Blurred's favourite books of 2019
By Kristina Saxelby
Whether you’re treating yourself, buying a gift for a colleague, family member or close friend, you can never go wrong with a good book. And because sharing [knowledge] is caring, the team has put together a list of their top recommendations to tackle 2020 with – whether you’re in to behavioural economics, human rights within Greek mythology or how geography teaches us about worldwide history and vice versa, the below will sort you right out.
Chosen by Stuart
This book is about understanding the world as it truly is, not as we fear it to be.
As human beings we’re naturally terrible at judging the world, whether we’re thinking about poverty, the climate, or world health. Hans Rosling was determined to teach us to base our worldview on knowledge rather than fear.
The book is filled with optimism, but Rosling disliked being badged an optimist. He preferred the term “possibilist” - someone who neither hopes without reason, nor fears without reason.
As marketers, our purpose is to lead businesses towards a future where they succeed by helping fix the world’s complex problems. In that light, it’s vital that every single one of us becomes a possibilist.
Chosen by Kristina
Could there be a better suited title for today’s society?
Manson writes: “We live in an interesting time. Materially, everything is the best it’s ever been—we are freer, healthier and wealthier than any people in human history. Yet, somehow everything seems to be irreparably and horribly f**ked - the planet is warming, governments are failing, economies are collapsing, and everyone is perpetually offended on Twitter. At this moment in history, when we have access to technology, education and communication our ancestors couldn’t even dream of, so many of us come back to an overriding feeling of hopelessness.”
Drawing from a pool of psychological research, Manson takes a good look at the major problems affecting today’s society and planet, asking us to challenge ourselves and connect with our surroundings in ways we didn’t even think possible – seems impossible right?
Think again. A little perspective can change a whole lot – the lot needs to start from you.
Chosen by George
In a time of political uncertainty, have you ever stopped and asked yourself why we are becoming increasingly nationalist?
When it comes to understanding world events, basic knowledge is essential – and yes, this starts with geography. If you've ever wondered why Putin is so obsessed with Crimea, why the US was “great” in the first place, or why China's power base continues to expand ever outwards, the answers are all here.
This book looks at the world both objectively and subjectively, including the occasional personal insight from widely travelled author Tim Marshall. It looks at problems and solutions from the past, present and future, all of which have and will continue to determine our world’s history.
Chosen by Jenna
If you’re obsessed with behavioural economics, namely the way we think we behave versus the way we actually behave, this book will be right up your street.
Shotton uses academic research and examples from the world of marketing to demonstrate:
Why targeting luxury cars exclusively at people whose age ends in a nine could be a valid marketing strategy
Why admitting your flaws makes you more appealing (as demonstrated by Carlsberg this year)
Why targeting your advertising to those watching The Notebook is a terrible idea
An accessible read, it’s interesting to see how The Choice Factory addresses one cognitive bias per chapter, outlining ways to apply it to your own business challenges
Chosen by Greta
Introverts are often overlooked and muffled by the loud noise emanated from the millions of extroverts. This book helps you understand why, in their quiet subtleness, introverts’ personalities are actually insanely powerful.
Some of the world's most talented people are introverts. Without them we wouldn't have the magical world of Harry Potter, the talented Meryl Streep or Albert Einstein (insane, we know). It’s a personality trait that defines many of us and those we love in different ways. Whether you’re looking into understanding your friend, colleague or pet Chihuahua, if you want to understand why you are the extrovert yin to their introvert yang then this is one for you.
Chosen by Nick Porter
Acclaimed Greek scholar Madeline Miller retells the story of Circe, the banished daughter of the god of the sun, best known for being Odysseus’ temptress in Homer’s Odyssey.
A beautifully rendered tale - rich with detail - it recasts Circe as an epic hero in her own right, carving out her destiny in a world dominated by men. Aside from the writing being truly exquisite, nuanced and vivid, this book is incredibly timely – not only with its #metoo undertones, but also through the corrupting nature of power and greed.
Chosen by Katy
It’s safe to say that Nike is way up there with the world’s most famous brands. Represented by the iconic swoosh, and driven by surreal creative marketing and branding, the company is held in awe by consumers and competitors alike.
Whether you’re the former wanting to know more about the brand you love, or the latter simply wanting to be inspired, this is a great choice for anyone who is curious about what success truly looks like.
The gritty reality of having a dream and tirelessly pursuing it is what makes this memoir so truthful and heart-warming, attributing real meaning to the cliché, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.
Not only is it a real page-turner by way of a fascinating story, but the man himself is just a straight-up inspiration. Not once did he waiver from his vision, or lose faith in it, even in the face of tremendous struggles. And despite clearly knowing that Nike turns out to be a phenomenal success story, while reading you can’t help but feel everything is pointing towards it being a colossal failure, which fills you with nothing but hope and motivation.