This month we take a look at books that provide an African perspective on leadership; an outlook for what lies ahead for the Euro; and a guide to how different European countries behaved in the prelude to the credit crisis of 2008.

Attuned Leadership by Reuel Khoza 

In Attuned Leadership, Dr Reuel Khoza puts forward the idea that the philosophical traditions of Africa offer an important contribution to the theory and practice of leadership in the world today. African humanism or Ubuntu evokes both reason and empathy as the basis for ethical leadership – a person is a person because of other people. This book is a fascinating discussion on how the relationship between the individual and social collective stimulates caring and progressive thought and action. 

To win a copy of Attuned Leadership, click here

The End of the Euro by Johan van Overtveldt 

The End of the Euro charts the history of the Euro, its successes and failures and looks ahead to what lies in wait for the monetary union. A journalist by trade, Van Overtveldt outlines the weaknesses that finally led to the situation that turned Greece, Portugal and Spain into euro-destroying economic disaster areas and looks closely at the role Germany is likely to play in the future.

Boomerang by Michael Lewis

In Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World well known finance writer Michael Lewis gives readers a tour of some of the places hard hit by the credit crisis of 2008 such as Greece, Iceland and Ireland. The book looks at how different nations took advantage of cheap credit available and how their national cultures influenced their behaviour. Based on articles Lewis wrote for Vanity Fair magazine, the book provides a detailed, though narrow, look at some of the unexplored facets of the financial meltdown.