Off My Management Bookshelf

As life returns to normal with the pandemic fading away slowly and perhaps because of us learning to live with it, life turns to new and interesting corners.

- Rajesh Nair

The best way to adapt to change and some of the more permanent disruptions is to have a new set of lenses to view world situations and pick up new competencies. ‘Super forecasting’ highlights a similar challenge. How do we gaze at the crystal ball better or what do the ink tests of the future tell us? Another book that fascinated me was ‘Range’ – a thorough discussion on the eternal debate of generalists Vs. specialists. The difference in this book is the wide array of examples from sports which lends an interesting angle. ‘ Narrative Economics’ is a rare commentary on the role played by narratives in the changes in the economy and the tangible changes information and stories create in our lives. ‘Chaos Monkeys is a pageturner talking about software development, new startups, the power of ideas, and the kilometers of codes that embellish and elucidate them.

Superforecasting – The Art and Science of Prediction

Philip E.Tetlock is a renowned behavioral scientist and author and he teams up with journalist Dan Gardner to provide an interesting glance at the methods and pitfalls of trying to predict what is coming in the future in not just social contexts but also in business. The book outlines the ‘how of ’ analyzing your own thought processes and applying your perceptions to consider the future more productively. Tetlock’s brilliant insights and methods can be helpful tools for anyone willing to use the right blend of skeptical thinking and open-mindedness to consider scenarios and solve problems.