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My Forever Bookshelf: The Books I always recommend
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items There are a couple of my favorite books! Being a leadership development professional I read a lot of books on workplace culture. My other passion is supporting AAPI authors
Sections
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Behavioral Insights & Workplace Culture
Asian American Pacific Islander Authors
Behavioral Insights & Workplace Culture
My professional work is in learning and development and organizational effectiveness , so I really dive deep into books that cover this area. All these books changed something profoundly in my life, and I hope they do the same for you!
Helping others drives your own success. I am a huge fan of Adam Grant's writing and this was the book that started it all. It show that over time that being a giver has longer term success
Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success
Another brilliant book by one of my favorite authors. Be sure to listen to his podcast as a complement. Dr Grant helps you think about when you might think again
Think Again: The Power of Knowing
Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve by Alison Fragale PhD is one of the best books I've read in the past couple years. Don't be thrown off by the title, even if you are not a woman this is still a worthwhile read because the principles still apply. She does a wonderful job setting the stage on the balance of building your status vs building your power, something everyone could use.
Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve
This book changed how I think about life! I had heard the authors speak at a talk, and started this right before I entered grad school. The authors are out of the Stanford D (Design) School that is rooted in Design thinking. This book helps surface what's important to you (your values) and helps you think about how you best integrate it into your life. I take their design principles to protoype and test out everything I do and it has forever changed how I approach things... While it can be done solo, if you get a friend to work through it, it can be incredibly rewarding
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life
James Clear didn't invent habits research, but I think he has made it the most tangible and approachable, and doable. I've heard him on podcasts many times, and have found this book equally enjoyable to read. I won't spoil it, but if you're looking to really work on changing behavior and your outcomes, this is well worth your time.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break ...
After going through a job loss, and restructure, I was recommended by a couple people to read this book. This will forever change how you think about job search. Phyl Terry offers a free service for job seekers that groups people together. This book is the process for that, and you will learn a lot about yourself from others. It reminds me a lot of Designing your Life as it takes a business principle and applies it to your professional life
Never Search Alone: The Job Seeker's Playbook - Amazon.com
If You ever live in Chicago, the chance you take an improv chance is probably higher than 70%. If you don't live in a city with a renowned improv theater like the Second City, do the next best thing and read this book and learn how the tenets of improvisational comedy “Yes, And” isn't just to be funny or on SNL. They have real life tools that ...
Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and ...
Asian American Pacific Islander Authors
These are some of my favorite books by AAPI Identifying Authors.
One of the best memoirs of the past couple years. Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast) writes a brilliant and tear jerking memoir about her experience. I won't spoil it but saying it's an amazing book
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner
Absolute page turner. I have not really read this style book. It is partially a memoir but also thought provoking that calls out cultural beliefs and challenges your thinking. You can finish this in a day because it's so good
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
Note: I personally know the author, Curtis Chin, and have become a friend of his. Getting to know him, is what got me to want to read his book. Curtis is such a genuine person, and he tells a complex and rich narrative of his growing up in Detroit in... This was a Stonewall Honor Book awardee, which recognizes "exceptional merit relating to the LGBTQIA+ experience in English-language books.
Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant: A Memoir ...
The literature for Asian American Pacific Islander professionals is limited, but this is a seminal book, which just celebrated 20 years in 2025. It is a book that still stands the test of time because culture and change move slow. I consider this a bible that every AAPI professional should read, and that allies should as well to better understand their friends and colleagues.
Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians ...