44 Recommended Books For You To Read In 2021
By Gina Rubel
Looking back on 2020, here are 44 recommended books for you to read in 2021 from our hosts of On Record PR and our guests during Season 1. Our hosts and guests discussed books and other resources of inspiration, about anti-racism, and fiction as those recommendations fit naturally in the interviews. Links to the original podcasts, recommended books, and resources can be found below topical book lists. I also have included “author’s pick,” many of which were mentioned in various podcast discussions.
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, EQUALITY AND ANTIRACISM BOOKS
- Begin Again
- Between the World and Me
- Caste
- How to be an Anti-Racist
- How We Fight For Our Lives
- The Color of Law
- The New Jim Crow
- The Warmth of Other Suns
- White Fragility
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria
- Wilmington’s Lie
In addition, Furia Rubel has compiled a more inclusive list of Anti-racism Resources to Become a Better Ally available for free on our website.
INSPIRATION AND SUCCESS BOOKS
- Bella Figura by Kamin Mohammadi (Author’s Pick)
- How to Overcome Self-Sabotage
- The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life by Edith Eger (Author’s Pick)
- The Prayer of Jabez
- The Success Principles
- Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes
LEADERSHIP BOOKS
- 11 Things to Do if You Want to Be an Amazingly Effective Leader
- Boundaries for Leaders
- Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself
- Emotional Intelligence 2.0
STRATEGY AND SALES BOOKS
- A Whole New Mind
- Ask For More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything by Alexandra Carter (Author’s Pick)
- Blue Ocean Strategy
- Buy-In
- Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty
- Drive
- Inspiration for Modern Communicators
- Leading Change
- Mavericks at Work
- Misbehaving
- Nudge
- On the Brink by Andi Simon. Ph.D. (Author’s Pick)
- Pitch Anything
- Practically Radical
- Rules for a Flat World
- Simply Brilliant
- Smart Calling
- The Challenger Sale
- The Heart of Change
- To Sell is Human
- What Customers Want
- When
- XLR8
ON RECORD PR PODCAST EPISODES WITH BOOK AND OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
EPISODE 8: How To Be An Amazingly Effective Leader with Ken Jacobs
- Free eBook, 11 Things to Do If You Want To Be An Amazingly Effective Leader by Ken Jacobs
- Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves
EPISODE 9: Leading Authentically in Community Banking During a Crisis with Penn Community Bank CEO Jeane Vidoni
- Boundaries for Leaders by Dr. Henry Cloud
- Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza
- Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty by Harvey Mackay
- Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
- Anything by Daniel H. Pink: A Whole New Mind, To Sell is Human, Drive, and When
- The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation by Matthew Dixon
- Anything by John Kotter, especially on organizational change and creating buy-in internally such as Leading Change, Buy-In, XLR8 and The Heart of Change
- Anything by Bill Taylor, the founder of Fast Company, including Practically Radical, Mavericks at Work and Simply Brilliant
- Anything about behavioral economics by Dr. Richard Thaler including Nudge and Misbehaving
EPISODE 19: Finding, Living & Sharing Your Purpose with Patrice Tanaka of Joyful Planet
- Becoming Ginger Rogers by Patrice Tanaka
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Answers for Modern Communicators by Deirdre Breakenridge
EPISODE 29: Recruiting Lawyers and Other Professionals in the Age of Covid-19 with Scott Love
- Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff
- Smart Calling by Art Sobczyk
- How to Overcome Self-Sabotage by Pat Pearson
- The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson
EPISODE 33: How to Create a Sense of Belonging: Diversity and Inclusion with Gia Altreche
- White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
- How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
- The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- Podcast: “What’s Your Story?” with Matt Story
- Podcast: Code Switch by NPR
- Newsletter: Ellen McGirt’s RaceAhead
- Column: Race/Related by The New York Times
EPISODE 34: ASG LegalTech CEO Soumya Nettimi Talks Covid, Racial Injustice and The Future of Legal Payments
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
EPISODE 37: Belonging is the Key to DE&I Efforts. An interview with Reggie Shuford, Executive Director of the ACLU-PA
- Wilmington’s Lie by David Zucchino
- How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones
- Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
- What Customers Want: Using Outcome-Driven Innovation to Create Breakthrough Products and Services by Anthony Ulwick
- News Special Report: Breaking Tradition: How New Law is Challenging Big Law by ALM Media
- News Special Report: Minds Over Matters: An Examination of Mental Health in the Legal Profession by ALM Media
EPISODE 42: What LegalTech Journalists Want to Know with Bob Ambrogi of LawSites
- Rules for a Flat World by Gillian Hadfield
- Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen (Fiction)
EPISODE 44: The Making of Overhaul of Advocacy, a Resource Database for Allies and Antiracists
- Documentary: Thirteen
- Movie: The Social Dilemma
EPISODE 45: Preserving Black History in Bucks County, PA, with Recorder of Deeds Robin Robinson
- Begin Again by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.
EPISODE 47: Why Lawyers Benefit from Business Development Coaching with Elise Holtzman of The Lawyer’s Edge
- Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes by William Bridges
- The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum
- How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
Enjoy this great list of recommendations. From the team at Furia Rubel Communications, we wish you a healthful, happy, and prosperous 2021.
