Are you planning on relaxing at the beach this summer; a delicious drink in one hand and a good book in the other? But you feel bad about not spending that time productively learning or working, as every workaholic does? Then this is the list for you. I have chosen four essential books related to communication for you to take on holiday with you.
The Culture Map
This book will tell you all about the global world of communication; from countries that are similar to your own, to the ones that are wildly different. Erin Meyer, a professor at INSEAD, one of the world’s best business schools, tells you how to navigate the complex world of cultural differences.
In her study Erin Meyer investigates communication patterns and systems in all of the different countries in the world. She does so using eight measurements each of which represents one key area of communication that you have to be aware of. Are you curious to see which area you can improve on when communicating with different cultures within your group? Or, are you fascinated by communicational differences around the world? Either way this is the book for you. It is especially fun to read when in a different country.
Check out The Culture map by Erin Meyer.
Hit Makers – How things become popular
What made the Star Wars movies so extremely successful? Why did everyone enjoy Trump’s twitter? How did Pokémon GO become all the rage? These questions, and many others like them, about popularity and virality, are answered by Derek Thompson, American journalist for the Atlantic, in his book Hit Makers.
The book investigates the age-old question of how things become popular. By analyzing different viral hits and pop culture phenomena he reveals the hidden truth behind their success. With that comes an in-depth look into the world of human desires and communication science. The book is filled with anecdotes that will make you go “I didn’t know that”. The great part about it is that you have facts that will last you a lifetime and make others say “Wow”.
Check out Hit Makers How things became popular by Derek Thompson.
Human Kind (A hopeful History)
In most history books the main take away is that we humans are not that great. We act like beasts, we are described as murderers, sinners and selfish beings, and we should not to be proud of our kind. The belief that people are rotten to the core has been ingrained in Western culture since the beginning. Rutger Bregman, Dutch journalist and writer, argues that we are wrong. He connects insights from psychology, biology, and archeology to paint our society in a different light.
While reading this book you will recognize a lot of well known theories and studies, such as the Stanford Prison Experiment and the Milgram Shock Experiment. But, instead of praising or reinforcing these studies, Bregman skillfully breaks them down.
This New York Times Best-Selling book offers a great new perspective on the past and a hopeful outlook for the future, which makes it great for reading on vacation.
Check out Human Kind (A hopeful History) by Rutger Bregman.
The Bluebottle Fly Effect
Known from their Dutch podcast ‘Bromvlieg effect’, behavioral-scientist Eva van den Broek and marketing strategist Tim den Heijer wrote a book about how the littlest things can sometimes have a big influence. The term Bluebottle Fly is one that they made up inspired by the Butterfly effect (a butterfly flapping its wings can create a storm). The Bluebottle fly is small, annoying, and hard to beat off. This book gives you insight into all the ways that the effect is in play, in your home, at your work, in a store, and on the street. The recognizable examples in this book will leave you perplexed.
Check out The Bluebottle Fly Effect by Eva van den Broek and Tim den Heijer.
Have a great (and productive) holiday!
Cover Image by Angello Pro on Unsplash
Edited by Hana Maurer
