Ask HN: What non-technical books helped you career the most? - ivanmushketyk
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muzani
The 33 Strategies of War, Robert Greene. It's mostly non-obvious ways to
handle conflict.

It's pretty easy to keep grinding more skill and effort. But it can be
terrifying to deal with conflict, aggressive people, manipulative clients,
competitors, and it can really discourage you along your career. Most people
end up avoiding those things and running or hiding from problems. Trying to
bring it up with management can often end up with you getting outmanoeuvred.

The book is great because it covers ways to disable threats. Most people are
inept in conflict - they just dump more energy at it until they win or run out
of energy. The book teaches techniques like counter-attacking, using your
opponent's aggression against them, when to be more aggressive, when to be
diplomatic, when to retreat, when to hesitate. How to drag an opponent into a
long drawn conflict and kill them with attrition. Or how to intimidate them by
making them feel trapped. The goal is to resolve and end conflicts quickly,
maybe even turn an opponent to your side.

Like martial arts, it would be best to not have to use it. But I've had to
several times, especially as an entrepreneur. It's also one of those things
that give you enough confidence to handle certain obstacles, opening more
doors and more choices that way.

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malicebird
Cal Newport's Deep Work and So Good They Can't Ignore You shaped my thinking
in determining priorities. Finding the resources/time/mgt buy-in to work on
those can be a challenge.

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gshdg
Crucial Conversations

