Here is the list of the best non-fiction books I read in 2022. The main themes in 2022 for me were system thinking, decision-making, and leadership. The books are not sorted in any particular order.
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
by Dan Ariely
“How Starbucks makes people switch to their more expensive coffee from Dunkin Donuts? Starbucks did everything to make the experience feel different so we would not use the prices Dunkin Donuts as an anchor via naming of their coffee — Short, Tall, Grande, Caffe Americano, Frappucion, etc.”
“Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” is an acclaimed book by behavior psychologist Dan Ariely. The book explains (via description of studies and anecdotes) how our decisions are often influenced by factors that we are not necessarily aware of. The book explores various ways in which our thinking and decision-making can be irrational and provides examples of how these irrationalities can affect our lives, as well as what we can do to mitigate such effects.
This book is an excellent complement to “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman and “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert B. Cialdini. And similarly to these two, It armored me with thinking tools for better decision-making as well as improved my mental models.
“Introduction of decoy: if there are two objects (A and B) that have different characteristics and can not be compared, the introduction of 3rd object (’A-’), which is comparable and worse than A, makes object A looks better not only than ‘A-’ but also better than B.”
Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
by John Medina
“Age is not something that matters unless you are cheese.”
“Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School” by John Medina is one of the best books about brain function and learning I’ve read so far. The book is well-written and easy to read, with a mix of brain anatomical details, the author’s personal anecdotes, and descriptions of psychological research and experiments. While it is far not the most scientific neurological book, it is certainly informative and useful. The author’s sense of humor makes the book even more engaging.
Overall, the book provides a comprehensive overview of main brain functions and how knowing them can help us to improve our health, well-being, and cognitive performance (as well as practical advice on better parenting and relationships).
“Before the age of 2, babies do plenty of things that parents do not want them to do. But after the age of 2, small children will do things because their parents don’t want them to.”
The Art of Systems Thinking: Essential Skills for Creativity and Problem Solving
by Joseph O’Connor, Ian McDermott
“The complexity of the system is defined not by the number of its elements but by the number and complexity of their relationships.”
Joseph O’Connor and Ian McDermott’s book “The Art of Systems Thinking: Essential Skills for Creativity and Problem Solving” offers an introduction to the fundamental principles of systems thinking and demonstrates their practical application to real-world issues. The authors deliver the main concepts of Systems Thinking in a clear and easy-to-understand way. Examples from real life and recommendations on applying System Thinking in personal and professional contexts make this book practical and useful.
If you’re keen on learning about System Thinking, I suggest beginning with this book.
“Systems Thinking instills humility within us as we come to realize the vast complexity of the world.”
Thinking in Systems: A Primer
by Donella H. Meadows
“Pay attention to what is important, not just what is quantifiable.”
After reading “The Art of Systems Thinking: Essential Skills for Creativity and Problem Solving”, I’ve decided to dive deeper into the topic of Systems Thinking. After checking the lists of the most recommended books for the subject, I came to “Thinking in System: A Primer” by Donella H. Meadows. This book is considered one of the essential readings for anyone who wants to be introduced to System Thinking.
This book is not such entertaining and easy to read as “The Art of Systems Thinking” because it is a little bit more scientific and includes a more detailed analysis of systems archetypes. Anyway, it was a good read that provided valuable insights into the world of complex systems and recommendations on approaching complex problems.
“The ability to self-organize is the strongest form of system resilience. A system that can evolve can survive almost any change by changing itself.”
The Phoenix project
by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford
“Being able to take needless work out of the system is more important than being able to put more work into the system.”
This book, written in 2013, has already become a classic in the IT world. I had heard a lot about it before but decided to read it after a recommendation in the book “Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow” that I read (and liked a lot) in 2021.
The book was highly engaging and a quick read, making it difficult to put down. It is written in the format of a novel. The plot of the book revolves around a fictional company struggling to keep up with its competitors in Information Technology. Those, who have read ‘The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement’ by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, will notice similarities in the narration style and characters.
I can not say that I’ve learned a lot from the book; most of the concepts referred there, are already explained in Goldratt’s masterpiece (referenced frequently in the book) and other books dedicated to lean and agile. But still “The Phoenix Project” was an engaging and informative read that provided some practical insights into the world of IT business.
“It’s like the free puppy — It’s not the upfront capital that kills you; it’s the operations and maintenance on the back end.”
Toyota Kata: Managing People for Improvement, Adaptiveness and Superior Results
by Mike Rother
“The true certainty and confidence do not lie in preconceived implementation steps or solutions, which may or may not work as intended, but in understanding the logic and method for how to proceed through the unclear territory.”
If I had to select a single reason why I believe that reading “The Phoenix Project” was advantageous, it would be because of its recommendation of the book “Toyota Kata: Managing People for Improvement, Adaptiveness and Superior Results” by Mike Rother.
The book describes two Kata being practiced in Toyota: Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata. In the Japanese language kata (though written as 方) is a frequently-used suffix meaning “way of doing,” with emphasis on the form and order of the process (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kata)
Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata in Toyota are tightly related — Toyota’s employees are being coached on all levels to have the right mindset to properly implement Improvement Kata. The book describes the mindset and routine application of both Katas and explains how they contribute to Toyota’s culture of continuous improvement.
This is one of the best books I’ve read on Agile and Lean so far, even though it doesn’t mention them explicitly.
“The problem with most research on Toyota’s success is that they’ve been focused on the specific techniques that Toyota used at the time of research. But instead, they should be focused on the fact that Toyota has a culture of continuous improvement, and technique that is used today might become obsolete tomorrow.”
Leading Change
by John P. Kotter
“The single biggest error in the traditional model of leadership is the assumption that leadership skills are a divine gift of birth, granted to a small number of people. This model is nearly oblivious to the power and the potential of lifelong learning.”
“Leading Change” by John P. Kotter is a classical business book that examines the process of organizational change and the role of leadership and management in this process.
Kotter distinguishes leaders and managers and explains that leaders provide the vision and inspiration needed to create change, while managers provide the structure and resources needed to implement that change effectively. And I like these definitions a lot.
Kotter believes that to be successful, organizations need both - effective leadership and effective management. This statement may seem contradictory as there is currently a trend to view leadership and management as opposing forces, with leadership being seen as the superior approach.
The book provides a framework for understanding the steps involved in successful organizational change management and emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of urgency, building a guiding coalition, and communicating the vision for change.
This book is a classic already and should be essential reading for every manager and leader.
“Culture for people in the organization is like water for fish — absolutely invisible yet influential.”
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
by Hans Rosling
“Factfulness is recognizing that a single perspective can limit your imagination, and remembering that it is better to look at problems from many angles to get a more accurate understanding and find practical solutions. To control the single perspective instinct, get a toolbox, not a hammer.”
“Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think” by Hans Rosling is a book that challenges common misconceptions about the state of the world. The author presents ten instincts that lead us to misunderstand global trends and provides data-driven evidence to demonstrate that the world is actually in a better state than we often believe.
Each chapter in the book describes human ‘instincts’ (biases) that prevent us from understanding the real world and make us believe that the world is worse than it is.
This book has been beneficial in enhancing my understanding of system thinking, refining my mental models of the world, and improving my decision-making process.
“Being intelligent — being good with numbers, or being well educated, or even winning a Nobel Prize — is not a shortcut to global factual knowledge. Experts are experts only within their field.”
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”: Adventures of a Curious Character
by Richard P. Feynman
“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.”
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character” is an autobiography of Richard Feynman, a famous physicist and mathematician who played a role in developing the atomic bomb (’Manhattan’ project).
The book is a collection of anecdotes and stories from Feynman’s life. Feynman was known for his ability to explain complex scientific concepts in simple terms, and the book includes many examples of his unconventional approach to problem-solving.
Feynman was a person of endless curiosity and ability to get into pretty much any field — from theoretical physics to playing bongos and being an artist and excelling there. A lot to learn from his life, personality, and way of thinking, and this book is a great source for that.
“I don’t know what’s the matter with people: they don’t learn by understanding; they learn by some other way — by rote, or something. Their knowledge is so fragile!”
Man’s Search for Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl
“Happiness must happen, and the same for success. You have to let it happen by not caring about it.”
In “Man’s Search for Meaning” Viktor E. Frankl describes his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II and explains how that experience helped him to develop Logotherapy.
The book describes Frankl’s observations of human behavior in extreme situations, leading him to conclude that finding meaning in life is the key to survival. Frankl argues that people can (and have to) find meaning in even the most difficult circumstances and that this sense of purpose is essential for mental health and well-being.
This is a remarkable tale of survival in a concentration camp despite all odds and an introduction to the concepts of logotherapy, which I found very practical and useful.
“It is not the physical pain that hurts the most (and it is applied to adults as much as to punished children); it is the mental agony caused by injustice, the unreasonableness of it.”
