I read a lot of books. Some books stick with me and to me. Here are five books that changed me in 2024.
- Possible: How we Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict, by William Ury. This book gives me hope and makes me believe there is a path forward.
- Getting to Yes With Yourself and Other Worthy Opponents, by William Ury. Most people avoid negotiating. I used to think this was mostly due to conflict avoidance, but after reading this book, I think it’s because most of us don’t know what we want. Knowing what you want is a superpower.
- The Power Code: More Joy. Less Ego. Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone) by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. The way women use power was a revelation and a relief and an invitation: power to instead of power over.
- Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time (10th-anniversary edition, also known as “The Red Book”) by Jeff Sutherland and J.J. Sutherland. I am completely in love with Scrum because of this book.
- Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really is So Much More by Courtney Carver. In a nutshell, Project 333 is a clothing challenge to limit your wardrobe to 33 items for every three-month season. The 33 items include clothing, outerwear, shoes, and accessories, including purses, jewelry, and scarves.
She writes: “Your capsule wardrobe won’t be perfect. Do it anyway. Each season, you’ll make it a little better. Never perfect, but better. Less perfection equals more happiness, more risk-taking, and better relationships, including the one that you have with yourself.”
And because it’s hard for me to limit any book list to five books, here are two bonus books:
- Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing by Laura Mae Martin. Martin was one of the presenters in my online project management certificate program, so I checked out her book. I no longer seek productivity for productivity’s sake but I appreciated her illustration of boundaries and the reminder not to confuse busy with productive.
- The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
I thought this was an event planning book but it’s much, much more. It’s about making the most of our time together whether it’s a work meeting, a birthday party, dinner with friends, a wedding, or a funeral.
