New books, recommended favourites and podcasts to keep you entertained

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This book is about the exclusion of women from the world’s economy to the severe detriment of that economy (eg a $160 trillion global loss because of the gender pay gap). But it is more than that, it is about recognising that economists need to be more diverse in their thinking. I thought construction and engineering were challenged in their diversity, but the world of economists seems to be in the dark ages.

I particularly like the way the subject is brought to life by stories, statistics and humour, but this mix sometimes makes the read a little jerky. I also like the fact that infrastructure is recognised as an opportunity for inclusion of talent, not ‘hard and heavy’ jobs associated with our male colleagues.

Scott is a talented writer on a mission to change how we approach economic issues by releasing the power of the ‘double X economy’. Her work in Africa and Bangladesh is compelling and her moving anecdotes support the need for the change she has identified. She cleverly debunks the claim that male dominance is natural or necessary by citing examples of change in history, and in the animal kingdom: “If baboons can change, we can too.” She also reviews the impact of property in wealth. The ‘a woman cannot own property because she is property’ type of approach is explored.

Scott also addresses the impact of motherhood, particularly low birth rates in developed countries; nearly half the countries in the world are producing too few children to sustain their population, and the other half are only just coping with the demands large families have on the economy. And there is more: brain bigotry, the lack of a proper voice for female economists and the impact of women running their own businesses.

So what is to be done? Scott suggests next steps for the US, the global community and individuals. Focusing on individual actions, there is a call to arms for crowd-funding women’s initiatives, celebrating inclusive employers, building awareness of the double X economy and supporting charities that promote the release of the double X economy.

It’s a bit ‘in your face’, and you will need staying power to read through the detail, so it’s a book for the cooler, darker autumn ahead. As Melinda Gates says: “This is a compelling and actionable case for unleashing women’s economic power.” Light touch paper and retreat!

Review by Sue Kershaw, president of APM and managing director, transportation, at Costain Group

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The title certainly grabbed my attention and I was looking forward to a good read. Instead I found it hard work, but that is not to say this book is not useful. The premise is that organisations, or their decision-makers, are not very good at making decisions. And the first nine chapters give you all the reasons why people make bad decisions. Having waded my way through them, my main thoughts were that we look for heroes who have made decisions with good outcomes before and expect them to deliver the same results for us – completely ignoring the fact that the terrain is different, and that decisions are made by people and, since we are all fundamentally flawed, so are all our decisions.

What’s more, we do not live in a perfect world where decisions can be made in a vacuum with no personal bias, and the implementation is just as important as the decision itself. I wish Malcolm Gladwell had written this book, because then it would be a really good read.

Sections two and three held the promise of delivering potential solutions to the issues identified in the first nine chapters. And they did. They contain some very useful ideas, but there is almost too much information and the stories were too short to become engaged in. Overall, it read a bit like an academic thesis, with a lot of concepts, references and anecdotes to support the arguments.

However, if instead of reading the book cover to cover you use it as a reference, it has much more potential. As project managers, we are always trying to drive a group of divergent people through a decision-making process, and this book is beautifully laid out, with helpful summaries at the end of each chapter about all the things that are blocking people from making good decisions. Reference lists in the appendices detail all the techniques you can use to attempt to unblock people in their decision-making.

For me, the book is upside down. I would like the solutions presented first, with reference later as to why they are necessary, but if you use it as a toolkit to dip in and out of, where the information sits is purely personal preference.

Review by Sarah Walton, co-founder of Extraordinary Project Management

My Bedside Books

Mark Reeson, director, M R Project Solutions

Understanding Strategic Management
Anthony E Henry

This book has allowed me to build upon the knowledge and competence I have developed through P3 management. Its great strength is not just its content, but also the visual attraction and the simplicity of its writing style, which breaks down complex information with such clarity. With its use of analysis and case studies, it has widened my horizons, offering a new perspective on my career with strategic management. As a book that is beneficial to everyone from student to experienced manager, it can be picked up to provide nuggets of easily absorbed information around all management strategies.

Leading Change
John Kotter

This book has allowed me to better understand competition in industry and has assisted me with self-awareness and self-improvement. The examples that Kotter offers have allowed me to identify when my ideas may not be so well thought-out and, by reflecting on the actions of others, see the pitfalls and mistakes that have previously been made. His eight-step process to identify and then navigate the potential hurdles of driving a change into organisations offers great structure, something I believe is essential in every walk of life. Kotter offers support and guidance at the moments when I need them the most.

Managing My Life
Sir Alex Ferguson

Finally, I come to the book that has for many years motivated me to become better at what I do. It follows Ferguson’s career as a football manager in Scotland and England, and how his life was impacted by his upbringing and his first career as a footballer. Tracing his life from his challenging upbringing in Govan, Glasgow, he demonstrates that it’s not where you start or where you come from that matters, but instead what you are willing to do and what you make of your opportunities in life. The book crescendoes with the success of the 1999 treble-winning season and his personal achievement of receiving his knighthood.

We’re All Ears – Podcasts we recommend

Eat, Work, Sleep, Repeat
Bruce Daisley

A podcast about making work better, its insightful and engaging host Bruce Daisley is a best-selling author (see The Joy of Work) and tech leader from the UK who spent 12 years running Twitter in Europe. Episodes include ‘Building Resilience’, ‘Beating Burnout’ and ‘What’s the Value of an Office?’

The Bottom Line
Evan Davis

A familiar BBC face, Evan Davis hosts this business conversation show with people at the top about the things that matter right now. Recent topics include how to build a racially diverse business, obstacles to diversity in the workplace and the effect of the pandemic on our transport and working habits.

The APM Podcast

We couldn’t not mention our own series of talks with APM’s experts, and the ‘Crisis Talks’ season of interviews with project managers, who share their personal experience of working through the pandemic, including contributions from project head honchos at HMRC, Channel 4, Hotel Chocolat and more. Not to be missed.

Send your own recommendations to Project’s editor at emma.devita@thinkpublishing.co.uk

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