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Simmons College School of Management
Executive Education
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Summer Reading List


Summer. That time of year most of us take time off to relax, spend time outdoors, lounge by the pool, or lay on the beach. Most folks read a book or two while doing these activities.

We asked Simmons Executive Education professors and the Executive Education team what they were reading. If you haven't compiled a summer reading list, you may want to consider these.

Creating a World without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism
By Muhammed Yunus

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammed Yunus outlines a brilliant and practical approach to end poverty through the development of successful social businesses.  Yunus, a native of Bangladesh, looks beyond the tired approach of the rich simply donating to the less privileged and demonstrates that a free market can be used to the advantage of the less well-off.  

Recommended by the Simmons Executive Education team

Blink
By Malcolm Gladwell

In Blink, Gladwell, the author of 2000’s The Tipping Point and staff writer for The New Yorker, draws on recent cognitive research to conclude that those who quickly filter out extraneous information generally make better decisions than those who discount their first impressions.  Gladwell’s anecdotes throughout Blink are lively and entertaining including everything from sip tasters from Coca-Cola and the Pepsi challenge to gut reactions to “fake art”.

Recommended by Dr. Stacy Blake-Beard
“Gladwell does a nice job of outlining issues of unconscious bias and how they affect our every day decisions.  He simplifies fairly complex social psychological processes such that knowledge about their impact is accessible to laywomen and laymen.”

Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty and Happiness after the Digital Explosion
By Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, Harry Lewis

Blown to Bits addresses the human consequences of the digital explosion as more than ever before the details of our lives are captured by digital data.  The book presents intriguing real-life stories and addresses provocative questions on privacy, identity, free expression and personal control.

Recommended by Dr. Cynthia Ingols 
“This book examines the technological explosion that is transforming our lives for the better. But, the authors ask, what is the price? They argue that we will need to figure out how to balance technological advances with ways to protect our privacy, identity and freedom of expression. It is a well written book by computer experts.”

Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home
By Pamela Stone

“Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home” tells the stories of highly successful professional women who were married to men who could support them while they stayed at home—i.e., women who had a "choice." Their reasons for leaving their careers and Stone’s prescriptions for reforming the workplace make for a thought-provoking read.

Recommended by Elisa Vandam, Director of Simmons Executive Education
“In 2007, Simmons’ Center for Gender in Organizations published an article on “Optioning In versus “Opting Out”: Women Using Flexible Work Arrangements for Career Success” which showed how women are using flexibility to stay in the workforce. This book explores what happens when highly successful professional women are unable to find the flexibility that they need, and ultimately decide to leave the workforce.”

MicroTrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes
By Mark J. Penn and E. Kinney Zalesne

Mark Penn, former pollster for Hillary Clinton’s campaign and countless other campaigns before, has written an intriguing book that focuses on small demographic groups that have the potential of changing our social and business environments.

Recommended by the Simmons Executive Education team

Managing the Dragon: How I’m Building a Billion-Dollar Business in China
By Jack Perkowski

China is a market that’s on everyone’s mind, but it’s been on Jack Perkowski’s mind since the 90’s when he started building a successful company based in China.  In this book, Perkowski gives insights into the challenges and potentials of doing business in China.

Recommended by the Simmons Executive Education team

Books by Simmons Executive Education Faculty

Your Job Interview: An Easy, Smart Guide to Interview Success and Take Charge of Your Career  
By Dr. Cynthia Ingols and Mary Shapiro

Her Place at the Table: A Women’s Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success
By Dr. Deborah Kolb

The Third Opinion: How Successful Leaders Use Outside Insight to Create Superior Results
By Dr. Saj-Nicole A. Joni

The Leader’s Edge: Using Personal Branding to Drive Performance and Profit
By Susan Hodgkinson