From avoiding a climate catastrophe to market-to-table cooking, the Taronga Ventures team share their favourite reads and podcasts for 2022.
Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World
By Tyson Yunkaporta
What happens when global systems are viewed from an Indigenous perspective? How does it affect the way we see history, money, power and learning? Could it change the world?
Sand Talk provides a template for living. It’s about how lines and symbols and shapes can help us make sense of the world. It’s about how we learn and how we remember. It’s about talking to everybody and listening carefully. It’s about finding different ways to look at things.
Most of all it’s about Indigenous thinking, and how it can save the world.
Recommended by Jonathan Hannam, Co-Founder & Managing Partner
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
By Bill Gates
In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe.
As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.
Recommended by Anjalika Singh, Investment Director
Masters of Scale is an original podcast hosted by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and investor at Greylock. In each episode, Reid shows how emerging technology companies grow from zero to scale, testing his theories with legendary leaders.
Recommended by Julian Kezelman, Program Director
Wet Market to Table: A Modern Approach to Fruit and Vegetables
By Pamelia Chia
Australia-based Singaporean chef Pamelia Chia demystifies the traditional Singaporean wet market that many younger Singaporeans have neglected for the convenience and cleanliness of supermarkets. Gourmands in the food-obsessed city from michelin star chefs to discerning grandmothers know that the freshest and best ingredients lie within the realm of the wet market. Pamelia’s recipes and stories invite readers into this initially daunting world to celebrate and push the boundaries of local Singaporean cooking.
Recommended by Dwayne Kaan, Program Manager
Requisite Organisation
By Elliott Jaques
The book is a framework for organisational theory, thinking conceptually and increasing effectiveness and productivity.
Based on Elliott Jaques latest research, this is a thorough revision of a book that has established itself as a classic in its field. Jaques has written a practical high-level, how-to book, that applies to all kinds of working organizations – industrial, commercial, service and public. He sets out a totally new way of doing business. Step by step, he builds up the concepts, and then introduces the working procedures to enable CEOs and senior executives, managers, and HR specialists, to develop requisite organization for themselves – in other words, organisation which enhances creativity, productive effectiveness, human satisfaction and excellent morale. Requisite Organization challenges all of our current methods and assumptions in the field of organization, leadership and management, and presents a unified total management system built upon a rigorous theoretical base, Stratified Systems Theory. Any enterprise can gain a competitive edge in the short-term by introducing new products and services. In the long-term, however, an adaptive and successful enterprise calls for soundly structured organization with effective staffing and managerial leadership at every level – a requisite organization.
Recommended by Sven Sylvester, Corporate Innovation Lead and Investment Director
Voices of ULI is a new podcast featuring candid conversations with thought leaders and industry experts who share their views on real estate in Asia and the transformational changes which have shaped and defined Asian cities. Each episode covers how their career journeys began, how their contributions have shaped the present foundations on land use and development; as well as their bold visions on the next evolution of change for the built environment.
Recommended by Jonathan Hannam, Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Made by Morgan
By Morgan Hipworth
Australian chef extraordinaire and influencer Morgan Hipworth shares his passion for food and his incredible story, from holding his first Sweets and Treats home bake sale at age nine, to opening his iconic Melbourne bakehouse Bistro Morgan at fifteen, to being a guest judge on Junior MasterChef Australia at nineteen, inspiring the next generation of food lovers. Combining global culinary influences with a pure love for sharing food and laughter, Morgan brings together sixty of his favourite recipes, from sweet treats to savoury snacks to mouth-watering meals. Revealing secrets about his famously irresistible doughnuts and so much more, Morgan takes you into his world of food, fun and inspiration.
Recommended by Chanelle Tan, Marketing & Community Manager
Industry veterans, degenerate gamblers & besties Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks & David Friedberg cover all things economic, tech, political, social & poker.
Recommended by George Lowndes, Investment Manager
A podcast from Google about the unseen world of data centers.
Recommended by Anjalika Singh, Investment Director
Atomic Habits
By James Clear
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving – every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviours that lead to remarkable results. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits.
Recommended by Chanelle Tan, Marketing & Community Manager