Contributors to the May 2022 issue of TD magazine offer their book recommendations.

Shannon Tipton

DataStory: Explain Data and inspire Action Through Story

by Nancy Duarte

As humans, we lean into storytelling—even with something as complex as data. Data can often create confusion and glazed-over looks. This book will guide you through the gaps between compiling, analyzing, and explaining data to those whose first language is not data.

Designing for Modern Learning: Beyond ADDIE and SAM by Crystal Kadakia and Linda M.D. Owens

The business model as we know it is shifting and changing. Therefore, it becomes critical for L&D to review and reflect on current instructional models. This book is an insightful and clever resource to help reimagine how good instructional design can impact business and people’s success.

Jamie Notter

Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries

by Safi Bahcall

Innovation is a necessity in today's changing world, and this book offers great examples of how to connect the creative innovators in your organization with the disciplined doers to create innovations that scale

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant

In today’s environment, almost nothing is more important than embracing a growth mindset, and that requires what Grant calls “confident humility,” where you’re confident in your ability to get things done but humble enough to know your current answer might not be the right one. It’s a great read.

Julie Winkle Giulioni

How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters

by Michael Bungay Stanier

I love everything about this book. Stanier's content is always top-notch and immediately actionable. The humor and humility create an intimate experience for the reader. And the playful but highly effective design make this an engaging visual treat as well.

Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company by Whitney Johnson

Johnson is one of the clearest and most inspiring writers around. Her new book should be required reading for anyone in talent development. It deconstructs learning, using Johnson’s S Curve, and offers an accessible and actionable road map for continuous growth and development.

Eric Gantwerker

Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can make Healthcare Human Again by Eric Topol

Topol, a physician, discusses the current and future applications of artificial intelligence in medicine. He talks about the technology itself, how it is being used, and the concerns and limitations of its implementation.

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

This is a discussion about how people make decisions using predictably irrational logic. It is an interesting look at human psychology that can inform clinicians on how patients may make decisions.