A busy year is coming to an end: British and EU policy continued to be dominated by Brexit, with the EU welcoming a new parliament following elections that marked a further shift to the right, but for the first time we see women at the helm at both the ECB and at the European Commission. Donald Trump keeps up his seesaw stance in the trade war with China while being impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of the U.S. Congress. The Amazon is on fire and protesters take to the streets to demand action to prevent further global warming or for democratic rule in Hong Kong, Algeria, Sudan and other countries.
With so much going, it can be hard to find the time to read a proper book. If you fancy something other than a novel, we bring you our selection of great reads from 2019 you can enjoy in 2020 with a focus on our core topics from business and finance, to legal and compliance and technology.
“Security, Privacy, and Digital Forensics in the Cloud” by Lei Chen, Hassan Takabi, and Nhien-An Le-Khac
What is about?
Leading international researchers, and professionals active in the field of information & network security, digital & computer forensics, the cloud and big data come together to explain you all aspects of exactly that in a unique, systematic way.
Who should read it:
Anyone focused upon security and implementation or incident management. And of course, anyone who wants to understand why in times of increasing cyber threat, this subject is so important. The book is published by Wiley and you can buy it here or at your favourite book shop.
“Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” by David Epstein
What is about?
Opposed to our previous generations we change jobs (and sometimes entire careers) more frequently, especially in times of technological change driven by Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Digitalisation et al. This clashes with the old conviction that in order to excel in something you need to start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you’ll never catch up to the people who got a head start. Starting on this basis, David Epstein examined the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields generalists, not specialists, are primed to outrival competition.
Who should read it:
You would think mid-age professionals that contemplate their career options as they are driven out by technology and younger competitors, but it is actually a great read for parents, business leaders and people of all ages looking for a fulfilling career.
It’s published by Riverhead Books and to buy it, check out their website, your favourite book shop or look here.
“Artificial Intelligence in Practice – How 50 Companies Used AI And Machine Learning To Solve Problems” by Bernard Marr
What is about?
Talking about Artificial Intelligence and how it changes the world we live in:
Artificial Intelligence in Practice examines 50 use cases of companies that are applying AI to solve industry specific problems. It is full of interesting insights how AI is used in real life as opposed to the more theoretical discussions focusing on its potential.
Who should read it:
Anyone. AI might be the technology that changes almost every aspect of our lives, but most conversations are still focused an stories of human hunting terminators without a proper understanding how AI is already applied in our world and where this might lead to.
Focused upon security and implementation or incident management. And of course, anyone who wants to understand why in times of increasing cyber threat, this subject is so important. Published by Wiley, you can buy the book here or at your favourite book shop.
“Legal Data for Banking: Business Optimisation and Regulatory Compliance” by Akber Datoo.
What is about?
At the heart of the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 was poor risk data management, and the regulators’ unawareness of accumulated systemic risk stemming from contractual obligations. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts financial institutions continue to repeat the same mistakes. This book explains that today’s banks must be proactive in legal data management; this book provides the critical knowledge practitioners need to put the necessary systems and practices in place.
Who should read it:
A lot of people at any given financial institution: Risk Managers, Legal Counsel; Compliance Officers or Senior Management. If you’re interested in avoiding another potential meltdown and making your firm a sounder institution, this is pretty useful and you can actually read more about in a recent interview we did with the author about the tools for an increasingly complex world. The book is published by Wiley and you can buy it here or your favourite book shop.
“Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe” by Roger McNamee
What is about?
Ok, this is a little controversial as it presents one side (of possibly many) of the story, but following a serious of scandals at Facebook and the debate intensifying, it provides for interesting insights into the workings of one of the world’s biggest tech giants and its role in important developments of our time.
Who should read it:
Anyone who wants to take a look behind the curtain of Facebook and interested in how Silicon Valley works. Published by Penguin Press, you can buy it here or at your favourite book shop.
Storytelling With Data – Let’s practice” by Cole Nussbaumer Knafflic
What is about?
Data is the new oil but to make it a truly powerful tool, it needs to be structured and – even more importantly – used properly. For storytelling, data can be invaluable, but only if visualized and communicated effectively. This book is the practical companion to Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic’s initial work that set out the fundamentals of data visualization in the form of an immersive learning experience.
Who should read it:
Do you use presentations at work? Do you need to explain your challenges and results using data in any shape or form? This book is a great way to learn how to employ data, graphs and visualizations to get the message across to any audience. It’s published by Wiley and you can buy it here or at your favourite book shop.
“Operational Risk Management: Best Practices in the Financial Services Industry” by Ariane Chapelle
What is about?
The Authoritative Guide to the Best Practices in Operational Risk Management. Everything about the current methods and best practices applied in financial companies plus advanced tools and techniques developed by the most mature firms in the field of OpRisk.
Who should read it:
If you work in a financial institution and your work has anything to do with operational risk or you would like to know how operational risk affects your area, this is the go-to-guide. And it might also be rather useful to decision makers and senior managers who desperately ought to know more about this often neglected field. The book was published by Wiley and you can buy it here or at your favourite book shop.
“The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution” by Gregory Zuckerman
What is about?
Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, it tells the story of Jim Simons, possibly the best investor of recent times who Jim Simons used applied a data-driven, algorithmic approach to create the greatest money-making machine in Wall Street history.
Who should read it:
Obviously, it’s a must read for traders, but also for anyone with an interest in modern financial markets and how they work. Published by Portfolio, you can buy it here or, of course, at your favourite book shop.