Episode Details

Sometimes you read a book and get a flash of insight - that "ah ha!" moment - about yourself and the ways you interact with others. That happened to me when reading "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World." It helped me to understand and justify my interest in (this won't surprise you) EVERYTHING related to geriatrics or palliative care. Also hat tip to Matthew Growdon for recommending the book.

Today we talk with Bob Arnold, who has a long list of recommendations for books that have the potential to generate an "ah ha!" moment. The podcast is ostensibly focused on becoming a better mentor, but as you'll hear, we discuss techniques that can help you cope with anxiety, stress, your spouse…the list goes on. In reality, insights from these books can help you be a better teacher, a more curious person, as well as a better mentor or mentee.

Bob urges you to buy these books from your local bookstore. To that end, we're not including links with the titles below. Please shop locally.

As a bonus, Lauren Hunt, frequent guest on GeriPal, heard we recorded this podcast and wanted to add a couple books to Bob's list (she saw Bob give a talk about these books at the NPCRC Foley retreat). Her list will strongly resonate with women in academics. See below for Lauren's two additions to Bob's list, with her personal commentary.

Enjoy!

-@AlexSmithMD

Bob's booklist:

• Lori Gottlieb, Maybe You Should Talk to Somebody: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
• Ethan Kross, Chatter: The Voice Inside Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It
• Eric Barker, Plays Well With Others: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong
• Stephanie Foo, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing From Complex Trauma
• Jennifer L. Eberhardt, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do
• Claude M. Steele, Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do
• Marcus Buckingham, Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader's Guide to the Real World
• Marshall Goldsmith, What Got You Here Won't Get You There
• Adam Grant, Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success
• David Epstein, Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
• Douglas Stone, Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well
• Douglas Stone, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
• Kerry Patterson, Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
• Kerry Patterson, Crucial Accountability: Tools for Resolving Violated Expectations, Broken Commitments, and Bad Behavior
• Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
• James Clear, Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
• Michael Bungay Stanier, The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
• Peter Bergman, You Can Change Other People: The Four Steps to Help Your Colleagues, Employees--Even Family--Up Their Game
• Doug Lemov, The Coach's Guide to Teaching
• Doug Lemov, Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College
• Doug Lemov, Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better

​​From Lauren:

The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It by Valerie Young

I was inspired to read this book after reading a post on the 80,000 hours

Listen Now