BOOKEY Book Summary and Review

You might find it strange that, sometimes, companies armed with better and newer technology, stronger directors, and more capital than their competitors still fall behind in terms of revenue and customer growth. How can this be? The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable uses the story of a CEO rescuing a company to show us the dysfunctions that can hinder teamwork and performance and how overcoming them can set a company off to a brand-new start.

Can people change themselves? Who do we actually compete against? How can we be free? What does happiness mean? Should we pursue being the best or embrace being ordinary? It is not difficult to find answers to these questions over the course of these five nights of conversation between a youth and a philosopher. In this dialogue, the youth represents you and me; the philosopher is an incarnation of the psychologist Alfred Adler. Together these two personas explore some of life’s fundamental truths. If you seek enlightenment and want to understand how you can live in a less complex and confusing way, with a freer and more joyous mindset, this book will be of great help..

Before the discovery of the first black swan, people were convinced that all swans were white. Hence, a “Black Swan” indicates an unexpected and impactful rare event. From the financial crises to the sinking of the Titanic, or the September eleven attacks, “Black Swans” exist in all fields. This book provides an in-depth analysis of the nature and the rules of “Black Swans.” It enables us to understand both how society operates, and how to gain the upper hand in this uncertain world.

Why was Steve Jobs able to make Apple a worldwide craze? Start With Why reveals that the secret lay in Jobs using The Golden Circle, always asking WHY before anything else. This book introduces the concept of The Golden Circle, and through ample examples, explains why The Golden Circle is so effective, the process of using it, and how to increase your ability to exert influence through The Golden Circle.

Some enterprises perform well in the short-term but, in the long-term, end up failing. While this unfortunate scenario happens to some branches around the world, other can miraculously grow their stock prices in over 1200% increase in stock prices. Why does that happen? What is the difference between those that succeed and those who fail? Many enterprises regard short-term rises in earnings as a sign of success, but overlook long-term growth and sustainability. So, how can we inspire employees with ideals of dedication and cooperation whilst keeping up with an extraordinary performance? This book, used as training material by top organizations including Microsoft, American Express, the US Department of Defense, and the United Nations, will open the door to a sustained increase in performance in your teams.

When Malala Yousafzai was born in Pakistan, she was a normal girl, but she went on to resist terrorists and advocate for women’s right to education. As a result, she was shot in the head by armed militants at the age of 15, but she miraculously survived. Her story moved the world, and she won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize at only 17 years old. How did she have the superhuman courage to face death, and how did she maintain such strong convictions in her fight for equality? Let’s experience this brave and visionary tale together.

Why did the inhabitants of the Eurasian continent conquer the American natives, instead of the other way around? Why are wheat, maize, and livestock like pigs and cows found in certain regions of the world and not in others? This book reveals the facts behind the broader environmental elements that have helped shaped the world’s history, thereby effectively refuting anthropological theories based on racism. It also records the underlying causes of the current situation and the many injustices visible in our modern world. This book can be considered as a true history of all the races and ethnicities of the world.

Do you often complain about not having enough time or having a lot of work to do? Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity will help you solve all your problems. This book introduces a method called GTD time management. It is an efficient workflow practice proven to help you "Win at the Game of Work and Business of Life." This book is based on the author’s over 30 years of consulting experience and personal exploration. It has been published in 33 countries, helping millions of readers around the world to get their work done easily and efficiently.

Inevitably, there will be “crucial moments” in our lives that are difficult to solve but will have a significant impact on the overall course of our life. However, most people handle these moments poorly, and even choose to avoid them. This book teaches us practical skills to handle crucial conversations, avoid unnecessary arguments, and achieve effective communication. This book is based on over 20 years of empirical research and data gathered from more than 100,000 people around the world. The skills described here have been adopted by more than 300 of the Fortune 500 companies, and the book has sold 3 million copies in the United States.

Artificial intelligence has already entered our lives. While we enjoy the convenience it brings us, we are also worried that it might take our jobs, access our data, and make decisions for us. Given the numerous challenges we will be facing in the future, how do we make sure we can stay at the forefront of time and survive? Following Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, as the finale of the trilogy, the book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century will bring you to a significant discussion about human destiny in the twenty-first century.

The human brain is equipped with two thinking systems, System 1 that is good at thinking fast, and System 2 that is good at thinking slow. System 1, the fast thinker, relies on intuition when it makes a judgment. While it is fast and efficient, it is inept at statistical reasoning and is susceptible to many systematic biases. On the other hand, System 2, the slow thinker that oversees rational thinking, is lazy and often takes System 1’s intuition for granted. More often than not, we are irrational when we make judgments and decisions, and we are definitely not what the author calls “Econs.”

In The Stranger, events happen by chance. Unwittingly, the protagonist, Meursault, becomes involved in his friend’s conflict, shoots and kills his friend’s rival. During the trial, the public decides to focus on Meursault’s character rather than attending to the specific details of the case. Because Meursault didn’t weep at his mother’s funeral, they conclude that his personality is cold and callous. As a result, he is sentenced to death. Throughout these events, Meursault assumes the role of an outsider. The French title of the book is also sometimes translated as “The Outsider.” He watches events unfold with cold indifference. In his last moments, he calmly accepts his fate and transcends life and death.

This novel recounts the story of a handsome, aristocratic youth by the name of Dorian Gray. He wished a spell on his portrait that he would retain eternal youth – a wish that ultimately came true. Thereafter, he indulged without restraint in his sensual desires. Time passed, and Dorian’s beautiful looks were unchanged by time. Meanwhile, his portrait grew more hideous day by day. Finally, aiming to destroy the traces of his life of sin contained in the portrait, Dorian stabs the canvas with a knife, resulting in his own mysterious death. In death, Dorian’s corpse transforms, becoming hideous and old. His painted portrait has its beauty restored.

Many people think that marriage is the grave of love, and a lot of couples fight with each other or have marriage crises because of trivial things. But they are always close to each other when they are in love. So what turns these intimate relationships into ones ripe with conflict? This book will tell us why as well as discuss the primary reason why communication is so important, and how we can express love in proper ways. It also provides effective ways that will point us in the direction of how to resolve marriage crises.

This book mainly tells the story of how several ordinary Wall Street workers found out the secret of the bond market, realized the crisis hidden under the "subprime" bubble, and got rich by shorting the market. The book also reveals the dark side of American financial institutions and financial rating agencies. It analyzes the various causes of the financial crisis.

Homo sapiens were once an inconspicuous group in the corner of Africa. How did they eventually make it to the top of the biological chain and take over the planet? Where did money and religions originate from? Why did the empires created by humankind rise and fall one after another? How did science and capitalism become the most crucial tenets of modern society? This book will help you sort out the journey of humankind from ancient times. By uncovering the origins of cultures, religions, laws, nations, and credit, humankind can reexamine itself.

In every time period, there exist some "outliers" who possess exceptional abilities and achieve extraordinary feats. It is commonly believed that their success is attributed to personal factors, that they are either gifted or simply work much harder than the average person. However, this book uncovers the real secret to their success. They do not rely purely on their talent or hard work to achieve success; rather, their success is influenced by innate strengths, acquired opportunities, and cultural backgrounds.

The novel Oliver Twist tells the story of Oliver, an orphan raised in a workhouse. When he cannot take any more abuse, he escapes to London. In London, he is hooked into a den of thieves and undergoes many hardships before getting free with the help of various kind Samaritans. Oliver doesn’t know the identity of his father but finally discovers the truth about his birth. The author Charles Dickens created this kind-hearted protagonist whose life is beset with tragedy. In so doing, Dickens won the love and sympathy of countless readers. By telling Oliver’s story, Dickens revealed darkness and injustices endemic in English society at the time.

Emma, the protagonist of the novel, was a farmer’s daughter. The education she received in the monastery and the influence of the Romantic movement had given her many fantasies about the wealthy aristocratic life. As a result, she was deeply disappointed with her mediocre husband and ordinary marriage, and lived through a gradual moral and financial degeneration. Through the course of what she considers an unworthy life, Emma becomes deeply indebted and her overall dissatisfaction with her own reality leads her to take her own life. This novel portrays one of the most classic female images in the history of literature and reveals the reality behind the French society during the mid-19th century.

The novel uses the American Civil War as a backdrop and the life of protagonist Scarlett O’Hara as its main plot to depict the war’s impact on Southern plantation owners, as well as the process of post-war reconstruction. In so doing, it paints the portrait of a resilient and intelligent female character who is unafraid to subvert unjust norms, and who always looks earnestly to the future without clinging to the past. Not only does it depict the classic love story between Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler, but it also vividly portrays the profound changes in the politics, economy, ethics and everyday life that were unfolding in America’s Confederate South at the time.