Which books have changed your life?

What books changed your life? 

One of the things I really enjoy doing is mentoring. During a recent conversation with one of my mentees, he asked me a great question about which books have had a profound influence on me. The thing is, I don’t read as much as I would like to, but there are some standout books that changed the way I think about my life and highly recommend

"The Present" by Spencer Johnson M.D.  

This is a great book about a little boy who really loves mowing the lawn. It may not sound like a ground-breaking book but Johnson’s message to leave your mistakes in the past, and to live in the present had a profound impact on me because it's something I find very difficult to do. I sometimes find myself dwelling on mistakes I made years and years ago. "The Present" reminds us to accept what has happened in the past, because “you did the best you could, given the information you had at the time.”  So many times, we think, “man, if I’d just done this…” but you couldn’t have, because you didn’t have the information you have now. We forget that. It’s important to stop blaming ourselves for things we cannot change. It’s a great little book, and it's available for free with Amazon Audible trial. 

"Talking to Humans" by Giff Constable

This book is about research and talking to… well… humans. As many of you know, how you ask a question is as important as the question you ask. Constable discusses how researchers often obsess about the technology or the science and forget about the user or the beneficiary of that technology. He talks about how important it is to “walk a mile in the user’s shoes” and to actually experience the problem that they need solved — observe them trying to navigate the problem and actually talk to them about their experience. I think this three-step model for discovery can be very beneficial to researchers, even though "Talking to Humans" discusses it within the context of a business. "Talking to Humans" advises us to dream big, be passionate and be ruthless with our ideas and assumptions while allowing for lean experimentation to help us chart a better path and find success faster. "Talking to Humans" is another short book that you can read in an afternoon or on a flight. Request a free digital download on this form.

Many of you are already mentoring grad students and undergrads. What books do you recommend to your mentees or to your fellow postdocs?

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