Recommendations based on "The Infinite Game"

Cal Newport's clearly-written manifesto flies in the face of conventional wisdom by suggesting that it should be a person's talent and skill - and not necessarily their passion - that determines their career path.Newport, who graduated from Dartmouth College (Phi Beta Kappa) and earned a PhD. from MIT, contends that trying to find what drives us, instead of focusing on areas in which we naturally excel, is ultimately harmful and frustrating to job seekers.The title is a direct quote from comedian Steve Martin who, when once asked why he was successful in his career, immediately replied: "Be so good they can't ignore you" and that's the main basis for Newport's book. Skill and ability trump passion.Inspired by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs' famous Stanford University commencement speech in which Jobs urges idealistic grads to chase their dreams, Newport takes issue with that advice, claiming that not only is thsi advice Pollyannish, but that Jobs himself never followed his own advice.From there, Newport presents compelling scientific and contemporary case study evidence that the key to one's career success is to find out what you do well, where you have built up your 'career capital,' and then to put all of your efforts into that direction.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFew things will change your trajectory in life or business as much as learning to think clearly. Yet few of us recognize opportunities to think in the first place.You might believe you’re thinking clearly in the moments that matter most. But in all likelihood, when the pressure is on, you won’t be thinking at all. And your subsequent actions will inevitably move you further from the results you ultimately seek—love, belonging, success, wealth, victory. According to Farnam Street founder Shane Parrish, we must get better at recognizing these opportunities for what they are, and deploying our cognitive ability in order to achieve the life we want.Clear Thinking gives you the tools to recognize the moments that have the potential to transform your trajectory, and reshape how you navigate the critical space between stimulus and response. As Parrish shows, we may imagine we are the protagonists in the story of our lives. But the sad truth is, most of us run on autopilot. Our behavioral defaults, groomed by biology, evolution, and culture, are primed to run the show for us if we don’t intervene. At our worst, we react to events without reasoning, not even realizing that we’ve missed an opportunity to think at all. At our best, we recognize these moments for what they are, and apply the full capacity of our reasoning and rationality to them.Through stories, mental models, and more, Parrish offers the missing link between behavioral science and real-life outcomes. The result is a must-have manual for optimizing decision-making, gaining competitive advantage, and living a more intentional life.

New York Times BestsellerBestselling author and peak performance expert Steven Kotler decodes the secrets of those elite performers—athletes, artists, scientists, CEOs and more—who have changed our definition of the possible, teaching us how we too can stretch far beyond our capabilities, making impossible dreams much more attainable for all of us.What does it take to accomplish the impossible? What does it take to shatter our limitations, exceed our expectations, and turn our biggest dreams into our most recent achievements?We are capable of so much more than we know—that’s the message at the core of The Art of Impossible. Building upon cutting-edge neuroscience and over twenty years of research, bestselling author, peak performance expert and Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective, Steven Kotler lays out a blueprint for extreme performance improvement. If you want to aim high, here is the playbook to make it happen!Inspirational and aspirational, pragmatic and accessible, The Art of Impossible is a life-changing experience disguised as a how-to manual for peak performance that anyone can use to shoot for the stars . . . space-suit, not included.

From two leaders in executive education at Harvard Business School, here are the mental habits and proven strategies you need to achieve outstanding results in any negotiation.Whether you’ve “seen it all” or are just starting out, Negotiation Genius will dramatically improve your negotiating skills and confidence. Drawing on decades of behavioral research plus the experience of thousands of business clients, the authors take the mystery out of preparing for and executing negotiations—whether they involve multimillion-dollar deals or improving your next salary offer.What sets negotiation geniuses apart? They are the men and women who know how to:•Identify negotiation opportunities where others see no room for discussion•Discover the truth even when the other side wants to conceal it•Negotiate successfully from a position of weakness•Defuse threats, ultimatums, lies, and other hardball tactics•Overcome resistance and “sell” proposals using proven influence tactics•Negotiate ethically and create trusting relationships—along with great deals•Recognize when the best move is to walk away•And much, much moreThis book gets “down and dirty.” It gives you detailed strategies—including talking points—that work in the real world even when the other side is hostile, unethical, or more powerful. When you finish it, you will already have an action plan for your next negotiation. You will know what to do and why. You will also begin building your own reputation as a negotiation genius.

What is your one thing? The entrepreneur, thought leader, and best-selling author of Called to Create offers a refreshing invitation: stop trying to do it all so you can thrive in your unique, God-given work. “A compelling case for embracing our vocational limits and choosing to do our one thing well.”—Emily P. Freeman, Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The Next Right Thing   Imagine how different your life would be if you spent your time doing the very thing that brings you the greatest joy. It’s possible, but most people spend their days making incremental advances on numerous tasks, competent at many things but exceptional at none. That’s because for too long we’ve believed the lie that more activity, more jobs, and more responsibility equals greater effectiveness. In short, we are becoming a society of “jacks-and-jills-of-all-trades and masters of none.” But what if you could shift your focus from too many things to one? In this thought-provoking book, you’ll discover the exponential power of pursuing a singular craft. Through practical principles, Jordan Raynor provides straightforward steps for finding and thriving in your calling. He also highlights more than a dozen real-life examples of high-impact individuals who have chosen to focus on and excel in their unique gifting, including: • Chronicles of Narnia author C. S. Lewis • Enron whistle-blower Sherron Watkins • TV legend Mister Rogers • Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall • Reality TV star Chip Gaines • NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy • Biblical figures, a teacher, a pilot, a banker, and world-class entrepreneurs Too many of us are overwhelmed, overcommitted, and overstressed. This book offers a better way—the path to becoming a master of one!

“The most important book of our generation . . . A flawless, priceless masterpiece.”—Denis Waitley, author of Seeds of GreatnessYou are holding in your hands an almost impossible dream, finally becoming reality . . . the sequel to the inspirational classical that has touched more lives in the past two decades than any other motivational work in the world. More than nine million people continue to find solace and hope in The Greatest Salesman in the World, the gripping tale of a little camel boy, Hafid, who becomes the greatest salesman in the world through following the principles in the ten special scrolls of success.And now, at las, the world will discover what happens to the greatest salesman when he finally emerges from his lonely retirement to commence a new career. At first he finds failure—until he receives a special gift from someone he has not seen in half a century. He then returns triumphantly to his homeland to write his own Ten Vows of Success to be shared with all who seek a better life—including you.The Greatest Salesman in the World—Part II: The End of the Story will touch the hearts of those millions who already know Hafid as a beloved friend—and introduce his wisdom to a vast new generation.

The nationwide bestseller--fully updated for today's tough times and worldwide financial crises "Everyone does it." Everyone cheats. Cuts corners. Tells lies. Maybe it was different once. Not today. If you want to succeed in this economic climate, you simply have to make compromises. Right? Wrong. You can succeed at the highest levels, without sacrificing the principles that make life worth living. The proof? You're holding it. Jon M. Huntsman built a $12 billion company from scratch, the old-fashioned way: with integrity. There were short-term costs and difficult decisions. There were tough times. Times just like today. But ultimately, leading with integrity wasn't just personally right for Huntsman, it also proved to be the best business strategy. In Winners Never Cheat, Huntsman tells you how he did it, and how you can, too. This book is about remembering why you work, and why you were chosen to lead. It's about finding the bravery to act on what you know is right, no matter what you're up against. It's about winning. The right way. Think about the kind of person you want to do business with. Then, be that person--and use this book to get you there. Author royalties from this book go to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation "The way Jon conducts his business and lives his life will not only inspire you to be a better person, citizen, and entrepreneur, it also will give you hope that the good guys don't finish last." Glenn Beck "Jon Huntsman is a different breed. He believes business is a creative endeavor, similar to a theater production, wherein integrity must be the central character." Larry King, CNN "Jon Huntsman's own life and personal values lend credence to his words. He walks his ethical talk." Neil Cavuto, Fox News "This book could put me out of business. Nobody would be happier about it than me." Wayne Reaud, Trial Attorney.

Wall Street Journal Bestseller Much of the advice we’ve been told about achievement is logical, earnest…and downright wrong. In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Eric Barker reveals the extraordinary science behind what actually determines success and most importantly, how anyone can achieve it. You’ll learn: • Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires, and how your biggest weakness might actually be your greatest strength • Whether nice guys finish last and why the best lessons about cooperation come from gang members, pirates, and serial killers • Why trying to increase confidence fails and how Buddhist philosophy holds a superior solution • The secret ingredient to “grit” that Navy SEALs and disaster survivors leverage to keep going • How to find work-life balance using the strategy of Genghis Khan, the errors of Albert Einstein, and a little lesson from Spider-Man By looking at what separates the extremely successful from the rest of us, we learn what we can do to be more like them—and find out in some cases why it’s good that we aren’t. Barking Up the Wrong Tree draws on startling statistics and surprising anecdotes to help you understand what works and what doesn’t so you can stop guessing at success and start living the life you want.

From The One Minute Manager(R) to Raving Fans, Ken Blanchard's books have helped millions of people hone their own leadership skills and develop the potential of those around them, transforming their businesses in the process. In Leading at a Higher Level, Blanchard has brought together everything he has learned about world-class leadership. Readers can benefit from the advice that has helped thousands of organisations become more people-oriented, customer-centred, and performance-driven. Updated throughout, this new edition contains two powerful, important new chapters and also offers the definitive, most up-to-date techniques for leading yourself, individuals, teams, and entire organisations. Most importantly, this book will help readers dig deep within, discover the personal "leadership point of view" all great leaders possess-and apply it throughout their entire life.

What is the common thread in the following true-life experiences? A global technology giant discontinues 97 per cent of its products and builds its empire with only 3 per cent of them. TED Talks speakers choose one topic and inspire millions in less than eighteen minutes. A father adopts a three-day workweek to spend time with his daughters and pursue a passion. Such choices find people saying YES to the priorities that truly matter and NO to everything insignificant. Such choices are about embracing what is meaningful and removing the clutter. Such choices are about finding purpose and joy in the little things. This is the essence of Small Is Big, the universal source code behind fulfilment, productivity and extraordinary results. Allow this book to guide you with real examples, extensive research and hands-on Learning Accelerator exercises, revealing the philosophy's transformative potential. Implement a powerful blueprint and set the ball rolling for incredible changes in life and business. Embark on a journey to harness the power of the Small. Witness the Big results come your way! Come, join the movement.