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Dr. So What’s

Short Reads for Thoughtful People

2015

Short Reads for Thoughtful People

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Great books transform your thinking, shifting your

perspective into a richer understanding of life. Dr.

So What’s list of Short Reads for Thoughtful

People will do just that. There’s a bonus: readers

need not fear that these book will fall prey to the

so-called “Stephen Hawking book syndrome.”

What’s that? A book that everyone purchases but

few read all the way through. In contrast, you will

find the books on the following slides profound,

thought provoking and a joy to read.

Endurance by Alfred Lansing

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If you want to know

what adventure,

courage and

leadership are all

about, then read –

make that,

consume – this

book.

Flatland by Edwin Abbott

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You’ll learn how to

think in multiple

dimensions and

how to look at the

world from different

perspectives.

. Animal Farm by George Orwell

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Propagandists

never rest. That’s

why you need to

read about their

tricks.

Night by Elie Wiesel

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A joyful spirit

lacking a profound

understanding of

evil breeds folly into

the soul. This book

provides the

antidote.

Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!

by Richard Feynman

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Professor Feynman is

not your typical Nobel

Prize-winning physicist.

Through his playful

antics and tales, you

will learn to appreciate

the deep patterns of

thoughtful inquiry.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by

Lewis Carroll

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Truths about

language, paradox,

and wonder

abound in this

classic tale.

The Wisdom of Psychopaths by Kevin

Dutton

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The paradoxical

title provides the

premise for this

delightfully

counterintuitive

read.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

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These playfully

diabolic missives

from a senior devil to

his protégé compel

readers to

contemplate self-

deceptive and self-

defeating behaviors.

Leadership and Self-Deception by

The Arbinger Institute

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Every leader should

be required to read

this book and revisit

(at least once a

year) the thoughts

they highlight.

On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt

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This book provides

the antidote to a world

full of ****** or

something we could

euphemistically call a

world full of “non-

optimized thinking.”

A Spy Among Friends by Ben

Macintyre

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Lies, deceit, and

treachery among

friends provide the

backdrop for this

fascinating Cold War

story. And, it provides

a cautionary tale for

all who work in

organizations.

The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis

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Profound, deep and

thought-provoking

notions will leave

you pondering your

personal

relationships far

into the night.

Good Strategy Bad Strategy by

Richard Rumelt

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Some who write about

strategy tend to make

the subject more

complex than it need

be. In contrast, this

book simplifies a

profound idea in ways

that can guide your

decision-making for a

lifetime.

The Ghost Map by Steven

Johnson

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A wonderful primer

on pattern

detection, tenacity

and the scientific

method.

Now What?

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Like the selection? Sign up for more of Dr. So

What’s weekly thought quotes, statistics, and tips

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Get ready for forthcoming Slideshares Dr. So What’s Essential Reads for Aspiring Leaders (forthcoming)

Dr. So What’s Peculiar Reads for the Curious (forthcoming)

Read the books in this Slideshare.

Enjoy. Share. Think.

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