1-Wrestling Sturbridge by Rich Wallace

This was the first book that I remember actually reading, actually finishing, and actually really enjoying. It was about the struggle of growing up and figuring things out. I liked that it was a life metaphor revolving around sports and middle school.

2-Good to Great, Jim Collins

I learned about Level 5 Leadership and that great executives take responsibility for problems and pass off praise to their staff. That’s a key to leadership.

3-Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki

Learned the difference of and power of not trading hours for dollars. The secret to wealth building is to develop streams of revenue that work and generate revenue even when you’re not actually working.

4-Rule Number One, by Phil Town

Rule number one to investing wisely is Don’t Lose Money. No matter what, do not lose money on anything and only invest in businesses that you know. The minimum goal is 10% earnings and you want to aim to buy $1 of value for $.50. Buy low, sell high and be disciplined in your investing. 

5-Four Hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss

Stop trading dollars for hours. Convince your boss that you’re more productive with more freedom…ask for a day a month to work outside the office while still getting your work done. Once that goes well, ask for more time and you could end up with working only a few days in the office per month. The Four Hour Body is also very good and worth putting on your bookshelf.

6-The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins

Great story about the power and will to overcome adversity. Also interesting that the main character was a female. Social undertones there interesting

7-Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

For most things, time invested will determine success. 10000 hour rule. This suggests two things. The more you do something, the better you get at that thing. Also, the shere amount of time that it takes to become professional means that many of your competitors will fall away.

8-The War of Art, by Stephen Pressfield

The professional gets things done. The pro does the work regardless of what’s going on. The pro recognizes the resistance as a real force and overcomes the resistance by just going after it one step, one word, one moment at a time. The resistance doesn’t care who you are, only that you fail to do whatever it is that you’re trying to succeed at.

9-The Alchemist, Pablo Coehle

Everyone should pursue some kind of quest in their lives. You should want something and go on a journey to find whatever it is. In doing so, you learn about the world around you and other people/cultures, but mostly you learn about yourself, what you’re made of, what makes you feel alive. I wish I had taken the advice of my friend who recommended this book and read it 10 years before I actually did.

10, 11-Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last, by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek looks at things different than most other authors I’ve read. I really like how he approaches things based on putting others first. If I want to sell something, why do I want to sell it? Why would others want this thing? What’s the point? What’s the mission and vision? Also, leaders do eat last. They put their teams and subordinates needs before their own. When you look at it another way, that’s what good parenting is too.

12-Building a Storybrand, by Donald Miller

The seven part framework is a marketing formula that actually works. The idea of thinking of yourself as the guide and not the hero is a mind shift, but solidifies the fact that sales and marketing works best when you give the customer what they want, not what you have to sell. Miller breaks everything down and makes it very easy to come up with a brandscript that works.