Contributors to the October 2022 issue of TD magazine offer their book recommendations.

Shariem Saterfield

Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change

by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler

Leading through influence is a skill that all training professionals should master, and this book provides you with the mindset and the tools to understand what influence is and how to use it to your advantage.

Innovation by Design

By Thomas Lockwood and Edgar Papke

We live in an age of innovation. Companies must do things differently; they need diversity of thought, new ideas, and a willingness to change to meet current customers’ new demands. This book provides you with an understanding of how you can implement change in your business environment and foster active innovation.

Lynne McNamee

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution

by Todd S. Purdum

Looking at the creative process of these two geniuses on storytelling, developing their craft, revising constantly, working with other creatives as well as exploring the business side of their artistic endeavors provides perspective and inspiration for the learning function. This is well researched and well written.

They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today's Digital Consumer

By Marcus Sheridan

This practical book shares lessons learned and how to apply them for any business. A key insight to apply in the learning world is to think of our departments as a media company. We’re competing for attention and need to meet people where they are and, critically, answer the questions they actually have, not just tell them what we want them to know.

From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life

By Arthur C. Brooks.

I wasn’t objectively aware of the transition from fluid intelligence to crystallized intelligence and how that impacts one’s career. Are our talent development programs and succession plans leveraging or even preparing employees for this transition? Do we only value fluid intelligence in our companies, or are we creating opportunities during the crystallized intelligence phase? When we look at employee benefits, are we offering options to help people in this transition?

Dana Alan Koch

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel

When a colleague asks me what they can read that will help them understand the science of learning, I start with this book. It is well researched, full of examples, and an enjoyable read.

Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn

By Barbara Oakley, Beth Rogowsky, and Terry Sejnowski

The authors of Uncommon Sense Teaching take you on a journey of the brain while the brain is learning. It is an eye-opening view that every teacher and curriculum designer would benefit from understanding.

Britt Andreatta

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

By Adam Grant

This is a great read by organizational psychologist Adam Grant. Backed by rigorous research and data, this book gives learning professionals important information and tools about how to help people change perspectives and behaviors.

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts

By Brené Brown

Researcher Brené Brown brings a unique and powerful perspective to leadership development, one that resonates with executives at the world’s biggest companies. Her focus on vulnerability and purpose are just what people are seeking in their workplaces and from their leaders.

Lenn Millbower

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination

By Neal Gabler

Gabler delivers an unbiased account of Walt Disney’s organizational struggles. It details how Disney used leadership (and training) to overcome these challenges to achieve amazing results.

Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire

By Bob Thomas

Walt Disney was a dreamer and needed money and organization to deliver those dreams. This book details how his partner (and older brother) Roy helped build the business in a way that allowed Disney’s creativity to flourish.

Vanessa Alzate

Built to Sell

By John Warrillow

This book has transformed the way I interact with stakeholders and clients. It has helped me standardize my process so that I can find support when I need to bring in help and to be more creative because I was less worried about my process and more about the content. I also love that it is told through a story, and whenever I discuss the book with others who have read it, we talk about the characters by name and about how invested we were in the outcome of the story. It gave me such a lesson in the power of storytelling in learning.