Skip to content

inspiring

A Room of One’s Own (by Virginia Woolf)

There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind. A classic work of feminist literature, this book explores the issue of women’s place in society. Specifically, that they have faced a scarcity of opportunities – this book raises the question of what women could achieve if they were given the same opportunities as their male colleagues. Woolf argues that centuries of financial and educational disadvantages have inhibited women’s creativity. She uses vivid storytelling to paint a… Read More »A Room of One’s Own (by Virginia Woolf)

Eat, Drink, Run (by Bryony Gordon)

Bryony’s honesty and vulnerability in discussing her own struggles with mental health and body image make this a powerful read. Her courageous decision to open up about her experiences is inspiring and serves as a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles and that it’s normal to have low feelings. The book is incredibly fun to read. From the first page, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. It’s also easily accessible, yet it packs a punch in terms of its message… Read More »Eat, Drink, Run (by Bryony Gordon)

My Stroke of Insights (by Jill Bolte Taylor)

You’re 37 years old and one morning, all of a sudden and without any prior warning, you notice that you cannot walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of your life. You’re a brain scientist and while you observe yourself and this situation that is unfolding, you recognise that you’re having a stroke. As you may have guessed, “My Stroke of Insights” is a memoir written by a neuroscientist, Jill Bolte Taylor, who experienced a stroke at the age of 37. She is also actively… Read More »My Stroke of Insights (by Jill Bolte Taylor)

Start With Why (by Simon Sinek)

It’s amazing how such a simple concept can be so powerful, thought-provoking, and inspiring. The idea is that most successful leaders and organizations have one thing in common: they all start with “why”. This is another book, like “Eat That Frog“, that I started reading many years ago when I was running my own business but never finished. So, I took the opportunity to finally finish reading it. I bought the book because I had watched the TED talk (which now has over 60 million… Read More »Start With Why (by Simon Sinek)

quiet

Quiet (by Susan Cain)

This book is about the power of introverts, a super interesting and important topic. The author, Susan Cain, is the world’s best-known expert on this personality type. Her TED talk has had over 32 million views so far. Culturally, our most important institutions – the schools and the workplaces – encourage us to work in teams and to even join “team building” activities. At school we’re spurred to have our say in class; and in our CVs we feel we must confirm that we’re able… Read More »Quiet (by Susan Cain)

Flow

Flow (by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi)

This is one of those books that I kept finding cited in a number of others that I have been reading, so much so that I had already got the concept of “flow” long before I read it. The author with the unpronounceable name – until you learn how to pronounce it – is a Hungarian psychologist who, about 70 years ago, moved to the USA and spent his career there. He died last year (in 2021) at the age of 87. Csíkszentmihályi‘s research and… Read More »Flow (by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi)

Sapiens

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (by Yuval Noah Harari)

I was really looking forward to reading this book and I had high expectations given that there had been a lot of hype around it. Not only did it not disappoint, but it also even exceeded my expectations. The author, Yuval Noah Harari, is simply a genius. He’s a university professor of history in Israel, so the book is written by somebody who has qualified knowledge. He has made an entire course about the history of humankind too which is available for free on YouTube.… Read More »Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (by Yuval Noah Harari)

A Wartime Memoir: Hungary 1944-1945 (by Alaine Polcz)

This is an autobiographical and historical account of the terrible experiences that the author went through during the Second World War in Hungary. It’s narrated in retrospective which I particularly appreciated as I could get to know the author’s thoughts from a point of view after the fact as well. It’s a raw, sad and often overwhelming read. It was difficult not to pause every few pages to take a break, breath and reflect on how horrifying war is. At a certain point, when I… Read More »A Wartime Memoir: Hungary 1944-1945 (by Alaine Polcz)

Mudlarking

Mudlarking

I loved this book even before I bought it. I fell in love with the cover, to start with. It’s so attractive I’m thinking of framing it and hanging it on the wall. It’s the choice of the colours, their combination, the font used and how the text is distributed that is just smart. When I started reading it, I was immediately hooked. The writing is clever and passionate. The author says she’s a daydreamer and manages to pull you into her daydreams. It felt… Read More »Mudlarking

Intelligenza Emotiva

Emotional Intelligence

I’ve been wanting to read this classic for a number of years and I am so happy I finally got around to it. I found it helpful and engaging that at the beginning of every single chapter there was a practical case to introduce the topic. The author also mentioned many scientific studies to support his theories. Eye-opening, deeply informative, insightful and satisfying, this expertly written book was definitely worth reading. From Goodreads: Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or… Read More »Emotional Intelligence