Whether staying at home or venturing abroad, a lot of us will be taking some much-needed downtime in the coming weeks. If you’re looking to use that time to get through a book or two then we thought it might be helpful to share some recommendations of books that the team at Proxima have enjoyed so far this year.
To spark some new ideas for your business or career, you could try:
Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire by Brad Stone
Whatever you think about Jeff Bezos and Amazon, they cannot be ignored. Brad Stone’s new book looks at how Amazon’s growth accelerated over the last decade but also the areas where the company didn’t meet the mark (who remember the Amazon Fire Phone?!). A fascinating read for every business leader.
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
Adam Grant has become one of the world’s top business thinkers over the past decade. His books have sold millions of copies and his latest book ‘Think Again’ shows exactly why. Grant outlines how an open mindset can supercharge your learning process and help you overcome obstacles.
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman
On a similar theme, Wharton Professor Katy Milkman looks at seven human impulses that often hold back change. Drawing on her own research, Milkman outlines a series of ways habits can be formed and altered.
For insights into how our world and economy is changing, you may enjoy:
Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire by Rebecca Henderson
How can businesses help solve the biggest problem of the modern age? As climate change grips the world, this book explores how companies of all sizes can play their part in reshaping the economic system.
Value(s): Building a Better World for All by Mark Carney
Mark Carney enjoyed the best part of the last decade leading the Bank of England. In this new book, he steps back to examine the rise of financial value and how this has often come to trump other social values in today’s modern world. He also offers thoughts as to how that trend might be reversed in the decades ahead.
Atlas of AI by Kate Crawford
Artificial Intelligence is one of those topics we know is going to result in big changes but we find it hard to wrap our heads around. This book looks at some of the practical implications of AI might be and how it will change our society.
For a lighter read, why not try some of our fiction top picks:
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
This is Ishiguro’s first book since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature and has already been longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize. It takes a look at a near-future where Klara, an Artificial Friend, navigates a world shaped by AI and genetic enhancement.
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
Patricia Lockwood’s debut novel has received rave reviews. It’s an exploration of the implications of today’s hyper-online world where the first thing many people do each morning is check social media.
If you’re a keen reader and have already get through the books above, perhaps you will find further inspiration on our 2020 Summer Reading List.
