Ten Must-Read Books for Innovators
written BY LUISA SMITH / Images provided by Book Passage
This past year left us with no shortage of incredible innovations in all industries. Now, as we carry that spirit into 2021, how can we continue to cultivate an innovative mindset?
Contrary to popular belief, innovation does not come from a sudden stroke of genius. It takes work, structure and strategy. And there’s no better way to build your innovation muscle than getting a fresh dose of inspiration from eye-opening books on innovation and creativity!
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Our partners at Book Passage, a San Francisco institution that has served the community for more than 40 years, have selected their top picks and must-read books on innovation. Book Passage is no stranger to innovation themselves, building community in the Bay Area through events and classes with some of the most engaging and thought-provoking authors of today.
Keep reading for Book Passage head buyer Luisa Smith’s list of can’t miss books on innovation.
Ten Must-Read Books for Innovators
1 / The Innovation Stack:
Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time
BY JIM MCKELVEY
From the cofounder of Square, an inspiring and entertaining account of what it means to be a true entrepreneur and what it takes to build a resilient, world-changing company. The Innovation Stack is a thrilling business narrative that’s much bigger than the story of Square. It is an irreverent first-person look inside the world of entrepreneurship, and a call to action for all of us to find the entrepreneur within ourselves.
2 / Inclusify:
The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams
BY STEFANIE K. JOHNSON
In this groundbreaking guide, a management expert outlines the transformative leadership skill of tomorrow—one that can make it possible to build truly diverse and inclusive teams which value employees’ need to belong while being themselves. Having a true range of different voices is good for the bottom line—it allows for the development of the best, most innovative, and creative solutions that are essential to success.
3 / The Innovation Delusion:
How Our Obsession with the New Has Disrupted the Work That Matters Most
BY LEE VINSEL & ANDREW L. RUSSELL
Innovation is the hottest buzzword in business. But what if its benefits have been exaggerated, and our obsession with finding the next big thing has distracted us from the work that matters most? They offer a compelling plan for how we can shift our focus away from the pursuit of growth at all costs, and back toward neglected activities like maintenance, care, and upkeep.
4 / No Rules Rules:
Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention Reed Hastings
BY ERIN MEYER
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings reveals for the first time the unorthodox culture behind one of the world’s most innovative, imaginative, and successful companies. When Hastings co-founded Netflix, he developed a set of counterintuitive and radical management principles, defying all tradition and expectation, allowing the company to reinvent itself over and over on the way to becoming one of the most loved brands in the world.
5 / Passion Purpose Profit:
Sidestep the #hustle and build a business you love
BY FIONA KILLACKEY
The must-have book for anyone starting a business or looking to fall in love with their business again. It's one thing to have a business idea, or even to start a creative business. It's quite another to scale it sustainably without increasing your financial and emotional stress. In this practical guide, experienced business coach and creative consultant Fiona Killackey shows you how to scale the business without scaling the stress.
6 / Inspired by Method:
Creative Tools for the Design Process
BY ALEXANDRA MARTINI
What is inspiration? Can there be a method for finding inspiration? Inspired by Method is both a guide to and a source of inspiration. For all budding creatives who are involved with design, in any way, that want to deepen their knowledge and intellectual portfolio professionally and develop their design skills further. Both a kickstarter for new ideas, and an energizer for putting those plans into action!
7 / Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life
BY JENNIFER AAKER & NAOMI BAGDONAS
Humor is one of the most powerful tools we have for accomplishing serious work. Studies reveal that humor makes us appear more competent and confident, strengthens relationships, unlocks creativity, and boosts our resilience during difficult times. Learn how to harness the power of humor, based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, to make a strong first impression, deliver difficult feedback, persuade and motivate others, and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive.
8 / Shine: Ignite Your Inner Game to Lead Consciously at Work and in the World
BY CARLEY HAUCK
Executive consultant and mindfulness teacher Carley Hauck offers practical guidance for leading your business with heart, brilliance, and courage. This book is all about developing your "inner game" skills of mindful awareness, heart attunement, embodiment, and resilience in order to play your best "outer" game and lead within your company with courage and brilliance. Its practices teach us how to grow our inner capacities in a way that will push us to new heights and cope when things get rough.
9 / Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable
BY JAMIE KERN LIMA
In Believe IT, Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics, shares the wild but true story of how a once struggling waitress turned her against-the-grain idea into an international bestselling sensation, eventually selling the company for over a billion dollars and becoming the first female CEO of a brand in L’Oréal’s 100+ year history. Jamie reveals for the first time what really went down, how she almost didn’t make it, how she learned to trust herself, and the powerful lessons you, too, can use to go from underestimated to unstoppable.
10 / How to Build a Goddamn Empire
BY ALI KRIEGSMAN
The inspiring story of how two female entrepreneurs turned a newsletter into a venture-backed, industry-disrupting brand. Filled with heart and humor, How to Build a Goddamn Empire shares the real-world, hard-earned business wisdom of one female entrepreneur who transformed an idea into a massive, category-disrupting brand. Kriegsman offers candid insights into the nuts and bolts of building a brand from scratch — discussing early failures, picking the right cofounder, finding funding — to give women the tools that will help take their ideas to the next level.
Thank you, Luisa for sharing your top picks on innovation with us!
If you’re interested in reading any of these titles, they can be ordered online through Book Passage’s website for delivery or for in-store pick-up. If you choose to pick up your order in-store, please help us limit the number of people in their store by waiting until you’ve received an email confirmation saying your order is ready.
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