The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean by David Bodanis
Being nice but firm is a key to success. "Trust but verify" is a tenant that works. The Empire State Building was constructed by a firm that respected employees and didn't let excess graft go through. The Nazis thought of themselves as dominant and refused to respect "others", even if they supported them. The anti-Jewish speech worked well at first, but eventually there were few Jews left, and the Nazi regime faltered away. Roosevelt's polio caused adversity in his life, but also helped him to better respect others. At the other extreme, the US had a grand unification during the war. Even strikes could be resolved to the betterment of all.
The book also explores pilots on air and sea. Many people survived the Sioux City because the pilot was willing to take advice from a training pilot who was on board. On the other hand, a Korean plane crashed because the co-pilot was not willing to share needed changes with the pilot. The Mutiny on the Bounty captain was loved by the crew on the first part of his voyage, but then distrusted by them when times got hard. Having a balance of "niceness" with firmness is needed.
The book has interesting stories. The message is a tricky one. Be fair. But how do you do it?
Electric Universe explores how electricity was "discovered" and how it became a requirement for our society. The telephone came about due to Bell's crush on a deaf girl. Faraday made key discoveries but was not respected due to his lack of education. Volt is used as a measurement in part because the French decided and they were on good terms with Volta. The transatlantic telegraph table flopped at first because the backer listened to the scientist that told him what he wanted to hear rather than the truth.