Last December Chris Erikson and I wrote a cover story for the @Work section of the NY Post on 2007's notable books. If they all had something in common, it's that they celebrated innovative thinking and were written by authors who didn't hesitate to speak their truths about the workplace.
Tim Ferris, author of the The 4-Hour Work Week, for example, argues that time, not dollars, is the new currency. He rails against wasting time in meetings and refuses to attend them unless there's a decision to be made, a pre-approved written agenda, and a 30-minute time limit. He also advocates outsourcing life's menial tasks to someone who's time is valued less than yours.
Buddhist Marshall Goldsmith wrote a business best-seller, What Got You Here, Won't Get You There. In it, he suggests that by simply giving up your annoying habits, you can be more successful at work. He also wrote a fun little article in Fast Company, If They Don't Care, Don't Waste Your Time. It might make a good mantra.
And perhaps, my favorite is The No Asshole Rule by Stanford Business Professor, Robert Sutton which argues that jerk-bosses are more harmful to the workplace than most of us think. Not only is the content in the book brilliant, but so was Sutton's decision to insist that the a-word stay in the title. Without it, the book may not have been a top seller.
Though all ten of the books on the list are worth a close read, the main theme is fairly simple, spend your time where you're strong, treat other people as you would want to be treated, and get away from people who refuse to leverage and celebrate your capabilities.
