Want to get me excited? Ask me about my book collection.

From a first edition of “A Room of One’s Own” to hundreds of never-opened impulse buys, my condo can’t really fit the books I already have.

Just a small corner of where I live

When I allow myself to enter a bookstore, I withdraw cash to make sure I don’t overspend. Meticulous about how I spend my self-imposed allowance, I head over to my favorite sections: business and productivity.

The past few years have produced some incredible reads worth taking the time for. My favorites include “Drive” by Daniel Pink, “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss, and “Switch” by Chip and Dan Heath. But those are all popular titles, with over 1,000 reviews and earned coverage in major news outlets.

What about the newest productivity books? The ones that haven’t yet “gone viral” or garnered attention?

Normally I rely on reviews, but it’s tough to gauge how good a book is when they’re new. So I took a risk. I went through 30 books this summer and selected the top 11 productivity books worth reading that you’ve (probably) never heard of.

Productivity book reviews

Getting included in this roundup was incredibly difficult. My requirements included recent publication (within the past year), and above-average readability, practicality, originality, credibility, and accessibility. These books run a range in topics, from how to optimize using your ADHD, to culture development, to personal productivity. Feel free to download my scorecard here.

Each section includes my own summary, review, and an analysis of available reviews on Amazon.

These books are organized by my rating.

“Culture is the Bass: 7 Principles for Developing a Culture That Works”

Amazon score: 5/5 (20+ reviews)

Notable quote from a reviewer: An interesting and efficient way to look at the structure of a business. It takes the orchestra, (one of, if not the largest musical teams) and shows the correlation between its many parts and a business. The book is nicely categorized and gives practical advice on how to get your company moving as smartly as an orchestra; and hopefully the individual feeling as integral to the team as a bass player to a band! Whether it’s understanding your vision for the group, creating the right environment or learning how to move as a unit, there is more to a thriving business than a great product!

My review: 4.1/5

Gerald J. Leonard isn’t just an author. He’s a project manager, CEO of Principles of Execution, LLC, and an extraordinary musician (he is a graduate of both Julliard and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music)—specifically, a classical bass player.

Leonard uses his experience as a musician, particularly in an orchestra, to lay out the seven principles it take to develop an effective company culture—one that’s good enough that employees get up and cheer for it. He likens the organization of an orchestra to how a product performance management (PPM) should work, from the CEO as conductor to the woodwind player who needs to adjust their reed to avoid squawking in the middle of a concert.

If you’re a musician or have musical experience, you’ll have a delightful time reading this book. Leonard carries the metaphor through the book, providing the reader with anecdotes and personal stories to convey his meaning. As culture is the backbone of any company, the just-over-100-page book is a great primer for getting started. All of Leonard’s advice is actionable, from using narrative to bridge generational gaps to making sure your creative staff isn’t physically confined in their space.

What this book lacks is twofold: one, there’s little scientific research cited in the work. Without it, “Culture is the Bass” struggles to stand out from other culture books. There are also few alternative viewpoints addressed. What the reader gets is Leonard’s opinion, and Leonard’s opinion alone.

That said, his work in comparing culture to an ensemble is creative and enjoyable. I would recommend this book to a narrow audience—one with both a musical and business background—but to that audience, this book will be excellent.

10. “The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won’t Work and What to Do Instead” by Kristen Ulmer

“The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won’t Work and What to Do Instead”

Amazon score: 4.4/5 (20+ reviews)

Notable quote from a reviewer: Kristen Ulmer was a “Fear Junkie” who lived to tell her story. Kristen’s book, The Art of Fear, conveys the wisdom and intelligence embraced by exploring and arriving at understanding herself. Her book is our book.

My review: 4.2/5

You might be thinking, “What is a psychology book doing on this list of productivity books? Why are you looking at Kristen Ulmer? Wasn’t she a ski star?”

Yes, Ulmer was the best female extreme skier in the world for over a decade, and yes, this book is about fear, but fear and productivity go together like performance reviews around the holidays. While fear has been seen as a negative emotion, it can also be used to spur success—and efficiency.

“Love gets too much credit,” Ulmer writes. “Don’t ever forget that Fear is uncomfortable and stressful. The discomfort is what drives you. The tension is the gift. Comfort doesn’t offer you the shove you need. Only discomfort does.”

That’s kind of the premise of Ulmer’s whole book—emotional intelligence and the understanding that fear is universal and not something to be “overcome.”

Between sections, Ulmer intersperses stories about learning to ski and compete. There are times when she acknowledges her fear—or lack thereof. “It started in Tibet,” she writes. “I had snuck into the country over a 20,000-foot pass… to try and illegally climb and ski the sixth-tallest mountain in the world.”

Ulmer should have fear, but didn’t—and she highlights the consequences of ignoring her fear. She was almost arrested, faced a blizzard. and ended up abandoning her things while gunning back toward Nepal.

The greatest failing of this book is organization. Ulmer refers to Zen tropes and characterizes all emotions (hence the capitalization), but in a jumbled way. Each chapter could be significantly condensed without losing meaning. It’s a good read for people interested in psychology, but Ulmer’s takes on productivity are reserved for the last few chapters.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable read, particularly with Ulmer’s interspersed personal anecdotes.

9. “Growth in the Age of Complexity: Steering Your Company to Innovation, Productivity, and Profits in the New Era of Complexity” by Andrei Perumal and Stephen Wilson

“Growth in the Age of Complexity: Steering Your Company to Innovation, Productivity, and Profits in the New Era of Competition”

Note: This book doesn’t have any reviews yet as it will be released December 1.

My review: 4.4/5

Growth is rarely in a straight line. It is tempting to think otherwise, particularly when looking back on the course of life, but anyone faced with plotting the coordinates for a company’s growth knows the fallacy of this notion.

As much as we like to think of corporate leaders executing sure-fire growth strategies, the truth is far messier: it’s more an act of exploration and discovery than a step-by-step process. In “Growth in the Age of Complexity,” authors Andrei Perumal and Stephen Wilson describe in detail how complexity has impacted businesses and the markets in which they compete, and the strategies, mindsets, and skill sets required to grow profitably.

They argue that new strategies are required to navigate the “Sirens of Growth:” the growth plans borne of Industrial Age mindsets that too frequently lead to complexity and scaling issues in the vastly connected global economy. Essentially introducing business Agile, Perumal and Wilson tackle the complexity problems with the business world with both compassion and restraint. They do not offer a “solve-all” solution, but a “solve-some” one.

Perumal and Wilson introduce two mindsets: the “Explorers” and the “Navigators.” Explorers have a “willingness to lead with incomplete information, boldness, determined focus, and adaptability,” whereas Navigators are those that have “the set of new capabilities critical to navigating our new complex environment.”

In other words, Explorers are the visionaries whereas Navigators are the practical course-setters. Businesses need both to survive.

The sea metaphor is also a good way to describe this text. There are choppy sections, waves of jargon, and an expansion of “ocean” metaphors. There are also even-keeled, illuminating sections that will surprise even the most seasoned Agilists (like just how complex our business environment is now). The book is somewhat redundant, but offers plenty of practical tips on how to make your way through the insanely complicated business world.

“The Winning You: Master Your Focus and Avoid Distractions”

Amazon score: 5/5

Notable quote from a reviewer: Just finished this, and certainly recommend for anyone’s reading. Sanket is preaching a lot of what I practice, and I was happy to confirm that ideas of others sometimes are quite natural to me, at least in my own interpretation, specifically when it comes to planning the day or having little rituals.

My review: 4.4/5

Call me biased, but I went into this book knowing I’d enjoy it. Sanket Pai has written several times for Capterra (be sure to check out “4 Groundbreaking Project Portfolio Management Predictions for 2022” and “6 Killer Tricks for Successful Project Kick-Off Meetings), and his work has always been insightful, entertaining, and delightfully well researched. His first book, “The Winning You,” unsurprisingly follows suit.

The first word in “The Winning You” is “focus.” Its last word is “forever.” The book is only 83 pages long and has large font. I finished this book on a car ride from D.C. to the suburbs and back. True to form, Pai doesn’t waste time with unnecessary anecdotes or stories; he gets right to the point.

Want to become the best version of yourself? Sort it out, straighten and standardize your days, and sustain for results. Everything else in the book is an elaboration of each theme. While the book is short, Pai takes the space to make every single suggestion actionable. Practicality is at the heart of every page.

And for that, the book suffers. There is a balance between action and emotion, and “The Winning You” can sometimes come off as robotic or tediously process oriented. The book was written for people who are predisposed to enjoy productivity and organization. Without that backbone, I suspect that Pai’s method wouldn’t be sustainable. What would improve the book is an introduction to changing mindset, and how to sustain that change in the long term.

To be sure, the book itself is great. If you’re inclined to reading productivity books, you might be sick of the prevalence of psychological fluff, and may find Pai’s book a refreshing, no-nonsense take on getting things done. If, however, you value the psychology side of productivity books, this text will not be satisfying.

“Culture Works: How to Create Happiness in the Workplace”

Amazon score: 5/5 (30+ reviews)

Notable quote from a reviewer: An amazing piece of work. Kris really demonstrates that she’s a leader in the field of workplace happiness. Funny, insightful and engaging. What’s really cool is she provides the Culture Assessment too as a part of this. Recommended for any team of leaders in the workplace.

My review: 4.5/5

Many leaders and managers find office culture to be abstract, intangible, and elusive. Perhaps you’ve noticed people avoiding conversational landmines., exchanging meaningful looks, or quietly tapping away at a computer during a meeting. Is your team’s performance waning due to gossip, silos, or apathy? Or all three?

“Culture Works” helps the reader navigate through those kinds of obstacles as a senior leader in the workplace. Using cute and clear illustrations, anecdotes, and a bunch of primary resources such as survey data about her own company, Pai’s work is straightforward and enjoyable. It’s well researched, breaks down the dangers of a toxic workplace, and carefully makes itself accessible to any reading level without talking down to the reader—a tough achievement.

Occasionally, Boesch’s word choice detracts from the book as a result; I’m not sure how many business books have effectively used the term “funkytown,” but this isn’t one of them. To be sure, the colloquial nature of a lot of the book derives from Boesch’s own enthusiasm from the subject, so it’ll irritate some readers more than others.

Boesch is good about incorporating practical exercises to do with the reader’s team both on and offline. That makes this book particularly good for group reading material, such as for a company book club.

The only space where this book falls flat is in the area of differentiating opinions. Who would disagree with Boesch’s findings? How would she respond to critique of her survey methods and findings? The reader doesn’t get the opportunity to find out, and since Boesch conducts no interviews through the course of the book, her thoughts are entirely her own.

In all, I enjoyed “Culture Works,” but I also wanted more. Is this ground-shaking information? Not really, but it’s good information for those new to reading about business culture.

“Good Enough Now: How Doing the Best We Can With What We Have is Better Than Nothing”

Amazon score: 5/5 (5+ reviews)

Notable quote from a reviewer: An excellent and practical book about doing and making opportunities occur based on what a person currently has; it’s a book about eliminating excuses and moving forward… Pettitt creates this practicality and realism in her commentary, personal reflections, and then appeals to the reader to engage in activities to understand through self-reflection using one’s head and heart with the eventual goal of action.

My review: 4.7/5

Author Jessica Pettitt aims to help you discover how to be the best version of yourself and when to say things are “good enough now.” Using three communication styles—head (or data), heart (or reflection), and action (or activities)—Pettitt uses her background as a diversity consultant, stand-up comedian, and consultant to draw the reader into finding their “best” selves.

Using the head, heart, and action model, Pettitt creates a personality profile for those with stronger characteristics in each and how they do and should respond to different situations. If enneagram or Myers-Briggs enthusiasts were to procreate with “Getting Things Done” fetishists to write a business book, “Good Enough Now” would just about be the end result.

But with more actionable takeaways.

If I were to critique the book on anything, it’d be on its lack of science. Pettitt is neither a researcher nor a business leader, and the book rests almost entirely on third-party research and Pettitt’s own experiences. In the world of personality-testing books, she doesn’t really introduce a new, earth-shattering paradigm, but rather a reinterpretation of existing psychological theory.

She introduces the information well, however. Her book makes good use of imagery, worksheets, and citations so that the reader can learn more should they want to. The book does wane liberal in many of its examples (think citations such as “Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice” and “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies“). If such things irritate you, you are not the audience Pettitt had in mind while writing. That said, Pettitt is completely backed up in her research; it would be hard to argue she got her theory from nowhere.

Actionable, engaging, occasionally funny, occasionally sweet, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to broaden their understanding of how they can use their personality effectively both at work and at home.

Can I Have Your Attention?: Inspiring Better Work Habits, Focusing Your Team, and Getting Stuff Done in the Constantly Connected Workplace

Note: This book doesn’t have any reviews yet as it will be released October 9.

My review: 4.8/5

Have you noticed that it can be tough to concentrate in your office?

From the growth of the open office to tiny, pinging cell phones, workers are constantly distracted at work—even if they don’t want to be! What’s the solution? Steinhorst and McKee investigate.

“Humanity has survived in large part because chemicals in our brains attract us to new stimuli,” the authors explain, “[This kind of attention process] is great for survival, but it makes it very hard to focus.”

The solution? Become “focus wise.” That means use tools and personal boundaries to limit distractions during the day. Their four steps are:

Preserve energy: Are there easy processes that you can plan for at the end of the day that can help you save energy to focus on important tasks? Change your environment: Is your environment conducive to getting stuff done? “Email cedes control of your day to others,” the authors write as an example. “The calendar restores you as the master of it.” Emotion drives attention: If you think that you can silo the emotional realities of life from work, think again. Past experiences shape focus: The authors do a particularly good job explaining this one: “Whenever we learn or experience something new, a neural connection is formed. The more you do a task, the more your brain remembers how to do it again. That’s autopilot in a nutshell.” The problem is when “autopilot” goes astray.

While the book can get technical, Steinhorst and McKee are careful to highlight takeaways and use real-world examples to keep their readers entertained. They also include links to reflection questions, chapter explanations in video form, and “next steps” between each section on their website, Focus Wise.

The book is incredibly well written and I strongly suggest it. My sole hesitation is with their theory itself: While I learned a bunch about the science behind giving something your undivided attention, nothing in particular stuck out as an “aha!” moment. Then again, I read a lot of productivity books, so it will likely hold new takeaways for a majority of its readers. If you liked“Willpower,” pick up this book. You’ll enjoy it.

Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain

Note: This book doesn’t have any reviews yet as it will be released October 3.

My review: 4.8/5

It’s no secret that some super successful people have ADHD; just look at Justin Timberlake, Will Smith, and Emma Watson. Unfortunately, many people with ADHD aren’t as lucky as those celebrities, handicapped by their inability to sit still in their first job: the classroom.

So what differentiates those high achievers from those who struggle with their ADHD? Can ADHD really be used to gain productivity in and of itself? Peter Shankman, founder of Help A Reporter Out (HARO), CEO of ShankMinds, NYU professor, author of this book and, yes, a man with ADHD, believes so.

Shankman doesn’t underestimate the problems with ADHD, writing that “managing ADHD is a lifelong undertaking.”

But the negativity stops there—he goes on to explain why ADHD brains are simply better than “normal” brains because they tend to be more creative and have the capacity for better hyper focus.

Transitioning from praising ADHD, Shankman writes, “The benefits of ADHD has a cost. They’re not free. Want to enjoy your faster-than-normal brain? You’ve got to pay for it, and that payment comes in the form of following some rules.”

He outlines his four rules for success, and then elaborates how to execute effectively both with behavioral changes and project management tools.

Faster Than Normal was definitely written with ADHD in mind. Consider this chapter transition:

Still with me? Put this book down and exercise for a little bit. You’re four chapters in, about 35,000 words or so. Hope you’re finding value in it, and I hope you’re having a blast reading it. Most importantly, I hope this book is helping you realize you’re not crazy, you’re not disabled. Quite the opposite. You’re awesome.

The overall tone is casual—enjoyable—and would seem out of place with other academic literature.

There are instances where Shankman stumbles, writing things like, “I can’t prove this via science, primarily because I’m not a scientist, but I’m betting that somewhere out there, there’s a neuroscientist who can.”

If you’re okay with humble “I don’t knows,” then you’ll probably enjoy this book, especially if you yourself have ADHD and want to take advantage of your supercharged mind.

Conflict Without Casualties: A Field Guide for Leading With Compassionate Accountability

Amazon score: 4.7/5 (20+ reviews)

Notable quote from a reviewer: Great framework to view conflict. A great investment for me. My relationship with my work staff and patients will benefit.

My review: 4.9/5

“Conflict Without Casualties” fuses productivity and psychology in a book about “compassionate accountability.”

The author, Nate Regier, argues that there can really only be two responses to conflict:

Drama : The result of conflict that gets mismanaged. Energy gets tied up into self preservation and justification. Regier points out that “the word compassion originates from the Latin root meaning “co-suffering.”

: The result of conflict that gets mismanaged. Energy gets tied up into self preservation and justification. Regier points out that “the word compassion originates from the Latin root meaning “co-suffering.” Compassion: When the following three messages are prioritized, amazing things happen: “you (and I) are worthwhile,” “you (and I) are capable,” and “you (and I) are accountable.”

From those two pillars, Regier explores what leads to drama and compassion, and how to effectively encourage compassionate accountability—or making yourself liable while also saving personal dignity—both at work and at home.

This book is one you shouldn’t judge from its academic-like cover and premise—it was a joy to read, full of narratives about Regier’s personal life, his business (albeit mentioned too often) and other, more well-known case studies. It doesn’t shy from the science of interpersonal behavior, but it does explain the most recent research in accessible language. That said, some readers have still found it to be too clinical. Personally, I prefer Regier’s direct language, but there were also sections where my eyes drooped at the science of it all. For psych nerds, this book was made for you, but be ready for a dense, albeit illuminating, practical, actionable read.

How to Work With and Lead People Not Like You: Practical Solutions for Today’s Diverse Workplace

Amazon score: 4.9/5 (20+ reviews)

Notable quote from a reviewer: Kelly continues to use a very conversational style which makes it easy to understand her points. I believe the best part of the content is not only sharing her own knowledge and background but also tapping into the experience and expertise of others with her use of many real-world examples – providing case studies of real companies in real situations. Things that have worked. And best of all, WHY they worked. We can all learn from this!

My review: 5/5

Kelly McDonald tackles the tough question of “diversity fatigue”—or the inclination to feel overburdened with the constant requests to cater to diverse needs, norms, and expectations—and how businesses should handle the transforming workplace.

Today’s workforce is made up of people who come from different backgrounds, different places, different skills, are of different generations… even our approach to work can be different from one another. All of this can seem foreign to you because it is. …it’s no surprise that you may feel uncomfortable.

Starting with the acknowledgement that because diversity can be challenging and that the office can have a zero-tolerance policy for expressing that uneasiness, real change can’t come through. Instead, cliques form, and businesses end up only hiring people already like them.

The magic—and yes, I do mean “magic;” this book is that good—of McDonald’s book is that she balances unanswered questions (“How do we talk about real differences in people and groups that create conflict…”) with nuance (“…without stereotyping or offending?”). The book offers productive exercises to help build team trust, and hence boost a business’s overall output and productivity.

Because McDonald smartly tackles most objections to diversity first, uses plenty of outside sources and examples, and writes in an accessible way, she’s earned the second-highest spot on this list. I recommend her work to everyone—from business leaders to interns.

The Project Rots From the Head: How Senior Managers Can Stop Projects From Failing, Forever

Amazon score: 4.8/5

Notable quote from a reviewer: Each chapter is a bite sized treasure chest of insights, tips and anecdotes to help project leaders make projects a more enjoyable and rewarding experience for all project stakeholders. Colin has a writing style that is very entertaining, easy to read and full of personality. He manages to cover a very broad range of topics succinctly and in a way that is both thought and action provoking.

My review: 5/5

Colin Ellis is someone I’ve been following for some time—he’s both a project manager and leadership expert. I expect him to become a household name like Simon Sinek and Peter Walsh within the next few years. His most recent book, “The Project Rots From the Head,” is unsurprisingly of the same caliber of the rest of his work: accessible, enjoyable, actionable, and well worth your time.

Focused on team productivity, Ellis puts his experience as a project manager to work to broadly advise business leaders on the more qualitative side of project management: emotional intelligence, active sponsorship, and end-to-end engagement. Those three tenets of project management are far easier to preach than execute, but Ellis provides actionable tips to get you started—project manager or not.

One of the standout features of this book is in Ellis’s choices in citation and examples; he’s good about only using recent examples to account for the complexity of the modern work environment.

And while Ellis frequently cites project management material, he is careful to note project management’s limitations. “If culture is king,” Ellis writes, “What guidance do the project management textbooks give project sponsors and managers?

Very little, is the answer. With the exception of some very formal advice from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK), culture—and the advice on how to create one—is missing. Ellis’s book fills that space.

For any business hoping to engage their employees while executing on long, complicated projects, definitely take the time to read through Ellis’s “The Project Rots From the Head.”

Have you checked any of these books out? Do you plan to?

This project was both fun and challenging; there were many more books that simply didn’t make the cut for this article. I’d love to hear what books you’re reading and if you’re planning on checking out any of these. Remember, you can download my scorecard here.

Plenty of other new productivity books have come out in 2017, and many more will continue to be released in 2018, 2019, and beyond. Let me know what you’re reading in the comments below!

Wondering what to read next?

Check out: