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4 May, 2016 l Working World l WorkingWorld.com W ith help from getAbstract, the world's largest library of business book summaries, Working World takes a quick look at the TOP 5 Business Books. 1. THE TRUTH DOESN'T HAVE TO HURT Performance consultant Deb Bright shows you how to become more proficient at giving and even receiving criticism. Performance consultant and former Olympic diving hopeful Deb Bright shows readers how to give and receive criticism. Drawing from her research on the effects of receiving criticism on workplace stress levels, and other studies about criticism, she explains how it works, how to create a workplace environment that's conducive to feedback, how to give and take criticism, and how to avoid common mistakes as a "giver" and "receiver" of critiques. She teaches givers how to build their confidence and become more comfortable when criticizing. Receivers learn how to accept criticism as useful without becoming emotional. Bright also covers how to manage teams and cope with difficult situations. getAbstract recommends her practical, applicable advice to anyone seeking to create a workplace that embraces healthy, productive criticism. Deb Bright | Copyright © 2014 AMACOM, a division of American Management Association 2014 | 244 pg. | ISBN: 9780814434819 2. RETHINKING POSITIVE THINKING Apply "WOOP"– "Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan"– to make your dreams a reality. Psychology professor Gabriele Oettingen offers an antidote to common beliefs about positive thinking, goals, desires and the human mind. Some of the information she shares will be familiar to those who read actively in these fields, but much of it will be new, especially to the average reader. For that reader, though, this could have been a bit shorter, perhaps by tightening the accounts of the discovery process. (Given that, busy readers might want to focus first on Chapter 6.) Oettingen walks you through the "Wish- Outcome-Obstacle-Plan" (or WOOP) process as a path to logical reasoning free of over-optimism. Her exploration will help you approach life more realistically and get out of your own way. getAbstract recommends her research on positivity to anyone who's trying to reach a goal and everyone interested in the workings of the human mind. Gabriele Oettingen | From RETHINKING POSITIVE THINKING by Gabriele Oettingen. Summarized by arrangement with Current, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC 2014 | 240 pg. | ISBN: 9781591846871 3. POWERS OF TWO Pairs often produce the greatest creative work. Historians and the media usually give credit for humankind's greatest achievements to lone geniuses working in isolation. These solitary giants are supposedly the ones who produce the most important art, music and inventions. Essayist Joshua Wolf Shenk challenges that notion. He cites many examples of successful pairings, including frequent mentions of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, that show the complexities that even supportive pairs can face. Lopsided relationships such as Emily Dickinson and her muses demonstrate that to some degree, everyone relies on someone else. Shenk's insights can help you choose the right business or personal partner and improve your relationships. getAbstract recommends Shenk's treatment to those who wish to dive into the dynamics of two-person partnerships. Hard-core Beatles fans will also enjoy his analysis. Joshua Wolf Shenk | Houghton Mifflin 2014 | 336 pg. | ISBN: 9780544031593 FEATURED ARTICLE by getAbstract Top Business Books