One of the best things about summer holidays is the extra time you have for reading books.
When the Southern Hemisphere team returned to the office for 2016 I asked around to see what had been the best reads. It seems that yellow covers were trending this summer!
Adam
- The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal
The Willpower Instinct is the first book to explain the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity.
Connor - The Theory Of Everything by Hawking W Stephen
"What can I say?! It's a classic."
Heather - Family Food by Pete Evans.
"I was the queen of home decorating this summer so my bookworm time was almost non-existent. However, I did buy this excellent cookbook. The butter chicken did not disappoint. In fact, I'd go as far as saying it was the best butter chicken I've EVER eaten."
Jason - Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction by Philip E. Tetlock & Dan Gardner
Everyone would benefit from seeing further into the future, whether buying stocks, crafting policy, launching a new product, or simply planning the week’s meals. Unfortunately, people tend to be terrible forecasters. As Wharton professor Philip Tetlock showed in a landmark 2005 study, even experts’ predictions are only slightly better than chance. However, an important and underreported conclusion of that study was that some experts do have real foresight, and Tetlock has spent the past decade trying to figure out why. What makes some people so good? And can this talent be taught?
Millie - The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
"This book was consistently recommended to me during 2015 and I can see why. Once you get started this book is very hard to put down. It explains the principles behind our best and worst habits and illustrates with fascinating examples from life and business."
Foodist: Using Real Food and Real Science to Lose Weight Without Dieting by Darya Pino Rose.
"Umm, is it embarrassing to include a book that has the word 'dieting' in the title as part of an otherwise pretty high-brow list? Well, yes it is a little. But this book really is just about eating Real Food (as the title suggests) and creating healthier habits around eating. Put your hand up if you work in an office and you couldn't benefit from improving your day to day eating habits?"
Nicky - The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
"Considered a UX (User Experience) bible, really interesting close look at how even teapots and door handles can impart lessons about usability."
Paul - Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe
Have you ever tried to learn more about some incredible thing, only to be frustrated by incomprehensible jargon? Randall Munroe is here to help. In Thing Explainer, he uses line drawings and only the thousand (or, rather, “ten hundred”) most common words to provide simple explanations for some of the most interesting stuff there is.
Ryan - Pieces of Mind: 21 Short Walks Around the Human Brain by Michael C. Corballis
Corballis punctures a few hot-air balloons (‘You only use 10 per cent of your brain!’ ‘Unleash the creativity of your right brain!’) and explains just what we know—and don’t know—about our own minds. From language to standing upright, composing music to bullshitting, he covers some of the fascinating activities and capabilities that go towards making us human.
Sam - Darwin's Forgotten Defenders: The Encounter Between Evangelical Theology and Evolutionary Thought by David N. Livingstone.
"It's a common assumption that the relationship between religion and evolution has always been a confrontational one. The book looks at the history of the relationship and why there need not be a divide."