What we’re about
Let’s face it, navigating our careers can be confusing and challenging. Schools rarely equip us with skills such as choosing career paths, effective communication, negotiation, or leadership -- unless, of course, you pursue an expensive MBA degree.
The good news is that valuable books and online resources on growth and management are readily available. However, tackling these materials can be daunting without external encouragement and support. This is why the Dupont Book Club for Learning & Growth exists:
The mission of the book club is to build a community of learners dedicated to enhancing career skills and sharing experiences.
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The Dupont Book Club for Learning & Growth meets bi-monthly, primarily on the first and third Sundays of each month. We host two types of events:
- Book Discussion Event: On the first Sunday of the month, we discuss a book related to growth, management, biography, organizational behavior, and behavioral economics.
- Ted-talk Discussion Event: On the third Sunday of every month, we discuss a ted-talk video related to these topics (5 to 30 minutes long).
- Event details, including book or TED talk links and guided questions, will be posted at least a month in advance to allow ample time for preparation.
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To ensure a positive experience for all participants, we have three ground rules for book discussion events:
- Step up and step back: If you've been talking a lot, step back and listen; if you've been quiet, step up and share your perspective or ask questions.
- Listen to understand, not to respond.
- Show respect for others and embrace diverse viewpoints.
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Here is the list of books that we will likely read in the upcoming year (subject to change):
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Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58438618-glucose-revolution) -
Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57841644 -
I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35522033-i-hear-you -
The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/40275161 -
The Effective Manager
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/120790814-the-effective-manager -
How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61327449-how-big-things-get-done -
Customer Centricity: Focus on the Right Customers for Strategic Advantage
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13595052-customer-centricity -
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10127019-the-lean-startup -
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46256558-the-ride-of-a-lifetime -
The Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator, Silicon Valley's Most Exclusive School for Startups
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13588434-the-launch-pad -
Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26530355-misbehaving -
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/35631386 -
Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48549702-upstream)
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Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53915346-backable)
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Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55539565-think-again)
If you have a book / ted-talk video in mind that you’d like to discuss or host, feel free to message me. Here is a great book list to choose from:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/10571.The_100_Best_Business_Books_of_All_Time
Notes: This book club will always be free and will never accept any fundraising, sponsorship, or advertising. The only request is that, because we will usually meet at a local coffee shop, it will be great if participants can order some drinks or meal items during events.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Ted Talk Discussion: Atomic HabitsLe Pain Quotidien, Washington, DC
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
Let's discuss this 24 min YouTube video by James Clear:
https://youtu.be/mNeXuCYiE0U?si=iy2J_Ba_qSicHNk7The talk is based on his book, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40121378-atomic-habitsNote: Please watch the YouTube video prior to the discussion. There is no requirement to read the book though if you find the book interesting, feel free to read it on your own time.
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To provide an enjoyable experience for fellow participants, here are three ground rules during discussion events:- Step up and step back. (If you feel that you’ve been talking too much, step back to listen more. If you feel that you’ve been relatively quiet, step up to share your perspective or ask a question)
- Listen to understand, not to respond.
- Be open-minded and value differences.
-----------------------------------
note:
- This book club will always be free and will never accept fundraising, sponsorships, or advertising. The only request is that, because we will usually meet at a local coffee shop, it will be great if participants can order some drinks or meal items during events.
- Book Discussion: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleLe Pain Quotidien, Washington, DC
When Stephen Covey first released The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the book became an instant rage because people suddenly got up and took notice that their lives were headed off in the wrong direction; and more than that, they realized that there were so many simple things they could do in order to navigate their life correctly. This book was wonderful education for people, education in how to live life effectively and get closer to the ideal of being a ‘success’ in life.
Here is the link to the free e-copy book in pdf format:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pjx0J--aTXcIkS7L27pbMPG10deoGhHR/view?usp=sharingHere is the link to the Goodreads page of the book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36072.The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People------------------------------------
To provide an enjoyable experience for fellow participants, here are three ground rules during book discussion events:
- Step up and step back. (If you feel that you’ve been talking too much, step back to listen more. If you feel that you’ve been relatively quiet, step up to share your perspective or ask a question)
- Listen to understand, not to respond.
- Be open-minded and value differences.
-----------------------------------
note:
- This book club will always be free and will never accept fundraising, sponsorships, or advertising. The only request is that, because we will usually meet at a local coffee shop, it will be great if participants can order some drinks or meal items during events.
- Ted Talk Discussion: The surprising habits of original thinkersLe Pain Quotidien, Washington, DC
How do creative people come up with great ideas? Organizational psychologist Adam Grant studies "originals": thinkers who dream up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. In this talk, learn three unexpected habits of originals — including embracing failure. "The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they're the ones who try the most," Grant says. "You need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a few good ones."
Let's discuss this 15 min YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/fxbCHn6gE3U?si=cS9nq4tHzbbO0NHWThe talk is based on his book, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25614523-originalsNote: Please watch the YouTube video prior to the discussion. There is no requirement to read the book though if you find the book interesting, feel free to read it on your own time.
-----------------------------------
To provide an enjoyable experience for fellow participants, here are three ground rules during discussion events:- Step up and step back. (If you feel that you’ve been talking too much, step back to listen more. If you feel that you’ve been relatively quiet, step up to share your perspective or ask a question)
- Listen to understand, not to respond.
- Be open-minded and value differences.
-----------------------------------
note:
- This book club will always be free and will never accept fundraising, sponsorships, or advertising. The only request is that, because we will usually meet at a local coffee shop, it will be great if participants can order some drinks or meal items during events.
- Book Discussion: Tangled Up in Blue: Policing the American CityLe Pain Quotidien, Washington, DC
Journalist and law professor Rosa Brooks goes beyond the blue wall of silence in this radical inside examination of American policing
In her forties, with two children, a spouse, a dog, a mortgage, and a full-time job as a tenured law professor at Georgetown University, Rosa Brooks decided to become a cop. A liberal academic and journalist with an enduring interest in law's troubled relationship with violence, Brooks wanted the kind of insider experience that would help her understand how police officers make sense of their world--and whether that world can be changed. In 2015, against the advice of everyone she knew, she applied to become a sworn, armed reserve police officer with the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department.
In Tangled Up in Blue, Brooks recounts her experiences inside the usually closed world of policing. From street shootings and domestic violence calls to the behind-the-scenes police work during Donald Trump's 2016 presidential inauguration, Brooks presents a revelatory account of what it's like inside the blue wall of silence. She issues an urgent call for new laws and institutions, and argues that in a nation increasingly divided by race, class, ethnicity, geography, and ideology, a truly transformative approach to policing requires us to move beyond sound bites, slogans, and stereotypes. An explosive and groundbreaking investigation, Tangled Up in Blue complicates matters rather than simplifies them, and gives pause both to those who think police can do no wrong--and those who think they can do no right.
Here is the link to the free e-copy book in pdf format:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X3VJopbmF73qNil71tgpFIAGJrNFS8Rq/view?usp=sharingHere is the link to the Goodreads page of the book:
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/53732819------------------------------------
To provide an enjoyable experience for fellow participants, here are three ground rules during book discussion events:
- Step up and step back. (If you feel that you’ve been talking too much, step back to listen more. If you feel that you’ve been relatively quiet, step up to share your perspective or ask a question)
- Listen to understand, not to respond.
- Be open-minded and value differences.
-----------------------------------
note:
- This book club will always be free and will never accept fundraising, sponsorships, or advertising. The only request is that, because we will usually meet at a local coffee shop, it will be great if participants can order some drinks or meal items during events.
