Why am I passionate about this?

I have more than 20 years of experience in the field of leadership development and assessment. I am a trained theologian and English/German linguist, and I hold a passion for the more fundamental questions concerning the human condition. In my business consulting practice, I invite clients to become better versions of themselves and to transform their organizations as well as societies by consciously adhering to doing the right thing. 


I wrote

The Practice of Ethical Leadership: Insights from Psychology and Business in Building an Ethical Bottom Line

By Rick Swegan, Claas Florian Engelke,

Book cover of The Practice of Ethical Leadership: Insights from Psychology and Business in Building an Ethical Bottom Line

What is my book about?

In writing my book, I set out to answer the question, “Why do people think that they are ethical but…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Tragedy of Great Power Politics

Claas Florian Engelke Why did I love this book?

This is a must-read for anyone who strives to understand power politics and geopolitics more accurately. Mearsheimer’s interpretation of centuries of power games between nation-states is compelling from a realist point of view. It will make you question accepted assumptions as well as gain clarity when it comes to classifying day-to-day politics. 

I love this book because it made me think and question societal assumptions of geopolitics. It is well-researched and extremely well-written and readable. Clearly, Mearsheimer is one of the most debated and controversial figures in political academia, but I find him one of the most thought-provoking as well.

By John J. Mearsheimer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Tragedy of Great Power Politics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The updated edition of this classic treatise on the behavior of great powers takes a penetrating look at the question likely to dominate international relations in the twenty-first century: Can China rise peacefully? In clear, eloquent prose, John Mearsheimer explains why the answer is no: a rising China will seek to dominate Asia, while the United States, determined to remain the world's sole regional hegemon, will go to great lengths to prevent that from happening. The tragedy of great power politics is inescapable.


Book cover of The Origins of Totalitarianism

Claas Florian Engelke Why did I love this book?

I recommend Arendt’s book for its guidance in helping readers interpret signs of totalitarianism—a growing concern in today’s civil society. Arendt is a pivotal thinker and an inspiring source of first-hand experience when it comes to fascist regimes.

This is an absolute must-read if we hope to prevent fascism from emerging once again.

By Hannah Arendt,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Origins of Totalitarianism as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Hannah Arendt's definitive work on totalitarianism—an essential component of any study of twentieth-century political history.

The Origins of Totalitarianism begins with the rise of anti-Semitism in central and western Europe in the 1800s and continues with an examination of European colonial imperialism from 1884 to the outbreak of World War I. Arendt explores the institutions and operations of totalitarian movements, focusing on the two genuine forms of totalitarian government in our time—Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia—which she adroitly recognizes were two sides of the same coin, rather than opposing philosophies of Right and Left. From this vantage point, she discusses…


Book cover of Man and His Symbols

Claas Florian Engelke Why did I love this book?

I consider this book to be THE book for delving deep into the realm of symbolism and unveiling the hidden meaning behind visions, dreams, memories, myths, and art.

In this classic, Jung explores the more profound—not just pragmatic—aspects of the human psyche. Through Jung’s thought-provoking concepts, I gained significant insights into the unconscious mind. 

By Carl Jung,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Man and His Symbols as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The landmark text about the inner workings of the unconscious mind—from the symbolism that unlocks the meaning of our dreams to their effect on our waking lives and artistic impulses—featuring more than a hundred images that break down Carl Jung’s revolutionary ideas

“What emerges with great clarity from the book is that Jung has done immense service both to psychology as a science and to our general understanding of man in society.”—The Guardian
  
“Our psyche is part of nature, and its enigma is limitless.”
 
Since our inception, humanity has looked to dreams for guidance. But what are they? How can…


Book cover of Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Claas Florian Engelke Why did I love this book?

Nietzsche’s book is a profound study of power, freedom of thought, and taking responsibility. To me, this is one of the most well-written philosophical investigations I’ve stumbled across in my life so far.

The book explores the very foundation upon which ethics is based and can flourish. In hymn-like prose, a personal narrator reports on the work of a fictional thinker who bears the name of the Persian religious founder Zarathustra. One central claim in the book is that humankind harbors the potential to transcend itself, which is a central premise for my contributions to our book.

By Friedrich Nietzsche, R. J. Hollingdale (translator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Thus Spoke Zarathustra as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Enigmatic, vatic, emphatic, passionate . . . Nietzsche's works together make a unique statement in the literature of European ideas' A. C. Grayling

Nietzsche was one of the most revolutionary thinkers in Western philosophy, and Thus Spoke Zarathustra remains his most influential work. It describes how the ancient Persian prophet Zarathustra descends from his solitude in the mountains to tell the world that God is dead and that the Superman, the human embodiment of divinity, is his successor. With blazing intensity, Nietzsche argues that the meaning of existence is not to be found in religious pieties or meek submission, but…


Book cover of The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution

Claas Florian Engelke Why did I love this book?

This book is a gem. It stretches across thousands of years and explores the question of what makes a stable state—state-building, rule of law, and accountable government.

I love this book for its comprehensiveness, scathing criticism of tribalism, and scrutiny of corruption. I promise you will find it a great read.

By Francis Fukuyama,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Origins of Political Order as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Nations are not trapped by their pasts, but events that happened hundreds or even thousands of years ago continue to exert huge influence on present-day politics. If we are to understand the politics that we now take for granted, we need to understand its origins.

Francis Fukuyama examines the paths that different societies have taken to reach their current forms of political order. This book starts with the very beginning of mankind and comes right up to the eve of the French and American revolutions, spanning such diverse disciplines as economics, anthropology and geography. The Origins of Political Order is…


Explore my book 😀

The Practice of Ethical Leadership: Insights from Psychology and Business in Building an Ethical Bottom Line

By Rick Swegan, Claas Florian Engelke,

Book cover of The Practice of Ethical Leadership: Insights from Psychology and Business in Building an Ethical Bottom Line

What is my book about?

In writing my book, I set out to answer the question, “Why do people think that they are ethical but engage in unethical behavior?”—think Boeing, Theranos, Volkswagen, and the like.

With my co-author Richard Swegan, we combined deep psychological thinking with philosophical insights and best business practices in our book. It touches upon love and why it matters intrinsically to business, ethical leadership development, and ethical workplace cultures. 

Book cover of The Tragedy of Great Power Politics
Book cover of The Origins of Totalitarianism
Book cover of Man and His Symbols

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,172

readers submitted
so far, will you?

You might also like...

A Voracious Grief

By Lindsey Lamh,

Book cover of A Voracious Grief

Lindsey Lamh Author Of A Voracious Grief

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Old book omnivore Author of dark tales Mom to 6 Ordinary saint Intuitive introvert

Lindsey's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

My book is fantastical historical fiction about two characters who're wrestling with the monstrosity of their grief.

It takes you into London high society, where Ambrose tries to forget about how much he misses Bennett and how much he dreads becoming as cold as their Grandfather. It takes you to the family's country manor house, where Mattie isolates and old ghosts start to come out of the woodwork.

It's a story about loss and depression; it's a story about friends who don't let you walk through the valley of death alone. 

A Voracious Grief

By Lindsey Lamh,

What is this book about?

Ambrose Bancroft returns to London society with his younger sister, hoping they'll leave ghosts of memory behind. They have only each other left. While Ambrose attempts to draw Mattie out, dragging her to balls and threatening to seek suitors for her, his sister recoils from his meddling. Finally, when Ambrose compels her to attend art class before she's ready, Mattie paints something horrific enough to banish them from society in public disgrace.

At Linwood Manor, Mattie and Ambrose aren't as alone as they think. Taking advantage of Mattie's desperate need to find freedom, a vanishing room lures Ambrose's sister into…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in totalitarianism, international relations, and psychoanalysis?

Totalitarianism 47 books
Psychoanalysis 105 books