needed that will help to reveal a person’s full potential.



In this book, writer and researcher Susan Cain reveals the distinction between introverts and extroverts, and how the "extraversion ideals" have transformed a typical workplace into an extrovert dream over the past 150 years. The book describes how you can combine the abilities of two personality types for amazing success in a common cause.



Be sure to read this to make contact with your inner introverted "I" and learn how to respect this feature in other people.

The Motivation for Choosing the Right Choice: Health, Finance, and Well-Being (Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness)

Look at the artificially aged jeans, the atomic bomb and the image of Miley Cyrus (Miley Cyrus), and the obvious reality appears in a terrible light: we, people, always make the wrong decisions.



We do not always do what is best for us. Why is that? Sometimes we have too scanty or, conversely, too complicated for perception information. Or, rather, we act on the intuition, rather than follow a reasonable plan. It happens that we succumb to temptation, and sometimes we are controlled by external forces.



Richard H. Thaler, a leading behavioral economist and personal adviser to US President Barack Obama, shows us how some shocks — subtle changes in the context of a situation that make it harder for us to make the wrong decision — can help us achieving goals.



BOOKS THAT CHANGE YOUR SELF-PERFORMANCE

"The right mindset: how to unleash your potential"

(Mindset: How You Can Fulfill Your Potential)

As small children, we accept one of two types of thinking: fixed (static) or dynamic (growth thinking). No matter how surprising it sounds, but the perfect choice determines our future life: what we feel, what we can achieve, and what we are willing to take risks.



Carol Dweck (Carol Dweck), a professor of psychology at Stanford University, teaches us how to define your mindset, take a different look at our own ideas, outlook on life, attitude to certain things. The book tells how to develop your dynamic thinking in order to maximize your potential. Read this book to understand who you really are, and your awareness of your own capabilities will change forever.

"The Righteous Consciousness: Why Good People Are Separated by Politics and Religion" (The Righteous Mind: Why Do People Divide by Politics and Religion)

Where does moral judgment come from? If you answer something like "simple calculation", then you are mistaken. Moral judgments arise from our ephemeral girlfriend - intuition. Intuition rather acts as a lawyer, justifying our moral judgments in relation to others, supporting our own interests and reputation.



This book shows us that it is emotions and intuition (and not reason) that govern our moral judgments, showing how understanding of the foundations of morality close to us can favorably influence decision making.



ALSO RECOMMEND OTHER POSTS ON MEGAMOZG:



Secrets of self-development, or How to become a happy victim of success

The key to success, or how great leaders act and make decisions

Blogs and sites for self-development