Diversity is our strength. These 5 must-read books show the many benefits when you embrace inclusion in your life.

1. THRIVE: The Facilitator’s Guide to Radically Inclusive by Dr. Mark Smutny

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“Hundreds of meetings fill our lives. Many are deadly dull. Some crash. Some soar. Some exclude. Some embrace diverse perspectives and generate great results. THRIVE: The Facilitator’s Guide to Radically Inclusive Meetings is packed withproven methods to engage all voices and make meetings a joy. Whether you are a nonprofit or business leader, manager, consultant, planner, or simply someone who wants your meetings to be more productive, THRIVE is for you. THRIVE teaches dozens of techniques to include all voices and generate maximum results in all types of meetings, retreats, and conferences.”

2. Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in School by Glenn E. Singleton

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“This updated edition of the bestseller continues to explain the need for candid, courageous conversations about race so that educators may understand why achievement inequality persists and learn how they can develop a curriculum that promotes true educational equity and excellence.”

3. The Triumph of Diversity by Arthur P. Ciaramicoli, Ed.D., Ph.D.

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“Dr. Ciaramicoli takes diversity down a new path by focusing on its relationship with empathy and its ability to transform communities.”—Abbie Rosenberg, RN, NP Psychotherapist and Founder/Executive Director Mental Health Collaborative, Hopkinton, MA

“Have we come to a time where differences in color, religion, sexuality, or nationality are seen as threats to our way of life? Has exclusion and lack of interest in those suffering in other parts of the world become a way to protect us from our fears? When we close the door to those who seem dissimilar, we limit our potential for growth. Diversity expands the mind and enriches the soul; it is the antidote to groupthink.

“In The Triumph of Diversity, Dr. Ciaramicoli analyzes prejudice by tracing it to personal origins and relates true stories of courageous individuals who have overcome hatred, cruelty and sadism to become open-minded, loving resilient people. He re-emphasizes that we are in desperate need of those who unite rather than those who ostracize.

“Dr. Ciaramicoli shares his observations as a psychologist in clinical practice, his interviews with laymen, clinicians and clergy, and data from current research to conclude, as Thomas Paine said, “My Country is the World; my Religion is to do Good,” and that learned prejudices can be laid bare and redirected to give way to genuine empathy and inclusion over exclusion.”

4. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

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“In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’ (Claudia Rankine). Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.”

5. Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To Change by Jennifer Brown

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In the rapidly changing business landscape, harnessing the power of diversity and inclusion is essential for the very viability and sustainability of every organization. Talent who feel fully welcomed, valued, respected, and heard by their colleagues and their organizations will fuel this growth. We will only succeed in this transformation if those in leadership pivot from command and control management styles to reinvent how we look at people, every organization’s greatest asset. It’s also critical that we build systems that embrace diversity in all its forms, from identity and background to diversity of thought, style, approach, and experience, tying it directly to the bottom line.

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