20 Books To Change How You Think About Business, Well-Being, Wonder and Nature

This book illuminated the power of collaboration and innovative thinking in shaping business strategy, leaving me inspired to embrace new possibilities. Read the introduction, and you know that this creative activist is a wonder tracker. It’s an unconventional book that often reads like a mosaic.

Key Takeaway: Embrace collaborative thinking and adaptability to shape innovative business and collectivist strategies.

This Stanford psychologist unpacks a lot of the science with frankly disturbing studies in psychology before psychologists had ethical standards to uphold. Cohen’s insights into human connection and the importance of shared values prompted me to rethink the way I foster teamwork and community.

Key Takeaway: Shared values are the bridge to fostering genuine connections and belonging in teams. It helped me think through ways to foster belonging among masterminds and teams with our Wonder Connection Interventions. Results have been stellar.

This psychologist and professor of marketing at UCLA examines human behavior as expressed through the relationship of your present self with your image of your future self. Hershfield’s exploration of how our present actions shape our future selves struck a chord with me. complement our work with Deliberate Daydreaming, Horizon Vision work, and Young Genius work.

Key Takeaway: Our present actions profoundly impact our future selves, highlighting the importance of intentional living.

This futurist and gaming expert’s book challenged me to embrace uncertainty with courage and resilience. She unpacks a lot of futurist scenarios and their implications for imagining any possibilities as “imaginable.” I found it compelling but short on take-aways.

In this third book from, Erica Keswin, a seasoned organizational consultant, presents actionable strategies to nurture genuine belonging and improve retention—a crucial aspect in an era where employee loyalty seems scarce.

Key Takeaway: This insightful read prompts a reconsideration of my approach to onboarding new team members and clients.

This book crossed my path when I was in search of personal coaching and questioning my own coachability. Its insights not only confirmed my openness to growth but also encouraged me to empower clients to embrace their journey of development irrespective of our strategic direction.

Key Takeaway: Discovering my coachability has reinforced my commitment to fostering growth and agency in both myself and my clients.

Grant takes on the myth of innateness – that greatness comes from mysterious innate traits. Instead, he provides evidence-based insights on character, resilience, and growth, informing discussions with clients and my teen daughter.

Key Takeaway: This enriching journey has deepened my understanding of key concepts and reinforced the principles we encourage in our character training and client development work.

This book recently captured my attention, marking its place on my recent reading list. As I begin to explore Jackson’s work and connect with her insights, I anticipate a profound expansion of my perspectives and a deeper dive into themes that resonate with our body of work at Tracking Wonder.

Gabor Maté presents an exhaustive exploration into the complexities of trauma. Collaborating with his son, Maté offers intimate insights into his own traumatic experiences, shedding light on the pervasive nature of trauma within broken systems. Immersing oneself in this profound narrative reaffirms the stark reality of trauma’s prevalence, challenging preconceived notions and exposing systemic perpetuation.

Key Takeaway: While the term “trauma” may be overused and misapplied, delving into this comprehensive tome emphasizes the urgent need for systemic change.

This book by Deb Dana, a leading figure in Polyvagal Theory, proposes that as mammals, our nervous systems have evolved for our adaptation and that by regulating the nervous system, we can further enhance truly resonant connection with other humans. This book provides an accessible primer from a master teacher with scaffolding units and exercises.

Key Takeaway: This primer serves as a calming balm, empowering readers with invaluable tools for navigating interpersonal dynamics and promoting emotional well-being.

This prominent psychologist and host of the Untangled Podcast provides invaluable guidance for parents navigating the complexities of raising teenage daughters. It includes numerous helpful client stories and paraphrases of conversations between teen
and therapist, parent and therapist, and parent and teen.

Key Takeaway: Damour’s guidance has been instrumental in fostering a deeper understanding of my daughter’s world, reshaping my perspective on parenthood and reinforcing the importance of resilience in the face of challenges.

Psychotherapist and anxiety expert Dr. Dana Dorfman’s empathetic insights provide a roadmap for navigating parental stress, offering practical strategies for promoting teen success without pathologizing anxiety.

Key Takeaway: Dorfman’s framework for understanding Parental Anxiety Reaction Types has been transformative for many people towards a more balanced and resilient parenting approach.

Through a sweeping argument, Congleton exposes the influences perpetuating self-centeredness, challenging readers to transcend the societal norms of burnout and isolation. Toward the end, she acknowledges the importance of tracking wonder amidst uncertainty.

Key Takeaway: Congleton’s thought-provoking analysis invites reflection on our individual and collective roles in shaping a more compassionate and connected society. It is short on solutions or possibilities moving forward.

This business coach – and friend – lays out a practical guide for neutralizing tensions, fostering belonging, and smoothing out communication bumps through building small habits as a team. Here’s our LinkedIn Live Wonder@Work Talk.

Key Takeaway: It’s helped us have new language around our own business processes, and it’s
given me a new frame around team culture.

Thoreau made his journals a life’s work – totaling over two million words over 24 years. While natural historians and scientists dominated the discourse on natural phenomena in the 19th century, Henry David Thoreau’s deliberate living allowed him to offer a fresh, lyrical perspective, emphasizing the intimacy of nature’s details, psychological insights, and the wonder of it all. Some of his journal entries are remarkably prescient, inspiring me to cultivate greater observance and perception of my surroundings.

Key Takeaway: Thoreau’s writings serve as a constant reminder to attune ourselves to the wonders of the natural world and to seek deeper understanding through mindful perception as well as scientific observation.

Beloved writer and teacher Brian Doyle’s ability to infuse ordinary occurrences with profound significance, such as recounting the near-death experience of one of his twin sons, is both humbling and inspiring. This book holds a cherished place next to my meditation cushion, its pages often serving as a prelude to moments of introspection.

Key Takeaway: Doyle’s profound ability to find wonder in the ordinary serves as a poignant reminder of the beauty inherent in every moment, urging us to discover a similar depth of appreciation in daily life.

Writer Ross Gay’s writing style is characterized by its expansiveness and parenthetical musings. Through his honest and joyful reflections, Gay emphasizes the importance of tracking delight amidst life’s challenges, weaving in personal experiences of resilience and wonder.

Key Takeaway: Gay’s celebration of delight underscores its inherent worth, urging me to cultivate a daily practice of finding joy even in the face of adversity.

Lyana Lynn Haupt, a naturalist and eco-philosopher, presents a deeply personal exploration that accentuates the significance of wonder and practices fostering a deeper connection with our environment.

Key Takeaway: Haupt’s narrative invigorates my awareness, sensitivities, perspectives, and practices, inspiring me to further cultivate such connections and facilitate similar experiences for others. In a culture overly fixated on measurements and science, Haupt adeptly positions scientific inquiry alongside poetry and direct experience as essential forms of understanding.

Cal Newport, a computer science professor, notably abstains from social media, and his book outlines strategies for developing a personalized philosophy for digital usage, including a 30-day detox. By emphasizing deliberate engagement with technology and the pursuit of meaningful activities, Newport’s work reinforces the necessity of conscious digital consumption.

Key Takeaway: Newport’s insights underscore the imperative for individuals, including myself, to approach digital technology, devices, and applications with greater mindfulness and intentionality. In addressing personal and collective challenges, deliberate engagement with digital platforms emerges as both feasible and indispensable.

This book immediately piqued my interest with its compelling subtitle. Florence Williams, a science journalist, seamlessly integrates her personal narrative into a broader exploration of the science behind nature’s therapeutic benefits. Through her own experiences and global travels, Williams sheds light on the practical applications of her findings, such as incorporating hinoki oil into her bedroom environment for improved sleep quality.

Key Takeaway: Williams’ insights have already influenced my daily practices, leading to tangible improvements in my sleep patterns. Her work grounds me in the scientific understanding of phenomena I have long researched, reinforcing the significance of nature’s role in enhancing our well-being and our creative innovation.