Books I’ve Read
Short summary with detailed notes for each. This page will be update as I read more, so bookmark it if you want to check back in a few months.
Sorted with my top recommendations up top. Sort by title, newest, or best.
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Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career - by Scott Young
Date read: 2019-09-14. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10The ultimate step-by-step guide to learn anything. A great book for anyone with a learning mindset who wants to see results quickly. Lessons learned from people that learned a language in 3 months or completed an MIT Computer Science MBA in 9 months. Even if you're not able to dedicate 100% of your time on learning something new, the tips and tactics outlined in this book will help anyone who is trying to develop themselves.
Read my notes, or go to the Amazon page for details and reviews.
What's Your Problem? - by Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg
Date read: 2023-05-01. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Fantastic book to help you reframe your thinking of a problem to make sure you're solving for the right things. Great advice that can be applied in both work and personal life. Recommended for anyone looking to improve their critical thinking skills.
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Talent - by Tyler Cowen and Daniel Gross
Date read: 2023-04-22. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10How to find creative talent. Most of the recommendations are ones that I've heard of and use already (e.g., ask deeper questions, ask them to give stories and for their opinion). Contains a few good questions and the importance of a company to always be looking for great talent.
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Train (Your Brain) Like an Olympian - by Jean François Ménard
Date read: 2023-04-10. How strongly I recommend it: 4/10Written by an Olympic Performance Coach, this book focuses on how you can apply the practices that Olympians use to train in the workplace. Most of this is very "self-help" and relies on basic knowledge of positive thinking, being in the moment, and breaking down situations focusing on small wins. Lots of examples but overly positive and not that beneficial.
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Impromptu: Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI - by Reid Hoffman
Date read: 2023-03-19. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn) has written a short eBook on the impact that Large Language Model (LLM) systems, like GPT-4, will have on our society. He creates a very convincing arguement and looks across multiple topics: Creativity, Education, Social Media, Jobs, etc. and discusses the potential uses of GPT-4. He even uses the technology to ask it questions and posts it's responses.
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Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less - by Leidy Klotz
Date read: 2023-03-17. How strongly I recommend it: 5/10In a world where adding is seen as the norm, the author suggests subtracting more to be more productive and to improve our lives. Although I agree with the concept, I felt that the book veered away from it's intent and was too drawn out, spending more than half of the book trying to convince me the importance of subtracting through ill-conceived examples.
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Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away - by Annie Duke
Date read: 2023-03-05. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10A follow-up from Annie's previous books which focused on how to make better decisions, she does a great job of explaining the benefits of quitting and how to decide when you should quit. Full of great examples and a systematic way to make better decisions.
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INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION: Learn how to harness Artificial Intelligence to boost business & make our world more human - by Pascal Bornet
Date read: 2023-03-03. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great book that goes over the benefits and usage of a subset of AI called Intelligent Automation (IA), recommended by someone who is actively implementing IA within companies. Biggest takeaway: the types of IA are more advanced than I originally thought and the best solutions combine multiple IA tools to implement.
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The Leader Habit: Master the Skills You Need to Lead--in Just Minutes a Day - by Martin Lanik
Date read: 2023-01-15. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10First half of the book is focused on how to build better habits and talks a little about cognitive biases. A lot of it is pulled from other sources (e.g., Atomic Habits). The second half focuses on self-assessment to determine what type of leader you are, before going into daily 5 min exercises you can do to become a better leader, based on your initial assessment. Good for someone who is first starting out, but I found it to be a lot of fundamental practices that I was already aware of.
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Team Genius: The New Science of High-Performing Organizations - by Rich Karlgaard and Michael S. Malone
Date read: 2022-12-26. How strongly I recommend it: 5/10Meant to be the science behind the best team combinations (e.g., size, type, skillsets, etc.) it falls short of expectations. They've done a great job classifying the different types of teams, but have done little to help optimize teams.
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The Trusted Advisor - by David H. Maister
Date read: 2022-11-04. How strongly I recommend it: 5/10Considered a classic read for all consultants, it provides good advice on how to become a trusted advisor and not just a consultant. A lot of it is on how to sell or cross-sell. A few good nuggets but highly repetitive.
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Wallet on the Rental Car Roof: A Guide for Young Professionals Growing Their Leadership Skills - by Ann Drummie
Date read: 2022-10-08. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10I met Ann through one of my networking avenues and recruited her as a mentor for The Forem. Ann specializes in coaching new and emerging leaders, as opposed to most coaches focusing on the C-level. This very short and concise book is filled with great advice on how become a leader - whether you are one today or not - and includes stories of Ann when she was a professional curler, a world traveler, and a consultant to help reinforce each chapter. She also provides you with actionable advice through weekly exercises that you can easily accomplish. Recommended for any new or aspiring manager looking for sage advice that's presented in a fresh and new way.
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Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones - by James Clear
Date read: 2022-09-18. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Extremely well organized and a quick read on how to develop good habits and remove bad habits. Focusing less on the goal and more on the system. Recommended for anyone looking to improve and adopt better habits but unsure how to go about it.
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Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen - by Dan Heath
Date read: 2022-09-03. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Very process improvement focused. The author provides great examples of businesses and organizations using upstream thinking to eliminate downstream problems and provides techninques to think ahead. Great for process improvements and second & third order systems thinking.
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The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics - by Tim Harford
Date read: 2022-08-27. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Good to help you ask the right questions before believing a study or newspaper headline discussing a recent study. I wish it would have helped me better interpret actual scientific studies, though.
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Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business - by Gino Wickman & Mark C. Winters
Date read: 2022-08-01. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10From the authors of the EOS system, the book focuses on the difference between Visionaries and Integrators and how you need both roles in a company to succeed. Geared towards companies with annual revenue between $1-250 million this book provides a step by step process on how to find and implement these two roles.
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The Promise That Changes Everything (I Won't Interrupt You) - by Nancy Kline
Date read: 2022-07-21. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10We've all heard the importance of active listening, but this book takes it one step further. It asks that you not interrupt, to the point it will be extremely uncommon and uncomfortable for you and the speaker, with the goal to give them the space they need to truly think out loud.
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QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life - by John G. Miller
Date read: 2022-06-21. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Very quick read on personal accountability. The QBQ stands for the Question Behind the Question, making sure you're asking how you can help or improve versus asking or complaining why others are not doing what you want them to. It's a good reminder to use on yourself when you find that you're focused on things you cannot control.
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How to Get Lucky (Harriman Classics): 13 techniques for discovering and taking advantage of life’s good breaks - by Gunther Max
Date read: 2022-06-13. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Published in 1986, the book focuses on the importance that luck - both good & bad - plays in your life and how to create the environment and attitude to produce more luck for yourself.
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Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others - by Stephen Covey
Date read: 2022-05-15. How strongly I recommend it: 5/10A follow-up from Leading with Trust, this book spends way too much time trying to convince you to replace the Command & Control style of leadership with a Trust & Inspire style, but does very little in providing actionable & practical advice on how to do this. Good for someone who doesn't believe in a servant leadership stlye, but not very effective for someone wanting to learn more about how to be a Trust & Inspire Leader.
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The Lion Tracker's Guide To Life - by Boyd Varty
Date read: 2022-04-15. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Based on real-life experiences, a very short book (~100 pages) that relates tracking lions with finding your way through this world. I also recommend listening to Boyd's interview with Tim Ferriss where he goes into more detail on tracking and his life living in South Africa.
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CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest - by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra
Date read: 2022-04-11. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10McKinsey & Co. identified the top 200 CEOs and identified what made them most successful. Although tailored for CEOs, the lessons in this book can be applied to almost any leadership level.
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Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals - by Oliver Burkeman
Date read: 2022-03-10. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10Not your typical time management book, it takes your standard time management and productivity advice and flips it on it's head. The fact that no matter how much we plan, we have zero control over what's going to happen and we need to be more comfortable living in the moment and appreciating the journey vs. always seeking a destination. This book compliments well with Essentialism, by Greg McKeown.
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The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking - by Oliver Burkeman
Date read: 2022-03-07. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10A British reporter goes out to seek the "antidote" for a good life by looking for contradictory information on what makes you happy. It's a mix of Stoicism & Buddhism packaged up in an easy-to-read format. Recommended for anyone who may be interested in either practices, but nothing very new if you're already well-versed. Plus, there are plenty of better source documents to read on both topics.
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Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders - by David L. Marquet
Date read: 2021-12-20. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10The true story of submarine captain, David Marquet, who took one of the worst submarine crews in the Navy and turned them into one of the best. He walks through how he did it by using a leader-leader approach vs. a leader-follower approach that was standard across the Navy. Great advice on how to push decision-making down to your middle managers with a focus on servant leadership & 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. A must-read for any manager or director who is looking to improve accountability and team morale.
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How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius - by Donald Robertson
Date read: 2021-11-26. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Fantastic book on the history of Marcus Aurelius, former Emperor of Rome, and the key principles of Stocism. Recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about the philosophy from one of its greatest practitioners.
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The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement - by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Date read: 2021-11-06. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Pulling from Lean-Six Sigma methodologies, The Goal walks you through a fictitious story of a plant manager trying to save his plant by identifying bottlenecks. Good lessons to apply to any type of business model and worth using when trying to improve processes.
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Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most - by Douglas Stone
Date read: 2021-10-27. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Great book for anyone wanting to improve their skills at communicating, especially in difficult conversations.
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The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness - by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi
Date read: 2021-09-15. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Told in a fable format between a young adult and a philosopher. A mix of stoic and buddhist principles meant to improve your overall well-being and to be more in-the-moment.
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Operations Due Diligence: An M&A Guide for Investors and Business - by James F. Grebey
Date read: 2021-06-28. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Resource to ensure the proper operational due diligence is being performed when conducting M&A activities. Great source for questions to ask across all areas.
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How to Live: 27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion - by Derek Sivers
Date read: 2021-06-12. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10Supposedly it took Derek 5 years to write this book. It's set up with very short chapters on how to live a better life. But each chapter contradicts the other by showing you the extreme advice for both sides. For example, in one chapter he tells you to live in the moment and in the next he says the opposite and to learn from the past and plan for the future. Great book with some very good quotes for those trying to figure out how to live a better life.
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Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment - by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein
Date read: 2021-06-05. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Daniel Kahneman's follow-up book from Thinking Fast & Slow; not as good as his first book and clearly different chapters were written by different authors. The majority of the book goes into granular detail to define noise (which is different than bias) and how to measure it in situations such as courtrooms, hospitals, and in business. The most actionable items are included in Part V where Kahneman provides advice on how to reduce noise when it comes to making judgements such as interviewing and deciding on acquisitions.
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Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most - by Greg McKeown
Date read: 2021-05-02. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10A follow-up from his first book, Essentialism, the author asks himself the question: "How can I make that which is most essential in my life easier to do?" He found after practicing essentialism that he was finding it very difficult to keep up with just the essential things. This book offers some good advice, although I had either known about it or had heard of the stories before. Just a few new pieces of info but good for anyone struggling with finding it hard to focus on what's important after they've removed non-essential things in their life.
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The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function - by Justin Roff-Marsh
Date read: 2021-04-21. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10A radical approach to designing a Sales team that's focused more on removing non-selling tasks off of your Sales teams and moving from an autonomous sales system to a team sales format. Hard to pitch to current companies given the complexity and additional roles needed to implement.
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A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload - by Cal Newport
Date read: 2021-03-29. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Techniques on how to improve communication and productivity and to get out of your email inbox. The book is split up into two sections. Section 1 is all about how the current system is bad for you, with the author introducing the "hyperactive hive mind" syndrome. Section 2 is focused on ways you can combat this and be more productive. Many solutions focus around agile & scrum methodologies and the idea that the computer and email actually required specialists to own a lot more admin tasks than they had previously.
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As We Speak: How to Make Your Point and Have It Stick - by Peter Meyers and Shann Nix
Date read: 2021-02-05. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10Best book I've read on how to not only give impactful presentations, but how to communicate more effectively so people will listen. This book covers all mediums from the all-company presentations on a stage to communicating through email or video/phone with a small group. Recommended for anyone trying to improve their impact when presenting & communicating.
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Super Connector: Stop Networking and Start Building Business Relationships That Matter - by Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh
Date read: 2019-11-20. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Why just connect with people when you can be a "super connector?" This book has a few good nuggets and suggestions on how to get past the standard small talk and get the most out of your network, but I felt the examples were not always that relevant and were too few. Some good ideas but I feel there are other books out there that are better re: networking that talk about how to leverage weak ties.
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Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know - by Adam Grant
Date read: 2021-02-27. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Extremely relevant given the state of the country at the time I read this. We are becoming more and more divided and Adam Grant provides great insight into how to think twice about how we think and how we try to convince others to change their opinion. The secret isn't by overloading them with facts and data. It's actually by seeking to understand why they think the way they do and doing the opposite of what you think. Recommended for anyone wanting to have smarter, more connected conversations with people that disagree with you to further improve your thinking.
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The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth - by Amy C. Edmondson
Date read: 2021-02-14. How strongly I recommend it: 5/10A very important topic but poorly written. This could easily have been a 3,000 word article and you would have learned just as much from reading the entire book. Extremely redundant and the examples used were too well-known to be of any importance. The author also does not do a good job at all of explaining how to create psychological safety.
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The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias: How To Reframe Bias, Cultivate Connection, and Create High-Performing Teams - by Pamela Fuller
Date read: 2021-01-17. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Written by the head of HR and other HR Franklin Covey leaders, this book outlines best practices to battle against unconscious biases that cause bias and prevent creating high-performing teams made of diverse employees and ideas. Great for both leaders and non-leaders who are trying to be less bias in how they work or hire talent.
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Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes - by Maria Konnikova
Date read: 2020-12-28. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Born out of her love for Sherlock Holmes, Maria Konnikova does a good job of explaining how you too could observe and deduct just like the famous detective. Good for anyone wanting to think differently or be more mindful with their work. She also touches upon biases, mind palaces, and meditation.
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The Team that Managed Itself: A Story of Leadership (Empowered Teams) - by Christina Wodtke
Date read: 2020-11-25. How strongly I recommend it: 5/10Written in the format of a business fable followed by techniques and lessons learn, there wasn't anything new here and in some cases, I disagreed with the approach. It's very focused on how to manage from a start-up perspective but there are many other books and methods I would recommend before the ones listed here.
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Critical Chain: A Business Novel - by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Date read: 2020-11-15. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Told in the format of a business novel, similar to Patrick Lencioni's books, it provides a different solution to project management by focusing on the critical chain of tasks in a project vs. trying to micro-manage every task. Recommended for senior executives and project leaders who are running in to consistent issues with late projects.
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Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization? - by Aaron Dignan
Date read: 2020-11-12. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Radical theories and ideas on how to reduce the bureaucracy and red tape of hierarchial organizations by reducing the top-down management approach to empower employees to be more self-sufficient and to self-govern. Similar ideas have been presented in Basecamp's "It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work," talks by Ricardo Semler, and many others. Although not feasible to implement all of these ideas into your company, it does present new ideas to address employee engagement and change management.
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What the Heck is EOS? A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS - by Gino Wickman and Tom Bouwer
Date read: 2020-08-02. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) is an extremely quick read meant to provide smaller companies (10-250 persons) with aligning on their vision, communications, R&Rs, and goals through different tools and practices. It takes methodologies from several sources and creates its own approach. Some of it is original while others are clear reproductions of systems proven to work in any industry. The most interesting part is the L10 meeting process, which I could see being applied to any team in any size company.
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Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity - by Kim Scott
Date read: 2020-11-05. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Heavily influenced from the author's time at Google & Apple, the title is a bit misleading as this book focuses more on management than on communication. Although I've already gathered most of these best practices from other books, I recommend sharing this with any new managers or leaders.
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How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices - by Annie Duke
Date read: 2020-10-31. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Recommended for anyone new to decision-making. Unfortunately, the book is a bit redundant and most of the advice is not new to someone familiar with cognitive biases.
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Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius - by Ryan Holiday
Date read: 2020-10-22. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Provides a thorough history and profile of influential Stoic philosophers, supporters, and leaders focusing on late Athens, early Roman Empire. There are a few nuggets of Stoic philosophy but not as many from Ryan's other books.
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Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning - by Peter C. Brown
Date read: 2020-10-02. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10How we think we should learn is often very different than how we should learn and to truly remember things. Great book that walks through the few studies that have been conducted on how to learn better by debunking common techniques that gives us the illusion that we're learning, when in actuality, we are only learning something in the short-term. Recommended for anyone trying to get more out of what they read or study, both as a student and for training your teams.
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The Book of Beautiful Questions: The Powerful Questions That Will Help You Decide, Create, Connect, and Lead - by Warren Berger
Date read: 2020-01-25. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Most of us don't spend enough time asking questions, let alone the right questions. Great sample questions to help with decision-making, networking, leadership, and even with your family.
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The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less - by Barry Schwartz
Date read: 2023-06-23. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Detailed examples of how too much choice can be harmful with making better decisions. The author also showcases two types of people: Maximizers vs. Satisfiers and how too much choice can impact both types.
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How to Talk to Anyone - 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships - by Leil Lowndes
Date read: 2020-09-01. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great advice on how to handle both professional and social interactions from the prep work you need to do prior, how you should walk, talk, and listen while you're there and what you should do to follow-up with those people you met. Some of the advice is out-dated, but worth the read if you want to learn how to network better.
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Hell Yeah or No: what's worth doing - by Derek Sivers
Date read: 2020-08-09. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10An extremely concise, and informative read from one of my favorite thinkers. Recommended for anyone wanting to think differently and apply principles that lead to a better, happier life.
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Power Schmoozing: The New Etiquette for Social and Business Success - by Terri Mandell
Date read: 2020-08-22. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Recommended by Derek Sivers and although the title is awful, it does include some nuggets of wisdom when it comes to networking. Many sections are highly outdated since it was written in 1993, but the advice on how to network is still sound. Recommended for anyone with concerns on how to socialize and network at different types of professional and personal functions.
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The Customer Success Economy: Why Every Aspect of Your Business Model Needs A Paradigm Shift - by Nick Mehta and Allison Pickens
Date read: 2020-08-08. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10The next book in the Customer Success series that gives you a more detailed view of how a CSM (Customer Success Management) org would look like and how to implement it for your company. It walks through the KPIs, how CS works with other functions, and how to set up a CS team from scratch including how to incentives. Recommended for anyone interested in learning more about CS and how it might fit within their own company.
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Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts - by Carroll Tavris and Elliot Aronson
Date read: 2020-04-04. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10A study of human behavior when it relates to cognitive dissonance and biases. We all have them and it's not about eliminating them, but becoming more aware so you can counteract your decisions appropriately.
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Awareness: Conversations with the Masters - by Anthony de Mello
Date read: 2020-07-18. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10Remove your dependencies on others to make you feel better, loved, or angry. Learn to awake and be happy without the need of others, objects, or events in your life. Highly recommended for anyone looking to find inner peace and to empower themselves to be more in control of their life and their overall well-being.
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Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships (Nonviolent Communication Guides) - by Marshall B. Rosenberg
Date read: 2020-06-27. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10This book will help you communicate better in both professional and personal situations. You'll learn not to judge or blame others for how you feel and instead focus on your needs and feelings and what the other person can do to meet those needs. Great for dealing with conflict resolution and active listening.
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Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue - by Nick Mehta, Lincoln Murphy, and Maria Martinez
Date read: 2020-06-17. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Provides the history, justification, and values needed to implement a Customer Success organization within your company. Mainly focused on SaaS companies, it also applies to B2B and B2C non-SaaS companies. Includes the 10 laws of customer success and compares the service levels between high-touch, low-touch, and tech-touch.
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The Laws of Human Nature - by Robert Greene
Date read: 2020-06-15. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Similar to his other books (The 48 Laws of Power & Mastery), Robert Greene does an excellent job of highlighting the 18 human laws of nature and how to watch out for them in others and within yourself. Good for reflecting on the innate biases and behaviors within all of us including techniques on how to identify and manage them.
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How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk (The How To Talk Series) - by Adele Faber
Date read: 2020-04-09. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Great techniques on how to talk to your children better without yelling or degrading them. Also, how to listen better to your children and I would argue this could also be used with adults. Recommended for anyone with kids ages 3 and up.
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Sam Walton: Made In America (My Story) - by Sam Walton and John Huey
Date read: 2020-02-09. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10The story of Sam Walton, former CEO and founder of Wal-Mart. Whether you love his stores or hate him, this book does provide key lessons for retailing and servicing the customer.
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Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps: How to Thrive in Complexity - by Jennifer Garvey Berger
Date read: 2019-02-01. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10A quick read that helps you identify the several mind traps that we all have and what leaders can do to notice and mitigate them. Recommended for leaders who are struggling with motivating and communicating to a team.
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Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts - by Annie Duke
Date read: 2019-12-25. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Fantastic book to figure out how to make better decisions. Some key takeaways include: separating the quality of the decision from the outcome (they are mutually exclusive), calculating the probability that something will happen instead of a simple yes or no, premortem techniques, and many more.
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Stillness Is the Key - by Ryan Holiday
Date read: 2019-10-19. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Heavy stoic philosophy to help anyone slow down and focus. Great for anyone that is feeling overwhelmed and stressing too much.
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Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High - by Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny
Date read: 2016-09-14. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Teaches you how to identify, prep and conduct crucial conversations in both personal and professional settings.
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King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine - by Robert Moore & Douglas Gillette
Date read: 2023-07-05. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10A book that men (and boys) of all ages should read. Debunking the myth that mature masculinity is abusive and domineering but instead is creative, empowering, and necessary. The author breaks down four mature male archetypes: King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover.
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Nothing & Everything: How to stop fearing nihilism and embrace the void - by Val N. Tine
Date read: 2023-08-13. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Very deep book on trying to define reality and how we truly can't justify our values. It will make you question everything.
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Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success - by Ron Friedman
Date read: 2023-08-23. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Techniques on how to reverse engineer from the best, including how to improve through reflection, better practice, and how to ask experts for advice. Recommended for anyone looking to become experts in their given field.
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Say It Well: Creating and Tailoring Value-Driven Communication - by Derek C. Lott
Date read: 2019-08-11. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Great book for those looking to improve their presentation and communication skills. Great, practical advice; short and concise.
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Friend of a Friend . . .: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career - by David Burkus
Date read: 2019-07-26. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Interesting ideas challenging the concept of our network and whether we have control of it or not. Also, great insight into weak ties vs. dormant ties vs. strong ties. But overall, this book could have easily been written in a short blog post or article. Too much repetition and overuse of examples.
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Leading with Questions: How Leaders Discover Powerful Answers by Knowing How and What to Ask - by Michael J. Marquardt and Bob Tiede
Date read: 2019-06-30. How strongly I recommend it: 4/10A blog post turned into a book, this book was very redundant and 150 pages too long. The best parts are the quotes and advice from referenced leaders.
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Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire - by Dan Martell
Date read: 2023-09-03. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Written for entrepreneurs but with concepts that can apply to anyone. The author has clearly done his homework by pulling in concepts from Andy Grove, James Clear, Stephen Covey, and Tim Ferriss to name a few, and relabeling them in a way to fit his approach. Good for anyone running their own business or managers looking to find more time to do what matters most.
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The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need - by Daniel H. Pink
Date read: 2023-09-19. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Extremely short but powerful graphic novel that provides 6 lessons to improve your career. Great for those just entering into the workforce but also a great reminder for those mid-career.
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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life - by Mark Manson
Date read: 2017-01-08. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Heavy into stoic philosophy and great read to level-set on personal values and behaviors.
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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - by Angela Duckworth
Date read: 2017-01-23. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great book on how grit can surpass talent. Leverages many examples of how to obtain grit at an early age and how to teach grit to kids and to employees. Highly recommend for anyone who's trying to get more out of what they do every day. It also compliments topics such as deliberate practice found in So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport.
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The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever - by Michael Bungay Stanier
Date read: 2019-06-09. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Short and concise, this book has 7 leading questions to better coach and develop your employees. Highly recommended for new leaders and good reminder for experienced leaders.
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Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope - by Mark Manson
Date read: 2019-06-08. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10This book dives into why humans do what they do and the fact that although we should be the happiest society in history given the luxuries we have today, we still need pain and struggle to feel human. Stoic philosophy mixed in with Nietzsche theories mixed with the future religion known as artificial intelligence.
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Mastery - by Robert Greene
Date read: 2019-05-25. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Robert Greene studies the habits and techniques of history's true masters (e.g. Leonardo De Vinci, John Coltrane, Mozart, etc.) to walk you through the different phasese and methodology to become a master of something. In today's world of "always-on" and quick wins, this book reminds you there are no shortcuts to obtaining mastery in a given field or subject. Worth sharing with those unsure what they want to do with their careers or those that are feeling stuck getting to the next level.
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So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love - by Cal Newport
Date read: 2016-12-22. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10Fantastic book on how "following your passion" is bad advice and how instead to get ahead and be the best at what you do. Recommend this for anyone starting out and not sure where they want to go with life or considering a career move.
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The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything - by Stephen M.R. Covey
Date read: 2019-05-05. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Written by Stephen Covey's son, this book walks through the different ways you can build and destroy trust. Insightful in that it defuncts some common myths and is a good retrospective to see how you measure against the qualities that enable trust.
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The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven World - by Fred Reichheld & Rob Markey
Date read: 2017-06-16. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Net Promoter Score (NPS) is more than just a score. And the real work needed to improve your rating happens well after you survey your customers. Good read on the importance of NPS and examples of companies using NPS to improve their customer's satisfaction.
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Why Should Anyone Be Led by You? What It Takes to Be an Authentic Leader - by Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones
Date read: 2017-11-19. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Good read for managers just starting out in leadership. A good balance of the importance of having high EI but also the need to separate yourself from your team and to not be afraid to show them your weaknesses.
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When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing - by Daniel H. Pink
Date read: 2018-04-28. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Goes into detail on when we are at our best and our worse. Good insight into how to optimize your day to include certain activities when you're at your best and most depleted. Recommended for those that have their schedules under control but are looking for ways to improve throughput by knowing when to do certain types of tasks.
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Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging - by Sebastian Junger
Date read: 2017-02-25. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10So much of what makes our lives so great also makes us so alone. Good read on the importance of community and how it can foster and grow in times of disaster or war.
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The Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders Put People Before Numbers - by Bill Conaty & Ram Charan
Date read: 2017-02-01. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Focuses on the need for any business to constantly focus on developing and nuturing talent. Examples from GE, LG, and Unilever.
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Principles: Life and Work - by Ray Dalio
Date read: 2017-11-13. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10A very structured book on the life and principles of Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world's largest hedge funds with roughly $160 billion in assets under management. The first half of the book is a brief auto-biography of his successes, followed by his life principles and then his work principles. Many of the principles listed have been listed elsewhere but there are some great nuggets. Especially his concept of a meritocracy and radical honesty and transparency. A decent read for managers looking to influence and lead their teams based off of principles versus rules.
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The Power of Persuasion: How We're Bought and Sold - by Robert Levine
Date read: 2017-03-05. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Details into how advertising and sales can influence your decision-making abilities and ways to watch out of being negatively persuaded.
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Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions - by John Kotter
Date read: 2011-01-08. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great story on the 8 stages of change that companies go through told through pengiuns and a melting iceberg.
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Lying - by Sam Harris
Date read: 2016-07-29. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Quick read on the implications and truth about lying. Challenges the idea that "white lies" have a small impact and discusses the idea of full truth.
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (25th Anniversary Edition) - by Stephen R. Covey
Date read: 2017-03-25. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Good for anyone looking to develop traits to becoming more effective in their day-to-day. Tends to overlap with stoicism and other books on the same subject. A bit drawn out with too many examples at times.
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How Life Imitates Chess - by Garry Kasparov
Date read: 2019-04-27. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Garry Kasparov, former Russian chess grand master and world chess champion, discusses how principles of chess can apply to life and business. Especially with making decisions. Interesting read if you like chess and some nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout.
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The Plant Paradox Quick and Easy: The 30-Day Plan to Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Live Lectin-Free - by Steven R. Gundry
Date read: 2019-04-14. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Believe it or not, most plants that you have been told are good for you are actually trying to kill you. And the best way to feel young at an old age is by protecting your gut. And you do this by avoiding a protein called lectins, which some are designed to tear holes in your stomach and reek havoc on your immune system. Great insight on how not only to lose weight, but how to live a healthier lifestyle.
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Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization - by Dave Logan, John King, & Halee Fischer-Wright
Date read: 2019-04-02. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Outlines the 5 different types of tribes and how to recognize them through their actions and words. The ideal state is to oscillate between stage 4 and 5. Recommended for leaders trying to motivate their teams to be more inspired.
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Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility - by Patty McCord
Date read: 2018-01-28. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Avant garde advice from the former Chief Talent Officer of Netflix. A great read for any company that's trying to manage their talent differently. Patty challenges conventional thinking around such topics as the annual performance review, relying less on market salary bands, and relying less on Performance Improvement Plans. Recommended for any manager to think differently about how they manage their team in an ever-changing environment.
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The Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers - by Alex Banayan
Date read: 2019-03-16. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10True story of a young college student looking for how some of the most successful people started out and the steps they took to begin their journey to the top. Great read for those trying to figure out what they want out of life and how to go about finding a mentor & network.
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Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The New Secret to Success - by David Livermore
Date read: 2017-05-18. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Different than most international business books that help to educate you on the specific customs and best practices when visiting and doing business in a foreign country (see Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands). Although the author gives plenty of examples of cultural differences, he focuses more on the mindset you should have and what types of activities you should be more attentive to when interacting with non-Americans. Recommended for anyone interacting with international employees or those that travel or living abroad.
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Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World - by Cal Newport
Date read: 2019-03-02. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Part of me is very depressed that a book like this needs to exist. But unfortunately, given how technology has become a major dependance in our lives and the negative effects that come along with it, I see why we need this book more than ever. Highly recommended for anyone struggling with technology and FOMO.
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It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work - by Jason Fried
Date read: 2019-02-04. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10Fantastic book that challenges all of the old ways of working. From not having goals, to scaling back your company's growth, to level-setting salaries by roles, this is a great read for anyone having trouble maintaining high-performance at work. Not all of these ideas could or should be implemented for every company, but it does get you thinking of challenging norms and status quo of business & how companies should operate.
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Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results - by Shane Parrish
Date read: 2023-10-11. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10From the founder of Farnam Street and creator of The Knowledge Project Podcast comes one of the best books I've ever read on how to make better decisions. Extremely well-organized and thorough - a quick read packed with great advice that you can action on quickly. Recommended for anyone looking to improve their critical thinking skills.
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Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds - by Carmine Gallo
Date read: 2023-09-11. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10A must read for anyone wanting to up their presentation & public speaking skills. A very well-organized book that goes through the best-practices of over a hundred TED talks filled with great examples and scientific studies to back up their claims.
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The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings - by Nick Gray
Date read: 2023-10-20. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Excellent step-by-step instructions on how to create a well-organized and productive 2-hour cocktail party. Recommended for anyone interested in building out their network or looking for ideas on how to improve gatherings at home or at events.
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The 48 Laws of Power - by Robert Greene
Date read: 2019-01-06. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Fantastic writing and great examples of how power is used and misused throughout time. Some may think this book is meant for those seeking power, but it's also a cautionary tale on how to avoid the tricks and tactics of those seeking power.
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That's What She Said: What Men Need to Know (And Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together - by Joanne Lipman
Date read: 2018-12-30. How strongly I recommend it: 5/10This is one of those cases where a newspaper article was made into a book. Not enough substance and too many examples. There are a few gems in here but not worth reading the entire book.
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Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations - by William Ury
Date read: 2018-11-18. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10A follow-up to the acclaimed best-seller Getting to Yes, this book is considered a follow-up for when you have to deal with a particularly difficult negotiation. When the person you're negotiating with does not want to budge or is trying to use bullying tactics. Recommended for those looking to improve their negotiation skills in all areas.
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You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself - by David McRaney
Date read: 2018-10-29. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Great book on philosohpy and human behavior. Great for any manager or leader to read to better understand themeselves and human behavior in general.
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Yes to the Mess: Surprising Leadership Lessons from Jazz - by Frank J. Barrett
Date read: 2018-10-06. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10I'm biased because I play jazz, but I agree with the idea of how jazz improvisation techniques can apply to business. Especially when a company is going through major change. Recommended for any leader who is overwhelmed with the amount of change or is trying to hard to control everything.
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Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company - by Andrew S. Grove
Date read: 2018-10-23. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Great advice on how to handle pivitol moments in a company or in your career, using examples from Intel's shift from memory to processors and other tech companies. Some information is slightly outdated, but the principles are still sound.
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Leadership: Plain and Simple - by Steve Radcliffe
Date read: 2018-09-30. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Quick read on how to lead whether you're in a managerial position or not. Using the FED (Future, Engage, Deliver) approach, it mirrors a lot of other manager books out there. Good for non and new managers.
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High Output Management - by Andrew S. Grove
Date read: 2018-09-27. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10A must read for any existing or new manager. Andrew Grove walks through the key deliverables and expectations of managers in a step-by-step process. From managing production, making decisions, assessing talent, even how to run meetings. With the focus all around how to yield the greatest output.
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12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos - by Jordan B. Peterson
Date read: 2018-09-15. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Renowned psychologist Jordan B Peterson’s answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research. A very deep, introspective on morality and human behavior.
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Notes on Directing: 130 Lessons in Leadership from the Director's Chair - by Frank Hauser & Russell Reich
Date read: 2018-08-25. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10I found this via a recommendation in an Havard Business Review article on leadership. Although it's solely focused on theatrical directing, there are a few nuggets of advice that apply to business leaders.
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Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, 2nd edition - By Roger Fisher, William Ury, & Bruce Patton
Date read: 2018-08-12. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10A must read for anyone trying to improve their negotiation skills. Not just for standard negotiations, but also great for dealing with difficult parties when trying to come to some sort of resolution.
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How to Stop Worrying and Start Living - By Dale Carnegie
Date read: 2018-08-04. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Although this book was originally published in 1948, the advice and principles still apply today. Although some of the book is outdated, it's worth reading for anyone looking to stop worrying and start living. Also contains a lot of stoic philosophy and quotes from famous stoics.
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The Captain Class: A New Theory of Leadership - By Sam Walker
Date read: 2018-07-21. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10From the founding editor of the WSJ sports section, this book looks at the top tier sports teams and the one common denominator that made them great, their captains. Surprising findings on how these captains behaved versus our previous notions on how captains should perform. For example, many were not the star player on the team or the most outspoken. Great book to share with leaders or future leaders who feel they don't measure up to what a leader is supposed to be.
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Build an A-Team: Play to Their Strengths and Lead Them Up the Learning Curve - By Whitney Johnson
Date read: 2018-06-23. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Discusses the S curve approach and how it's important for leaders to have a good mix of people on their team, related to their strengths and experience. Good for any leader trying to improve their team.
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Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude - By Raymond M. Kethledge & Michael S. Erwin
Date read: 2018-06-02. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10This is one of those books that was a great blog post or magazine article that they tried to turn into a book. Good advice for leaders to practice solitude, but not all of the examples are relevant to the main point of the book. Still, some useful management theories and quotes.
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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable - By Patrick M. Lencioni
Date read: 2018-05-13. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Split into an easy to follow fable and followed by the five dysfuntctions of a team and techniques to overcome them. Great for anyone who wants to maximize the output and effectiveness of their team.
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TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking - By Chris Anderson
Date read: 2018-05-12. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Great advice on the best way to provide great presentations and speeches. Great examples of different techniques from TED Talks and a great book for anyone interested in improving their public speaking skills.
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The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups - By Daniel Coyle
Date read: 2018-02-18. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Want to know the secret to building a great team? It might not be what you think. For example, the smartest teams don't always win. It's more about building trust and empathy to allow individuals to express their ideas and be open to conflicting schools of thought. Recommended for leaders who want to create high-performing teams.
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Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less - By Greg McKeown
Date read: 2017-05-05. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10There are a lot of books out there that talk about techniques in order to increase productivity. But there are surprisingly few that talk about a philosophy to redesign your life so you can focus on what really matters. Recommended for anyone who says they're too busy to get to what they really want out of life.
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Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant - By Chan W. Kim
Date read: 2018-01-06. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Instead of trying to compete in a "red ocean" full of competitors and cut-throat competition you should instead work on developing a "blue ocean" strategy by reinventing your value proposition and looking for new non-customers. Great book on building a unique strategy that will bring tremendous value to your current and new customers.
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Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World - By Timothy Ferriss
Date read: 2017-12-27. How strongly I recommend it: 10/10Fantastic book filled with great advice from over 130 of the best performers in the world. I've been a long-time listener of the Tim Ferriss Show podcast and it's profoundly changede my life for the better. I recommond this book and his podcast to anyone, young and old, interested in self-improvement and a happier, more fulfilling life in general.
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The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter - By Michael D. Watkins
Date read: 2017-12-09. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great book for those just entering into a leadership role or current leaders taking on a new assignment or team. Lots of great methods to analyze your strengths, weaknesses, and blindspots. Highly recommended for new managers and those getting promoted to a senior leadership position, either in the same or new company.
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On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction - By William Zinsser
Date read: 2016-12-18. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great book on best practices for writing non-fiction, including basic writing and grammer skills.
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Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling For Less - By Robert I. Sutton & Huggy Rao
Date read: 2017-03-16. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Techniques on how to best spread excellence throughout an organization. Includes several examples of companies improving excellence such as JetBlue and P&G. Somewhat repetitive and very academic.
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Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace) - By Chade-Meng Tan
Date read: 2018-11-18. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great book from a Google engineer on how to apply mindful meditation to the workplace and build strong emotional intelligence.
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Stumbling on Happiness - By Daniel Gilbert
Date read: 2016-07-04. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10A scientitific approach into dissecting what it means to be "happy". Good insight into how our brain tricks us into being happy and the steps we can do to further discover true happiness.
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The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done - By Peter F. Drucker
Date read: 2016-08-09. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10The essential book on how to be productive. Written over 50 years ago but still applies in today's work environment.
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The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues - By Patrick Lencioni
Date read: 2017-03-18. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Quick read on teamwork lessons built around a fable and then followed up with tactful advice on how to build great teams and companies. Simple concepts that are often overlooked (humility, hunger, and people smarts) and great interview questions on finding people with all three characteristics. Must read for hiring managers.
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The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph - By Ryan Holiday
Date read: 2016-10-01. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10A succinct adrenaline-generating call to clear thinking and rational action. Many historical examples. Incredibly inspiring. Stoic thinking throughout.
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Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future - By Peter Tiel and Blake Masters
Date read: 2016-01-15. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Peter Tiel, co-founder of PayPal, talks about what it takes to build a great startup in Silicon Valley. Insightful book that explains it takes more than just thinking differently to be successful.
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The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance - By Josh Waitzkin
Date read: 2017-03-29. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Insight into the mind of a chess prodigy and Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands World Champion on how he learns and masters games such as chess and martial arts. Great read on how to optimize your performance in any field.
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Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business - By Frances Frei and Anne Morris
Date read: 2017-02-22. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10How to provide the best customer service with several examples from great businesses. It also debunks common myths about how you should create exceptional service.
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Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything - By Joshua Foer
Date read: 2016-01-19. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10For those fascinated with memory. Riveting page-turner about a journalist (with no particularly good memory) who went to cover a memory championship event. Intrigued and befriending some competitors, he starts practicing, and a year later wins the U.S. memory championship event himself. Inspiring dive into the subject of memorization.
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The Magic of Thinking Big - By David Schwartz
Date read: 2017-09-20. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Slightly outdated examples but good advice for someone starting out in their career. I gave it a lower score because I felt like I already have applied a lot of these concepts. Although I wish the author would have gone in more detail as to how to remove barriers and achieve these results.
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Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes - By Morgan Housel
Date read: 2024-01-02. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Quick read filled with stories on what will remain constant in an ever-changing world. Uses examples from history including the Great Depression, WWII, and the US in the 1950's, to name a few.
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How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen - By David Brooks
Date read: 2023-12-23. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Goes beyond teaching you the importance of active listening and how to develop high EI (Emotional Intelligence). A different and more impactful way to truly see someone and to help them feel heard.
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Au Contraire!: Figuring Out the French - By Gilles Asselin and Ruth Mastron
Date read: 2017-08-12. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Great book for understanding the differences and similarities between the French and American cultures. Highly recommended for anyone working extensively with French employees or expats.
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Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck--Why Some Thrive Despite Them All - By Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen
Date read: 2017-06-05. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Similar to Jim Collns' other book, Good to Great, this one focuses on the strategies and tactics of companies that were able to obtain 10X results. He covers companies from different industries including Southwest Airlines, Apple, Microsoft, and biotech. Some interesting findings on what you think makes these companies great is actually the opposite.
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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't - By Jim Collins
Date read: 2017-05-27. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10An in depth analysis into why some companies succeed while others fail, or just remain mediocre. Includes case studies from companies such as Circuit City, Kimberly-Clarke, Walgreens, and Abbott to name a few. Great philosophies that can be applied to any company.
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How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less - By Nicholas Boothamn
Date read: 2016-02-06. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Don't get turned off by the cheezy title. This book has a lot of great tips to make a good first impression.
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Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time - By Susan Scott
Date read: 2017-05-13. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10It's not just about the conversation. It's also knowing which difficult conversations you're avoiding and how to identify them and manage the before, during, and after. Great book with addressing real issues in your life and being able to discuss them at work and at home and make them productive.
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Emotional Intelligence 2.0 - By Travis Bradberry
Date read: 2017-04-30. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10EI isn't just empathy. Great book on the value tha EI brings with tips on how to improve your EI in a multitude of areas.
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Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout - By Cal Newport
Date read: 2024-03-17. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Arguably one of Cal's best books and a very close second to my favorite book of his, So Good They Can't Ignore You. Newport does an excellent job weaving in memorable and relatable stories in a very well structured and insightful book on the power of slow productivity. Recommended for anyone with burnout and looking to upgrade their skills to the next level.
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The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate with Clarity and Confidence - By Ros Atkins
Date read: 2024-02-29. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Written by a seasoned BBC journalist, he shares his approach for writing and speeches so that they are clear and easy to understand. Overall good advice, but I found other books on this topic much more useful.
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Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict - By William Ury
Date read: 2024-05-06. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10From the author of Getting to Yes and Getting Past No, his latest book focuses on what's possible coming out of a negotiation. Filled with many stories from his work as a professional negogiator for world leaders, it's very well structured and provides additional tools into building strong outcomes through negogiations.
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Culture in 4D: The Blueprint for a Culture of Engagement, Ownership, and Bottom-Line Performance - By Tony Moore
Date read: 2024-05-01. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Focuses on the importance of culture when it comes to building high-performing teams. Quick read that includes sample questions to help facilitate these topics with your team.
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Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service - By Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles
Date read: 2017-04-14. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Short and insightful, a must-read for anyone in the customer service business. Three easy to understand rules for acquiring "raving fans" which sound straightforward but hard to implement.
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Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers - By James C. Humes
Date read: 2016-06-12. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Good advice on how to be a better public speaker and develop more stage presence. Good for those just starting out with improving their public speaking skills and helpful reminders for more seasoned presenters.
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Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box - By The Arbinger Institute
Date read: 2017-04-22. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Are you in the box or out of the box? Insight into how to be a better leader by being self-aware of how you treat others and how they want to be treated. By identifying them as people and not objects. Good read for someone who needs to improve their Emotional Intelligence.
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Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness - By Robert K. Greenleaf and Larry C. Spears
Date read: 2017-04-15. How strongly I recommend it: 5/10Leaders should act as servants to their employees. This book challenges the standard hierarchial model of a CEO at the top and re-examining how leaders should manage. Includes organizations, foundations, and relgious institutions.
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Getting Things Done (the art of stress-free productivity) - By David Allen
Date read: 2016-12-17. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great book on how to organize and prioritize your life both personally and professionally.
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Ego Is The Enemy - By Ryan Holiday
Date read: 2016-09-01. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Focuses on how ego can impede you from your goals and ambitions and to stay humble and continue to be a student.
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Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business - By Patrick M. Lencioni
Date read: 2017-01-24. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Great fable that teaches you the importance of the power of effective meetings. It goes beyond conventional wisdom and talks more to key concepts into having productive meetings.
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Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win - By Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
Date read: 2016-09-05. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Good examples of how to truly own responsibility through military and business case studies. Recommend for any leader who wants to build trust with their team and get things done.
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Becoming a Category of One: How Extraordinary Companies Transcend Commodity and Defy Comparison - By Joe Calloway
Date read: 2016-01-26. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10How to get into your own category, ahead of your competitors, and better satisfy your customers. Great book to help a company come up with a clear and compelling mission and vision statement and to better understand why you are in this business to begin with.
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Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery - By Scott Young
Date read: 2024-06-11. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great advice and techniques on how to improve your abilities to learn anything.
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Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection - By Charles Duhigg
Date read: 2024-06-14. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10How to get past the surface level questions like, "what do you do?" and "where do you live?" to connect better with those you meet. Good advice in the beginning but it tended to become redundant towards the second half. But good read for anyone who is beginning to network and wants to improve their communication skills.
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Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win - By Ben Guttmann
Date read: 2024-06-17. How strongly I recommend it: 6/10Very quick read on the power of messaging. Mostly focused for those within marketing, although these ideas can be applied to building a product or simply trying to get your point across.
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Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot - By Matt Abrahams
Date read: 2024-06-21. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Great advice on how to communicate when you're put on the spot. Recommended for anyone having to give impromptu speeches, answering interview questions, or networking and tends to struggle with how to communicate effectively.
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The AI-Savvy Leader: Nine Ways to Take Back Control and Make AI Work - By David De Cremer
Date read: 2024-07-03. How strongly I recommend it: 5/10Meant to help leaders understand how to implement AI, it mostly focused on basic change management skills that leaders should use with any major transformation initiative. There are many other books out there that explain these concepts better and not enough AI content to recommend.
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Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI - By Ethan Mollick
Date read: 2024-09-02. How strongly I recommend it: 8/10Good book for those trying to understand how to apply AI to your life. Covers best practices when using AI (mostly LLMs) and includes predictions of how AI will evolve over time.
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Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling - By Matthew Dicks
Date read: 2024-10-01. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Written by the 36-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 5-time GrandSLAM champion, this is a masterclass on how to tell stories that people will remember and want to hear. Excellent advice on not just how to deliver great stories, but also practical ways on how to mine for impactful stories that on the outside seem to be coming from small, insignificant moments within your life. Recommended for anyone looking to tell better stories either on a public stage or one-on-one.
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All I Want To Know Is Where I'm Going To Die So I'll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger – A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense - By Peter Bevelin
Date read: 2024-11-11. How strongly I recommend it: 9/10Told in the style of a fictitious tale of a "Seeker" visiting a "Library of Wisdom" where he is bestowed life lessons from the Librarian, along with Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett. A collection of advice and sayings from both Munger and Buffett that covers everything from life, business, and investing advice.
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