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2020 has been a year of difficulties, pain, and struggle. However, it has also taught us to learn, to persevere and to love. Our 2020 reading list has been markedly influenced by the thought-provoking implications caused by the unraveling of the global COVID-19 pandemic as it brought about great uncertainties in all spaces of life. We hope that whether you’re a CEO, a business guru or a college student, you will find something that inspires you and spurs greater interest in learning, or just simply enjoy.
Author: Phil Knight
Reviewed by:
Bijon Islam, CEO & Co-Founder of LightCastle Partners
What the book is about:
Revietting memoir of the Nike founder – an inside look under the hood of how the company came to be (did you know the name Nike came in a dream?) but more importantly getting to know Phil Knight as a person and all the insecurities and challenges he has faced – showing everyone is human.
Personal feeling about the book:
There were 3 things that I really liked and was very consistent throughout the book:
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
There could be a whole course of lessons from this book. However, my top three would be:
Author: Robert Iger, Joel Lovell
Reviewed by:
Ivdad Ahmed Khan Mojlish, Co-Founder & Director of LightCastle Partners
What the book is about:
Written by the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, this book shares several insights about taking bold decisions in moments of crises and core values of leadership that Iger has used to reinvent one of the most beloved companies in the world.
Personal feeling about the book:
I really loved the way it’s written – detailed narrations of Iger’s perspectives and actions revolving around internal discussions and public communications. Although not a complete memoir, but Iger has touched upon some inflection points in his life, from where there’s a lot of inspiration to be drawn.
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
It taught me that there is no end to quality. We should look to create the highest quality content. Embrace and adopt technology instead of fighting it, there is little use in doing so. Think bigger–think global–and thus turn your organization into a stronger brand in international markets.
Author: Abraham Verghese
Reviewed by:
Ivdad Ahmed Khan Mojlish, Co-Founder & Director of LightCastle Partners
What the book is about:
It’s a sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel – an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home. It’s an unforgettable journey into one man’s remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy, and curious beauty of the work of healing others.
Personal feeling about the book:
There are books that move you and then there are books that simply sweep the rug off from below you, making you fall into a blissful reverie. Let’s just say this book falls into the latter category. It’s not so much about the content of the book as it is about the way pages are devoted. This has to be one of my most beautiful reads – I dare say ever! A riveting story cocooned in a literary masterpiece.
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
Blood is thicker than water!
Author: James Clear
Reviewed by:
Zahedul Amin, Co-Founder & Director of LightCastle Partners
What the book is about:
The book delves into specific strategies for forming and sustaining helpful habits, which would have a material impact on our productivity and quality of life. While there are other books on formation of habits, what stands out to me is the author’s holistic and systemic approach towards developing habits, and stressing on the interconnected nature of these habits.
Personal feeling about the book:
The book is logically sequenced and the author provides some very interesting and workable strategies for cultivating meaningful habits. These habit-forming strategies are backed by examples and case studies and potential pitfalls are elaborately discussed. I have benefitted by adopting some of these hacks and can attest to the immediate impact in terms of attaining higher productivity.
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
Developing impactful habits is not only about attaining end goals but building a sustainable system, thus providing a lifetime of value.
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Reviewed by:
Farah Hamud Khan, Senior Business Consultant & Project Manager of LightCastle Partners
What the book is about:
Gladwell uses a myriad of examples different cultures and industries to demystify success – how does an individual/society become successful? By analyzing the path to success for notable individuals such as Bill Gates or certain groups, such as Eastern European Immigrants in New York City, the author demonstrates that success requires a blend of opportunity and drive.
Personal feeling about the book:
Every element of the book, from the style of writing to the real-life examples analyzed, is very inspiring. The author’s style of depiction is brilliant – he lets the reader think about the elements of success in each story or example before presenting his hypothesis.
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
Gladwell shows that although the path to success is unique for each individual, hard work and preparation is required for all. This book is a must-read for new managers, as it highlights the importance of individuality, opportunity, and resilience.
Author: Ethan M. Rasiel
Reviewed by:
Mehad ul Haque, Senior Business Consultant & Project Manager of LightCastle Partners
What the book is about:
If you want to know what it’s like to work in the consulting industry, then this is a light and enjoyable book that showcases how one of the top-most management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, does business.
Personal feeling about the book:
I really enjoyed learning the problem-solving, communication, and management techniques to become more effective and efficient in my career. Techniques include how to develop toolkits of problem-solving techniques that can be used in diverse business situations; how to simplify complex problems; how to sell without selling, and more.
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
Structure, structure, structure!
The word “structure” is mentioned repeatedly throughout the book emphasizing on the importance. It’s also one of the first things any consultant would learn here at LightCastle as well.
Author: Rolf Dobelli
Reviewed by:
Sanjir Ali, Senior Business Consultant & Project Manager of LightCastle Partners
What the book is about:
The book is about 99 of the most common thinking errors – ranging from cognitive biases to social distortions
Personal feeling about the book:
Uniquely elaborates on psychology and human behavior which helps understand the logical pitfalls and common thinking errors that lead to bad decision making
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
The book helped me become a better professional through improved focus on both the process and the outcome of a project, helped avoid logical fallacies during decision making and lastly, develop a clearer and stronger communication with relevant stakeholder groups. Most importantly, the book taught me to become my own devil’s advocate.
Author: Tim Marshall
Reviewed by:
Saif Nazrul, Senior Business Consultant & Project Manager
What the book is about:
The power of Geopolitics.
Personal feeling about the book:
As someone who used to exclusively focus on the politics in geo-politics, this book made me realize that all leaders of nations are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas, and concrete. To understand world events if we do not consider geography, we never have the full picture.
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
To consider the geographical features of a country and the potential effects it may have in shaping the national psyche when dealing with people from international backgrounds.
Author: Gary J. Bass
Reviewed by:
Khandaker Muhtasim Rafi, Business Consultant of LightCastle Partners
What the book is about:
The book portrayed the war of independence in 1971, from a completely different lens. It is a worthy read!
Personal feeling about the book:
The author provides the most ingenious and unique angle to the scenario of the war. Incidents which actually make you question a lot of what you already know.
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
It is always smart to see from different perspectives, whether its from past events, from different stakeholders or from outside looking in, never limit yourself to one viewpoint.
Author: Trevor Noah
Reviewed by:
Dipa Sultana, Business Consultant of LightCastle Partners
What the book is about:
This is an autobiography book portraying the author’s journey from apartheid South Africa to The Daily Show’s desk, an internationally recognized award-winning American television program.
Personal feeling about the book:
One of my most-liked aspects of the book is the author’s humorous approach. The author highlights the dysfunctionality of the system that was in practice and his traumatic experiences using humor.
Valuable lessons learnt from this book:
The book was educative in terms of the nature and history of racism and apartheid in South Africa. This book taught me the importance of creating opportunities for myself instead of waiting for one. Furthermore, the book emphasizes the necessity of education and managing resources for us to grow. The book also portrays the need for us to think beyond the world’s current circumstances to change it into a better place.
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