Gerry Crispin’s Favorite HR Books

I asked my friend Gerry Crispin, the co-founder of CareerXroads and a lifelong student of HR and recruiting, to share his recommendations for inspirational HR books.

He told me, “I have a huge library. I buy at least four books a month. Here are a few recent ones that inspire me to think.”

The first recommendation is “Management of the Absurd: Paradoxes in Leadership” by Richard Farson. This was a gift from John Sumser.

Your audience might like “Your Queer Career: The Ultimate Career Guide for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Job Seekers” by Riley B. Folds III.

I also recommend “Give and Take” by Adam Grant.

Try “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” by Elizabeth Kolbert.

Include “Design Thinking Methodology Book” by Emrah Yayici.

Your list needs “The Go-Giver. A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea” by Bob Burg and John David Mann.

“The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us” is another inspirational recommendation. Written by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons.

Make sure you include “Set-up-to-Fail Syndrome: Overcoming the Undertow of Expectations” by Jean-Francois Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsoux.

Finally, I’d recommend “Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy” by Cathy O’Neil.

I’ve read none of these books. Have you? There are titles on this list that completely missed my attention. It’s exciting to learn about new authors and ideas. My warmest thanks to Gerry Crispin for giving us a list of inspirational HR books.

Do you have a list? Want to be featured? Tell me your ideas on our Facebook page, and I’d love to share your favorites here in the future.