48 Laws of Power: Robert Greene
One of the greatest books ever written, so good, it’s banned in the prison system.
The life and work principles of the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund. Probably the business book I give away the most.
Roger Federer vs. Tiger Woods; van Gogh vs. Mozart. A fascinating comparison of generalists and specialists and why the world needs both.
Chairman and founder of the Carlyle Group (and owner of the Magna Carta??) – this book is a collection of interviews with the world’s most interesting leaders and CEOs.
Trillion Dollar Coach: Eric Schmidt
Former Chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt, tells the story of Bill Campbell – board advisor and mentor to Apple, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Facebook, and on and on.
How many best-selling business books quote Henry B Eyring? Just this one.
All of Seth Godin’s books are great, but this is probably his best. How to build a company and brand products and services that are worth marketing.
The Ride of a Lifetime: Robert Iger
Chairman and now former CEO of Disney, Bob Iger’s story from the cutting floor of ABC Sports to the corner office, dives into the deals and deal process that helped grow Disney’s business and fuel his meteoric rise.
With $50 from his father, Phil Knight set off on creating a shoe company out of the trunk of his car. First year revenue – $8,000. 2019 revenue – $39 billion.
The Churchill Factor: Boris Johnson
Winston Churchill is one of my personal heroes and this book, written by the now Prime Minister of England, provides a great primer on “the large protruding nail on which destiny snagged her coat.”
Good books about sports are few and far between. This dives into what makes championship-caliber team captains great and how we translate to the business world.
Blue Ocean Strategy: W. Chan Kim
Arguably the most famous strategy book ever written, the thesis is not to compete in crowded arenas with competitors, rather, in untapped “oceans” waiting for the first diver.
Against the Gods: Peter Bernstein
The Washington Post described it best, “A comprehensive history of man’s efforts to understand risk and probability, from ancient gamblers in Greece to modern chaos theory.”
How Will You Measure Your Life?: Clayton Christensen
My favorite book of Clayton’s – Rose Park alum – asks important questions to ensure you live your life ethically and with a source of pride, but also reminds that personal relationships are the real indicator of success.
Leadership in Turbulent Times: Doris Kearns Goodwin
Presidential historian, DKG, reviews the life and leadership style of Lincoln, Teddy & Franklin D Roosevelt, and Lyndon B Johnson during the most taxing moments of their careers.
This book just came out, so I have not read it yet, but the way Netflix operates as a company remains the ultimate copy-cat goal. The main foundation is that Netflix is a sports team, not a family. One that is always looking to upgrade positions, foster an environment of appropriate competition, and always do what is best for the company, not the individual.
Success is Never Final: Bill Marriott
A fascinating genesis story of Marriott – told by the son of J.W. and eventual Chairman, Bill. Marriott never set out to be the world’s largest hotel company, but is proof of the compound effect of smart, well-timed decisions.
Tim is an odd duck, but has a terrific podcast and has written some very useful books. Tribe of Mentors contains interviews with world class performers across disciplines to illustrate the importance of routines, use of time, how to make decisions, etc. Another you may like as you train for next year is: Four Hour Body.
Thinking Fast and Slow: Danny Kahneman
Nobel Prize winning Economist, Danny Kahneman breaks down how and why we think the way we do. Sometimes its appropriate to be fast and emotional, other times require more deliberation. This book is a reminder to slow down and ignore the noise in order to focus on the signals.
Grinding it Out, The Making of McDonalds: Ray Kroc
Last one. Ray Kroc – innovator and business acumen behind the McDonalds brothers completely upended the fast food world by creating systems and processes and squashing inefficiencies to blitz scale.
Happy reading.