World Book Day: 4 Books That Have Inspired Gerardo

I am Gerardo Vazquez, a Chevening Alumnus from 1999 who studied international economic law at the University of Warwick. I later did a PhD in International Commercial Law at Queen Mary University. I am currently the Director of Tax Controversy and Dispute Resolution at PWC Mexico and have recently published a book exploring the Mexican economy.

During my life, I have read many books about diverse topics, from novels to scientific books. However, a few books have inspired me to go forward, and helped me to not give up and to pursue my dreams. I have selected four books that may inform and inspire you to be a better person; a person with moral values, a person with a sense of social responsibility, and a person with spirituality. What the world needs is leaders that encourages society to behave in a good manner.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This book is not about manipulation, it is more about the true sense of making real friends. This book does not show you how to manage people to make them do whatever you want—it teaches you how to be polite, the importance of listening, and the art of arriving at a consensus. Full of examples, this book is excellent for helping people to clearly understand the art of human relations.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

This book contains a list of actions every person should perform to reach one’s dreams. This book seems to be extremely structured, but the added value is in the explanation of every habit. It provides reasoning for the advice provided, which helps the reader understand so that they can adapt it to their own life. It starts with ‘independence’, teaching the reader the art of self-mastery. Further on, the author explains how to work with others because we are social beings and we have to work with others for our self-improvement.

A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud

I read this book whilst at university. This book changed my perception of human thoughts and made me conscious about what is behind our habits, fears, dreams, and personality. Once I understood that I was able to know myself, I realised the importance of facing my fears. I know there is a bunch of discussions that surround this book, but I think this book is a good approach to everyone’s self-development.

Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Coleman

The author of this book teaches us to control our emotions so that we can react better when hard situations take place. This book not only helps us to keep good relationships with each other, but also how to be at peace with ourselves. Being able to react in a good manner in every difficult circumstance will help us to be healthy and to think before reacting. A leader should be able to react in the best manner to every crisis, which is why this book is very useful.

All of these books are about personal growth because I think that leaders not only have to be academically prepared, but also prepared in terms of values and human relationships. This way, future leaders can lead society to a path of peace upon understanding and tolerance.