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Master the creative curve

Creativity isn’t something only born out of genius’ brains, says Allen Gannett. Instead of sudden light bulb moments, creative ideas are about taking something familiar and putting a fresh twist on it. As recent research shows, a predictable science unites all commercial creative success, whether it’s writing a bestselling novel or nurturing the growth of a company. In The Creative Curve, Gannett leads us through the mechanics of this so-called creative curve. A must-read for anyone looking to tap into their creativity.
– The Creative Curve, by Allen Gannett.

Pair freedom with responsibility

Most leaders know how to recruit, motivate and create great teams, right? No, says Patty McCord, the former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix. She champions radical honesty and offers road-tested advice to anyone who’s trying to steer their company into new waters. Instead of free sushi, the highest performers and brightest employees want excellent colleagues, a clear purpose and well-understood deliverables. McCord will make you rethink the way you approach your prospective employees and the ways in which you motivate your teams. Get ready to be entertained and educated.

– Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, by Patty McCord.

An optimist’s guide to the world

One of Bill Gates’ five summer books of 2018, Hans Rosling’s best-selling Factfulness: Ten Reasons Why We’re Wrong About the World asks if we’re doing so bad after all. Although it received a mixed response upon its posthumous release and some of its arguments have been rebuked by environmentalists and technologists, it offers interesting thoughts in a time characterised by daily negative news. In the book, Rosling, along with his collaborators Anna Rönnlund and Ola Rosling, offers new explanations to why we feel bleakly about the world and map out ten instincts that may distort our perspective.

– Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think, by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling & Anna Rosling Rönnlund.

Control time

Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, creators of Google Ventures’ world-famous design sprint, know time management like the backs of their hands. Having said that, Make Time isn’t a book about traditional productivity, lists or to-dos. It won’t offer you unrealistic solutions that require you to throw your smartphone into the dumpster or become a social media hermit. Instead, it offers simple shifts that can liberate you from constant stress and unnecessary busyness. Read this if you feel like there aren’t enough hours in a day and that you constantly get bogged down in daily nitty-gritty.

– Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day, by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky.

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Khaleid Hosseini www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

Paulo Coelho www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

Words: Matilda Kivelä
Photography: Bryan Saragosa