Here are 100 books that Rebel Ideas fans have personally recommended if you like Rebel Ideas. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong about the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

Yves Van Nuland Author Of Validating a Best Practice

From my list on evidence based management better decision making.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a chemist (PhD University of Leuven, Belgium). This explains my preference for a rational approach. I was also an assessor for the European EFQM organization. This European Management Model allows an organization or company to achieve excellent results for all its stakeholders. One of the methods used is the Best Practice method. Finally, at the end of my career, I asked myself the question: How do we know that our country is well managed? There is no management model for this yet. That is why I developed a new model: the SAC model. Together with my colleague Grace L. Duffy, we have described this model in several papers.

Yves' book list on evidence based management better decision making

Yves Van Nuland Why Yves loves this book

The author starts with the question: “Are you smarter than my chimpanzee?” When you finished the book, you’ll be so humble to say: I am not!

While reading the book, I was several times surprised by how adults (including myself) have a distorted perception of reality. For example, eighty percent of children worldwide are vaccinated. This means that almost all human beings alive today have some access to basic modern health care. However, on average, just 13 percent of people get the right answer.

Don’t forget that you can only make correct decisions based on accurate data. For this, you can rely on (the many) reliable databases that are available via the internet.

It was for me the first book that convinced me to think and work more with facts and data, i.e., evidence-based management

By Hans Rosling , Anna Rosling Rönnlund , Ola Rosling

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Factfulness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases.' BARACK OBAMA

'One of the most important books I've ever read - an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.' BILL GATES

*#1 Sunday Times bestseller * New York Times bestseller * Observer 'best brainy book of the decade' * Irish Times bestseller * Guardian bestseller * audiobook bestseller *

Factfulness: The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts.

When asked simple questions about global trends - why the world's population is increasing; how…


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Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of Thinking, Fast and Slow

Haywood Spangler Author Of Reasoning for Business

From my list on critical thinking books for the intellectually curious.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the founder and principal of Work & Think, LLC., and help clients make complex decisions that include a realistic understanding of uncertainty. My Spangler Ethical Reasoning Assessment® (SERA®) is used across industries and around the world, enabling individuals to combine critical thinking and values to make complex decisions. I am a frequent keynote speaker, a corporate consultant, a researcher, and an author. My new book is Reasoning for Business. Learn more at my website.

Haywood's book list on critical thinking books for the intellectually curious

Haywood Spangler Why Haywood loves this book

I find this book answers questions many people ask: Why aren’t we always logical? What gets in the way of our making effective decisions?

I first read this book when I started my consulting practice and realized I needed to combine psychology with philosophy in teaching critical thinking in professional settings. People want to understand why we can be unreasonable in the first place. Kahneman’s book helped me improve my own thinking, making me aware of the ways my previous experiences quickly provide interpretations of new experiences.

I find the ability to “hit the pause button” regarding my response to a specific situation and to ask myself, “Is my immediate, intuitive response useful or misleading me?” is one of my most important insights from this book.

By Daniel Kahneman ,

Why should I read it?

50 authors picked Thinking, Fast and Slow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The phenomenal international bestseller - 2 million copies sold - that will change the way you make decisions

'A lifetime's worth of wisdom' Steven D. Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics
'There have been many good books on human rationality and irrationality, but only one masterpiece. That masterpiece is Thinking, Fast and Slow' Financial Times

Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast,…


Book cover of Mythos

Evgueniy Todorov Author Of ODIN's Baked Goods

From my list on absurdly hilarious books on mythology.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been fascinated with various myths and legends, as I think they are all based on actual events and personalities. I see mythology and folklore as a connection between that distant past, which otherwise would have been lost to us. I started reading Greek and Norse mythology at an early age, and my interest only grew stronger. At the same time, I had an issue with the dry and gloomy stories and always wanted to insert humor and entertainment into the old myths to make them more acceptable to the general public. I always longed for a blend of mythology and humor. 

Evgueniy's book list on absurdly hilarious books on mythology

Evgueniy Todorov Why Evgueniy loves this book

I could not put down this book; it was so good.

I read it late at night, I read it on the metro going to work, I read it on my lunch break, I even took it to a birthday party and read it there between the toasts and the jokes.

I’ve always liked mythology, but at times it was too dry and gloomy. So I always looked for a different story about the ancient myths, and this book delivered it. I especially loved the notes at the bottom of the page, which were even funnier than the text. 

By Stephen Fry ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Mythos as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

STEP INTO ANOTHER WORLD - OF MAGIC, MAYHEM, MONSTERS AND MANIACAL GODS - IN STEPHEN FRY'S MOMENTOUS SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, MYTHOS

'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' Times
___________

No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses.

In Stephen Fry's vivid retelling, we gaze in wonder as wise Athena is born from the cracking open of the great head of Zeus and follow doomed Persephone into the dark and lonely realm of the Underworld.…


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Book cover of The Last Whaler

The Last Whaler by Cynthia Reeves,

This book is an elegiac meditation on the will to survive. Tor, a beluga whaler, and his wife, Astrid, a botanist specializing in Arctic flora, are stranded during the dark season of 1937-38 at his remote whaling station in the Svalbard archipelago when they misjudge ice conditions and fail to…

Book cover of Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

Stephen Shedletzky Author Of Speak-Up Culture: When Leaders Truly Listen, People Step Up

From my list on transforming your leadershit into leadership.

Why am I passionate about this?

The first day of my career began with 1,000 people being laid off citing “post-merger efficiencies.” I was the young whippersnapper walking in as many more were walking out, boxes in hand. I saw, firsthand, the impact of uncertainty, lack of clear and transparent communications, and leadership, not just on performance, but also on the health and well-being of the colleagues around me. In that first job I became fascinated and obsessed with how work can be something we enjoy and find meaning in. Since then, I’ve devoted my career to making work more inspiring, engaging, and fulfilling. This became my passion and cause because I felt the very opposite.

Stephen's book list on transforming your leadershit into leadership

Stephen Shedletzky Why Stephen loves this book

As a budding professional I was told not to be so kind to others, so I wasn’t taken advantage of.

Changing who I was and wanted to be didn’t seem like the right recipe for my success. Grant’s debut book has likely had the most impact on how I show up in my career and in life – that being a giver can be the key to our success and fulfillment. A must read for anyone who wants to do well while doing good.

By Adam Grant ,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Give and Take as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A groundbreaking look at why our interactions with others hold the key to success, from the bestselling author of Think Again and Originals

For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But in today's dramatically reconfigured world, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. In Give and Take, Adam Grant, an award-winning researcher and Wharton's highest-rated professor, examines the surprising forces that shape why some people rise to the top of the success ladder while others sink to the bottom. Praised by social scientists, business theorists, and corporate…


Book cover of The Gene: An Intimate History

Raghuveer Parthasarathy Author Of So Simple a Beginning: How Four Physical Principles Shape Our Living World

From my list on stretching your conception of biology.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by the quest to understand how nature works and to find patterns amid complexity. This drew me towards physics, which seemed unparalleled in its ability to uncover general rules. In contrast, biology seemed merely descriptive, and despite a fondness for wildlife, I stayed away from the subject in school. It turns out, however, that physics and biology are perfect companions; a whole field, biophysics, explores how physical principles are central to the workings of living things. I became a biophysicist, researching topics like the organization of gut microbes and teaching and writing about biophysics more broadly, at scales from DNA to ecosystems.

Raghuveer's book list on stretching your conception of biology

Raghuveer Parthasarathy Why Raghuveer loves this book

Once upon a time, we were unaware of DNA. We could tell that taller parents have taller kids, we could select tomato plants for sweeter fruit, and we could even construct plausible relationships between long-extinct animals and their descendants. Still, the nature of the stuff from which these links are made and how it works or fails to work remained a mystery.

Solving this mystery is one of humanity’s most remarkable achievements, and Mukherjee tells the tale with style and humor, weaving in recollections of his family’s encounters with mental illness. Despite my familiarity with the end result, the modern picture of genes, I found much of the history surprising and surprisingly colorful, full of dead ends and creative leaps. The last third of the book, on complex traits like intelligence and illnesses like schizophrenia, isn’t quite as good as the rest, but that takes us to our second…

By Siddhartha Mukherjee ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Gene as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Selected as a Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Economist, Independent, Observer and Mail on Sunday

THE NEW YORK TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER
BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

`Dramatic and precise... [A] thrilling and comprehensive account of what seems certain to be the most radical, controversial and, to borrow from the subtitle, intimate science of our time... He is a natural storyteller... A page-turner... Read this book and steel yourself for what comes next'
Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times

The Gene is the story of one of the most powerful and dangerous ideas in our…


Book cover of 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life

Robert Chesnut Author Of Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead an Ethical Revolution

From my list on growing an employee into a business leader.

Why am I passionate about this?

Early in my career, I was a federal prosecutor and moved to California to get involved in tech as a midlife career change. I became passionate about leadership and personal development because I worked alongside some outstanding leaders at companies like eBay and Airbnb for over 20 years. If I could take away one lesson, it would be this: you become what you surround yourself with. Want to be happy? Read books about happiness, spend time around people who are happy, focus on the positive each day. Want to be a great leader? Talk to other great leaders, read books about leadership. These books have each, in their way, helped me on the journey.  

Robert's book list on growing an employee into a business leader

Robert Chesnut Why Robert loves this book

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, because it’s focusing on what really matters in life. Living a life filled with gratitude can change your entire perspective on the world…what would happen if you spent a few minutes each day writing a short thank you note to someone in your life, expressing gratitude for who they are or what they’ve done. Kralik was mired in a world of personal troubles when he decided to give it try, and the results will make you want to rethink how you look at the world. Every day, there are a dozen reasons to say it’s a good day, and a dozen reasons why it’s a bad day. You choose how to define it.  

By John Kralik ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 365 Thank Yous as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One recent December, at age 53, John Kralik found his life at a terrible, frightening low: his small law firm was failing; he was struggling through a painful second divorce; he had grown distant from his two older children and was afraid he might lose contact with his young daughter; he was living in a tiny apartment where he froze in the winter and baked in the summer; he was 40 pounds overweight; his girlfriend had just broken up with him; and overall, his dearest life dreams--including hopes of upholding idealistic legal principles and of becoming a judge--seemed to have…


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Book cover of White Picket Fences

White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson,

Tina Edwards loved her childhood and creating fairy houses, a passion shared with her father, a world-renowned architect. But at nine years old, she found him dead at his desk and is haunted by this memory. Tina's mother abruptly moved away, leaving Tina with feelings of abandonment and suspicion.

Raised…

Book cover of Positivity

Robert Chesnut Author Of Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead an Ethical Revolution

From my list on growing an employee into a business leader.

Why am I passionate about this?

Early in my career, I was a federal prosecutor and moved to California to get involved in tech as a midlife career change. I became passionate about leadership and personal development because I worked alongside some outstanding leaders at companies like eBay and Airbnb for over 20 years. If I could take away one lesson, it would be this: you become what you surround yourself with. Want to be happy? Read books about happiness, spend time around people who are happy, focus on the positive each day. Want to be a great leader? Talk to other great leaders, read books about leadership. These books have each, in their way, helped me on the journey.  

Robert's book list on growing an employee into a business leader

Robert Chesnut Why Robert loves this book

Do you focus on the negative each day, or the positive? Dr. Frederickson looks at the science behind the ratio of positive thoughts to negative thoughts…what’s your ratio? And is there an ideal ratio that you should strive for, that can actually change your life? The answer is 2.9 to 1…and the choice is yours.  

By Barbara Fredrickson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Positivity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

World renowned researcher Dr. Barbara Fredrickson gives you the lab-tested tools necessary to create a healthier, more vibrant, and flourishing life through a process she calls "the upward spiral."

You’ll discover:

•What positivity is, and why it needs to be heartfelt to be effective
• The ten sometimes surprising forms of positivity
• Why positivity is more important than happiness
• How positivity can enhance relationships, work, and health, and how it relieves depression, broadens minds, and builds lives
• The top-notch research that backs the 3-to-1 "positivity ratio" as a key tipping point
• That your own sources of…


Book cover of The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

Leon Purton Author Of The Ignited Leader

From my list on leaders who Google how to be a good leader.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve seen the benefit of investing in awareness about how you can improve in leadership. I am a military veteran with two decades of experience in leading teams in high-stress environments. I’ve seen military leadership at its strongest and at its weakest. I’ve since led multi-million dollar projects and seen the value of investing in leadership and developing a culture of high-performance. For over 100 weeks, I researched and wrote a series of blog articles titled Leadership Sparks. The goal was to be able to create a spark with my words in someone else's mind. To pass the small ignition point of leadership growth to them. 

Leon's book list on leaders who Google how to be a good leader

Leon Purton Why Leon loves this book

I’ve never had the words to describe why I knew culture was important to success or why I thought the best way to succeed in the long term was to help others succeed.

This book helped me have the words, examples, and stories to be able to communicate that. One of my most recommended books.

By Daniel Coyle ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Culture Code as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'A marvel of insight and practicality' Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit
____________________________

How do you build and sustain a great team?

The Culture Code reveals the secrets of some of the best teams in the world - from Pixar to Google to US Navy SEALs - explaining the three skills such groups have mastered in order to generate trust and a willingness to collaborate. Combining cutting-edge science, on-the-ground insight and practical ideas for action, it offers a roadmap for creating an environment where innovation flourishes, problems get solved, and expectations are exceeded.


Book cover of How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

Zangba Thomson Author Of Take a Look... There's Money All Around You!

From my list on self-development to help you become successful.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am Zangba Thomson, a happy, positive, and charismatic human being. I appreciate the simple things in life, and I am content with what I have. I laugh and smile a lot, and people say I am always in a good mood. I love to motivate, encourage, and inspire people to focus on the solution and not the problem; and to be optimistic and cheerful despite difficulties. In a nutshell, I love seeing people succeed. My motto is (P) Positive (E) Energy (A) Always (C) Creates (E) Elevation (PEACE). I hope you enjoy my book recommendations and I wish you the very best on your road to success. 

Zangba's book list on self-development to help you become successful

Zangba Thomson Why Zangba loves this book

Arthur Fletcher, the former head of the United Negro College Fund, coined the well-known phrase, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." And I agree. Your mind is a garden that needs to be nurtured and nourished throughout the day. If not, ill thoughts will sprout, and your once beautiful mind will lead you astray. That’s why I recommend reading How Successful People Think, because if you can change your thinking, you can change your life for the better. And who better to get the answers from than successful people who have achieved great things?

By John C. Maxwell ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How Successful People Think as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The perfect, compact read for today's fast-paced world, How Successful People Think (derived from Maxwell's previous book, Thinking for a Change) guides readers through the 11 secrets successful people know. Arranged in an easy-to-follow format, America's leadership expert John C. Maxwell will teach readers how to expand their thinking and achieve their dreams. The 11 keys to successful thinking include: Big-Picture Thinking - seeing the world beyond your own needs and how that leads to great ideas Focused Thinking - removing mental clutter and distractions to realize your full potential Creative Thinking - thinking in unique ways and making breakthroughs…


If you love Matthew Syed...

Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Twelve and a Half: Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business Success

Alan Stein Jr. Author Of Sustain Your Game: High Performance Keys to Manage Stress, Avoid Stagnation, and Beat Burnout

From my list on managing stress and beating burnout.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a professional keynote speaker and author that has long been fascinated with tenants of high performance. When I began, I was curious about how high performance could lead to increased achievement and accomplishment. Now, I am fascinated by how high performance can lead to heightened happiness and fulfillment. Thus, I love reading, watching, and listening to any resource that can help improve the quality of my life… so that I can pay that forward and improve the quality of life for those I serve. I believe a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. 

Alan's book list on managing stress and beating burnout

Alan Stein Jr. Why Alan loves this book

I am confident I can make a very compelling argument that the most important skill set we need to develop as human beings is our Emotional Intelligence. Our EQ lays the foundation for both our personal and professional success… as well as heavily influences our happiness and fulfillment. Twelve and a Half uses humor and practical stories/examples to break down a dozen of the most important traits we need to develop to become our best selves (traits like empathy, compassion, curiosity, ambition, and gratitude). I read this book cover to cover in less than 24 hours… it’s that good!

By Gary Vaynerchuk ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Twelve and a Half as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

USA Today Bestseller

In his sixth business book, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and investor Gary Vaynerchuk explores the twelve essential emotional skills that are integral to his life-and business-success and provides today's (and tomorrow's) leaders with critical tools to acquire and develop these traits.

For decades, leaders have relied on "hard" skills to make smart decisions, while dismissing the importance of emotional intelligence. Soft skills like self-awareness and curiosity aren't quantifiable; they can't be measured on a spreadsheet and aren't taught in B-schools or emphasized in institutions. We've been taught that emotional intelligence is a "nice to have" in business, not…


Book cover of Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong about the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
Book cover of Thinking, Fast and Slow
Book cover of Mythos

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