#LockdownList: Four HarperCollins India editors weigh in on books that are ideal companions for coronavirus crisis-related lockdowns, shutdowns, quarantines and self-isolation. This is list 1.
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In August 1914, when the world’s most powerful nations declared war on each other, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the German emperor, is said to have famously told his troops they would be home before the leaves fell from the trees. Even the less optimistic British thought that the war would be over before Christmas. Little did they know, the First World War would stretch to a frustrating and devastating four years. A century later, we are collectively fighting a global war against the coronavirus pandemic with no clear sign of how long it will last. The lockdown has changed the way we work, live and look at our existence. Perhaps the biggest challenges for a working executive during this lockdown are to stay productive, healthy and inspired.
Here are some books that I recommend during these challenging times:
1. Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life
For people who take their brains seriously, this is one book that must be read from cover to cover. The author, Max Lugavere, put his successful media career on hold to understand workings of the human brain and his mother’s condition, when she was diagnosed with a mysterious form of dementia. In five years, he consumed the most up-to-date scientific research, talked to dozens of scientists and clinicians around the world, and visited America’s best neurology departments. In Genius Foods, he uncovers the stunning link between our dietary and lifestyle choices and our brain functions, revealing how the foods you eat directly affect your ability to focus, learn, remember, create, analyse new ideas, and maintain a balanced mood. The result is book that is indeed food for thought.
2. The New Rules of Posture: How to Sit, Stand and Move in the Modern World
In the lockdown period, we realised how important it is to have a working desk set up at home. Working on the sofa, bed or an easy chair doesn’t really help with the body’s ergonomics. Mary Bond can be a saviour in getting the right posture while we work from home. The book is a result of the author’s many decades of practice in helping people improve their posture. People suffering from pain because of bad posture must try this book.
3. Light on Yoga: The Classic Guide to Yoga by the World’s Foremost Authority
With gyms closed and urban housing offering little space for an indoor workout, our best bet is to get back to yoga. Perhaps the best guide on the philosophy and practice, Light on Yoga, first published in 1966, is used by hundreds of thousands of people who practice this discipline daily with the Iyengar method. There is at least one photograph of each asana; the difficult ones have multiple photographs. After this, a brief explanation of the origin and name of the asana is given, followed by step-by-step instructions on the technique for performing the asana correctly. Common errors and suggested corrections are mentioned for some asanas. This is a book that should be on every yoga enthusiast’s shelf.
4. Dismantle: How to Deconstruct Your Mind and Build a Personal Creativity Machine
One of the buzzwords during the lockdown is ‘creativity’. CEOs have been mentioning that the best time to be creative and innovative is now. With the lockdown, most executives are being nudged to come up with creative ideas/strategies to shape their businesses in the post-pandemic world. If there’s one accessible, jargon-free book on creativity that I would go to, it would be Dismantle. The biggest roadblock to creativity is our existing thought process, which is a result of our conditioning for decades. Dismantle breaks your conventional thinking, deconstructs your mind and boosts your creativity. The author, Prof Shlomo Maital, has put together three decades of his experience of teaching innovation to thousands of R&D engineers from over 40 countries in this book.
5. Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
Working at home is a challenge when one has been accustomed to a regular nine-to-five job routine. The absence of a separate home office (that only a few fortunate can afford), a household with kids, chores and having no domestic help can be productivity killers. Add lack of self-discipline and it becomes a recipe for disaster. One of the most accessible books on time management and productivity is Brian Tracy’s Eat That Frog. Divided into 21 little chapters, the book opens a whole new way to getting more out of yourself — every day. At a little over 100 pages, it’s a compact powerhouse for overcoming procrastination and boosting your productivity.
6. The Winning Attitude: How to Create Extraordinary Results in Your Life
With large-scale anxiety, pessimism and depression on the rise, there was never a better time to read the legendary Jeff Keller, author of the bestselling book Attitude is Everything. For readers who haven’t read Attitude is Everything, I recommend that you begin with it. AIE has helped millions of people across the world change their attitude, leading to a better, fulfilled and inspired life. The Winning Attitude continues Jeff’s journey of self-development. It presents fifty-four golden principles that can dramatically change your life. For more than 30 years, these principles have changed Jeff's life for the better — and his readers vouch for him.
I hope these recommendations will help you tide over these ‘interesting’ times.
Sachin Sharma is a senior commissioning editor at HarperCollins India
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