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My Favorite Books

Written by Dr. Roman Krznaric, this book is hands down my favorite source for student readings and creative class experiments & activities. The writing is engaging, the materials grounded in solid academic research, and the practical guide very imaginative (challenge by choice, of course). Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a good grasp of "what empathy is, and how to get it."

A social psychologist in the Booth School of Business at U Chicago, Dr. Nick Epley has conducted many ingenious scientific experiments to reveal how we understand other minds, and why we "misunderstand what others think, believe, feel, and want". This award-winning book will surely make you appreciate your everyday "mind reading" ability and become more cognizant of many cognitive pitfalls thereof.

More than two decades ago, Dr. Daniel Goleman introduced the concept of "emotional intelligence" to the general public, which the Harvard Business Review hailed as “a ground-breaking, paradigm-shattering idea.” Although the science of human relationships has made much progress since this book's first appearance in 2006, with its compelling and engaging writing, this book still presents a great overview.

Who wants to argue against a Yale psychology professor? But in all seriousness, you should, especially when the matter becomes whether we’d better get rid of empathy. Whether or not you agree with Dr. Paul Bloom's definition of empathy or particular arguments, this book encourages the reader to examine the limits of empathy and (after some critical thinking) gain a more nuanced understanding of its benefits.

Books that fascinated me lately:

Adam Waytz (2019):
The Power of Human: How Our Shared Humanity Can Help Us Create a Better World

Sudhir Venkatesh (2008):
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets

Books currently on my shelf:

Jamil Zaki (2019):
The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World

Harvard Business Review (2017):
Empathy (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)