Communications Room Podcast Special: The Power of Reading in Shaping Communication and Broadening Perspective

In this special edition, hosts Mark Derbacher and Hartmut Hübner delve into the profound impact of reading on communication, moderation, and personal development. They explore the significance of reading across genres and disciplines, highlighting how it fosters learning, self-reflection, and a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives. Through their personal reading journeys, Mark and Hartmut inspire listeners to embrace reading as a tool for personal and professional growth, offering insights into why reading is crucial for anyone interested in enriching their communication skills and broadening their worldview. They recommend a diverse range of books that have influenced them in 2023 to start or continue this enriching journey.

Main Points Discussed:

• The Importance of Reading: Mark emphasizes reading's role in learning about oneself, human psychology, and behavior, especially through novels which offer insights into different cultures, religions, and genders. He discusses how reading aids in understanding what drives people, combining knowledge of human psychology with organizational principles for a real impact.
• A Dialogue with Self: Reading is seen as a means to engage in a dialogue with oneself, challenging personal biases and broadening one's horizon. Both hosts advocate for a wide reading range, from graphic novels and scientific books to historical narratives, to cultivate a broad perspective.
• Academic and Business Literature: Hartmut shares his journey through academic literature and business books, highlighting their value in providing new impulses on communication's impact and evolving nature.
• Perspective-Taking, Focus and Reflection: Reading introduces diverse perspectives, facilitating ongoing reflection and a better understanding of human commonality across cultures. Reading longer books requires attention and discipline, helping to develop focus and in-depth understanding of topics in an era of distraction. It fosters the ability to take on other perspectives, which is crucial for effective communication and dialogue. 
• Ethics and Respect in Communication: The hosts reflect on how reading recalibrates one's ethical compass, underlining respect and understanding as foundational for constructive dialogue.
• Recommendations and Insights: The episode is rich with book recommendations, spanning genres from novels and graphic novels to scientific literature, each chosen for its potential to enrich understanding and spark dialogue. See list below.

In conclusion, this episode of the Communications Room Podcast underscores reading's indispensable role in fostering effective communication, critical thinking, and empathy as important prerequisites for personal and professional success. 

Recommendations
Novels 
Noviolet Bulawayo:Glory
Tess Gunty:The Rabbit Hutch
Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall; Bring up the Bodies; The Mirror and the Light
Antony McCarten: Going Zero
Maria Popova: Findings
Mohamed Mbougar Sarr: Die geheimste Erinnerung der Menschen
Clemens J. Setz: Monde vor der Landung
Zadie Smith: The Fraud
Art Spiegelman: Maus. A Survivor's Tale I+II
Vladimir Sorokin: The Day of the Oprichnik

Non-fiction/scientific books
Steven Bartlett: The Diary of a CEO
Ulrich Fichtner: Geboren für die großen Chancen
Cristina Grubendorfer/Christina Ackermann: The Real Book of Work
Hubert Joly: The Heart of Business
Jan Lies: Wirtschaft als Kommunikation - Kommunikation als Wirtschaft: Call-out-Ökonomie, Makromarketing und Kommunikationsökonomie aus Sicht der Systemtheorie
Katharina Zweig: Die KI war's! Von absurd bis tödlich: Die Tücken der künstlichen Intelligenz