- Want to learn more about how I get through so many books? Lucky you! Since writing the original version of this post, I’ve outlined my entire system in this post HERE.
- After I prepared this list, I realized I’d read (or listened to) 28 of the 48 books at least twice. Repetition is the mother of mastery.
- I’ve read (or listened to) the following books three times:
- This is exclusively books I’ve found directly useful for my business pursuits. That said, I did include a small personal development section, as this is always a rate limiting factor on professional development. This is the section that feels most arbitrary, as I could have easily added another 10-15. But… CONSTRAINTS.
- I purposely excluded some of my favorite topics if they didn’t relate directly to business: psychology, social philosophy, sociology, personal finance, and biographies. While I could (and do!) make the case these are foundational topics for business success, in the interest of focus, they are not included.
- If you want to see a list of my most recent All Time Top 20 (including the above excluded subjects), you can check it out on this Instagram post HERE. You can also follow me while you’re there.
- My speed and volume of consumption isn’t something that will make sense for most people. I realize some people may find a list like this overwhelming. My suggestion is to focus on the topic you think would have the biggest impact on your professional effectiveness.
- And finally, books are awesome, but they’re really just one piece of the puzzle. Most adults don’t truly learn without putting their knowledge into action. This usually requires some kind of “learn-by-doing-with-feedback” component.
Would love for you to leave a comment and let me know if there are other must-reads you’d add.
BOOKS!
Personal Development
Man’s Search For Meaning – Viktor Frankl The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz Flow – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Mindset – Carol S. Dweck Ego Is The Enemy – Ryan Holiday
Business Strategy & Operations
Good to Great – Jim Collins Ready, Fire, Aim – Michael Masterson Traction – Gino Wickman E-Myth Revisited – Michael E. Gerber
Communication
Thanks For the Feedback – Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen Crucial Conversations – Kerry Patterson Radical Candor – Kim Scott The Elements of F*cking Style – Baker and Hansen Bird By Bird – Anne Lamott
Leadership
Leaders Eat Last – Simon Sinek The Lapsed Anarchist’s Guide to Being A Better Leader – Ari Weinzweig Extreme Ownership – Willink and Babin Leadership and Self Deception – The Arbinger Institute
Management
First Break All the Rules – Gallup Press Growing Great Employees – Erika Andersen The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz Principles – Ray Dalio What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – Marshall Goldsmith
Culture
Tribal Leadership – Dave Logan & John King Delivering Happiness – Tony Hsieh The Advantage – Patrick M. Lencioni Legacy – James Kerr The Speed of Trust – Stephen R. Covey
Marketing
Influence – Robert B. Cialdini Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got – Jay Abraham Viralnomics – Jonathan Goodman Building A StoryBrand – Donald Miller This Is Marketing – Seth Godin
Sales
To Sell Is Human – Daniel H. Pink Ultimate Sales Machine – Chet Holmes SPIN Selling – Neil Rackham Ultimate Sales Letter – Dan S. Kennedy
Customer Service
Secret Service – John DiJulius Peak – Chip Conley Setting the Table – Danny Meyer
Business Finance
Simple Numbers – Greg Crabtree Profit First – Mike Michalowicz
Networking
Never Eat Alone – Keith Ferrazzi How To Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
Time Management
Getting Things Done – David Allen Essentialism – Greg McKeown Deep Work – Cal Newport
Love this list Mark. I have read 33 of the 48, so I have some work to do. One of the things I like to do is listen to the audiobook and then follow up by taking notes in a print copy. I know writing in books drives some people nuts, but they are meant to be used and put into action, not sit on the shelf as a museum piece. Jim Collins just released a monograph called “Turning The Flywheel”, which expands on that concept which he talked about in Good To Great.
Yeah, I actually like that most of my books look very used haha. And I’ve seen that book but haven’t read it yet. Have you read it? Recommend?
I do recommend it Mark. It makes you answer some challenging questions in order to identify the components of your own company’s flywheel. In the process I found we had some work to do.
How close was The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fvck from making the personal development list? As an education junkie too, I had it right after Frankl and Dweck. It’s probably my most gifted book.
Very close! I do love that book. Admittedly, the personal development category was hardest for me, and Subtle Art could very well be a great addition.
Thanks for the list Mark. Love it!!
Thanks friend!
You inspire! Have you read Nonviolent Communication by Marshal Rosenberg? If not I highly recommend. Audio book it! He reads it himself.
YES! I have listened to that audiobook, great stuff!