We know what you may be thinking, this is a list including thriller and fiction books, well not quite. This list includes books from speakers we represent in the space of Inclusion, self-help, intersectionality, allyship, LGBTQIA+ rights, leadership, equity and equality. Think about it this way, you’ll be able to enjoy books written by diverse authors and become more equipped in this space. A space all of us need to be equipped anyways, ready to start?
Deepa Purushothaman
The First, the Few, the Only is a road map for us to make a profound impact within and outside our organizations while ensuring that our words are heard, our lived experiences are respected, and our contributions are finally valued.
Laura Liswood
Diversity in the workplace is a wonderful thing―but it also challenges many of today’s business leaders. For managers and team-members alike, it can be difficult to navigate in a truly diverse workplace made up of people of different cultures, races, creeds, body types, hobbies, genders, religions, styles, and sexual orientations. But understanding our cultural and social differences is a major key to a high-performing, merit-based work environment.
The Loudest Duck is a business guide that explores workplace diversity and presents new ideas for getting the most business and organizational benefit from it. In the Chinese children’s parable, the loudest duck is the one that gets shot. In America, we like to say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Comparing the two, it’s easy to see that our different cultures teach us different sets of values, and those values often translate into different ways of doing business that may subtly advantage one culture at work and disadvantage another.
Eboo Patel
Acts of Faith is a remarkable account of growing up Muslim in America and coming to believe in religious pluralism, from one of the most prominent faith leaders in the United States. Eboo Patel’s story is a hopeful and moving testament to the power and passion of young people—and of the world-changing potential of an interfaith youth movement.
Ashley T. Brundage
Empowering Differences is the intentional action of using power and authority for yourself or others while positioning ways in which you are not the same as the people around you. Using your differences, what makes you unique, to empower yourself and others to move your career forward.Follow author, Ashley T Brundage, as she puts Empowering Differences into action. She has been on her own journey of self exploration and was forced to find out how she fits into this world. She started her careers as a means of survival and has quickly risen through each position. She celebrated her authenticity, empowered herself, and others, to create a stronger community.
Incorporating the 10 key empowering actions covered within this book, Ashley advanced her career from a part time bank teller to a vice president of the national diversity and inclusion team at a major financial services corporation in less than 5 years. Everyone’s journey will look different, but these methods can produce similar results and the takeaways of the book can be applied to anyone.Take the first step to accelerate your career by empowering your differences.More info on Empowering Differences: Empowering Differences is an organization founded on the 10 Empowering Actions used by founder Ashley T Brundage to advance her career in less than five years.The company was started in 2011 when Ashley recognized the need for leadership based training to empower and inspire organizations and diverse individuals. After identifying key actions to secure a position within a company then move up to a leadership role, Empowering Differences evolved to include more specific trainings and leadership development programs based on what is now the 10 Empowering Actions.We work with organizations and individuals to develop leaders, empower individuals, understand terminology, and improve internal and external communication. With our strategy options, we work directly with organizations to create a more specific plan for marketing needs and perform assessments to evaluate your effectiveness.As a nationally recognized diverse supplier, we work with large well-known organizations, in addition to small and mid-size companies and non-profits of any size.
Terri Trespicio
Named a Best Feel-Good Book of 2021 by The Washington Post
A hilarious and honest not-quite-self-help book in the vein of Buy Yourself the F*cking Liliesand I Used to Have a Plan.
Every person on the planet wants their life to mean something. The problem is that you’ve been told there’s only one way to find that meaning.
In Unfollow Your Passion, Terri Trespicio—whose TEDx talk has more than six million views—questions everything you think you need: passion (fun, but fleeting), plans (flimsy at best), and a bucket list (eye roll), to name a few.
Instead, she shows you how (and why) to flip society, culture, and the #patriarchy the bird so you can live life on your terms. Trespicio effortlessly guides you through her method of unhooking yourself from other people’s agendas, boning up on the skills to move you forward, and exploring your own creativity, memory, and intuition to unlock your unique path to meaning—while also confronting the challenges that stop you in your tracks, like boredom, loss, and fear.
Trespicio delivers a personal growth book unlike any other with insights that are “wildly funny and infinitely compelling,” (Farnoosh Torabi, host of the So Money podcast). Fans of Glennon Doyle’s Untamed and Luvvie Ajayi Jones’s Professional Troublemaker will love this fresh and fearless take on what it means to unfollow the rules you were given.
Nilima Bhat
Too many people, men and women alike, have bought into a notion of leadership that exclusively emphasizes traditionally “masculine” qualities: hierarchical, militaristic, win-at-all-costs. The result has been corruption, environmental degradation, social breakdown, stress, depression, and a host of other serious problems. Nilima Bhat and Raj Sisodia show us a more balanced way, an archetype of leadership that is generative, cooperative, creative, inclusive, and empathetic. While these are traditionally regarded as “feminine” qualities, we all have them. In the Indian yogic tradition they’re symbolized by Shakti, the source that powers all life. Through exercises and inspirational examples, Bhat and Sisodia show how to access this infinite energy and lead with your whole self. Male or female, leaders who understand and practice Shakti Leadership act from a consciousness of life-giving caring, creativity, and sustainability to achieve self-mastery internally and be of selfless service to the world.
Christine Arylo
Liberate Yourself From Stress And Overwhelm If you’re like most women, you’ve discovered that the tasks and pressures never end in our culture, a culture built for burnout. But there’s a way to stop stressing and start thriving — to wake up to the underlying systems and unsustainable ways of working and living that sap your strength, drain you dry, and fragment your focus. Feminine wisdom leader Christine Arylo is on your side, as she shines a light on the external forces and internal imprints that push you into overwhelm and self-sacrifice. She then shows you how to access your power to achieve what matters most, including receiving what you need and desire. You’ll learn to release the old approach to working, succeeding, and managing a full life, and embrace a new way that gives you clarity and courage to make choices in your day-to-day and overall life design that support and sustain you.
Kimberlee Williams
Dear White Woman, Please Come Home is Kimberlee Yolanda Williams’ invitation to white women longing for authentic friendship with Black and brown women, the kind of friendship with no place for secrets, the kind of relationship where truth-telling is welcome, even when it hurts.
Deanna Singh
A timely, practical resource on creating teams and organizations where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.–Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the podcast WorkLife A step-by-step guide for managers, teams, and DEI leaders looking to create impactful, lasting change in their organization, from recruitment to retention, and beyond. Are you tired of hollow promises about diversity, equity, and inclusion in your organization? Do you want to take steps towards real change – beyond issuing mission statements, signing checks, and holding listening sessions – but don’t know where to start? This book is your answer. Designed for teams to read together, Actions Speak Louder offers a comprehensive blueprint for leaders and teams who are ready to get out of their own way, look at their surroundings with new eyes, and turn their energy into a concrete plan.
We hope that you enjoy them as much as we do. The best part about this list is that if you are wanting to bring this author into your organization for a workshop or keynote all you have to do is email us at contact@notainclusion.com let us know in the comment what book you chose to read.