187: Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, & Sheila Heen

This book provides a step-by-step approach to having tough conversations with less stress and more success. It covers how to decipher the underlying structure of difficult conversations, raise tough issues without triggering defensiveness, manage strong emotions, and keep balance regardless of the other person's response. The book is filled with examples from everyday life and addresses issues such as race, culture, gender, power, and communication via technology. It is designed to help readers improve oral communication in personal, professional, and public life.

This book is a detailed medical atlas that provides extensive information and illustrations related to the heart and cardiovascular system. It is intended for medical professionals and students, offering a thorough resource for understanding cardiac anatomy, physiology, and pathology.

In 'Feel-Good Productivity,' Dr. Ali Abdaal challenges the conventional notion that productivity is about hard work and discipline. Instead, he argues that the secret to productivity is feeling good. Drawing on decades of psychological research, Abdaal introduces the three hidden 'energisers' that underpin enjoyable productivity, the three 'blockers' to overcome procrastination, and the three 'sustainers' to prevent burnout. The book includes inspiring stories from founders, Olympians, and Nobel-winning scientists and provides simple, actionable changes to make work more enjoyable and sustainable. Abdaal's approach focuses on cultivating a deeper energy for work, balancing well-being with productivity, and enjoying the journey.

In 'Digital Body Language', Erica Dhawan explores how traditional body language signals are replaced in digital communication. She offers insights and strategies to build trust and clarity across genders, generations, and cultures, making it easier to connect in a world dominated by screens. The book covers various digital communication platforms, from emails to video meetings, providing solutions to common misunderstandings.

In 'Clear Thinking', Shane Parrish provides a comprehensive manual for improving decision-making and personal growth. The book highlights how most people operate on autopilot, driven by behavioral defaults shaped by biology, evolution, and culture. Parrish offers strategies to recognize and capitalize on pivotal moments between stimulus and response, using stories, mental models, and a 4-stage decision process (define, explore, evaluate, execute). The book aims to help readers build self-knowledge, self-control, and self-confidence, and to make better decisions by balancing emotions with rational thinking and gathering high-quality information.

Originally published in 1940 and revised in 1972, this book is a classic guide to intelligent reading. It describes the art of reading as the process by which a mind elevates itself through its own operations on the symbols of readable matter. The authors emphasize active reading, highlighting the importance of keen observation, available memory, range of imagination, and an intellect trained in analysis and reflection. The book provides practical lessons on how to read books effectively, including inspectional reading, analytical reading, and syntopical reading, to achieve a deeper understanding of the material.

This book, written by former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss and co-author Tahl Raz, provides a masterclass in influencing others through negotiation. It distills the Voss method, revealing skills such as establishing rapport, creating trust with tactical empathy, and transforming conflict into collaboration. The book is filled with real-life examples from Voss's career, illustrating how these techniques can be applied in both professional and personal life to achieve goals and defuse potential crises.

In this book, Carol S. Dweck introduces the concept of two mindsets: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset believe their abilities are static, while those with a growth mindset believe their abilities can be developed through effort and learning. Dweck shows how these mindsets influence success in school, work, sports, and personal relationships. She also discusses how to adopt a deeper, truer growth mindset, and how this can transform individual and organizational cultures. The book emphasizes the importance of perseverance, learning from failures, and embracing challenges as key components of the growth mindset.