Bibliography of 2021
This was first published on my newsletter, working title, on substack. The top 3 books that are quietly changing my life this 2021. I wouldn’t recommend these if I’m don’t think they are worth your time as well (not in any order). Enjoy!
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
If there is a book that single-handedly confirmed a lot of my suspicions about the nature and origin of success, it is this. Range is written for a popular audience so, true to its title, its universality is its main appeal. From sports to technology, the author managed to intricately weave stories, anecdotes, observations and research to prove a simple point: success is multidisciplinary, the genius is a polymath, and everyone has the chance to take a shot at it. In a lot of ways, this book is a celebration of individualism and creativity. It’s a book about the best of humanity in each of us… through our interests, curiosities and passions.
The so-called straight path to achieving your best self is a myth. A lifelong devotion to experimentation and diversity of interest is, as it turns out, the not-so secret key to really unlocking your inner genius.
To quote: ‘I think when you’re self-taught you experiment more, trying to find the same sound in different places, you learn to solve problems.’ — Jack Cecchini
After reading the book, I would highly recommend listening to this analysis, 98. Range by David Epstein by Education Bookcast Podcast. It is a fantastic supplement for this topic.
Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts by Annie Duke
I picked this book because I wanted to learn more about the psychology of human behaviors, game theory, strategy and all that good stuff. By the 3rd or 4th page, I knew I was going to get more out of this than what I originally signed up for.
Annie Duke is a spectacular author, writer, professional poker player and psychologist. My admiration for her work, particularly for her thinking, is unparalleled. If you want to sharpen your brain a little bit, challenge your own thinking and be with people who are in the business of truth seeking, then this book is probably for you.
“None of us is guaranteed a favorable outcome, and we’re all going to experience plenty of unfavorable ones. We can always, however, make a good bet. And even when we make a bad bet, we usually get a second chance because we learn from the experience and make a better bet the next time.
Life, like poker, is one long game and there are going to be a lot of losses, even after making the Best possible bets. We are going to do better, and be happier, if we start by recognizing that we’ll never be sure of the future.” — Annie Duke, Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All The Facts
The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
Business is an area that, admittedly, I fall quite behind on in terms of knowledge accumulation. I’ve been mildly aware of that for years and last year, I decided to proactively work on it. I have a post about Business Thinking, if you are interested to know more about my thoughts on this.
Josh’s book came up on my radar after listening to an episode from The Knowledge Project. He left a good first impression on me, enough to make me pick up his book, The Personal MBA. Overall, I thought his view on business is humbling, refreshing, and practical. What I love most about the book is the complete lack of bullshit and ego. There is a reason why I stayed away from business books for a long time. It is often quite hard to separate humble bragging, egotistic writing from legitimately intelligent and insightful personal war stories (corporate and startup). The Personal MBA had only the latter and I am profoundly grateful for the generosity.
Honestly, I wouldn’t necessary consider this as just a business book. It’s a book about living your life in the best, most satisfying way possible by doing the work that matters.
About Working Title
Working Title is a design-focused newsletter born in the quarantine-era (Summer 2020). I explore the themes of user experience, design methodologies, business and philosophy for each of the entry. I value breadth, above all. Inconsistent releases. Much like real-life conversations, I’ll make every entry worth your time.
If you don’t know where to start, I would suggest to read these:
More about the author
Nikki is a Sr. UX Designer working for a data company in New Jersey. In the last 2 years, she has helped design & build a holographic platform, contracted for a research team inside Fidelity Investments, worked in the Design Operations side of an e-commerce company, mentored brilliant design students/career-changers, advocated for UX best practices at RookieUp, have co-taught UX courses at General Assembly and have also contributed directly to the growth of the Mentorship program on UXPA-New York. Designing for a better world is her life. She also runs her own newsletter, working title, about her thoughts on the future and more.
