During our summer break, we take often time to pick up reading again. Whether it is a novel, an interesting biography or scientific literature, a book can give you the ultimate relaxed state of mind.

To help you in your choice for your reading list during this summer, we asked a couple of our faculty staff what they read during their holiday. Which book will they read and why? Read all about their reading list!

Professor Simon de Jong
Lecturer in a variety of Organisational Behaviour and HRM courses

Which book will you read during your holiday?
I am still finishing the ‘Sapiens’ by Yuval Noah Harari. Nevertheless, if I can make another suggestion, also read the book ‘The Craftsman’ of Richard Sennett.

Why this book?
This is a good question. Yuval Noah Harari’s book is a famous book about the history of the human being and it is also quite a famous book. I am teaching a variety of HRM and Organisational Psychology courses and therefore, I am very curious about what the connection is between this book and my field of expertise. Let say, it is an intrinsic motivation.

Professor Rudolf Müller
Coordinator of the Digital Business track and teaches modules on digitisation

Which book will you read during your holiday?
I am reading “The Eight Mountains” by Paolo Cognetti (original Le otto montagne).

Why this book?
The book is a gift from my children (11 and 13). It’s the second time that they went to the bookstore, looked at the books, and based on reading the summary decide whether the book matches my taste. I am only on page 45, and they got it right again. The book is about a relationship between a father and a son.

Which other book do you advise our MBA students to read?
I have been reading various books by Amin Maalouf, lately ‘Les Desorientés’, in Dutch ‘De ontheemden’, which can all be recommended. Maalouf emigrated from Libanon in 1976 andhas lived  in France since then. The first book that I read by him was ‘Le rocher de Tanios’, in Dutch ‘De rots van Tanios’. His books tell sensitive, charming, and sometimes sad stories about family life and friendship in a region where the interplay of different religions, cultures and political interests determine the circumstances of daily life.

MBA captain Dr. Boris Blumberg
If you do not know my role, you should stay ashore

Which book will you read during your holiday and why?
I will study (not just read) a comic ‘The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye’ by Sonny Liew because I want to know more about:

• About Asian history and Asian mindsets
• I want to learn how to express complex thoughts through short sentences and drawings
• I want to see what I cannot understand.

Which other book do you advise our MBA students to read?
Read a classic classic and a modern classic: ‘Utopia’ by Platon and ‘Atlas Shrugged’ by Ayn Rand. Read the two books simultaneously and experience the tensions it creates.

Professor Peter Berends
Coach Leadership Development Trajectory, lecturer in Authentic Leadership skills and coordinator Leading Strategic Change Module

Which book will you read during your holiday?
I am reading the following books: ‘Die Mitte fühlt sich leicht an’ by Bert Hellinger and ‘Perlen der Aufstellungsarbeit’ edited by Marion Lockert, two books on systemic constellation work, filled with great exercises, practices, and insights.

Why this book?
I read them for inspiration for coaching interventions, possible group assignments and for my own development.

Which other book do you advise our MBA students to read?
Two books that I recently read and found interesting for our MBA students are: ‘The courage to be disliked’ by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, and ‘Factfulness’ by Hans Rosling et al. The last book is how the evolution of our brain tends to misjudge global trends.