Recent backlist titles as well as new books that directly address fallout from the Covid-19 crisis speak to the radical changes to office life and offer answers in an uncertain economic environment.
Bounce Back: How to Fail Fast and be Resilient at Work
Kahn, a psychologist at University of London’s Birkbeck School of Business, maps out a plan for weathering difficulties at work. “Resilience is not something that you are born with, it is not a mere personality trait,” she writes. “No one can avoid challenges, pain and difficulty in life and at work. We can develop our resilience and our capacity to deal with adversity, loss and change.”
Can You Hear Me? How to Connect with People in a Virtual World
Online relationships are fragile, communication coach Morgan writes, because they “lack the unconscious connections our face-to-face interactions automatically convey.” In business, as those newly coping with working from home may be learning, “this absence leads to miscommunication, misunderstandings, and a huge amount of do-overs, workarounds, and relationship repair.” His book aims to help readers “add the emotional subtext back into our virtual communications.”
Couples That Work: How Dual-Career Couples Can Thrive in Love and Work
Partners who suddenly find themselves side by side in a makeshift home office can turn to Petriglieri, professor of Organizational Behavior at European graduate school INSEAD, for what our review called “useful strategies that can assist any couple struggling with work and love.” Petriglieri recently launched “Couples That Work @ Home: The Survival Series” on her website.
Crisis Ahead: 101 Way to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals and Other Emergencies
Segal, a public relations consultant, details how companies can protect their brands and effectively communicate during a crisis. The publisher stepped up the release of the book, which now includes an introduction focused on early lessons gleaned from the Covid-19 pandemic, by getting the e-book out nearly two months ahead of the print publication date.
Don’t Panic: How to Manage Your Finances—and Financial Anxieties—During and After Coronavirus
This book by Ibbotson, a financial advisor in Canada who writes the syndicated “Ask the Money Lady” column, addresses questions the author has received since the outbreak, including whether to sell off stocks and how to budget during a temporary work stoppage.
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
When Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft in 2014, he deemed this book, which prioritizes empathy and self-awareness when dealing with others, essential reading for company executives. Originally published in 1999, the book’s two most recent editions have sold a combined 369K print copies, per BookScan.
Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
Scott, a Google and Apple veteran who works as a CEO coach for various tech companies, shows managers why honesty is essential for good relationships with employees, even when the conversation is difficult or unpleasant. PW’s review said the book, which has since sold 290,000 copies in hardcover since its original 2017 release, “is necessary reading for anyone who’s having trouble coming to terms with an underperforming workforce.”
Work Without Stress: Building a Resilient Mindset for Lasting Success
Rather than focusing on stress management, Roger, a psychologist in the U.K., and Petrie, a senior faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership, explain how to cultivate true resilience. “What’s required is a shift in your mindset,” they write. “Stress isn’t something you have to learn to live with. You can be completely free of it.”
You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want
As a college student in 2004, Meacham launched YNAB, now an online community, app, and more. In this “helpful” title, PW’s review said, he “addresses readers of all ages (kids included) and family situations (single, childless couples, and couples with kids), taking care to include readers with variable incomes.”
