Summertime is reading time, immersion in Deep Dive non-fiction books and, for a change, a fiction novel or a good biography.
And that stuck this summer – thoughts and quotes selected across the board.
1. “Empathy, tolerance of ambiguity or the ability to change perspectives” (p. 199) are important for transcultural competence. “Those who really understand the logic of several cultures usually adopt several ways of behaving and thinking.” (p. 204)
Anna Fuchs, mastering transcultural challenges
2. Pay attention to moments of synchronicity in your encounters. We will find “that we are more and more often in the right place at the right time.” (p. 228)
Julia Cameron, It’s Never Too Late to Start Over
3. “Storytelling encourages translating facts and data into stories and images.” (p. 194). “The ability to understand data and use stories to show its meaning is a key qualification of the future.” (p. 254)
Thomas Pyczak, Tell Me! How to convince with storytelling
4. The biography is very moving, in some places simply sobering and overall encouraging. You don’t have to be a scientist to read them, because for me it’s all about recognition and gender justice in historical contexts.
David Rennert & Tanja Traxler, Lise Meitner – Pioneer of the Atomic Age
5. The Internet is a matter of course for most of us. That’s not it! “And what would happen if we joined forces to reinvent the Internet as a sustainable web for knowledge, solidarity and mindfulness?” (p. 340)
Esther Paniagua, Error 404 – The failure of the Internet and its consequences for the world
6. A multi-layered, contemporary social novel. It’s about exoticism, thrills with a thriller character and the attitude to life of an artist, Jakob Thurner, after 60 mixed years of life. A book that makes you think and encourages you to think ahead.
Norbert Gstrein, Der zweite Jakob (Shortlist, German Book Prize 2021)
➡ I’m always happy about book tips. What are you reading this summer and why?
