Here are some of the books I enjoyed this week.
Focus
by Daniel Goleman
In Focus, Daniel Goleman uses cutting-edge research and findings to delve into the science of attention in all its varieties. He persuasively argues that now more than ever we must learn to sharpen our focus in order to contend with and thrive in a complex world. It requires what he calls “smart practice” to improve habits, add new skills and sustain excellence. In the mental gym, the specifics of practice can make all the difference.
Compelling People
by John Neffinger, Matthew Kohut
What makes some people irresistible and others forgettable? John Neffinger and Matthew Kohut introduce us to two qualities –– strength (the root of respect) and warmth (the root of affection) –– and they detail the signals that broadcast each of these. Drawing on the latest social science and the authors’ own work,Compelling People reveals the basic framework we use to judge each other and what we can do to earn both respect and affection.
For parents, happiness is a very high bar
By Jennifer Senior
The parenting section of the bookstore is overwhelming — it’s “a giant, candy-colored monument to our collective panic,” as writer Jennifer Senior puts it. Why is parenthood filled with so much anxiety? Because the goal of modern, middle-class parents — to raise happy children — is so elusive. In this honest talk, she offers some kinder and more achievable aims.
Should you live for your résumé … or your eulogy?
By David Brooks
Within each of us are two selves, suggests David Brooks in this meditative short talk: the self who craves success, who builds a résumé, and the self who seeks connection, community, love — the values that make for a great eulogy. (Joseph Soloveitchik has called these selves “Adam I” and “Adam II.”) Brooks asks: Can we balance these two selves?
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