Book Recommendations - Teleseminars & Webinars

Since I seek to learn from reading, most of the people who 'hang out with me' are similar - so I always recommend books in the teleseminars and webinars I teach.  You'll find some of those on this page. Take a few moments to read the annotations below to see if any of the books sound interesting to you - whether you were in the class or not.

More are constantly added, so come back soon to visit. 

Recommendations from the recent Mindmapping Webinar
(and the download is still available) 

Note:  These are not listed in any special order, so take a look at all the ones I'm mentioning and then decide which ones will be helpful to you. 

How to Get Ideas (Jack Foster) 

Although this book isn't about mindmapping - it is about generating ideas and I find it useful, fun, and worth reading.   

The Mind Map Book (Tony Buzan)    

This is the granddaddy of the mindmapping world (the author) and this book is also the one where he captures much of his thinking (up to that time) about mindmapping.  It's one worth looking at if you really want to delve into the concepts supporting mindmapping. 

Idea Mapping (Jamie Nast)     

The author has worked extensively with Buzan's model and she takes the ideas and extends them using her own style.  Worth reading.  MANY applications - across academic and corporate settings.

The 59 Second Mindmap (Richard Konieczka)    

I can't recommend this one because there's not much substance here.  I'm including it on the list so that you don't see it when perusing an online bookstore and think that you should buy it.  Pretty blah (and many other reviewers feel the same way). 

Mindmapping (Joyce Wycoff)  

I bought this years ago and wish that she would write another one.  I like her writing style and she provides a great deal of encouragement for trying mindmapping and expanding your use of it as a learning and problem-solving tool.  Worth reading. 

Rapid Problem Solving with Post-it® Notes (David Straker)   

Being an Post-It® note fanatic, how could I not buy this book?  It's inexpensive, straightforward, and provides ideas that you can use as an individual or with your team (large or small). 

Use Both Sides of Your Brain (Tony Buzan)   

I own this particular edition, but read it when the first edition came out in the 80's - and it was the first time I had heard about mindmapping.  He includes a great deal of information about learning and study techniques, which makes sense since that was what he was initially most interested in.  Would be particularly helpful if you are a parent or a teacher (K-12 or higher ed). 

The Back of the Napkin (Dan Roam)    

I read a review of this book in Fast Company and decided to buy it.  It was worth reading, but if you are trying to decide whether to buy only one book from this list, this wouldn't be the one.  You could check it out at the library to see if it was valuable enough for you to buy. 

Mapping Inner Space (Nancy Margulies) 

I love this book!  I found it to be inspiring and energizing and pushed me to test out mindmapping much more than I had in the past.  And I love it that there is such a thing as a job where you go and mindmap people's meetings, conferences, or conventions!  The author actually does that!  So, I would recommend this book if you really want to know more about mindmapping and want to get tips and techniques to expand your own application of this strategy for capturing and generating ideas. 

There are many other books on creativity and visual thinking - but this should get you started.  Let me know about other great ones you find, particularly if they are about mindmapping - because I'm always on the hunt. 

Babcock, Linda & Laschever, Sara.  Women Don't Ask:  The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation--and Positive Strategies for Change.

This book will wake you up. I only wish it had been available at the beginning of my career.  Pretty much, you can't afford NOT to read this book.

Babcock, Linda & Laschever, Sara.  Ask For It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want .

Hallowell, Edward, CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Handling Your Fast-Paced Life.

The title alone is probably intriguing to you - and once you read it, you will have a new perspective on whether your life is CrazyBusy and if that's the way you want to keep it.  Hallowell, who has studied professionals for YEARS and why we seem to stay in a frenzied state, offers strategies that are applicable.  I've read and reread this book and bought it as a CD series as well.  Apparently, I need to hear/see the information more than once.  How about you?

Rath, Tom, StrengthsFinder 2.0.

After Marcus Buckingham left the Gallup Organization to start his own company (and write his own book....GO Put Your Strengths to Work:  6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance), then it was important for Gallup to publish a new book on the Strengths work that they have continued to do.  And this is that book.  For some reason, I was poised not to like it (who knows why), but I like it VERY much.  It's clear, provides excellent action suggestions for each of the 34 strengths, and of course, has the magic code in it so you can take the StrengthsFinder assessment.  This is the book I now use when I'm teaching Strengths workshops.  Order it today if you haven't already.

Scott, Susan.  Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time.

Just the title alone intrigued me...and then when I read the Seven Principles of Fierce Conversations, I was hooked. For example, Principle 6 is "Take Responsibility for Your Emotional Wake." Scott points out that for leaders, there are no "trivial comments." Since reading this book, I have highly recommended it in my leadership training seminars, and am using it as a core text in an upcoming year long training. Reading it will have an impact on your professional and personal life--even if you don't do anything. If you DO follow some of her suggestions, your personal and professional lives will be "fiercely" affected.