Books

The work, in long form.

By Michael Bach · DEIA strategist

Three best-selling books, written across six years. Two on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at work. One memoir, co-authored in a very different lane. The frameworks behind my consulting and keynotes, set down in full where you can underline them, hand them to a skeptical executive, or quote them in a board memo.

Why these books exist

Built for shelves, not algorithms.

These aren't lead magnets. They're not behind an email gate. They're books. Print, ebook, audio where it exists. They've been read by HR teams, executive committees, library committees, and book clubs across four continents.

Birds of All Feathers is the foundation: the case for diversity and inclusion that holds up under scrutiny. Alphabet Soup is the 2SLGBTQI+ deep dive, from the initialism to the policies that matter. All About Yvie is the human side, co-authored with one of the most original drag artists working today.

Three books, one through-line: inclusion that holds up under real-world conditions.

01 · 2020

Birds of All Feathers

Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right

Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and Amazon bestseller

The case for diversity and inclusion, written for leaders, entrepreneurs and people managers who genuinely want to see change, but may not be sure where to start. Twenty years of practice, condensed into a framework you can put to work the same week you put the book down.

Birds covers the models, the business case, the right way to attract and retain difference, what gets measured, and what gets in the way. Plainspoken where it can be, tactical where it needs to be. And funny as h e double hockey sticks. The book the C-suite actually reads, and the one library committees keep ordering. If you're looking for a keynote in this area, check out What Gets Measured Gets Done or It's the Economy, Stupid.

"All organizations, from Fortune 500 companies to non-profits, will glean helpful tips and ideas from this book. It's also a useful guide for individuals who want to better understand and practice D&I."

Booklist, American Library Association

"Written in a chatty, conversational tone, the book focuses on helping employers move beyond the buzzwords to develop more equitable workplaces."

Quill & Quire

What's inside

The business case
The right way to do diversity
Inclusion over diversity
Measurement for success
Overcoming diversity fatigue
What gets in the way

Where to buy

Buy ebook + gift card Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon UK Indigo Barnes & Noble Bookshop.org Audible (audiobook)

Reviews around the web

02 · 2022

Alphabet Soup

The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work

Toronto Star and Amazon bestseller

The 2SLGBTQI+ initialism, demystified, then put to work. Alphabet Soup unpacks the difference between who you're attracted to, who you are, and how you show up, and turns those distinctions into workplace practice: hiring, retention, safe space, codes of conduct, and the difference between marketing to a community and actually including it. If you're looking for a 2SLGBTQI+ specific talk, you might like Breaking Down the Alphabet or He/She/They/Hey!

Built for leaders, HR teams, and managers at all levels who want to do this work properly. Not a primer on pronouns. A working guide to a workforce that already includes 2SLGBTQI+ people, whether the organization has noticed or not.

"A clear and enlightening road map for understanding why hiring and retaining LGBTQ2+ staff is foundational for building a modern, successful business."

Rich Ross · former chairman, The Walt Disney Studios

"An educational, inviting guide to becoming an advocate for LGBTQ2+ inclusion at work and in other organizational spaces."

Jeana Jorgensen · Foreword Reviews

What's inside

Breaking down the alphabet
Sexuality, identity, expression
The importance of safe space
Attracting and retaining
You measure what you treasure
Being an active ally

Where to buy

Buy ebook + gift card Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon UK Indigo Barnes & Noble Bookshop.org

Reviews around the web

03 · 2024

All About Yvie

Into the Oddity

USA Today and Amazon bestseller · By Yvie Oddly with Michael Bach

The memoir of Yvie Oddly, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11. I co-authored it, written from inside the room over a year of conversations with Yvie, their family, and the people they came up with. An intimate look at coming of age as a queer artist, building a drag practice on the road, and surviving fame without losing the thread.

The case for inclusion the corporate books make on paper, this book makes in skin and bone. What it costs a person to be themselves at work, on stage, and in front of millions. What it's worth when the world makes room for them anyway.

"Yvie Oddly's memoir will inspire readers as Yvie candidly shares their evolution into their current identity and learning to balance their private and public personas."

Greenleaf Book Group · publisher

What's inside

Childhood in Denver
Coming out, coming into drag
Drag Race · Season 11
The art of the oddity
Family, chosen and otherwise

Where to buy

Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon UK Indigo Barnes & Noble

Frequently asked

In what order should I read the books?

Start with Birds of All Feathers for the business case and the framework. Move to Alphabet Soup if 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion is part of your remit. All About Yvie sits separately as a co-authored memoir.

Are the books available as audiobooks?

Birds of All Feathers is available as an audiobook, narrated by Michael. Alphabet Soup and All About Yvie are print and ebook only.

Can Michael speak to my book club or organization about the books?

Yes. Book club visits, fireside chats, and reading group facilitations are a regular part of the work. Send a note through the contact page.

Where can I buy the books?

All three are available at Indigo, Amazon, Bookshop.org, and most independent booksellers. Digital ebook copies of the first two are sold directly through this site.

Want the frameworks applied to your organization?

That's what consulting is for. Tell me what you're working on and I'll reply within two business days.

Contact me See consulting