Thoughts on reading books during a pandemic – and; we need some hope…
I don’t know about you, but it is hard to focus on much of anything these days.
I have read, and presented synopses of, over 500 books over the last 22 years. The majority of these books have been business books. But a large “second” focus have been books on social justice.
Coming for our May 1 First Friday Book Synopsis on Zoom
Last week, a person who has attended our First Friday Book Synopsis asked me: “have you read any books that helped you get ready for this moment?” My answer is…not enough.
I mentioned Factfulness by Hans Rosling, who wrote that of the six great threats to our planet, one of them was a global pandemic. And I mentioned Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, who wrote that everyone and every organization must make themselves “antifragile,” in case such a day of danger and testing comes.
But…no….no book quite got me prepared for this.
I have read plenty of books in the social justice arena that spoke to the human needs in times of difficulty. The need for genuine universal health care; the need for some kind of universal basic income.
But, ultimately, I think we are going to have to get through this with grit, determination, and inventive creativity.
I will be presenting two books, remotely (Zoom), for the May 1 First Friday Book Synopsis. One is on persuasion. The other is on innovation. Genuine innovation. The author, co-founder of Square Jim McKelvey, says that very occasionally, a person/leader creates something truly new. He describes the development of innovation stacks, put into practice to solve a “perfect problem.” Well, if any moment has ever called for an innovation stack to do something new, to solve a perfect problem, this is it!
But, here is my personal comment. I am finding it hard even to do my usual reading. But I have inhaled The innovation Stack by McKelvey because it has given me a tiny glimmer of hope – hope that someone somewhere is going to come up with something new; something inventive, creative, to help get us through this time.
One can hope.
