Books
Check out my library of books, all of which I authored (five of which were published by a global academic publisher). Two were Amazon Hot New Releases in their respective sub-fields. For details about book chapters that I also authored, alongside other technical documents, white papers, science writing and ghostwriting, please contact me directly. NB. A selection of reviews is also included below.
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An edge-of-your-seat action adventure thriller that crosses the boundaries between science and faith, heaven and hell, and life and death itself. Join hero Luke Templeton in his race against time to fight back against shadowy sci tech Levanter - to save not only the political soul of his nation, but his own soul, too.
Upload is a breath taking adventure that will take you from the wildest seas of the Bering Strait, through the ice fields of Alaska and the valleys and mountains of the Saffira Alps. From fighting black bears, to skiing breakneck couloirs, this story will keep the adrenaline pumping until the very last page.
Now available in hardback!
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Leadership: Performance Beyond Expectations (2021)
Zehndorfer, E. (2021)
'Leadership is a complex and controversial phenomenon. Yet, Elesa Zehndorfer has succeeded in writing a comprehensive and instructive guide to understanding leadership in all its manifestations. Leadership: A Critical Introduction summarizes and critiques the spectrum of approaches to the study and practice of leadership and is a stimulating contribution for the benefit of both scholars and practitioners.' - Packianathan Chelladurai, Ph.D., LL.D., Distinguished Professor, School of Hospitality, Sport, and Tourism Management, Troy University, Canada (review 1st Ed.)
A compelling, instructive & comprehensive book perfect for leadership consultants, academics, scholars & trainers. This updated 2nd Edition builds on the excellent reviews of the 1st Edition to seamlessly unite theory with the insights of CEO's, hedge fund managers, start-up visionaries, & top-level executives. Including a chronological & critical overview of all leadership theories of the last century, Leadership: Performance Beyond Expectations finally bridges the gap between academia and business, while providing a wealth of ready-to-use exercises, case studies & expert insights.
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Evolution, Politics & Charisma: Why Do Populists Win?
Zehndorfer, E. (2019)
Evolution, Politics and Charisma: Why do Populists Win? shines compelling new light on the way in which the systematic targeting and manipulation of human physiology remain a cornerstone of all populist political campaigns. Readers wishing to make sense of the populist juggernauts of Trump and Brexit and of the cyclical and formulaic nature of the rise and fall of charismatic populism will find this book particularly appealing.
Elesa Zehndorfer begins by presenting a highly applied explanation of the critical importance of political physiology, physiology theory, neuroscience and evolutionary biology in populist charismatic politics.
She later eloquently explains how manipulation of physiological variables (such as heightened testosterone and dopamine) renders the political rally one of the most powerful weapons in a populist leaders’ campaign. Weber’s seminal conceptualisation of charisma ‘in statu nascendi’ and Hyman Minsky’s insightful theories of cyclical boom-and-bust scenarios are then juxtaposed alongside physiological theory to greatly amplify our understanding of the powerful biological antecedents of charismatic populism. These theoretical observations are then applied directly to recent high-profile populist campaigns – including the 2016 Trump Presidential campaign and early Presidency – and the Brexit referendum, to elucidating and compelling effect.
Ultimately, Evolution, Politics and Charisma paints a clear evolutionary picture of the way in which politics is an emotional – not a rational – process, where our emotions are continually targeted to great, and strategic, effect, and where the most recent intersection of technology and physiology has driven the greatest surge in populism ever seen across the Western hemisphere since the 1930’s. Acknowledging this reality opens up exciting vistas in our understanding of the true power of charismatic populism and provides answers as to how its seductive and often dangerous power can be effectively resisted. - Taylor & Francis website
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The Physiology of Emotional & Irrational Investing (2018)
Zehndorfer, E. (2018)
The financial markets are a rollercoaster and this book follows the same theme the seduction of money, our ruinous, heady and high stakes pursuit of it, the incredible fortunes and calamitous losses that have been made in its name, the new and significant threat of retail (armchair) investors wanting their piece of the pie, and the perpetual and foolish mismatch that has always existed and will always exist between our evolutionary programming and the design of the financial markets.
The dominant theme that runs throughout the book ('Working out Wall Street') is actually a play on words, and relates both to the need to work out why Wall Street traders act so irrationally (e.g. using behavioural finance and evolutionary design to explain herding and panic selling), and the need to use physiological and sport science-related approaches to explain why working out (i.e. adopting exercise and diet-related practices usually applied to athletes) can significantly counter these behaviours. The phrase 'animal spirits' utilised in the concluding chapter title ('Taming Animal Spirits') refers to the seminal work of John Maynard Keynes in his 1936 classic work The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money and the idea that human emotions-animal spirits- remain a significant driver in (irrational and emotional) investing.
The rationale for this book is clear; behavioural finance and neurofinance have opened the floodgates in terms of recognising the role of emotional investing in cyclical boom-and-bust scenarios but what is still missing is an answer to the question So what do we do about it? This book seeks, in as compelling and entertaining a fashion as possible, to provide that answer. - Taylor & Francis website
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Charisma: The Role of Charismatic Leadership in the Global Financial Crisis
Zehndorfer, E. (2016)
‘Entertaining and highly informative, Zehndorfer shines an intriguing light on the drivers and accelerators of the recent global financial crisis, interweaving academic theory with a painstaking take on key events, figures and organisations. The role of charisma in the perpetuation of market boom-and-bust cycles tends to be overlooked, while this book brings to light its powerful amplifying effect on institutional actors in financial markets. This work provides great value to financial markets professionals and any individual wishing to gain further insight into the origins of the crisis past, and into precursors and certain tell-tale signs of future market dislocations. This book adds great value to the study of financial markets crises and the importance of charisma of key leaders in behavioural finance. A great read.’ - Andrey Panna, Portfolio Manager, Tenax Credit Opportunities Fund, Tenax Capital.
‘Zehndorfer's Charismatic Leadership is the first book of its kind that sought to deconstruct the role of charismatic leaders in fuelling the fires of market fragility and the cyclical boom-and-bust nature of the financial markets. A must read for any scholar or practitioner wishing to gain further insight into the powerful role of charisma in the origination and perpetuation of financial markets crises.’ - Thomas Pang, CEO, Keppel Telecommunications & Transportation Limited, Singapore
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Leadership: A Critical Introduction
Zehndorfer, E. (2014)
'Zehndorfer’s Leadership: A Critical Introduction will be required reading for my undergraduate students, graduate students, and consulting clients. Readers seeking to better understand the fascinating concept on leadership will be treated to comprehensive overview of this topic, from the trait theory of leadership contemporary concepts like emotional intelligence and authentic leadership. Zehndorfer effectively weaves in case studies, vignettes and concept check exercises to facilitate deeper understanding and learning. This book is a one-stop shopping expedition for researchers and practitioners alike.' - Jim Weese, PhD, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
'Buy this book. Don't even think about it for a second - just buy it. Zehndorfer has done something wonderful for academic textbooks by creating a title on leadership and management that is truly engaging. Every chapter is well structured, designed, and crafted with skill. Granted, its written for undergraduate and postgraduate students - however, as a business leader you'll get real benefit from it - especially from the informative expert insights and case studies. It's evident that Zehndorfer has performed comprehensive research and has the ability to convey complex theories in an elegant fashion, making her writing a melody of joy. This is a rare talent that few in this writing category can exhibit. The only fault that I can find with this book is that it is too intelligent for its own good and I am envious of the authors talents. This book is a benchmark for anyone wishing to learn more on leadership and management.' - Paul Naysmith, FCQI, QCP, Global Service Quality Manager at Expro International. Published in Quality World Magazine, Jan 2015 Edition ('2015: The Year Ahead').
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