You’ve had your summer. You’ve had your beach read. Now it’s time to get back to work. Herewith, five new books out this month that’ll help you do just that.
Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction
by Philip E. Tetlock and Dane Gardner (September 29)
From some of the best minds in social sciences, Superforecasting takes on a subject we all wish we knew more about: predicting the future. Drawing on decades of research and interviews, the book looks at how decision-makers analyze the future to choose their next move. Equal parts scientific, nebulous and practical.
Reclaiming the Conversation: The Power of Talk in the Digital Age
by Sherry Turkle (HarperBusiness, October 6)
Picking up where she left off with her last book, Alone Together, digital culture critic Sherry Turkle returns with a meditation on how technology has changed the way people communicate. Based on five years of research and interviews, Reclaiming Conversation is just that — a call to rescue the art of the face-to-face conversation, and how it can be the foundation to a more empathetic, productive life.
Phishing for Phools: The Economics of Manipulation and Deception
by George Akerlof and Robert Shiller (Princeton University Press, September 22)
Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economists George Akerlof and Robert Shiller think you’re being deceived by the free market. Their book centers around the idea that psychology and economics are one, arguing that the fundamental notion of profit undermines the belief of civility. The “invisible hand that feeds” kinda thing. The book contains clear and concise real-world examples of how the system is set up to exploit weakness.
Rising Strong
by Brené Brown (Spiegel & Grau, August 25)
With more than 21 million views, Brené Brown’s “The Power of Vulnerability” is one of the five most viewed TED Talks in the world. For Rising Strong, Brown offers insight based on both research and experience about surviving failure, owning your own “story” and negotiating its truth.
Friend & Foe
by Adam Galinksy and Maurice Schweitzer (Crown Business, September 29)
The workplace can be a cutthroat environment. Hell, same could be said for life. If you wanna learn how to make friends and keep enemies close, look no further. In Friend & Foe, researchers Adam Galinsky and Maurice Schweitzer offer up advice and real-world anecdotes on how to navigate collaborative projects and competition with aplomb.
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