| I unwind in my room on my lazy cushions after an entire day of being bombarded with air and noise pollution plus the exciting realities of an upcoming Organization Development professional. I am proud to present to you my favorite things.. books, movies, music, and internet hang-outs.. things that give me a whole lot to think about while getting my mind off other mundane stuff. Not a night goes by without having thought about something deep and perplexing.. |
My goal is to read one book at least every 4 weeks.
Reading is so important to me. It is one of the reasons that made me decide on an independent career that would let me make the time I need to indulge in the most prized achievement of our human race.. documentation of expression.
| Organization Development At Work |
William Rothwell and Roland Sullivan |
  his is a very useful book for OD practitioners and consultants. A group of OD specialists come together to discuss a great many issues related to Organization Development practices. They talk about why they came into the field, theories and models, and where they see OD going globally. |
| The Greatness Guide |
Robin Sharma |
  s most of you know, I am a fan of Robin Sharma’s leadership philosophy. It is clear, simple, and simply true. In his latest book, he reveals his personal secrets of success, a lot of which I follow in my own life. Getting to greatness is a combination of purpose, time-management, physical health and fitness, and the courage to act. This book is highly refreshing with no confusing management theories or models. |
| The Search: How Google and its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture |
John Battelle |
  inalist at the FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year, this book caught my eye at once. It talks about how Google rose to excellence by transforming use of the internet search tool. The author reveals the key to Google’s success, which is essentially the knowledge about what our culture wants. Every time we search for something online, Google gets the pulse of our culture, our wishes, desires, and our needs every second of the day. They maintain a ‘Database of Intentions’ as the author calls it, and use it to make a billion dollars in revenue. I wonder if they are on the fast track to becoming Big Brother. |
| Leadership Wisdom from the Monk who sold his Ferrari |
Robin Sharma |
 he Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is one of the most innovative, effective and remarkable books you will ever read on the topic of showing leadership in your work and within your life. Written by leadership guru and renowned professional speaker Robin Sharma, this deeply inspiring work reveals a remarkable step-by-step system that will restore trust, commitment, and spirit within your organization while transforming the way you think, feel, and live in the process.
With masterful insight and brilliant simplicity, Robin Sharma has distilled some of the most powerful wisdom available for both professional and personal leadership into 8 immensely practical lessons that leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs can immediately apply to send morale and productivity soaring in these topsy-turvy times while creating far more fulfilling inner lives along the way. |
| Philosophy – The Latest Answers to the Oldest Questions |
Nicholas Fearn |
  n a book that combines travelogue and Philosophy, Nicholas Fearn asks the world’s most famous contemporary philosophers their answers to life’s most enduring questions: who am I? how do I know? And what should I do? Their answers provide a brilliant and entertaining guide to the current state of the philosophical art. Today’s prominent thinkers, who include Peter Singer, Daniel Dennett, and Jacques Derrida believe that free will and identity are not what they seem, that the difference between good and evil is often a matter of sheer luck, and that one day we will all be vegetarian. |
| Leadership the Inner Side of Greatness, A Philosophy for Leaders |
Peter Koestenbaum |
  egendary business philosopher and thinker Peter Koestenbaum expands on his
leadership theories and invites managers to break out of the ordinary managerial
mindset. He reveals how striving for greatness enables managers to focus their
efforts and grasp new ideas and insights by bringing intensity and meaning to
their work--thereby improving their ability to achieve bottom-line results.
It is going to be an honour meeting Dr. Peter
Koestenbaum in September 2006 for the Global Organization Development Summit
(GODS) (www.odsummitindia.org)
in Mysore, India. |
| A Fine Balance |
Rohinton Mistry |
 have never felt more emotional after
reading any other book. The setting is in India, focusing on the lower sections
of poverty-stricken society plagued by caste feuds and sickening social norms.
The story is a testimony to how life is considered cheap in a country of over a
billion citizens. I felt closer to my people as a result of this book that gave
me such a heightened sense of gratitude for all that I am fortunate to have.
Life goes on in this town by literally begging on the streets, and finding
happiness in the minutest of things. |
| Sophie's World |
Jostein Gaarder |
 high school favourite! This book
changed my life as it introduced me to Philosophy in the most fun way as
possible. This book is a perfect gift for your 14-year old if you are keen on
refining his/her mind for the future. Its a simple story of a girl named Sophie
who comes across a mysterious brown envelope one day that contains a one-line
question about the meaning of life and the universe. One line of words changed
the way she thought about her world. This book does not rant and rave about
philosophical jargon that normally creates such resistence in young minds today. |
| Progressive Muslims |
Omid Safi |
 collection of literary works
by contemporary Muslim thinkers from all over the globe. They grapple with
global and personal issues facing the Muslim world, especially after 9/11. This
is again a book that would require an astute critical mind so you shouldn't be
looking to get entertained with this book. It is for serious learners who yearn
to get a sense of varying perspectives from Muslim scholars. Do not miss this
book especially if you are an anthropologist, sociologist, philosopher, or
psychologist. |
| Even Angels Ask |
Jeffrey Lang |
 n honest, raw, heart-wrenching treatise
written by an American convert to Islam and his experiences in his new Muslim
community. He writes about his struggles as a new Muslim and reveals his
perception of how the community reacted to his entrance. Again, I don't mean to
make this sound simple. Great works of expression are never that simple and
straightforward. Read this book if you are interested in the real story about
what happens after someone has made a life-changing decision that alters his
identity forever. |
| The Da Vinci Code |
Dan Brown |
  ome of my intellectual friends didn't
like this one because it was a fast-paced commercial-type novel. I agree with
that but I still put it on my list because of the sheer plot of it. I was biased
into selecting this book as one of my favourites because of the art history. As
an artist myself, I felt close to the Louvre and the works in it. I have been a
fan of the historical Da Vinci ever since I was a kid and read about him in
school.. not to mention the obvious philosophical underpinnings in the book, and
exciting code-breaking scenes that just tickled my fancy (and I thought
crosswords were exciting). |
| The Brothers Karamazov |
Fyodor Dosteovsky |
  ne of my absolute favourite
pieces of literature. I plan to read this book again soon to gain a greater
depth of the characters and their philosophical life situations. A story of 4
brothers who are on a totally different path in their lives, one who is a priest
and the other a die-hard atheist. It is just not that simple though.. it is a
long book that needs an entire summer to sink in so make sure you're reading
level is high up there and you can make the time before venturing into it. Be in
a sublime philosophical mood.. its the kind of book you can't put down once it
starts penetrating your mind. |
| The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari |
Robin Sharma |
  lose friends of mine will tell you that Robin Sharma has made quite an
impression on me. He makes sense. Nobody said his ways are easy to follow, but I
believe they are very helpful if you want to enrich your life and be
remembered the way you want to be after you die. Don't get him wrong as he is no
religious fanatic.
He offers a practical way to get spiritual about your life and take it to new
dimensions simply by installing positive habits for yourself. I had the
privilege of meeting him March 2006 in Dubai at his Leadership Development
workshop. He's one of the few that walks the talk.
I had the privilege of interacting with Robin Sharma in
March 2006 during his Elite Performers Series Workshop held in Dubai.
|
| Man's Search for Meaning |
Viktor Frankl |
  his
book is a true account of the author's ordeal at a Nazi concentration camp. He
survived terrible hardship in the depths of depression at Hitler's death camp,
and lived to tell the tale of how he did it. His message of survival and the
human spirit is rooted in the idea that if you can find meaning in what you go
through, you can survive anything. So if you are down and out, read this one and
feel good about yourself because there is meaning in almost everything. |
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