I have to declare an interest in this book upfront: the author is a colleague of mine. I’ll leave it for you to decide whether this strengthens or weakens the review you’re about to read!

Wilson’s second book focusses on a topic that is clearly a passion for him: how can we all unite to make the world a better place to be? This may sound rather esoteric, but the thesis is grounded in a number of pretty straightforward and sincere approaches that are quickly developed in the book. For example, Wilson introduces the book with an assertion that all of his audiences – whether they be young or old, professional or blue-collar and European, American or of another culture – have arrived at the same conclusions about how they see the future of the world. And these conclusions are remarkably similar to those of the United Nations with their sustainable development goals (see more about the SDG here - www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org).

Let’s be clear: the author is a Successful Guy. Harvard MBA, serial entrepreneur and start-up investor; and, winning author and HBR contributor. I just want you to know this, in case you do not get around to reading the book: Anthony – or, Tony, as he refers to himself – would want you know this.

Now that I’ve got that out of the way, let me reassure you that my tongue-in-cheek, ironic opening to this review should not put you off browsing this thought-provoking paperback. It is readable, has a flow, combines assertion with example and provides regular reinforcement from eminent supporting sources. Tjan asserts on the book’s cover that the only leadership decision that really matters is good people; something which is hard to disagree with. It charts the lessons learned by Tjan during his 22-odd years in business, with almost 100 interviews conducted to dig deeper into what ‘good people’ constitutes and how goodness can be defined, identified and developed.

The first thing immediately apparent about this book is that it is in fact two books; confusing, huh?! The mother-daughter authoring duo has given us a 700-page bonanza packed full of insight, information and intention. Essentially, both books are about the neuroscience and nature of gender bias in business – one focusses single-mindedly on this whilst the other looks at the survival and thriving strategies that both men and women can employ to create a more fulfilling career for themselves.

Lenhardt’s book, translated from his native French by Guy Bullen, is an intense and involving read which requires time and commitment from the reader. I suggest that, although the author commends his work both to “seasoned coaches and those starting on the coaching journey”, this is not for those without a strong desire to delve deeply into the art and science of the subject.

Okay: so this is a serious and challenging book. You need to know that right from the start. Written by UCLA Professor, Lieberman, who heads the social cognitive neuroscience laboratory, it is a journey into the exploration of our social-cognitive processes. His premise is that some parts of our social mind can be traced back to the earliest mammals whereas other parts have evolved fairly recently and may be a fundamental part of what makes humans distinct from other species. It is replete with the results of experiments conducted by the author, his colleagues and many others in the neuroscience, psychology and sociology world; and, it charts the rich use of technology and neuroscience to nourish our understanding of ourselves and others.