Annabelle Dickson
3 minutes reading time
With the summer holidays around the corner, we asked Betashares staff to put forth their literary picks from the past year.
Our staff read widely, covering topics such as psychology, communication, history, leadership, investing, and economics.
Here are their top picks.
The Art of Business Wars: Battle-Tested Lessons for Leaders and Entrepreneurs from History’s Greatest Rivalries
By David Brown
Chief Economist, David Bassanese, enjoyed reading Brown’s collection of stories and lessons from history’s greatest business rivalries.
Brown uses Sun Tzu’s Art of War framework to explain some of the successful strategies that companies such as Apple and Ford have previously used to gain an edge over their rivals.
“This book is a good biography of many famous businesses but uses a clear conceptual framework to help explain their success – thereby offering lessons in business strategy that others can apply,” Bassanese says.
Infinite Game
By Simon Sinek
Director – Adviser Business, Blair Modica, found inspiration in Sinek’s book, which focuses on reshaping our finite mindset in the infinite game of business and life.
“Sinek lays his case for creating a business that will stand the test of time and challenge what it means to participate in modern business,” Modica says.
“This book is for people who want to examine how they participate in ‘work’ and leave a lasting legacy in their organisation.”
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
By James Clear
Sarah Hare, Director of People and Culture, devoured Atomic Habits after it came as a recommendation from her son’s school principal earlier in the year.
Clear’s book is a practical and engaging guide to building consistency in staying focused and achieving your goals.
“This book has reframed how I approach my day – it explains how making small changes to your routine can really make a huge difference,” Hare says.
“It’s the art of running the marathon, not the sprint!”
Poor Charlie’s Almanack
Compiled by Peter D. Kaufman
Poor Charlie’s Almanack is an epic collection of thoughts, concepts and ideas written by legendary investor (and Warren Buffet’s business partner) Charlie Munger, says Chief Commercial Officer and Co-founder, Ilan Israelstam.
At 548 pages, Israelstam says the book is not one that he would call a light read. However, it provides incredible insight into the mind and wisdom of one of the investing greats.
“Given its length, it covers a lot of ground, but has a particular focus on ‘mental models’ that Charlie has used to structure his thinking through his life,” he says.
“I’ve found a great deal of ‘mind food’ in these pages and, given there is no need to read it cover to cover, it can be picked up at any time to give you a dose of inspiration!”
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds
By Michael Lewis
Video and Content Executive, Benjamin Smith, recommends this informative read about the friendship of psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, who are often referred to as the fathers of behavioural economics.
Lewis’ book documents ground-breaking findings in psychology that many readers will take for granted today.
“The surprisingly poignant book focuses on bias and heuristics that humans use daily, the power of collaborative work, and the strange and deeply moving friendship between two men,” Smith says.
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
By Brene Brown
Marketing Manager, Tamikah Bretzke, recommends Brown’s book, which she says speaks to the importance of the language we use to communicate and connect with others.
“As a natural-born storyteller, Brown draws from – and skilfully shapes – years of research into a fun framework (or atlas, if you will) to help readers both navigate and name their emotions and give them more understanding and power over their experiences,” Bretzke says.
“This might sound heavy, but Atlas of the Heart is an easy, wholesome read that you can pick up and put down at any time.”
