Toes in the sand book in the hands!

Summer is already here! I hope you all find a bit of time to relax and take some sunbath. In my previous roles, I always tried to provide some suggestions on books that might be interesting reads and, in some cases, helpful. I wanted to continue the tradition here at Clairmont. Lately, most of my reading time has been taken up by academic research papers as I am closing in on wrapping up my dissertation! However, I have still managed to sneak a few good books in recently and here they 5 suggestions for you.

1- Atomic Habit

After leaving the corporate world, I noticed how many habits I had as it relates to the workday. I had the opportunity to put in place new daily habits as I adjusted the way I work. Working through James Clear’s book, it helped me be more aware of the habits that I wanted and those that were slipping through the cracks. It is always a great time to put good habits into place (before bad ones take root). Your habits dictate your behavior which in turn creates your identity. This holds true, specifically in the workplace. Each action is a vote for or against the new habit, so being aware makes all the difference. James Clear focuses his advice on the “The Four Laws of Behavior Change” which states make the habits: Obvious, Attractive, Easy, and Satisfying. Over time the habits will become mindless, everyday practices.

2- Thinking Fast and Slow

At Clairmont, we have been doing a lot of work on how to make training more impactful with lasting results. To that end, I have just finished rereading Daniel Kahneman’s book on how the brain works and makes sense of information and data. This book is a classic and definitely worth reading. I am a big fan of his work and would also recommend his newer book, Noise, which he wrote with Oliver Sibony and Casss Sunstein.

3- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

This is a classic for a reason. Stephen Covey lays out the principles to act on in this timeless book. The premise is that if you consistently act in a particular manner, you can form habits that can improve your character. The habits that are outlined are practical and make logical sense. To adopt habits, one must Know, Develop, and Desire them. This book gives practical advice and examples that a new hire will find valuable. If you are like me, you have come across this book over the years.

4- The Bond King

I couldn’t help but to add The Bond King. Mary Childs provides an account how legendary bond investor, Bill Gross, built an amazing firm and ultimately lost control of it. I had the pleasure of working with PIMCO in 2006 and was there through 2016. During that time, the firm experienced a lot of growth, and it was amazing to be a part of. I hold many great memories and friendships from those years and the book served as a walk down memory lane.

5- In Search of Lost Time

Some of you may have seen A Look Toward The Past I wrote about the AT&T training experiment and how they included the Humanities subjects in their corporate training. Taking a page out of their book, I recently picked up the Marcel Proust novel. I am about halfway through the book, and while I do recommend it, I would also encourage others who have traditionally stuck to business-oriented books to broaden their selection of books this Summer.

I hope that everyone can get some much-needed rest this summer! Next week, I will be in California for a few days then off to the great state of Minnesota for a once every 10-year family reunion. While the forecasts are for the 90’s, it will be a nice change from the summer heat of Dubai!

Read more here:

• Atomic habit
• Thinking, Fast and Slow
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• The Bond King
• In Search of Lost Time