- Grit
- Self-control
- Zest
- Social intelligence
- Gratitude
- Optimism
- Curiosity
How Children Succeed — Paul Tough
There But For The — Ali Smith
Have you ever been at some awful social gathering and just wanted to get up and walk out? Have you ever been at a stranger’s lovely house and wished you lived there instead of your own hovel? That’s what happens … Continue reading
Redirect — Timothy Wilson
Redirect lays out a set of techniques for achieving real, lasting change in our behaviour and improving our lives. Actually, this book doesn’t really tell you what to do — it isn’t a self-help book — instead, it describes why … Continue reading
Life After Life — Kate Atkinson
“What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right?” This plot micro-summary was enough to make me pick up this book. That and Kate Atkinson’s reputation. I had planned to … Continue reading
Blind Spots — Bazerman & Tenbrunsel
This book is all about the field of Behavioural Ethics — how what we do is affected by the way we think about what we do. And vice versa. (Perhaps I could have explained that better.) Probably the most important … Continue reading
The Meaning of Things — A. C. Grayling
This book of thoughtful mini-essays on life’s big topics is a pleasure to read. But maybe I only think that because I agree with a lot of what Grayling has to say. But maybe I only agree with him because … Continue reading
Thinking, fast and slow — Daniel Kahneman
My friend David lent me this book after telling me that it had been blowing his mind. I’m not sure if it has blown my mind, but it definitely helped me to understand it a bit better. Kahneman suggests thinking … Continue reading
A Technique for Producing Ideas — James Webb Young
This classic book lays out, as you might expect, a technique for producing ideas. It’s very short and simple. In a nutshell, you must maintain a good supply of general knowledge, steep yourself in specialist knowledge about your problem, and … Continue reading
The Fall — Albert Camus
This short, intense monologue offers an unblinking view of the hypocrisy at the root of all human existence. Its protagonist is perhaps the most genuinely cynical character I have ever come across. The Guardian called The Fall “the most perfect … Continue reading
Fight Club — Chuck Palahniuk
The characters in Fight Club have a cruel self-destructiveness that I would hate to encounter in real life, but seems strangely appealing on the page. It’s the only way they can exert control over their lives, and it grows into … Continue reading