2021 Christmas Book Gift / Reading List
If you want the brain to get good food over the holidays, a paperback book can be a real treat! While many try not to do anything serious around this time, others find their lives more valuable than being spent in front of the telly! Stay away from the screens!
Around Christmas, please focus on people and books.
In this post, I introduce three books that I read this year and I found them to be good to be introduced to you. I have already shared these books with some of my colleagues and friends and their feedback was also positive. If you are reading this blog, it means we have something in common and you may find them as interesting as I do.
1. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yes, I know you have heard of it and may have read it; however, it is one of the best books I have read during recent years and I think it should become part of your life/career curriculum!
This book’s been written by a historian with a very smooth and easy-to-follow language. The author looks back at our history and what different ideologies promised us and explains why they didn’t work. Then it looks at where we are and what are the challenges and finally, he shows the pathway to the future and what we can do to prepare for the future. My favourite quote from this book is:
“Change is the only constant!”
2. The Age of AI and Our Human Future
I am sure you have heard the authors name and they seemed to be in a hurry to get the book into the market before Christmas! Simple cover. There are no pictures on the cover or in the book, but how old are we to care about it!
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The book’s been written by a US politician, Google’s former CEO, and a computer scientist. Whenever I introduced this book to a colleague or a friend they immediately ask if Henry Kissinger is still alive and I must say yes, he is alive at the age of 98.
The book starts with reporting AI’s progress and success. It continues with AI’s impact on the world, including economics, science, security, politics, technology, order, and knowledge. You can imagine that having a politician, a businessman, and a scientist as authors provides an excellent balance to target a wide range of audiences with a multi-disciplinary approach.
3. Abused Academics: International Handbook for University Dwellers
Dr Parkinson, a pen name, seems to be fed up with being abused in academia so they share their experience with the students and staff to help them survive or avoid academia. Since the book’s not been edited, the writing is not always smooth but the messages are clear.
This tiny book has 25 chapters but each has only 2–5 pages. The book starts with stating the problem of ‘Pragmatic Illiteracy’ and discusses almost all the complaints you might have heard during work in an academic environment from open access fee, publish or perish, and peer-review to promotion, PhD, rankings and conference. The book ends with a strange conclusion chapter:
“Leave Your Dreams or Update Them”
Please let me know if you have read any of these and how you found them :D
Have a lovely holiday and get back refreshed in January 2022.
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