Authors Christmas Recommendations 2024 - Part III
Welcome to Part III of a special series of posts in the run up to the holiday season! I asked some of the lovely authors that have previously appeared on the site about their Christmas book recommendations for this year. They graciously replied with some fantastic book picks! Hopefully these book recommendations might help you with your own Christmas shopping gift ideas too! :-) (You can also see more book gift ideas in Part I here. and Part II here.)
Q. Is there a smart thinking book that you are looking forward to reading this Christmas, or one you would like to give or receive as a gift?
Ivana Brutenič & Kristína Cichý Kováčiková
Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most by Greg McKeown.
and
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert.
In our work we focus on effectivity, results and play in LinkedIn consultancy. These two books inlude tactics to be more effortless and creative with any project, including content creation :).
Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most
Description from Bookshop.org:
The intricacy of modern life has created a false dichotomy between things that are 'hard and important,' and those that are 'easy and trivial.' Everything has become so much harder than it ought to be. But, Greg McKeown, bestselling author of Essentialism, says, there is a third alternative.
In Effortless, he offers practical tools for making the most essential activities the easiest ones, so you can achieve the results you want, without burning out. Honed over the better part of a decade, these strategies include:
·Turning tedious tasks into enjoyable rituals
·Preventing frustration by solving problems before they arise
·Setting a sustainable pace instead of powering through
·Making one-time choices that eliminate many future decisions
·Making relationships easier to maintain and manage
·And much more
McKeown's philosophy of essentialism has helped thousands to recognise that the effortless way isn't the lazy way. It's the smart way. Not every hard thing in life can be made easy but we can make it easier to do more of what matters most. Effortless will show you how.
Buy On:
Blackwells £14.99 Bookshop.org UK £14.24 Bookshop.org US $26.04 Waterstones £14.99(All affiliate links earn commission from purchases that help fund this site. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Description from Bookshop.org:
The intricacy of modern life has created a false dichotomy between things that are 'hard and important,' and those that are 'easy and trivial.' Everything has become so much harder than it ought to be. But, Greg McKeown, bestselling author of Essentialism, says, there is a third alternative.
In Effortless, he offers practical tools for making the most essential activities the easiest ones, so you can achieve the results you want, without burning out. Honed over the better part of a decade, these strategies include:
·Turning tedious tasks into enjoyable rituals
·Preventing frustration by solving problems before they arise
·Setting a sustainable pace instead of powering through
·Making one-time choices that eliminate many future decisions
·Making relationships easier to maintain and manage
·And much more
McKeown's philosophy of essentialism has helped thousands to recognise that the effortless way isn't the lazy way. It's the smart way. Not every hard thing in life can be made easy but we can make it easier to do more of what matters most. Effortless will show you how.
Buy On:
Blackwells £10.99 Bookshop.org UK £10.44 Bookshop.org US $16.74 Waterstones £14.99(All affiliate links earn commission from purchases that help fund this site. Prices accurate at time of writing)
The Magic of Employee Influence: Activate your employee ambassadors on LinkedIn™ to enhance branding, boost sales and attract top talent
Description from Bookshop.org:
Harness the power of employee influence and create enthusiastic brand advocates.
Well-supported Employee Ambassadors on LinkedIn(TM) are powerful allies who can help your organisation attract new clients and fresh talent. This book is your one-stop guide to setting up a successful Employee Ambassador project on LinkedIn(TM) in just 10 hours. Empower and engage staff using a proven framework and reap the rewards.
Discover how to:
- Make ambassadorship on LinkedIn(TM) attractive, sustainable and efficient
- Help Ambassadors create authentic content quickly and consistently using a clear A-Z system
- Safeguard your company's reputation in the age of social media
Buy On:
Bookshop.org UK £15.19 Bookshop.org US $20.99 Blackwells £18.18 Waterstones £15.99(All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Nadim Sadek
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker.
I abhor violence of all types, so I’m drawn to anything that helps me to understand how we can be a kinder, gentler society. This book is a well-researched, data-rich exploration of humanity's terrible history with violence. It’s long, too! Pinker’s argument is that violence has declined over centuries due to several civilising forces and he draws upon psychology, history, and criminology to show how humanity has become more peaceful over time. Of course, there remain terrible conflicts, and we have challenges in less obviously ‘violent’ contexts, like sustainability, to address. If you’re wondering about the ‘state of humanity’ and whether we’re truly improving, this is a truly stimulating book.
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined
Description from Bookshop.org:
Wasn't the twentieth century the most violent in history? In his extraordinary, epic book Steven Pinker shows us that this is wrong, telling the story of humanity in a completely new and unfamiliar way. From why cities make us safer to how books bring about peace, Pinker weaves together history, philosophy and science to examine why we are less likely to die at another's hand than ever before, how it happened and what it tells us about our very natures.
Buy On:
Blackwells £15.29 Bookshop.org UK £18.04 Bookshop.org US $21.39 Waterstones £18.99(All affiliate links earn commission from purchases that help fund this site. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Description from Blackwells: (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Shimmer, don't Shake: How Publishing Can Embrace AI
Discover the future of publishing in Shimmer, don't Shake: How Publishing can embrace AI by Nadim Sadek. This groundbreaking book explores the evolving landscape of the publishing industry and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize the way books are promoted, matched with readers, and valued.
Authors often feel frustrated with the limited promotion of their books by traditional publishers. Marketing departments struggle to effectively connect with readers due to limited resources and the strain of managing exasperated authors. On the other hand, readers yearn for a more effective way to find books that suit their tastes. There is a vast untapped potential for matching willing audiences with suitable books, written by talented authors who seek greater reach.
Shimmer, don't Shake presents AI as the solution to these challenges. By leveraging AI technologies, publishers can optimize product descriptions, create unique marketing copy, and generate personalized book recommendations. Large language models like the GPT-series enable automated generation of high-quality book descriptions, freeing marketers from the time-consuming task of manual crafting. AI systems can be trained to consider the psychological profile of a book and match it to the frame of mind of a specific audience, ensuring a more effective connection between readers and books.
With AI, the publishing industry can enter a new era of innovation and success. Shimmer, don't Shake showcases how AI can help authors, readers, and publishers alike. Authors can gain greater visibility and reach as their books are matched with their target audience, allowing their genius to shimmer in the public's eye. Readers can finally discover books that fulfill their needs and preferences, enhancing their reading experience. Publishers can extract more value from their vast catalog of titles, ensuring that every book has the opportunity to shine.
This book goes beyond theoretical discussions and provides practical insights on integrating AI into the publishing process. It addresses the ethical considerations surrounding AI and emphasizes the need to preserve the artistic merit of writing. With a blend of expertise in publishing, psychology, AI, and marketing, the author presents a comprehensive guide to leveraging AI for successful book promotion and engagement.
Shimmer, don't Shake is a must-read for authors, publishers, and anyone interested in the future of the publishing industry. It offers a compelling vision of how AI can transform publishing, allowing books to embrace new opportunities, connect with readers on a deeper level, and ultimately thrive in the digital age.
Buy On:
Blackwells £13.55
Waterstones £16.99
Sweta Vikram
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy.
In today’s day and age, there’s one book that I recommend to my friends, family, clients, and colleagues: “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Dr. Joseph Murphy. Between the stress of global politics to the loneliness epidemic in America, the world doesn’t always feel nourishing. In his book Dr. Murphy writes, “The way to get rid of darkness is with light; the way to overcome cold is with heat; the way to overcome the negative thought is to substitute the good thought. Affirm the good, and the bad will vanish.” Could this book be any more relevant?
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
Description from Bookshop.org:
One of the bestselling self-help books of all time, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind has helped millions around the world achieve remarkable goals, simply by changing the way they think.
Dr. Murphy's mind-focusing techniques are based on a simple principle: If you believe in something without reservation and picture it in your mind, you can remove the subconscious obstacles that prevent you from achieving the results you want, and your belief can become a reality.
As an advocate of what is now popularly known as the Law of Attraction, Murphy shows that anyone can unleash extraordinary mental powers to build self-confidence, to create harmonious relationships, to gain professional success, to amass wealth, to conquer fears and phobias, to banish bad habits, and even to effect physical healing and promote overall well-being and happiness.
Buy On:
Blackwells £9.99 Bookshop.org UK £9.49 Bookshop.org US $18.60 Waterstones £9.99(All affiliate links earn commission from purchases that help fund this site. Prices accurate at time of writing)
The Loss That Binds Us: 108 Tips on Coping With Grief and Loss
Description from Blackwells:
Follow a Trail Blazed Through Grief's LandscapeThe Loss That Binds Us is a beautifully written grief manual from the heart. When the agony of losing a loved one strikes, you will find solace, comfort and even inspiration within it. The 108 practical tips therein help navigate the multitude of emotions brought on by loss. Let Sweta's guidance help begin your own healing or support someone who is grieving. The Loss That Binds Us looks at grief in its various facets and helps you identify what you are experiencing. Following her own journey through the grief of losing her parents, Sweta helps you acknowledge, understand and accept what you may be experiencing.
An intentional, insightful, deep, raw, sometimes funny and always real, The Loss That Binds Us is the resource you will turn to if you are experiencing loss; the one book you'll want to keep by your side as a trusted ally.
Buy On:
Bookshop.org US $14.83 Blackwells £11.56 Waterstones $13.99(All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Stuart Ritchie
How to Avoid Being Killed in a War Zone: The Essential Survival Guide for Dangerous Places by Rosie Garthwaite.
Might feel a bit close to the bone with world events, but there you are. And there is a tenuous link to my book Who Will Get My Money When I Die?
How to Avoid Being Killed in a War Zone: The Essential Survival Guide for Dangerous Places
Description from Bookshop.org:
Everyone needs this book if they want to know how to get out of difficult situations whether at home or abroad. Written by Rosie Garthwaite, whose career as a journalist started in war-torn Basra, this book combines practical advice with contributions from many journalists and commentators including Rageh Omar and John Simpson, who share their own experience and advice on surviving in difficult and dangerous situations. Topics include how to avoid being misunderstood; how to avoid bombs and booby traps; how to escape from a riot; how to deal with frostbite and heat exhaustion; how to avoid trouble in sex, love and war; and how cope if you have had a traumatic experience. The author conveys this wealth of practical, sensible advice in a very direct and personal way. In addition, readers hear the voices of many well-known journalists who share their experiences and advice in a very direct and personal way. This book is an enjoyable read as well as a true survival manual which can be enjoyed by both men and women (usually ignored by the ‘boys' own' market) and by all ages especially travellers venturing away from home or to extreme destinations for the first time.
Medical information has been vetted by Médecins Sans Frontières, one of the world's leading medical charities which specializes in warzones and other trouble spots.
Buy On:
Blackwells £15.18 Bookshop.org UK £19.00 Waterstones £20.00(All affiliate links earn commission from purchases that help fund this site. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Who Will Get My Money When I Die?: The concise guide to making your Will and reducing the impact of Inheritance Tax on your Estate
Description from Bookshop.org:
Are you worried about your Inheritance Tax liability, what to do with your assets, or how to provide for yourself in your old age while still leaving something to those you want to benefit from your Estate?
Who Will Get My Money When I Die? is a clear and comprehensive guide to Inheritance Tax and legacy planning that will allow you to enjoy life to the fullest, knowing your affairs are in order. Packed with practical guidance and real-life case studies, it shows you how to avoid unwanted surprises or crippling tax bills for your heirs and ensure your wishes are carried out.
Understand how to:
- Calculate your wealth and your potential Inheritance Tax liability
- Identify the options available to you when it comes to deciding how and to whom you should leave your money
- Maximise legitimate tax-saving opportunities in your lifetime to help limit Inheritance Tax liability on death
- Plan and provide for your own needs in old age and in case of ill health
- Structure your Estate tax efficiently while retaining control during your lifetime
Buy On:
Bookshop.org UK £16.14 Bookshop.org US $21.99 Blackwells £15.99 Waterstones £16.99(All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Huge thanks to Ivana, Kristína, Nadim, Sweta, & Stuart for their great Christmas book picks!
Merry Christmas to you all, & happy reading!
Daryl
Image Copyrights: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, Simon & Schuster Ltd, Advantage Media Group, Penguin Books Ltd, Ebury Publishing, Rethink Press, Loving Healing Press.
< Home
