B. Kim Barnes

Think Again

By Adam Grant

Grant encourages readers to let go of comfortable assumptions and question what they think they know. Grant also demonstrates, using recent studies, how inaccurate people can be in judging their own competence and understanding. People in our field can benefit from his wisdom by gaining insight into helping others let go of comfortable certainties and open up to new ideas and possibilities

Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic

By Simon Winchester

Winchester’s new book takes us through the history of how we acquire and share knowledge, from prehistoric times to the present. Anyone in the business of talent development will appreciate the power of the drive for learning from our earliest ancestors to our own time and place. Winchester discusses the impact of major learning technologies, from printing forward to the tiny computers we all now carry with us and use frequently throughout the day to clarify, understand, and contribute to the world’s knowledge.

Carl Binder

Human Competence

By Thomas F. Gilbert

Arguably the seminal work on what has become human performance improvement, this book contains more key ideas and models than most people can apply in a career. Gilbert, with a background in instructional systems design, not only recognizes that training is unlikely to deliver optimal return on investment, he is also the most compelling voice for shifting the talent development focus from behavior to the valuable products of behavior.

Rediscovering Value: Leading the 3-D Enterprise to Sustainable Success

By Geary Rummler, Alan J. Ramias, and Cherie L. Wilkins

Written for leaders by Geary Rummler, one of the pioneers in instructional systems design and organizational performance improvement, this book provides a robust framework for executive leaders and others responsible for delivering value to customers through the performance of people. It places talent development in the context of organizational alignment and continuous improvement and offers an actionable framework for connecting leaders and talent development professionals in the same enterprise.

Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success

By Ken Segall

Ken Segall worked with Steve Jobs at Apple and NeXT Computer and saw up close how the value of simplicity was embedded in everything Jobs did as a leader. In this relatively quick read, the author shows how the fundamental principle of keeping things simple drove everything from product design and marketing to meeting management and accountability. It provides refreshing insight into how great leaders can cut through the complexity that tends to grow in organizations and how they can get bogged down without constant attention.

Jared Horvath

The Screentime Solution: A Judgment-Free Guide to Becoming a Tech-Intentional Family

By Emily Cherkin

I am not sure how resonant this will be with your audience, but as a new parent, I am absolutely terrified about raising my daughter in a tech world. I am not a huge fan of tech, and am even less so when it comes to social media. This book does a really good job of drawing a bridge between all camps. It does not preach complete abstinence (like some books), nor does it preach our adoption (like some tech gurus); rather, it accepts that tech is an unavoidable part of this world and allows you to think through how best to employ it or avoid it within your particular family.

My favorite takeaway so far has been ‘Living Out Loud’—every time my wife or I touch a piece of text, we have to say out loud what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. Really makes you realize how many times you touch your phone or a computer with no good reason. The more we see it, the more we can cut it back and (hopefully) lessen the influence on our daughter.

Summer Jelinek

Creating Magic

By Lee Cockerell

This book is fantastic for understanding how to lead and influence within a large organization. The author is a wonderful storyteller, so it is an easy read. It breaks down leadership into real-world examples. If you are a Disney fan, its subject is a bonus.

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

By Kim Scott

This book really helped me understand how to give feedback and why it is so important if you want to build an environment of trust. The author does a fantastic job of explaining why being radically candid is so rare and so important in today’s workforce. Kim explains it best, “From the time we learn to speak, we’re told that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. When you become a manager, it’s your job to say it—and your obligation.”

Nidhi Sachdeva

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

By James Clear

Atomic Habits is a practical guide to personal development and behavior change. Grounded in research from various fields such as psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics, the concept of Atomic Habits emphasizes the power of small actions repeated consistently over time, leading to remarkable results in the long run. Written in a clear and engaging style that makes complex concepts easy to grasp, the book offers many actionable steps to achieve one’s best potential. Personally, for me, with regard to the concept of Atomic Habits, there were many other alignments with cognitive science as well, for example, breaking tasks into small steps and spaced repetition, all of which have robust evidence for their effectiveness. It’s a must-have for everyone.