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Business and Personal FinanceApril 2016
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"Productivity, put simply, is the name we give our attempts to figure out the best uses of our energy, intellect, and time as we try to seize the most meaningful rewards with the least wasted effort." ~ from Charles Duhigg's Smarter Faster Better
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| Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles DuhiggDo you struggle with productivity? Do you hope that there's a secret trick to becoming smarter, faster, or better at what you do? In this engaging book, bestselling author Charles Duhigg combines ample research, vivid and effective anecdotes, and even tiny stick figure drawings to explain and explore eight important aspects of "productivity" -- and how to transform your thinking and behaviors to increase your success with less effort. (One tip: Take notes. By hand.) |
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| The Storyteller's Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas... by Carmine GalloIf you listen to TED talks regularly, you'll have noticed that stories are plentiful -- and there's a reason for this. Anecdotes capture the audience's attention better than logic, evidence, or research does; this book is built to help you capitalize on the strategies of inspiring storytellers to improve your own public speaking. Peppered with real-life stories from business leaders, rock stars, and politicians, The Storyteller's Secret is a valuable resource whether you're leading meetings, delivering sales pitches, or headlining presentations. |
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| Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam GrantCommon wisdom suggests that you have to quit your job to follow your dreams of doing something big, but author Adam Grant posits a less restrictive understanding of originality, and cites bestselling cartoonist Scott Adams, who kept working while drawing Dilbert, as an example (ditto Henry Ford). The key to originality, he argues, is not being reckless; instead, it's about developing new ideas, often in a way that minimizes risk. Individual chapters identify aspects of successful original thinking, along with plenty of examples, and concludes with 30 practical "Actions for Impact" that you can use to unleash your own capacity for originality. |
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| The Industries of the Future by Alec RossWhich technologies are going to make the biggest mark in the world over the coming years? Author Alex Ross (former Senior Advisor for Innovation under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) shares his predictions in The Industries of the Future. "Wide-ranging and smoothly written" (Booklist), it covers a number of innovative industries (robotics, cybersecurity, genomics, and so on) and offers insightful recommendations for taking advantage of promising opportunities. |
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Preparing Kids for Adulthood
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| Why "A" Students Work for "C" Students and "B" Students Work for the Government by Robert T. KiyosakiFrom bestselling author Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad), this book encourages parents to rethink what they're teaching their kids about money and how to earn it. With chapters like "Prepare Your Child for the Worst" and "Why Valedictorians Fail," Kiyosaki upends traditional beliefs that good students will become successful workers, and argues that the opposite is just as likely to be true. The important thing, he believes, is not the letter grade but how well students translate what they learn into real-life lessons, and to that end he offers "Action Steps for Parents" to reinforce important lessons. |
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| Finerman's Rules: Secrets I'd Only Tell My Daughters About Business and Life by Karen FinermanKaren Finerman is a busy -- and successful -- woman. CEO of a major hedge fund, chairwoman of CNBC's Fast Money, and mother to two sets of twins, she's still found time to offer advice to women in the workplace. Though Finerman's Rules is partly an account of her own career, it's also full of suggestions for making your own mark. How to find a mentor, how to stand out, how to know when to make a change -- these are just some of the many topics Finerman covers in a book that is "spunky, direct, and full of spot-on wisdom" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and... by Ron LieberFrom reasonable rates for tooth fairy visits to allowances, student loan debt, and charitable donations, this handy guide to talking to your kids about money covers it all, with a strong foundation in behavioral economics and personal finance and plenty of examples from actual families. However, the author does acknowledge that his advice skews towards the upper middle class; while the philosophy behind raising confident and compassionate kids should appeal to all parents, those making less may also want to turn to Dave Ramsey's Smart Money Smart Kids. |
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| Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money by Dave Ramsey and Rachel CruzeAs his fans know, Dave Ramsey went bankrupt in his 20s and raised his children to avoid the mistakes he made. Here, he teams up with his daughter Rachel to help other families raise financially savvy kids, including through such methods as creating an emergency fund, paying cash for big-ticket items like cars (or college), and using his envelope system for spending, saving, and giving. Much of the text is written by Rachel, who explains exactly how she absorbed his lessons. Like Ramsey's other books, this one contains Biblical references; this shouldn't prevent parents of all faiths (or none) from benefiting from their advice. |
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| Lean In: For Graduates by Sheryl SandbergIn the original, bestselling Lean In, Facebook chief operating officer and influential businesswoman Sheryl Sandberg urged women to take risks and seek new challenges in order to find work that they could engage with passionately. Here, her content is expanded and updated for graduates just entering the workforce. With other experts weighing in on such topics as best practices for interviewing or negotiating, this guide to finding and getting the most out of a first job (regardless of gender) offers plenty of food for thought. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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