Editor's note:

In a way, books are like mirrors. What we read helps us understand who we are. At GlobalAtlanta, we know our readers reflect an interest in Atlanta's role in the global economy, but we also know that no one - especially among those who brave the world of international business - is one-dimensional.


For our upcoming year-end report and to help launch the new Bookshelf section of our website, we invited a cross-section of readers and newsmakers to reveal their favorite reads of 2010.

The responses from diplomats, educators and executives gave us a glimpse of the diverse influences and interests that make our readers tick.

Some were expected, like the cross-cultural trainers who consulted books to deepen their understanding of the countries in which they work. Others - like the German CEO who enjoyed a novel of romance and nostalgia - reminded us that business, at its core, is about people's hopes and dreams.

We asked respondents to name their favorite book this year and explain why they chose it, how it changed them and whether they would recommend it to our other readers. We believe their responses provide insight and inspiration for both work and life.

The titles highlighted in this two-part series will also be listed in the Reader Picks section of the new GlobalAtlanta Bookshelf. Click here to view Part 2.

Pascal Le Deunff - French Consul General in Atlanta

Since I adore biographies and historic novels, I particularly enjoyed reading in 2010 "Marie Stuart" written by Stefan Zweig.

Queen of Scotland in 1542, when she was 6 days old, Marie Stuart became Queen of France at 17 years old, when she married Francois II. After the death of the latter, in 1560, she returned to Scotland and was caught in the middle of the religious war between Catholics and Protestants. Marie Stuart took refuge at her rival's, Elisabeth I, the Queen of England, who retained her for 20 years before sentencing her to death.

Marie Stuart's courage is very well highlighted by Stefan Zweig. What is also fascinating in this book is the description of the religious war of that time. This war really structured the political life of every country in Europe and the international relations as well. The book clearly illustrates the fact that at any given period of our history, some religious or ideological beliefs limit our individual freedom. What is it today? Is it still a war between religions?

This book is very well written. I highly recommend it to the readers of GlobalAtlanta.

C.N. (Madhu) Madhusudan - CEO, Vector Span

"What Got You Here Won't Get You There" by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith

I listened to Goldsmith at the annual TiE retreat. It was a great treat to hear the author and fellow TiE Charter Member.

Goldsmith's observation is that people in power are vulnerable as they are "fed" by people around them what people think they would like to hear. CEOs have to work extra hard to solicit real feedback, listen, praise and hold the urge to add "value."

Successful people develop bad habits and beliefs about their success that aren't necessarily true. Recognizing this trouble with success and identifying personal destructive habits are the first steps in a personal transformation. When you are 95 and getting ready to leave the world, what is it about you that you would have changed or done differently if you had another chance? Seize the day; implement the change.

Vicki Flier Hudson - Founder and Principal, Highroad Global Services

"The Elephant, The Tiger, and The Cellphone: Reflections on India - the Emerging 21st-Century Power" by Shashi Tharoor

My colleague gave this to me as a gift because my business focuses on building successful teams between the West and India. From the first page, I found the writing profound and I learned something new from every essay. I wanted to get some new perspectives on India's diversity that I could share with my clients. I wanted to dig a little deeper into the nuances of Indian politics, religion, and language. And I wanted to be surprised. I got all of that and more from this book.

In 1998 I traveled to India for the first time. Many of my travels were by local train and bus, and I took three months to get across North India. I stayed in hotels that cost between $1 and $3 per day, and I loved every minute of it.

As my business has grown more successful I return to India now in much more comfort, and while that has an upside, I sometimes long for the young adventurer from my early 20s. I still feel her call and I miss the rough conditions of my former journeys. That discomfort represented exploration and excitement.

So, as I often do, I turned to India for the "answer." In this book, "The Elephant, The Tiger, and the Cellphone," Tharoor writes, "The notion of Indian-ness as something sanctified by a prescribed list of acceptable attributes is not just highly contestable, it is positively un-Indian."

Tharoor believes, and I agree with him, that rejecting aspects of culture, religion, and even sports that do not fit the picture of "authentic India" goes against India's most authentic trait: its pluralism.

Is the same not true of ourselves? Though being authentic is a key part of any work we do or life we lead, that authenticity itself is not static. Nowadays, I go to India as a consultant to deliver initiatives which build a strong partnership between my clients' Indian and American counterparts. Though the young adventurer still calls, I answer that although we will likely not be staying in $2-a-night hotels, we will be building bridges between West and East - and in the end, which one is really the grander adventure?

I would highly recommend this book to GlobalAtlanta readers who would like a unique and profound perspective on a culture that is shaping the world. India is only going to have more influence on the world stage, and it pays to be prepared.

Cedric Suzman - Program Director, World Affairs Council of Atlanta

"The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson.

I heard Wilkerson interviewed on Public Broadcasting Atlanta. She spoke at the Atlanta History Center and addressed a topic I wanted to know more about.

(Her book) has deepened my empathy and understanding of the daunting challenges African Americans have faced in becoming full citizens of this country.

It is a beautifully written and compelling story about a formative part of American history that resonates with all of us who are immigrants to this or, indeed, any other country. Their "migration" also has relevance in today's debates over immigration.

Mark Becker - President, Georgia State University

"As China Goes, So Goes the World: How Chinese Consumers Are Transforming Everything" by Karl Gerth.

I read this book because it is timely (i.e., recently published) and the content is important to those of us who are trying to understand recent and likely future effects of China's emerging consumer economy. Dr. Gerth, a professor at Oxford University, is one of the world's leading experts on Chinese consumerism.

I'm just finishing the book this week, but already it is providing me with new and deeper insights into how China's economy has developed at a meteoric pace since 1978, and it is helping me to better understand and process the almost daily business and economic news stories out of China.

I absolutely recommend this book to any GlobalAtlanta reader that does business with China, or any reader who wants to understand how China is reshaping our economic landscape. Anyone trying to make sense of what they read about China in the (Wall Street Journal) day-in and day-out will benefit from this book. It is an easy read, and yet packed full of interesting information.

By the way: Dr. Gerth will be speaking at GSU in the afternoon on Jan. 13. Click here for more information.

Jorge Fernandez - Vice President for Global Commerce, Metro Atlanta Chamber

"The Red Sari" by Javier Moro

Why did you choose this book?

The book was recommended by an old friend of mine which in turn, my wife facilitated for another dear friend of ours from India to give to me for my birthday!

How did it change or enhance the way you work and live?

Gives you insights into a fascinating culture, a culture that shapes a huge market for Atlanta.

Would you recommend it to a GlobalAtlanta reader? If so, why?

Absolutely, for the reasons above, plus it will help the reader master the Spanish language, since it is in Spanish!

Paul Gleeson - Irish Consul General in Atlanta

I'd say "Brooklyn" by the Irish writer Colm Toibin was probably the best book I read in 2010.

Colm Toibin is one of our finest writers and all his fiction is well worth the time. I'd really enjoyed his short story collection "Mothers and Sons" and just finished his excellent first novel, "The South," when I purchased "Brooklyn."

"Brooklyn" tells the story of a young woman who leaves the Ireland of the 1950s to begin a new life in New York. It's a superb reflection on the many challenges, physical and emotional, that those moving across continents can experience, as well as a timely reminder that people attempting such journeys half a century ago had things a lot tougher than we do today.

By definition, nearly all your GlobalAtlanta readers have an interest in - and engagement with - the wider world. This book illustrates very nicely the ways in which our world was larger and more unknown in the days before Skype, email and low-fare trans-Atlantic flights.

Martin Richenhagen - Chairman, President and CEO, AGCO Corp.

"A Minute's Silence" by Siegfried Lenz

Why did you choose this book?

Lenz is the most modest of Germany's very successful and popular authors.

How did it change or enhance the way you work and live?

Mostly, though, "A Minute's Silence" is just itself: a simple but haunting story about a young man, a slightly older woman, and how we become ... well, slightly older. A eulogy for getting it both right and wrong!

Would you recommend it to a GlobalAtlanta reader? If so, why?

This is not just another novel by an aging writer reminiscing about first discovering the physical act of love. Lenz's style is wonderfully and deceptively light, letting the narrator set the whole thing in very simple tones. What I found most impressive in this was how utterly controlled and perfectly crafted the whole thing is while reading as lightly as any beach book.

Ken Stewart - Senior Advisor for Industry Strategy, Georgia Institute of Technology

"Cutting for Stone " by Dr. Abraham Verghese.

Why did you choose this book?

Recommended by my very worldly and wise wife, Linda.

How did it change or enhance the way you work and live?

The book is a wonderful story of growing up in Ethiopia. It clearly describes the beauty of a diverse yet simple life based on values and how that life can be changed overnight by greed and war. The book helps me stay grounded in my own values and remain cognizant of the advantages of our everyday lives here in the United States.

Would you recommend it to a GlobalAtlanta reader? If so, why?

GlobalAtlanta readers are already thinking globally, yet this book gives perspective on a part of the world not often written about.

Tarik Celik - Executive Director, Istanbul Center

"The Shack " by William P. Young

I chose this book through a recommendation from one of my friends.

It teaches you how you could forgive everyone and how you can be close to God in your daily life. There are no boundaries at all, but people put those boundaries between God and themselves.

I would recommend it because it gives a new vision to deal with people and evaluate incidents. Everybody needs that type of vision.

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