The books on our 2008 shortlist for the Personal Development Category are:

Ask for It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want
by Linda Babcock & Sara Laschever (Bantam, February 2008)

In this sequel to Women Don’t Ask, which shared surprising evidence that women are often unknowingly complicit in their lack of career opportunities because they do not ask for raises, bonuses and other advantages that men do, Babcock and Laschever offer a practical guide for improving your asking skills. Populated with personal stories and how-to advice, Ask for It will be useful to help you (any person of any gender) get what you want.

Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life
by Stewart D. Friedman, (Harvard Business Press, June 2008)

In Total Leadership, Stewart Friedman, founding director of the Wharton Leadership Program, presents a concrete methodology for building a more integrated life. His program is really a practice, requiring both action and reflection, that urges you to explore a triumvirate of qualities–Be Real (Act with Authenticity), Be Whole (Act with Integrity), Be Innovative (Act with Creativity)–to help you become a leader in every aspect (work, home, community and self) of your life.

The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to
Success in Business & Life
by Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff (W. W. Norton, Sepember 2008)

A good decision should precede every action. But no decision is made in a vacuum. So just how do you become better at judging scenarios, predicting outcomes, managing negotiations? Dixit and Nalebuff yank game theory out of its traditional confines of math and science and present an accessible guide to using game theory to refine your strategic thinking.

Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
by Geoffrey Colvin (Portfolio, October)

Mozart. Tiger Woods. Jeff Immelt and Steve Ballmer. Prodigies? Geniuses? Uniquely talented? Geoff Colvin, who first explored this topic for Fortune magazine, says “no” in this well-researched study that explores the common myths about outstanding performers. This book is reassuring in its assertion that we all have the capacity to improve our performance through better preparation–particularly deliberate practice–and also offers insight into those people whose accomplishments astound us.