Already looking forward to the Christmas holidays? You may have to work, but even then the days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve are often quieter. That means: finally time for a podcast, good book or impressive documentary. I have listed a number of tips for you.
Podcasts
1. How to fail with Elizabeth Day
I recently came across this English podcast and listened to the episode with Kate Winslet. I was immediately enthusiastic. Who knows, it may also depend on which guest is there, but it is a wonderful listen.
In each episode there is a different guest who talks about the things that didn’t go well in his/her life and what they learned from them. It’s about personal growth and success. The motto? A fail shared is a fail halved.
2. StoryBrand podcast
“Noise in your communication is your biggest enemy,” says the description of this podcast. This podcast also features a different guest every episode, both national and international guests.
The topics are very diverse, so there is something interesting for everyone in the marketing profession. From LinkedIn marketing and personal development to AI and behavioral psychology. Highly recommended!
3. Diary of a CEO
English entrepreneur Steven Bartlett hosts big and influential names in this podcast, such as Simon Cowell, Richard Branson, Simon Sinek and Seth Rogen. They all tell their own story, for example about their (often bumpy) journey to success. But also about topics they know a lot about.
There will also be less well-known names, but certainly no less interesting. Experts in the field of AI (former CEO of Google), divorces, the brain and many other different topics. So something for everyone.
4. Happier with Gretchen Rubin
“Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too,” is the description of this podcast. A great podcast in which Gretchen Rubin shares practical advice about happiness and good habits.
Hacks and tips to be happier, healthier, more productive and more creative.
5. The Communication Podcast
In The Communication Podcast, Karine van den Noort interviews a different speaker in each episode who explains how you can make more impact and what communication techniques, tools and skills you need for this. Handy for every communications professional!
Personal bonus tip
Would you like to ‘just’ listen to a story? You may have heard about it: The Betrayal of the Jordan. The creator, Stephanie Biesheuvel, delves into her family history and discovers files full of war crimes.
You can listen to the first two episodes via Spotify, the rest are on Podimo.
Books
1. Co-intelligence – Work smarter with AI
“This is the most important book on AI today,” says Alexander Klöpping about the book Co-intelligence – Working smarter with AI (affiliate). Author Arjan Broere recently wrote a book review about it.
The book explains how you can think and work together with AI, including how to use ChatGPT to make your work easier, better and faster. It is a practical book that shows that you can get many benefits from working together with AI and that a ‘co-intelligence’ is created, instead of it taking over our jobs, lives and future.
2. Why doesn’t anyone say anything about it?! – Having difficult conversations in teams
If undesirable behavior occurs in the workplace, we remain silent. Even though we don’t want that and we get upset if the manager or project leader does not intervene. We don’t realize how often we actually remain silent.
In the scientifically substantiated and practical book Why doesn’t anyone say anything about it?! (affiliate) Gytha Heins teaches you how to use your voice in your team when it is most exciting, but also most necessary.
3. Man is a loser: how the food industry makes us sick
“Through smart marketing and aggressive advertising, the food industry fattens us like chickens, resulting in illness and high social costs. The manufacturers say that we are responsible for our own behavior, but is that true?” is the description of this book. A scary thought, I think.
In Man is a flop (affiliate) Teun van de Keuken shows what goes wrong in the food industry. It is also interesting to read how easily we as people are manipulated through marketing. A confrontational book, but fortunately it also shows that things can be done differently. With the right measures, a brighter, tastier and healthier future is possible (phew).
This book can also be listened to via Storytel.
4. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
Not a new book (from 2017), but relevant. Both at work and in personal life. Never Split the Difference (affiliate), written by Tahl Raz and Chris Voss, teaches you to negotiate like no other.
Chris Voss was in the FBI, where he had a career as a kidnapping negotiator. He came into contact with bank robbers, gang leaders and terrorists, among others. So not nothing. Thanks to his experiences, he knows exactly how to negotiate properly. In the book, he and Tahl Raz share the 9 most important principles of negotiation.
This book is only available in English and can also be listened to via Storytel.
5. Communication is an illusion – More impact and connection thanks to the secrets of an illusionist
I would not have made the connection between illusionism and the communications profession so quickly, but the book would Communication is an illusion (affiliate) shows that this is still valuable to do.
Author Niels Houtepen uses insights from psychology and secrets from an illusionist’s toolbox to show how you can become aware of your environment, better empathize with others and how you can amaze and positively influence others.
So you are made to think in a surprising way, refreshing!
Personal bonus tip
Do you like podcasts such as The Betrayal of the Jordaan, in which a search takes place for family history or, for example, the perpetrator of an unsolved murder? At least I did, and that’s why I listened to the book ‘What Mom Couldn’t Tell Me’ last year.
Feels a bit like one of those podcasts, but much more extensive. A beautiful and interesting book that also teaches you a lot about Ukraine during the years before, during and after the Second World War. In addition to reading, you can also listen to it via Storytel.
Documentaries
1. Eternal You
If you had the chance to talk to a deceased loved one, would you take it? The 2Doc documentary Eternal You features a number of startups using AI to create avatars, clones and chatbots of deceased loved ones. You follow people from all over the world who are already using such technology. What can be seen of it gives me a bit of a feeling uncanny valley-feeling.
The documentary makes you think. How ethical is this? And do we actually want this? The whole concept reminded me a bit of the Black Mirror episode ‘Be Right Back’ (season 2, episode 1). Also a viewing tip if you found this documentary interesting (available on Netflix).
2. Surveilled
Surveilled is a new documentary streaming on HBO Max. Just like Teun van de Keuken’s book, it is very confrontational. Things that we as citizens sometimes prefer not to know. The documentary examines how our daily lives are monitored by the state.
Journalist Ronan Farrow investigates and exposes a dark world of how technology is being misused to track us.
3. Land of the Giants: Titans of Tech
The ‘big five’: Meta, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google. This documentary delves into the history of these ‘Tech Giants’. It consists of 5 episodes and each episode highlights one of these companies. You see how they have grown from ‘nothing’ to the globally known companies they are today.
The documentary can be seen on Videoland.
4. The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem
In The Antisocial Network you see how a group of lonely young people formed an online community, in which they felt connected through their loneliness. Sounds nice when you feel lonely, but it quickly got out of hand.
Internet movements such as 4chan, Anonymous and Qanon emerged: a source of chaos that spread conspiracy theories in the ‘real world’. This documentary clearly shows the power of anonymity. As BNNVARA also writes about it: “the film shows how much digitally spewed hatred ultimately leads to profound consequences in the real world.”
The documentary can be seen on Netflix.
5. Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy
It’s almost Black Friday, so you don’t have to save this documentary for the Christmas holidays. This one shows how the world’s biggest brands (think Apple, Adidas and Amazon) keep making us buy, buy, buy. All stuff we don’t need, which only creates more and more waste.
The secret tactics and strategies behind our purchasing behavior are exposed. The message? We need to stop constantly buying and quickly discarding things.
The documentary can be seen on Netflix.
Enjoy watching, listening or reading!
Source: www.frankwatching.com
