Book Highlights for August 2023

When was the last time you took a moment for yourself? I mean to really just stop, breathe, and quiet your mind? We've all heard how important it is to nurture our wellness and self-care, so what are some ways we can do that? After all, August is National Wellness Month ...

In the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives, there's something simple that has the potential to promote wellness and transform our lives – reading. Depending on what genre you prefer, reading can have many benefits. Perhaps you enjoy autobiographies or memoirs; they can allow you to detach and recharge by becoming absorbed in someone else's story. Or maybe you're looking to learn a new skill or improve an existing one; just as physical exercise strengthens our bodies, reading exercises our brains. This mental workout can enhance your memory, and your critical thinking and problem-solving skills – all of which contribute to our overall mental wellness. Or it could be that you enjoy self-help and personal development books; these types of books offer insights and tools for self-improvement and being present in the moment. By reflecting on the lessons we learn from reading, we can set intentions for our own wellness journey.

Incorporating reading into our daily routines doesn't have to be an overwhelming commitment or a daunting task. Start small – set aside as little as 15 minutes each day to read a few pages. Whether it's a digital book, an audiobook, or a book summary, the key is to make reading a consistent part of your life. As you explore various genres and topics, pay attention to how different books make you feel.

So, go ahead and start that book you've been wanting to read, and take the first step to nurturing your well-being. As you journey through the pages, you just might find that the simple act of reading causes your stress levels to plummet, your breathing to regulate, and your overall mood to elevate. Give it a try - your mind, body, and soul might thank you.

This newsletter features new releases, a roadmap for the next three months, information about OFF THE SHELF virtual book club selections, publisher updates, and other book-related news. As you browse through this month's new releases, I urge you to keep finding new ways to incorporate books into your learning solutions.

Technology advances are making tech more...human, changing everything you thought you knew about innovation and strategy. In their groundbreaking book Human + Machine, Accenture technology leaders Paul Daugherty and H. James Wilson showed how leading organizations use the power of human-machine collaboration to transform their businesses and their bottom lines. Now those companies and other pioneers across industries are reshaping the very nature of innovation. In Radically Human, Daugherty and Wilson show this profound shift—how artificial intelligence is becoming less artificial and more intelligent. How, instead of data-hungry approaches to AI, innovators are pursuing data-efficient approaches that enable machines to learn as humans do. And how, instead of replacing workers with machines, they are unleashing human expertise to create human-centered AI.

Radically Human is available on Percipio as an AUDIOBOOK and a BOOK SUMMARY.

Be sure to visit OFF THE SHELF to leverage the accompanying discussion questions for your next book club event.