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LID UK team’s Best Books of 2017!

To celebrate the end of a fantastic year, we got our heads together to bring you our top books from 2017, both LID & non-LID!

Niki Mullin, Business Development Manager

LID book – The Launch Book by Sanyin Siang.

Sanyin Siang is one of the most inspiring leadership thinkers in the US today.

In her first book, Sanyin brings boundless passion, generosity, and insights into launching your next big idea. In her book, Sanyin weaves in compelling stories from friends and colleagues, all helping us become a better version of ourselves.

You really get the sense that Sanyin genuinely wants you to succeed – a brilliant, bite-sized, book. A must read!

Non-LID book – No, is Not Enough by Naomi Klein.

Totally gripping, I couldn’t put it down. Klein’s fifth book, and an absolute must-read of the Trump era.

In this book Naomi shares a bold vision, a clear-eyed perspective on how to break the spell of Trump’s shock tactics, counter the rising chaos and divisiveness at home and abroad, and win the world we need.

Depending on your political views you’ll either think it’s a triumph, or nothing more than a liberal fantasy. I urge you to pick up this book and draw your own conclusions. It’s a big thumbs up from me.

Sam Leimanis – Publicist

LID book – Machiavellian Intelligence by Jonathan Gifford & Mark Powell.

It’s smart and contrarian. I’ve always had a tendency to reject traditional working practices so this really appealed to me.

Non-LID book – A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James.

Not 2017, however, this book got me back into reading properly, after a very long hiatus. I like trying to keep up with the different voices and a lot of people have approached me to discuss the book when they’ve seen me reading it, so I appreciate that.

Yana Maksimochkina – Publicist

LID book – The Strengths Book by Sally Bibb.

This book showed me another perspective that you should actually capitalize on your inner strengths and focus on nurturing and developing them to lead a happier and more content life rather than trying to be someone that you’re not and getting better at something that isn’t meant for you. It’s an empowering, well-structured and uplifting book. I also liked that it’s full of exercises to help you improve your self-awareness and leads you through the process of discovering your own strengths.

Non-LID book – Walk Through Walls by Marina Abramovich.

It’s a fascinating story of her bumpy but adventurous life and work as an extraordinary performance artist. Ever since I attended one of her performance back in 2014 at the Serpentine Gallery, I’ve been intrigued by her strong personality and impressed by the power of her will. I felt her charisma and presence on every page of the book and followed with great interest her spiritual search for another state of consciousness that could have been achieved through deprivation, pain,and sacrifices. She’s a living example who truly pushes the boundaries of human endurance and performance art.

Liz Cooley – Assistant Editor

LID book – How Coca-Cola Took Over The World by Giles Lury.

This collection from Giles Lury showcases the art of short storytelling at its finest. Not only insightful for those who work in business, each story gives a glimpse into the lives of the people behind the brand that will resonate with readers the world over.

Non-LID book – Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.

A cleverly written drama that follows the lives of three women and their families as they juggle home life, work, and the deadly politics of their childrens’ nursery school. This suburban murder mystery, which has something of Desperate Housewives about it, slowly reeled me in, giving just enough information to keep me guessing until the very end.

Alexandra Manos – Business Development Executive

LID book – Naked Banking by Paul Riseborough, Steve Hogg, & Karolina Morys.

Naked Banking looks into why banks do what they do, their business models, and their repeated inability to make correct business decisions.  Having worked in banking prior to joining LID, this book was a refreshing and relatable look into the world I had recently left. Naked Banking is an honest account of what went wrong for banks leading to a personal banking crisis.

Non-LID book: The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy.

I had been excited to read this since hearing about it, as it was Arundhati Roy’s first fiction novel in 20 years. I loved her last novel, The God of Small Things, which I read years ago. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness tells a story of many years all through India, through the eyes of 2 main characters. Roy looks into love and hope and tragedy, using an enormous range of supporting characters to give an emotional account of Indian socio-political unrest in the late 20th century.

Charlotte Reynard – Marketing & Sales Assistant

LID book – The Connection Book by Emma Serlin.

This Concise Advice title has been so helpful in so many different areas – from presentation skills, to little tips and tricks to improve confidence when speaking to larger groups. Author Emma Serlin in a professional dialect coach and she really knows her stuff! A great, quick read!

Non-LID book – When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.

This autobiography was one of the most profound and heart-breaking books I have ever read. It opened up a whole new genre, medical non-fiction, which has really taken off this year. Published posthumously, Dr Paul Kalanithi’s story of his battle with Stage IV lung cancer is a powerful autobiography that takes the reader on a journey of hope, joy, despair, and love.

Ben Walker – Editor, Dialogue Review

LID Book – The Negotiation Book by Nicole Soames.

This is invaluable – offering clear tips and tools that are of great use in any negation situation (you come to realise that much of what you do in life is actually a negotiation). Nicole’s contention that most people enter negotiations with a falsely negative perception of their own position is a lesson for life.

Non LID book –Shane Warne: My Autobiography.

It’s an oldie (I picked it up second hand for some pocket change) but this book has been a joy to read. There are very few sportspeople who deserve the title genius, but Warne is cricket’s equivalent of Albert Einstein: he almost single-handedly revived the art of leg-spin, without which the sport would be incalculably poorer. Warne was a master of mental destruction on the field, sledging opponents by drawing attention to their inadequacies in sporting – or romantic – pursuits. Off the field he is the perfect gentleman, saving several column inches for his great opponents – notably Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Mustaq Ahmed and Adbul Qadir – from whom he learnt much, often the hard way. These days Warne is known for his precise analysis on Sky Sports and his studied neutrality, even when we Poms are playing. Warne once said that he has a love-hate relationship with the English – “I love them and they hate me”. I think that is outdated – he has become, in his own way, a national treasure.