100 books like The Catalyst

By Jeanne Liedtka, Robert Rosen, Robert Wiltbank

Here are 100 books that The Catalyst fans have personally recommended if you like The Catalyst. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways

Karen Hold Author Of Experiencing Design: The Innovator's Journey

From my list on mastering design thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

Inspired by the brilliant Silicon Valley technologists that I worked with in the early 90s and the pioneering design work of my husband’s grandfather, Leroy Grumman, I believe that design thinking is one of the most important reasons to believe that teams can achieve extraordinary results. It increases the likelihood of implementation of ideas by enhancing any companies’ abilities to align, learn, and change together. I have made it my mission to build creative capacity in individuals, organizations, and cities using the language of design thinking so that everyone can make positive change within their sphere of influence.

Karen's book list on mastering design thinking

Karen Hold Why did Karen love this book?

Creative Acts for Curious People is a treasure trove of activities and exercises to build design thinking competencies. It is the first book of its kind to move beyond design methods to design learning experiences. Each exercise was carefully crafted by 116 of the most talented designers, educators, contributors, and academics at the Standford d.School. Until now, these exercises were only available to d.School collaborators in shared Google Drives if you were lucky enough to get access. This is a huge gift to the design thinking community.

By Sarah Stein Greenberg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Creative Acts for Curious People as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Packed end to end with ways to see the world in new ways' Mike Krieger, cofounder, Instagram

'Designed to spark creativity, help solve problems, foster connection and make our lives better' Gretchen Rubin

'Navigate today's world with agility, resilience and imagination' Lorraine Twohill, CMO, Google

What do they teach you at the most prestigious design school in the world?

For the first time, you can find out. This highly-visual guide brings to life the philosophies of some of the d.school's most inventive and unconventional minds, including founder David Kelley, Choreographer Aleta Hayes and Google Chief Innovation Evangelist Frederik Pferdt and…


Book cover of The Field Study Handbook

Gregg Bernstein Author Of Research Practice: Perspectives from UX researchers in a changing field

From my list on understanding user research.

Why am I passionate about this?

After a career that took me from designer to design professor, I’ve spent the past decade leading user research practices for growing product organizations. I’m excited about user research because it positions us closer to the people we design for, and challenges us to capture and explain complex scenarios in service to them. Though there are many books that teach user research, my list of recommendations is meant to demonstrate why we research, how we make sense of what we learn, and where research might take us.

Gregg's book list on understanding user research

Gregg Bernstein Why did Gregg love this book?

The Field Study Handbook is both a guide to international field research and a beautiful work of art. Jan Chipchase comprehensively covers every possible consideration for the planning and execution of global field research, including such topics as travel logistics, lodging guidance, division of labor, and working with local guides. Jan’s deep experience from the front lines of field research comes across on every beautifully illustrated page.

By Jan Chipchase,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Field Study Handbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Creative Clarity

Karen Hold Author Of Experiencing Design: The Innovator's Journey

From my list on mastering design thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

Inspired by the brilliant Silicon Valley technologists that I worked with in the early 90s and the pioneering design work of my husband’s grandfather, Leroy Grumman, I believe that design thinking is one of the most important reasons to believe that teams can achieve extraordinary results. It increases the likelihood of implementation of ideas by enhancing any companies’ abilities to align, learn, and change together. I have made it my mission to build creative capacity in individuals, organizations, and cities using the language of design thinking so that everyone can make positive change within their sphere of influence.

Karen's book list on mastering design thinking

Karen Hold Why did Karen love this book?

It is hard to pick just one Jon Kolko book to recommend because all of his books are brilliant. My copy of Creative Clarity is dog-eared and heavily underlined which is an indicator of just how much I rely on it over and over again. I like it because Kolko articulates the specific conditions necessary to achieve creative cultures and most importantly details how to do it. Mastering design thinking is much more than learning new tools and building the mindsets and behaviors to deepen your experience, it is about solving more problems and ultimately creating more impact. This book will help you do that. 

By Jon Kolko,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Creative Clarity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book is built on a simple premise: Most companies don't know what creativity really is, so they can't benefit from it. They lack creative clarity.  Creative clarity requires you to do four things: 1. Choreograph a creative strategy, describing a clear future even among the blurry business landscape.
2. Grow teams that include those creative, unpredictable outcasts;  give them the space to produce amazing work; and build a unique form of trust in your company culture.
3. Institutionalize an iterative process of critique, conflict, and ideation.
4. Embrace chaos but manage creative spin and stagnation.  This book is primarily…


Book cover of Sticky Wisdom: How to Start a Creative Revolution at Work

Karen Hold Author Of Experiencing Design: The Innovator's Journey

From my list on mastering design thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

Inspired by the brilliant Silicon Valley technologists that I worked with in the early 90s and the pioneering design work of my husband’s grandfather, Leroy Grumman, I believe that design thinking is one of the most important reasons to believe that teams can achieve extraordinary results. It increases the likelihood of implementation of ideas by enhancing any companies’ abilities to align, learn, and change together. I have made it my mission to build creative capacity in individuals, organizations, and cities using the language of design thinking so that everyone can make positive change within their sphere of influence.

Karen's book list on mastering design thinking

Karen Hold Why did Karen love this book?

My favorite business school professor gave me this book on a whim that I might be interested in the work of What If? I took it home and devoured it in a matter of hours. It’s captivating in its accessibility to normal people and probably more relevant today than it was twenty years when it was published as creative catalysts and design thinkers refocus on behaviors over process and habits over tools. By adopting the six creative behaviors outlined in the book: freshness, greenhousing, realness, momentum, signalling, and courage, innovators can increase their creative capacity and even more importantly, their creative confidence. 

By Dave Allan, Matt Kingdon, Kris Murrin , Daz Rudkin

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sticky Wisdom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

We all know how important creativity is at work. New ideas, fresh solutions, and innovative approaches are always talked about, but rarely ever practiced. ?Whatif!, Second Edition gives you the power, insight, and courage to capture the essence of creativity at work. This one--of--a--kind book breaks creativity into six practical behaviors and shows you how all of us----not just the wacky genuis----is packed with creative potential. This fully updated and expanded edition explores areas that the first edition did not, filled with new insights, stories, and cases it will help you find or recapture your creativity with proven exercises that…


Book cover of Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation

Muhammad Mashhood Alam Author Of Transforming an Idea Into a Business with Design Thinking: The Structured Approach from Silicon Valley for Entrepreneurs and Leaders

From my list on design thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been driving innovation in various capacities with world’s leading companies and start-ups for the last 23 years in Silicon Valley. I've been granted six US patents, won two prestigious design awards including the Red Dot award, and published a book on transforming an idea into a business using Design Thinking. What I've learnt is that at the core of any successful business lies the value to the end user who uses the solutions. As I got exposed to Design Thinking earlier on in my career, I realized its immense power in delivering human-centered innovations. I regularly speak at several industry & entrepreneurial events and various business schools around the world. 

Muhammad's book list on design thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship

Muhammad Mashhood Alam Why did Muhammad love this book?

This is a book that describes why design thinking can be a powerful tool for innovation and problem-solving.

Brown argues that traditional approaches to problem-solving often rely on linear and analytical thinking, which can be limiting when it comes to addressing complex and multifaceted challenges.

Brown presents a framework for design thinking that emphasizes empathy, experimentation, and collaboration.

I found numerous examples of individuals and organizations in the book that have successfully used design thinking to create innovative solutions to a wide range of problems, from improving healthcare to redesigning public spaces.

I found practical strategies of applying design thinking in life and work.

By Tim Brown,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Change by Design as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The subject of "design thinking" is the rage at business schools, throughout corporations, and increasingly in the popular press-due in large part to the work of IDEO, a leading design firm, and its celebrated CEO, Tim Brown, who uses this book to show how the techniques and strategies of design belong at every level of business.

The myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. The reality is that most innovations come from a process of rigorous examination through which great ideas are identified and developed before being realized as new offerings and…


Book cover of Happiness by Design: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Everyday Life

Matt Phelan Author Of The Happiness Index: Why Today's Employee Emotions Equal Tomorrow's Business Success

From my list on workplace happiness.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm Matt Phelan, and I've always been fascinated by how people think and feel, especially in the workplace. That's why I co-founded The Happiness Index, where we use data to help organizations understand and improve their workplace culture. I love exploring the connection between happiness and performance, and I'm eager to share the insights I've gained along the way. 

Matt's book list on workplace happiness

Matt Phelan Why did Matt love this book?

This book offers practical strategies and tools to boost creativity and foster a more fulfilling work experience by encouraging innovative thinking and problem-solving.

It promotes a human-centered approach, emphasizing empathy and understanding in the workplace. By applying design thinking principles, you can create a more enjoyable and productive environment for yourself and your colleagues.

By Paul Dolan,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Happiness by Design as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

How can we make it easier to be happy? Using the latest cutting-edge research, Professor Paul Dolan reveals that wellbeing isn't about how we think - it's about what we do. By making deliberate choices that bring us both pleasure and meaning, we can redesign our lives for maximum happiness - without thinking too hard about it.

'Outstanding, cutting-edge, and profound. If you're going to read one book on happiness, this is the one' Nassim Nicholas Taleb

'Bold and original ... what I wish for my grandchildren: a life that is rich in activities both pleasurable…


Book cover of A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Craig Detweiler Author Of Honest Creativity: The Foundations of Boundless, Good, and Inspired Innovation

From my list on creativity and deepening your spirituality.

Why am I passionate about this?

I blame my mother. She took us to the public library every week and let us check out as many books as we could carry. Consequently, reading was a joy rather than a burden. The writing came after I got over my false assumptions about English Lit and Modern Poetry. As a screenwriter, I craft silly stories to make audiences laugh. That’s why I watch movies after an exhausting week. As an author, I gravitate towards non-fiction–trying to reconcile my artistry with my faith. I’ve written about movies, music, video games, technology, and art–with an eye toward lifting our spirits and comforting our aching souls.

Craig's book list on creativity and deepening your spirituality

Craig Detweiler Why did Craig love this book?

I get frustrated by organizations and systems that are so devoted to metrics that they miss the creative opportunities at hand.

Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind flips the script on the AI-driven world we’re inheriting, insisting that the right-brained approach to creativity will unlock a brighter future for us all. I’ve found that his focus on story and design moves audiences far more than spreadsheets and PowerPoints.

Pink reminds us why empathy and playfulness are the kinds of superpowers we must rediscover amid so much machine learning.

By Daniel H. Pink,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked A Whole New Mind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is a book that you have to read. A Whole New Mind is a groundbreaking look at how we should live our lives in a world turned upside down by rising affluence, the outsourcing of good jobs abroad, and the computerization of our lives a world fast shifting from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. Lawyers. Accountants. Radiologists. Software engineers. That's what our parents encouraged us to be when we grew up. But Mum and Dad were wrong. The future belongs to a very different kind of person - a person with a very different kind of mind.…


Book cover of The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind

Jenny Grant Rankin Author Of Increasing the Impact of Your Research: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Findings and Widening Your Reach

From my list on getting people to accept facts.

Why am I passionate about this?

Though my two doctorates and experience landed me in the arenas of education and data-sharing, I soon realized that merely sharing information was not the way to get people to embrace fact. My books and speaking (I’ve lectured at Cambridge, Columbia, Oxford, Comic-Con, etc.) now focus on how to persuade people to absorb, remember, care about, and act on new information. I teach everyone from scientists to parents about how to share information in ways that get around people’s mental blockades. I’m also a Mensan and Fulbright Specialist who writes for Psychology Today and was honored by the White House.

Jenny's book list on getting people to accept facts

Jenny Grant Rankin Why did Jenny love this book?

Brothers Chip and Dan Heath authored some of my favorite books (like Made to Stick), so it’s no wonder I love the content of Chip Heath’s one-time mentee Berger, as well. He looks at persuasion from a variety of angles and illustrates how different approaches work when we need someone to act or think a particular way. Berger opens with a hostage standoff where a deadly outcome seems unavoidable, and he breaks down why a particular approach beat the odds. Then he does it again and again (with everything from political advertising to kids willingly eating laundry detergent) to help us understand how minds can be nudged one way or another. Even the table of contents is too irresistible to not keep turning pages.

By Jonah Berger,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

“Jonah Berger is one of those rare thinkers who blends research-based insights with immensely practical guidance. I am grateful to be one of the many who have learned from this master teacher.”—Jim Collins, author Good to Great, coauthor Built to Last

From the author of New York Times bestsellers Contagious and Invisible Influence comes a revolutionary approach to changing anyone’s mind.

Everyone has something they want to change. Marketers want to change their customers’ minds and leaders want to change organizations. Start-ups want to change industries and nonprofits want to change the world. But change is hard. Often, we persuade…


Book cover of Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention

Julio Mario Ottino Author Of The Nexus: Augmented Thinking for a Complex World--The New Convergence of Art, Technology, and Science

From my list on the intersection of complexity, art, technology, and science.

Why am I passionate about this?

Art, technology, and science…I have been seamlessly traversing domains all my life. I grew up with twin interests in physical sciences and visual arts, finding beauty in math and art and seeing creativity as being one thing rather than something living in compartments. Art influenced my research in chaos and complexity, and blurring boundaries characterized my work as dean of engineering when creating educational/research initiatives in design, art, entrepreneurship, energy, and sustainability. I also received visible external recognition as a Guggenheim Fellow and member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences, as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Julio's book list on the intersection of complexity, art, technology, and science

Julio Mario Ottino Why did Julio love this book?

This book will capture your imagination and dazzle your senses with deep scholarship.

Deep exploration of creative outputs at their maximum states, the state of “flow”, condensing Csikszentmihalyi’s thirty years of research and nearly one hundred interviews with exceptionally creative people, spanning science, business, and art, in all of their dimensions. Creativity in art, technology, and science, perceived by many as being different types of creativity, revealed, at its core, to be the same.

By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

“Although the benefits of this study to scholars are obvious, this thought-provoking mixture of scholarly and colloquial will enlighten inquisitive general readers, too.” —  Library Journal (starred review)

The classic study of the creative process from the bestselling author of Flow.

Creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (“The leading researcher into ‘flow states.’”  — Newsweek) reveals what leads to these moments—be it the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab—so that this knowledge can be used to enrich people's lives. Drawing on nearly one hundred…


Book cover of The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

Emma Loewe Author Of Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us

From my list on connecting to nature no matter where you live.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a journalist who explores the intersection of human health and planet health, I've long been fascinated by how stepping outside into a healthy environment can boost our well-being. I also believe that we are more likely to take positive climate actions when we have a rich connection to the natural world around us, so a lot of my work focuses on helping people get out into nature—whatever that looks like for them.

Emma's book list on connecting to nature no matter where you live

Emma Loewe Why did Emma love this book?

In this engaging read, science journalist Florence Williams travels the world to cover the research on the health benefits of exploring the outdoors. What I love about Florence’s writing is her ability to play the guinea pig so that readers can put themselves in her shoes—in this case, hiking boots.

By Florence Williams,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

For centuries, poets and philosophers extolled the benefits of a walk in the woods: Beethoven drew inspiration from rocks and trees; Wordsworth composed while walking over the heath; Nikola Tesla conceived the electric motor while visiting a park.

From forest paths in Korea to islands in Finland to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science at the confluence of environment, mood, health and creativity. Delving into new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen our relationships. As our lives shift indoors, these ideas-and the answers they yield-are…


Book cover of Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways
Book cover of The Field Study Handbook
Book cover of Creative Clarity

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Interested in design thinking, creativity, and pop culture?

Design Thinking 7 books
Creativity 144 books
Pop Culture 166 books