The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, MBRF, has launched a new monthly series of its popular ‘Book in Minutes' initiative that aims to strengthen the culture of reading and knowledge exchange, with the goal of enriching minds and fostering values, reflecting the vision of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to enhance the spirit of positivity to achieve a beautiful perspective on life.
Book in Minutes makes international best-selling books available in easy-to-read Arabic summaries, and aims to popularise specialised books in different genres among the public. It promotes a culture of reading and enhances the knowledge of the people, in turn, inspiring them to lead happier lives while also strengthening stronger family and parent-child relationships.
The new series of summaries includes an introductory note by Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, which discusses the importance of sharing knowledge as a foundation for sustainable development and personal growth.
"Through this series, we are further promoting an inclusive society and contributing to social solidarity. The rich experience of the authors will inspire the participants and enable them to lead productive and creative lives. The Book in Minutes initiative is a strong complement to the Dubai Vision 2021 to build cohesive families and communities that form the bedrock of the society," he said.
Jamal bin Huwaireb added, "The learning from these books also helps to value and conserve our resources more judiciously and will open doors for the youth generation to benefit from the experiences of others and evolve as responsible individuals." The first book, "Rookie Smarts - Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work", by Liz Wiseman, the author of the best-seller, Multipliers, discusses how genius is inherent to even many inexperienced professionals and how some of them have managed to outperform the experts.
Most importantly, she identifies a breed of leaders she refers to as "perpetual rookies." Despite years of experience, they retain their ability to think and operate with the mindsets and practices of high-performing beginners. The author advises experts to retain their freshman spirit as they have to work with amateurs and develop new practices.
The second book in the series is "Start with Why - How great leaders inspire everyone to take action", by Simon Sinek, who talks about how leaders can inspire others and push them forward through training. The author explains how great leaders think, communicate and interact to motivate people. These inspiring leaders declare what they believe in and promote a culture of entrepreneurship. He argues that whether individuals or organisations, we follow who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. Great leaders, the author notes, inspire people to act and give people a sense of purpose or belonging that has little to do with any external incentive or benefit to be gained.
The final book in the series is "Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids - How to Stop Yelling and Stat Connecting", by Laura Markham, which discusses the secrets of the success of parents in establishing strong relationships with their children and the reasons for the failure of others, through intellectual, creative and positive communication with children and listening to them. The author emphasises the need to evaluate the behavior of parents through self-control and to deepen communication, and effective training. The writer focuses on the issue of effective training for children with no control over their upbringing or emotion to adjust their behavior in a positive way.
Book in Minutes addresses all segments of society including youth and families, as well as intellectuals and business professionals. The initiative has gained acclaim with translated summaries of the books provided to the participants to enable them to lead positive lives.