- The Toastmasters International Guide to Successful Speaking by Jeff Slutsky and Michael Aun – I became a high school teacher right after I graduated from college. Public speaking was a relatively new thing for me as I was not particularly the talkative type during my school days. I had a stuttering problem from way back in childhood that I had only begun to overcome in college. So I joined a local Toastmasters club to improve and hone my public speaking skills. And it made a tremendous and lasting impact on me, aside from gaining me lifelong friends. I was delightfully surprised when I saw this volume in the bookstore and reading it reminded me of the many tips, tricks and techniques shared in our weekly meetings, and so much more. If there is a single book you have to read about public speaking, look this up because this is it.
Favorite Passage: If you are going to use your communication skills to convey your message, make sure you have a message to communicate. Don’t leave a mess, leave a message.
- Looking Good in Print by Roger Parker – This is a technical book dealing with layout and graphic design. When I was teaching, I was also tasked to be the adviser for the school paper, so my friend and co-teacher lent me a copy of this book and I liked it so much I eventually bought my own. This was my introduction to the world of graphic design which eventually became a side-hobby of mine for the past 2 decades. I like conceptualizing layouts and logos and things like that. This book contains basic and lasting principles of design as well as clear before and after examples that I have used ever since.
Favorite Passage: Part of the challenge of graphic design is that it has no “universal rules.” Everything is relative; it can’t be reduced to a set of “if…then…” statements. Tools and techniques that you use effectively in one situation won’t necessarily work in another…Good design stems from a thorough knowledge of the building blocks of graphic design and specifying them appropriately, based on the format and function of an individual project.
- The Greatest Management Principle in the World by Michael LeBoeuf – The typical stereotype of Chinese people in this country is that we are extremely business-minded. I did not fit that particular stereotype. In fact, I was the complete opposite of it. I had little interest in running a business or learning more about sales and marketing. My good friend, Arthur (the same co-teacher mentioned above), however, had a keen interest in it and would always inject some principles in his dealings with students or co-teachers or the administration. So one day I decided to educate myself and borrowed this book of his mainly because it was very thin (around 100 pages) and I figured I could finish it quickly. I was very pleasantly surprised to find it an interesting and intriguing read and it opened my eyes to a new aspect of business — that it was not just about amassing wealth but understanding human psychology and behavior as well. And yes, it was the gateway that led to me reading more business books after that.
Favorite Passage: You get more of the behavior you reward. You don’t get what you hope for, ask for, wish for or beg for. You get what you reward. Come what may, you can count on people and creatures to do the things that they believe will benefit them most…A young machinist asked for three days’ vacation to go deer hunting. His supervisor refused the request because the department was very pressed and was being forced to work overtime and on Saturdays. The machinist, who had a record of tardiness, came to work thirty minutes late and the harassed supervisor told him: “If you are tardy one more time this month, you’ll be suspended for three days without pay.” Guess who was late the next day? The machinist saw the monetary threat as an opportunity and showed up late. He was suspended, went deer hunting and got what he wanted. And management applied the proper disciplinary procedure. But the work didn’t get done.
Email me at andy@freethinking.me. View previous articles at www.freethinking.me.