Change can bring about challenges, but it can also be filled with opportunities for growth and self-improvement. Here are nine books to help you thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

Why rely on your biological brain if we can outsource the information overload more effectively to a “second brain? What if the key to effective work is not working harder but working smarter? What if Singapore’s future is not guaranteed, and what can we do about it?

From reimagining leadership to rethinking how we approach life and work, these books will challenge basic assumptions and push you to question the status quo. Whether you are looking to master deep focus, super communication skills, or unconventional leadership, this carefully curated booklist has the answers.

#1 How to think out of the box (or the little red dot!)

Twinning Singapore’s manufacturing with industrial parks in Batam to counter labour shortage and costs. Making Jurong Island the “Sim Lim Square of petrochemicals”. Strengthening an accidental nation through fostering a culture of trust, diversity, and opportunity. 

From an “accidental nation” to a global powerhouse, Singapore is a masterclass in leadership and agility. Discover how thinking fast, adapting boldly, and embracing the unexpected can redefine success. Read on and learn the ropes of leadership!

“My philosophy is that if I do things fast, very few people would dare to oppose me. They can’t catch up.” 

(1) Neither Civil Nor Servant By Shing Huei Peh

Meet Philip Yeo, the man who bulldozed through red tape, created Jurong Island and Batam industrial park, and led the transformation of Singapore’s traditional manufacturing into high-tech industries such as biomedical science. And be inspired by his daring vision and out-of-the-island thinking.

“… just continuing on the path of yesterday is to guarantee a future that will not be so bright, possibly even a future that may not be there.”

(2) Can Singapore Fall? by Lim Siong Guan

Hear from the man who led Singapore’s Civil Service from 1999 to 2005. In these three lectures, Lim challenges readers to reimagine the way forward for Singapore and shares his vision for changing our culture through the “three legs of honour”: Trust, Diversity, and Excellence. 

Cultural change doesn’t happen overnight—it happens over generations, and it starts with the choices we make today. Read this book to learn how you can be part of that change.

“You can’t get to courage without rumbling with vulnerability. Embrace the suck.”

(3) Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Need another take on leadership? This #1 New York Times bestseller by American academic Brene Brown tells us how to cultivate braver, more daring leaders, with actionable strategies and real examples from over 20 years of research.

#2 Take a step back, reimagine life. And live more fully.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that life is often what we make of it. What if we just need to step out of daily busy-ness and rethink what it means to live, in order to live more fully and meaningfully? Here’s some wisdom from an astronaut and columnist.

“I wasn’t destined to be an astronaut. I had to turn myself into one.”

(1) An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

Raised on a corn farm and inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing, Hadfield traced his journey to becoming a seasoned astronaut and redefining what life means and how to live it differently. Pro tips: embrace the power of negative thinking, sweat the small stuff, and aim to be a zero.

“The world is bursting with wonder, and yet it’s the rare productivity guru who seems to have considered the possibility that the ultimate point of all our frenetic doing might be to experience more of that wonder.”

(2) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Give or take, the average human lifespan is about four thousand weeks. Life is on a constant conveyor belt and at some point, we need to ask if we really want to spend our 4000 weeks (and counting down) the way we are right now. “Choose to choose”, “time before timetables”, “the limit-embracing life”—Burkeman has plenty of catchy phrases to help us rewire our brains and reframe the way we live a finite life.

#3 Reimagine work

Building on the fact that our time is finite, here are four reads to help you reimagine and reframe decision-making, communicating, managing information, and deep work.

“The workings of the human brain are more than a bit befuddling. How can we be so ingenious at some tasks and so clueless at others?”

(1) Nudge: Improving Decisions, About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

How did etching a design of a black housefly in men’s toilets lead to better hygiene? Why does a light eater eat more when lunching with heavy eaters? Named Best Book of the Year by The Economist and The Financial Times, this book gets you to understand better how we make choices, and thereby make better, more productive choices. 

“Because the right conversation, at the right moment, can change everything.”

(2) Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

We talk all the time. We talk to our families, friends, colleagues, pets, and strangers even. But not all conversations are equal. Creating that sense of connection that results from good conversations is a hit and miss. But finding that alignment is critical to building relationships at work, home, and in society. This bestseller gives you a run down on how to unlock the supercommunicator in you.

“Those who learn how to leverage technology and master the flow of information through their lives will be empowered to accomplish anything they set their minds to … those who continue to rely on their fragile biological brains will become ever more overwhelmed by the explosive growth in the complexity of our lives.”

(3) Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte

This bestseller from productivity guru Tiago Forte shows you how to effectively offload information from your “fragile biological” brain and effectively build a personal knowledge and information management system, i.e. your second brain, so that you could become far more effective and productive in life and work

“The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy.”

(4) Deep Work by Cal Newport

In today’s increasingly competitive economy, the power to focus on cognitively demanding tasks without distraction is a superpower. Here, Newport presents four rules for transforming your mind and habits to support your ability to focus and dive in deep work.

This awesome book list is curated by the National Library Board in support of the National Reading Movement.

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