National Read a Book Day 2023

National Read a Book Day 2023

September 6th is National Read a Book Day! This day is dedicated to encouraging people to pick up a book and spend some time reading. As part of our Read a Book Day celebrations, we have curated a Top 10 list of books, recommended by the cHRysos HR Team. They include a range of subjects and topics, from academic skills to self-development, and we hope you find them helpful, whether that be during your studies or just in everyday life. 

Included below is our full list, with a segment from the team member on why they have selected the book as their recommendation. This list is in no particular order.

Our Top 10 

  • The Study Skills Handbook by Stella Cottrell, published by Bloomsbury Study Skills 

Whatever level of studying you are undertaking it can be daunting, and this book helps you with practical information. The new edition is split into two parts: A. Self-efficacy: Managing your Success as a Student. B. Academic, People and Task Management Skills. It is definitely a worthwhile investment and helpful for the workplace!

  • The Fifth Discipline. The Art & Practice of The Learning Organisation by Peter Senge

Inspired largely by Dr. W.E. Deming, the pioneer of QMS and with references and learnings from other titans in the world of organisation development and neuroscience (Maslow, Einstein and more). This book is truly inspiring and leads you to question the world and seek to continually improve it and yourself. Worth a read, not only for L&D practitioners but influential leaders and people in any organisation. 

  • Managing Employee Relations by Tony Bennet, Richard Saundry and Virginia Fisher

This book provides practical discussions which are easy to follow and there are examples and case studies included, which help to understand the complexity of the subjects. The unit 5HR01 is not an easy unit, particularly for those with limited experience in Employment Relations, so is a great recommendation. 

  • The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

As a little self-help, living in the present, attitude to life in general book, I recommend this one. (You will never read the Winnie the Pooh books in the same light again)  "In order to take control of our lives and accomplish something of lasting value, sooner or later we need to learn to Believe." 

  • Who Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change In your Work and in Your Life. By Dr Spencer Johnson

Everyone goes through changes in their lives and people professionals play a key role in managing change. This book is easy to follow and the story can help the reader to explore ways to better adapt to change or help others. It helps you to think about how you might embrace change and move forward, using a simple parable about the inevitability of change. 

  • Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice by John Bratton and Jeffrey Gold.

This book offers an overview of a wide range of HR topics, from recruitment and selection to training and development, performance management and employee relations. This makes a good resource for understanding the breadth and depth of HR. It is particularly helpful for Foundation / Level 3 students who may be relatively new to the subject. End of chapter exercises provide an opportunity to test one's understanding and to reflect on the material. 

  • Organisational Culture and Leadership by Edgar H. Schein

This book delves into the complex relationship between organisational culture and effective leadership. One key takeaway from this book is the recognition that culture is a deeply ingrained system of shared assumptions, values and beliefs that influence every aspect of an organisation. What resonated with me the most is the idea that leaders play a crucial role in both shaping and being shaped by the organisational culture. I have gained a deeper appreciation for the complexity of culture within organisations and its profound impact on leadership and the overall success of the organisation.

  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People By Stephen Covey

This book is centred around the personal and professional habits and Covey focuses on building up good habits rather than eliminating bad ones. The book provides guidance on how to take control of your life, make better decisions, manage and improve your relationships with family and friends, as well as boosting productivity, finding a healthy work-life balance and becoming your happiest self. 

  • Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber 

This is a great book about a penguin colony in Antarctica. Change is unique, much like people. This book helps to reveal how we deal with and handle change and gives subtle insights into the need for change, right through to anchoring and embedding it into the organisation. It’s a thought-provoking story that welcomes you into the world of change, whether this is planned or unexpected. We all live and work in an ever-changing world and this book takes you on this journey of change, with its engaging content and visuals that naturally lend themselves to organisational and self-reflection.

  • People Practice - A Complete Guide by Waite, Beevers, Small Tomlinson and Hussain

This is a book I would recommend to Level 3 learners. It's an easy read, and contains case studies and activities, useful for those new to HR. I read this book before starting a new unit when I was studying my Level 5 HR. 

 

Our Top Picks

From the list, we have selected 3 books as our top picks. These have been selected as the most impactful and helpful, and we want to share them in greater detail. 

1. Stella Cottrell - The Study Skills Handbook 

2. Dr Spencer Johnson - Who Moved My Cheese 

3. Stephen Covey - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People 

To find out more about these books and why the team have picked them, click here. 

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cHRysos HR Solutions are a UK wide HR training and consultancy company offering CIPD accredited qualifications, Apprenticeships, Training and HR Services to SMEs. For more information about how cHRysos HR can help you or your teams successfully achieve further qualifications, contact us on info@chrysos.org.uk or call 03300 562443.