On Starting With Why, Reflections on Mortality, and Breathing for a Living
On Starting With Why, Reflections on Mortality, and Breathing for a Living
Books that changed my thinking, my behaviors, and my life
Hello all!
Here is your weekly dose of knowledge goodness.
1. Leadership
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Summary
This is one of the most influential books that I’ve ever read. It shaped my thinking in just about every endeavor–and still does. That’s how powerful the book’s concept is.
Start With Why explores the importance of understanding the 'why' behind actions, particularly in the context of leadership and organizational success. Sinek's core premise is that successful and influential individuals and organizations are those that start by asking "Why?" - why they do what they do, why their organization exists, and why that should matter to others. He introduces the concept of the Golden Circle (which will change how you approach every decision), a framework that puts 'Why' at the center, followed by 'How' (the process) and 'What' (the product). By examining various examples from business, politics, and history, Sinek demonstrates how starting with 'Why' can inspire belief and lead to loyal customers and employees. He argues that understanding this principle is key to building a cohesive and motivated team and creating products or services that truly resonate with people.
This book is a compelling read for those seeking to understand the foundational elements that drive successful leadership, create impactful organizations, and lead fulfilling lives. Sinek's engaging narrative and powerful examples make the concept of the Golden Circle a transformative tool for anyone looking to inspire and be inspired. The book is not just about business success; it's about understanding the deeper motivations that drive us all and harnessing them to create a more inspired world.
Principle: True leadership is about inspiring people to act, not manipulating them to achieve short-term goals.
Principle: When a WHY goes fuzzy, it becomes much more difficult to maintain the growth, loyalty, and inspiration that helped drive the original success. By difficult, I mean that manipulation rather than inspiration fast becomes the strategy of choice to motivate behavior. This is effective in the short term but comes at a high cost in the long term.
Principle: WHY is just a belief. HOWs are the actions we take to realize that belief, and WHATs are the results of those actions.
Principle: Average companies give their people something to work on. In contrast, the most innovative organizations give their people something to work toward.
Author: Simon Sinek
Themes: Leadership, Culture, Entrepreneurship, Running a business, Personal development
My personal notes from the book
2. Patient care
Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality
Summary
Final Exam is a book that I read during residency training. It is a profound and introspective memoir that explores the complexities of facing death, both as a medical professional and as a human being. This book is especially relevant for medical professionals, students in the medical field, and anyone interested in the intersection of life, death, and medicine.
Dr. Chen draws from her experiences as a surgeon to delve into the often-taboo subject of death in the medical world. She recounts personal stories from her training and practice, focusing on how doctors are trained to deal with death and how this impacts their relationship with patients. The book reflects on the difficulty many physicians have in confronting the death of their patients and the ways in which this struggle can affect their care. Dr. Chen advocates for a more compassionate and empathetic approach to medicine, one that acknowledges and embraces the inevitability of mortality.
Insight: Physicians have become the final guardians of life, charged with shepherding the terminally ill and their families through the intricacies of the end. For doctors, this care at the end of life is our final exam.
Insight: I learned that I might be able to do something greater than cure. I could provide comfort to my patients and their families and in turn open myself to receive some of their greatest lessons.
Insight: Without guidance or advice, few of us ever adequately learn how to care for patients at the end of life. Despite our best efforts to improve, our apprenticeship system continues to produce doctors who are unable to care humanely for the dying.
Insight: A doctor's work relies on the ability to discern, among thousands of biological cues, the underlying pathology. It is a skill that is part art, part science; and the more we can see, and sense, and sort, the better our care.
Author: Pauline Chen
Themes: Patient care, Residency training, Medical school
My personal notes from the book
3. Memoir
Breathing for a Living: A Memoir
Summary
I read this book during medical school and it had a profound impact on me. Breathing for a Living is a deeply personal and moving memoir by Laura Rothenberg that delves into her life with cystic fibrosis and her journey through a lung transplant.
Laura shares her intimate and powerful story of living with cystic fibrosis. The book captures her experiences from childhood through adulthood, grappling with the reality of a chronic, life-limiting illness while trying to lead a normal life. Laura vividly describes the daily challenges, medical procedures, and emotional struggles she faces, particularly as she undergoes the harrowing process of a lung transplant. Her narrative is interspersed with reflections on life, mortality, friendships, and her dreams for the future. The book is so well-written that it felt like we were developing a friendship.
Breathing for a Living is much more than a memoir; it's a poignant narrative interwoven with themes of life, death, and the indomitable human will to overcome challenges. Laura Rothenberg's journey is not only inspiring but enlightening as well, offering an intimate glimpse into the realities of living with a chronic illness. Her candidness, wit, and deep insights make the book an engaging read for anyone seeking a tale of bravery, optimism, and the resilient nature of the human spirit. Although Laura's life ended prematurely at the age of 22, her enduring influence continues to resonate.
Lesson: Every breath is a gift. I've learned to cherish each one.
Lesson: Maintaining a positive attitude doesn't cure my disease, but it makes living with it a lot easier.
Lesson: The love and support of my family and friends are my greatest medicines.
Lesson: It's the small things in life that bring the most joy, especially when you realize they're not so small.
Lesson: My disease has taught me the value of time and the importance of relationships more than anything else.
Pricniple: There's beauty in perseverance, in pushing through the toughest days with determination.
Author: Laura Rothenberg
Themes: Memoir, On living and dying, Patient care
My personal notes from the book
That’s a wrap. Thanks for reading! And thank you for being a part of the 3BT community.
Please continue to share with me the books that changed your life! And let your friends, colleagues, and the strangers you meet at 7-11 know about 3BT.
Best,
Adam
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