Tackling the world’s toughest health challenges as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson
Some books entertain readers, while others challenge them. I like books that do both. Every summer, I choose a range of authors and make time to absorb their ideas and worldviews. This list rarely includes business books. I gravitate toward fiction and historical books of moments that help define the human experience. Here’s my 2023 summer reading list: ✅ “Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World,” by Irene Vallejo: This jewel of a book tells the complex history of the written word. I was fascinated by the connections between the advancements of civilizations and the evolution of writing. This book is an excellent reminder of the power of transmitting knowledge to society and individuals. ✅ “Trust,” by Hernan Diaz: This Pulitzer Prize–winning novel is set during the Roaring ’20s, an era of excess. Diaz explores notions of greed and what it means when we lose sight of our values as individuals—and in our communities. ✅ “Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology,” by Chris Miller: This fascinating historical account of microchips, the hardware that powers virtually every device we own today, explores the complex global supply chains that drive business and how interconnected we all are. ✅ “Lessons in Chemistry,” by Bonnie Garmus: This novel, recommended to me by my daughter, looks at the world in the 1970s through the eyes of a promising American female chemist who perseveres amid discrimination and personal setbacks. The book provides exceptional context as to why diversity and inclusion is so important today. Have you read a great book recently? If so, share it in the comments! #personaldevelopment #lifelonglearning #readinglist
Hello Joaquin, the truth is that I'm not very good at recommending books because I think it's something very personal and depends a lot on the interest of each person. I am going to make an exception to draw your attention to a fellow countryman of yours who you may know and who masters the art of storytelling to perfection, Santiago Posteguillo, professor of history at the Jaume I University in Castellon. The book is "Roma Soy Yo" and talks about the initiation of Julius Caesar in his "cursus honorum" in the Republic of Rome where in a very entertaining way he gives lessons on leadership. I hope you like it.
Barkha J.
10mo
Educated by Tara Westover - a beautifully written coming-of-age memoir that pulls at your heartstrings. Compelling yet tragic account of the author’s off-the-grid childhood and how she uses education as an escape.
Cynthia Castilho
10mo
“Before The Coffee Gets Cold”, very insightful.
John Laczin
10mo
If we read only what we like, how much do we learn? Every once in a while, it is good to read something that goes against your natural grain. If you happen to know an area in greater depth (from college courses, professionally or interest) try to read a 'popular,' but perhaps controversial recent work and compare it to your hard won wider knowledge. Many times when I've done this (recently "Churchill's Ghost," "Indigenous Continent," "The 1619 Project," as particular examples), I have been appalled by the popular press. For much, the rule seems to be to print all the words that fit the page. Some novels have the capacity to reach into and show us the soul of a character, where we might (by chance?) find a reflection of ourselves. Others entertain, more pass the time. Modern biographies, with real historical insight, seem better and better, if they are not done too dry. The key from the point of view of a book might be something like, "Stretch yourself, reader, this is the easiest way for you to learn what's on these pages and what's within yourself!"
Michal Preminger
10mo
Love these, especially the last ❤️❤️
Ifrodet Giorgees
10mo
Lessons in chemistry is one of my favorites. At first I thought it was based on a true story so I actually believed that it was possible for a PhD researcher to have time for rowing and research so it encouraged me to join the rowing team after and I made the time management happen. Lol only to find out it was based on a fictional story afterwards 😭
Chris Della Rocca
10mo
Losing the Signal. The Untold Story Behind The Extraordinary Rise And Spectacular Fall of Blackberry (McNish, Silcoff). Its been out since 2015, but I found time this summer to get to it after seeing the 2023 movie Blackberry on Amazon Prime. The book is an excellent a lesson for market leaders and thier teams. “Buttons and trackballs replaced by touch screens…. will never happen..”
Rachel Hooper
10mo
Just finished lessons in chemistry - loved it and love you sharing other recos…
Katie Grande
10mo
Six -thirty is the true protagonist in Lessons in Chemistry - what a character!
Striving for Quality Excellence through Leadership, Development and Innovations
10moThere are couple of books which I've recently read and thought about a lot. The first one is "The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth" by Amy Edmondson ( https://fearlessorganization.com/the-fearless-organization ). In our company people are treated well and encouraged to speak up. But I'm sure each of us might have a leader blind spot which impact our ability to recognize the behavioral patterns making our team members or peers to hold back. So truly recommend for reading and learning how to avoid such situations. The second one is "Culture Map: Decoding How People Think, Lead, and Get Things Done Across Cultures" by Erin Meyer. I attended many trainings on working with different cultures but this very book is the best thing I have ever read about cross-cultural traps and challenges. It has many practical aspects of adopting and understanding of different cultures which I could implement straight forward. Working in the Global function and being an immigrant I learned a lot there!