Day: December 31, 2017

2017 Recap: Best Books

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A lot was accomplished this year, and even more was read. So, my year-end recap for 2017 will focus on books. I’ll choose the best ones and assign categories.

  1. Category “No Comment”: Anna Starobinets “Look at Him“.
  2. Category “A Changing World”: Darren Todd “Pirate Nation” — an excellent portrayal of how digital piracy is reshaping norms.
  3. Category “We Are All Different”: Erin Meyer “The Culture Map” — a book about cultural differences and how they hinder our communication.
  4. Category “A Comic Not for Everyone”: “Saga“ — I rarely read comics, but Saga unexpectedly caught my attention. It’s very strange and definitely 18+.
  5. Category “Strangely About Everything”: Alexey Markov “Hoolinomics” — a look at modern economics through unconventional language.
  6. Category “Games Are a Craft”: Scott Rogers “Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design” — with humor and plenty of illustrations, it shows that making games isn’t magic; it’s something you can learn and apply with enjoyment.

Erin Mayer “The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business”

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Let’s consider an example: an employee (French) and her boss (American) are discussing her work performance. The employee leaves the conversation feeling inspired—she’s exceeding expectations, and she is one of the best. Meanwhile, the boss is left puzzled—he’s tried every way possible to point out how many issues there are in her work, her behavior is inappropriate, but she seems to be ignoring everything he’s said. Think this couldn’t happen? Oh, it certainly can! They’re both acting and interpreting each other based on the cultural codes they absorbed growing up.

I would’ve been just as puzzled myself if I hadn’t interacted with people from all over the world at work. I’ve seen and experienced situations like this firsthand. Knowing just a common language isn’t enough because your personal experiences and cultural background unconsciously shape your behavior, and you evaluate others through the lens of your own cultural perspective.

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