Dawn Register recommends
Dawn is a Partner and Head of Tax Dispute Resolution at BDO. Dawn leads BDO’s National Tax Dispute Resolution team which includes dealing with the full range of tax support for private clients, small businesses through to large multinational corporates.
Read on to find out which six books Dawn recommends, and why…
I enjoy reading on my commute to switch off and decompress after a busy day. I also enjoy reading on holiday and the occasional long train journey. I particularly enjoy non-fiction books as you can tell from my selection of books. My interest outside of tax work include economics, politics, cooking and caring for the environment. I think the selection below reflects this eclectic mind…Happy reading!
Grit
Angela Duckworth
Although this is an old business book. I go back to it time and time again for motivation and regularly recommend it to anyone in business asking for mentoring. Duckworth is a psychologist and focuses on what we need to succeed at anything in life, not only business. She focuses on concepts covering passion, resilience and hard work. There is a noticeable shift away from the notion of natural talent or luck. I particularly enjoy the practical examples, and find the back up, and notes helpful in my everyday routine.
Unlike some academic psychology books, I find that this author writes in an accessible and interesting style that is directly applicable to personal and business life. I go back to it time and time again when I am faced with a new challenge or need a reminder on the basics. As my children reach the teenage years, I will be re-reading chapter 10 “parenting for grit”… maybe I will cross my fingers too!
Drawn to The Garden
Caroline Quentin
Okay this is a bit of a cheat book as it has pictures and recipes. However, it is sheer indulgence for me as I am huge fan of Caroline‘s comedy and when I found out she also loves pottering around in the garden and growing her own fruit and vegetables, I knew she must be a soulmate. This book is a beautiful canter through an English garden with all the seeds, herbs, fresh fruit and flowers you can imagine. So vivid you could almost smell them on the page. I particularly like the whole chapter dedicated to our insect and fluffy friends in the garden. Writing this in springtime and reading this was a total joy. Also, in a world now focused on caring for our environment, this book gives you fantastic ideas for a healthy garden and a kitchen using all seasonal produce.
Mythos
Stephen Fry
A wonderful retelling of the Greek gods and goddesses for the current times. I was not so familiar with these extraordinary myths but this book brings them to life in a captivating way. It is a wonderful reminder of history of love, arguments and desires. From Athena and Zeus to Pandora. It is fun to read and left me feeling both relaxed and enthusiastic to discover more. Once you are in, you will not put it down. Joyful escapism. However, of course most of the myths are relevant to our troubled world and can be interpreted for their deeper meaning too.
Follow The Money
Paul Johnson
Okay, this is the ‘tax geek’ in me bubbling to the surface! Also, if you are interested in politics and public finances, this is a book brimming with data and information. For me, I am always a fan of Paul Johnson’s budget commentary and so it was a natural purchase in the bookshop. It manages to hold your attention and not be dull at all. There are many interesting facts and myths misspelled. A relatively easy read if you want to understand how the UK economy raises and spends £1 trillion every year. In a year of so much political change around the world, I do think this is a great 2024 read. It was both education and pleasure at the same time.
Real Cooking
Nigel Slater
This is ‘an oldie but a goodie’ on my permanent bookshelf for weekend reference and comfort. Also whenever I am asked to recommend one cookbook, particularly to people who either are nervous to get started, or want straightforward recipes this is the book I suggest. It is simple cooking for people who enjoy great food and want to cook it themselves. Nothing fancy or ‘cheffy’ here. Having grown up in the rich farmland of East Anglia surrounded by allotments and farm shops, this goes back to seasonal cooking of fruit and vegetables. Nigel Slater is brilliant at using seasonal produce to create meals that are both simple and tasty. In a complicated world, I find real pleasure in this book and the tips and learning it brings to you at home. He also usually has a glass of red wine on the go while cooking… which is not a bad tip either!
Give and Take
Adam Grant
For all you people who are interested in human psychology plus you enjoy TEDTalks and/or LinkedIn, I would suggest reading this book and following Adam Grant on LinkedIn. For organisational psychology he is fantastic. This is one of his older books, it is a great introduction and an ‘easy to read’ book to demystify lots of business jargon and concepts. It was for me one of the clearest explanations and practical examples of what we often call ‘business development’ and ‘building a network’. Grant looks at business collaboration and reciprocity, all of which can seem alien as a starter in business. However, this book is a great help to understand what this means and how to achieve success in practice. It also has plenty of support from the academic study and theory he uses in the book.