Beacon Scholars Reading List
| Book summaries abridged from goodreads.com | |
|
True North shows how anyone who follows their internal compass can become an authentic leader. This leadership tour de force is based on research and first-person interviews with 125 of today’s top leaders - with some surprising results. In this book, Bill George and co-author Peter Sims share the wisdom of these outstanding leaders and describe how you can develop as an authentic leader.
|
|
|
Becoming is the memoir of former United States first lady Michelle Obama published in 2018. Described by the author as a deeply personal experience, the book talks about her roots and how she found her voice, as well as her time in the White House, her public health campaign, and her role as a mother.
|
|
|
In Born a Crime, comedian and television personality Trevor Noah gives a heartfelt and funny recounting of his experiences growing up in South Africa as an oppressed person. Stories of Noah’s life are interspersed with insights into South Africa’s culture, systems, and history, during the time of racial segregation known as apartheid.
|
|
|
Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Brené Brown PhD, LMSW, explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions like fear, grief, and disappointment, and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. Daring Greatly is a practice and a powerful new vision for letting ourselves be seen. |
|
|
A galvanizing playbook for success from Steven Bartlett, one of the world’s most exciting entrepreneurs and the host of the No. 1 podcast The Diary of a CEO. He says: At the very heart of all the success and failure I've been exposed to - both my own entrepreneurial journey and through the thousands of interviews I’ve conducted on my chart-topping podcast - are a set of principles that ensure excellence. These fundamental laws underpinned my meteoric rise, and they will fuel yours too, whether you want to build something great or become someone great. These laws will stand the test of time and will help anyone master their life and unleash their potential, no matter the field.
Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
Whether it's a spouse, a sibling, a colleague or a friend, a difficult person can take over our lives and make it hell. In Difficult People, Dr Rebecca Ray shows us how to recognise and understand difficult people and provides us with empowering strategies to help manage them. With her expertise, insight and guidance we can learn to anticipate when another person's behaviour puts our psychological safety at risk and what steps we can take to restore our safety and wellbeing by setting boundaries.
Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
The publication of this book launched the young Illinois senator onto the national stage; its worldwide publication added to Obama's global fame. The book itself traces Obama's life from his birth in Hawaii, his troubled adolescence, his search for his Kenyan roots, life in Indonesia and his education and rise to national US politics. |
|
|
Daniel Pink describes the characteristics of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. He reveals that many companies rely on extrinsic motivation, even though this is often counterproductive. The book explains clearly how we can best motivate ourselves and others by understanding intrinsic motivation. He asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction - at work, at school, and at home - is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. |
|
|
In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, students, and business people both seasoned and new that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called grit. |
|
|
We live in a world that’s obsessed with talent. We celebrate gifted students in school, natural athletes in sports, and child prodigies in music. But admiring people who start out with innate advantages leads us to overlook the distance we ourselves can travel. We underestimate the range of skills that we can learn and how good we can become. We can all improve at improving. And when opportunity doesn’t knock, there are ways to build a door. Hidden Potential offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations.
Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
Dale Carnegie's first book is a timeless bestseller, packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. As relevant as ever before, Dale Carnegie's principles endure, and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age. Learn the six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment. |
|
|
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, she was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. |
|
|
Leadership is hard. Convincing others—and yourself—that you are capable of taking charge and achieving more requires insight and courage. Lead from the Outside is the handbook for outsiders, written with an eye toward the challenges that hinder women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and millennials ready to make change.
Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
In his work with organizations around the world, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other. Other teams, no matter what incentives are offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. The answer became clear during a conversation with a Marine Corps general. "Officers eat last," he said. Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the line. What's symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: great leaders sacrifice their own comfort - even their own survival - for the good of those in their care. |
|
|
Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Since his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela has been at the centre of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world. Long Walk To Freedom is his moving and exhilarating autobiography, destined to take its place among the finest memoirs of history's greatest figures. |
|
|
Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Satrapi bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.
|
|
|
Master the art of communication to improve outcomes in any scenario; Simply Said is the essential handbook for business communication. More than just a list of tips, this book connects skills with scenarios and purpose to help you hear and be heard. You'll learn the skills to deliver great presentations and clear and persuasive messages, handle difficult conversations, effectively manage, lead with authenticity and more, as you discover the secrets of true communication.
Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership explains what it takes to become a great leader. These ’21 laws’ highlight many of the traits, skills and characteristics that have given leaders around the world the power to attract loyal followers and lead them toward success. Find out what Ray Kroc, Winston Churchill and Mother Theresa all have in common – and what you can do to become a better leader yourself. Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
The Autobiography of Malcolm X was intended to be a true autobiography, with the name of Alex Haley appearing not at all or as a ghost writer or as a mere contributor or assistant. However, with the assassination of Malcolm X having occurred in Harlem in New York City on February 21, 1965 just before this book could be published, it became necessary to reveal the important role of Alex Haley in creating this book.
|
|
|
Congratulations, you're a manager! After you pop the champagne, accept the shiny new title, and step into this thrilling next chapter of your career, the truth descends like a fog: you don't really know what you're doing. The Making of a Manager is a modern field guide packed everyday examples and transformative insights, including how to tell a great manager from an average manager; when you should look past an awkward interview and hire someone anyway; where to look when you lose faith and lack the answers.
Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever. For the first time, and in his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career. |
|
|
This is a serious look at the science of habit formation and change. Duhigg is optimistic about how we can put the science to use. “Once you understand that habits can change,” he concludes, “you have the freedom — and the responsibility — to remake them. Once you understand that habits can be rebuilt, the power becomes easier to grasp, and the only option left is to get to work.” He also suggests that by understanding the nature of habits we can influence group behaviour, turning companies into profit makers and ensuring the success of social movements. He makes his case by presenting fascinating stories and case histories. |
|
|
Machiavelli has created a ruthless guide on how to rule the country in his volume The Prince. The author explains in simple language about the nature of great men and the characters of the government. Machiavelli’s treatise makes a clear break from the Western tradition of political philosophy that preceded him. The Prince is a shockingly direct how-to manual for rulers who aim either to establish and retain control of a new state or to seize and control an existing one. |
|
|
James A. Autry argues that servant leadership - the idea that managing with respect, honesty, love, and spirituality empowers employees - helps individuals answer their calling to leadership. Here, he reveals the servant leader’s tools, a set of skills and ideals that will transform the way business is done. It helps leaders nurture the needs and goals of those who look to them for leadership. The result is a more productive, successful, and happier organization, and a more meaningful life for the leader. No Reviews Yet |
|
|
Stephen R. Covey's holistic, integrated, principle-centred approach revolutionized the way people solve personal and professional problems and go on to lead extraordinary lives. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity - principles that give us the security to adapt to change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates. |
|
|
By laying out a series of steps to follow, the book aims to teach teenagers how to become more confident, self-reliant, and successful in whatever career path they choose. The seven habitual steps include being proactive, having an end goal in mind, prioritising first things first, thinking win-win, seeking to understand first before seeking to be understood, synergizing, and ‘sharpening the saw’. |
|
|
In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical.
Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
Ultimate Presentations, by Beacon faciliator Jay Surti, covers every aspect of this essential communication skill: how to prepare and structure a great presentation, using technology and visual aids, communicating a strong message, tailoring your presentation to your audience, highlighting your own personal skills through your presentation, time management and dealing with Q and As.
Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obama's call for a new kind of politics—a politics that builds upon those shared understandings that pull people together as Americans. Lucid in his vision of America's place in the world, refreshingly candid about his family life and his time in the Senate, Obama here sets out his political convictions and inspires us to trust in the dogged optimism that has long defined us and that is our best hope going forward.
|
|
|
Forgotten Women shines a well-deserved spotlight on women of accomplishment in various fields -scientists, leaders, writers and artists - who have been forgotten or overlooked, uncovering the lost ‘herstories’ of influential women who have formed, shaped and changed the course of our futures. Forgotten Women redresses the balance and puts their achievements firmly back on the map.
Scholar Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
Chris Hani’s assassination in 1993 gave rise to one of South Africa’s great imponderables: if he had survived, what impact would he have had on politics and government in South Africa? Hani was a hero of South Africa’s liberation, a communist party leader and Umkhonto we Sizwe chief of staff who was both intellectual and fighter, a man who could inspire an army but carried a book of poetry in his backpack. Hani led MK into its earliest battles, and carved a formidable reputation as a thinker, debater and peacemaker.
Scholars Reviews & Ratings |
|
|
As a young woman, Gbowee was broken by the Liberian civil war, a brutal conflict that tore apart her life and claimed the lives of countless relatives and friends. Gbowee helped organize and then led the Liberian Mass Action for Peace, a coalition of Christian and Muslim women who sat in public protest, confronting Liberia's ruthless president and rebel warlords. With an army of women, Gbowee helped lead her nation to peace.
Scholars Reviews & Ratings |
Daring Greatly 
How to Win Friends and Influence People 
