Masters of Deception — The late 80s and early 90s was the wild west for hacking. In this gripping book, you are taken through the true story of Masters of Deception, a hacking group made up of teenagers for New York City who blazed through the major telephone systems and being chased by the FBI.
Atlas Shrugged – Fiction. The famous book by Ayn Rand, which is a statement on her philosophy of Objectivism. Agree or disagree with the philosophy, the industrial men in this book are strong male characters that know how to handle themselves.
The Making of the Atomic Bomb – Quite possibly one of the best books I’ve ever read. From the very beginning of the discovery of the nucleus through the end of the war. A tale of science, espionage, and politics all come together in the astounding story of the atomic bomb.
Impact Equation – A phenomenal book on marketing, extending your reach, articulation, and echo. It’s already helping me with my business.
The One Minute Manager – Good introductory book on management. Really brief, but it has solid advice on dealing with employees and remembering that they are human beings.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Real excellent management book that takes you through a realistic, but fictional situation about a dysfunctional executive team and what a CEO needs to do to get everyone working together.
The Personal MBA – An excellent and thorough overview of everything you need to know to run a business. If you are considering getting an MBA because you want to learn business, read this book first. You might reconsider spending $150,000 for a degree that you can teach yourself.
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 – Emotional Intelligence is a huge indicator for those who are successful in life. Be smarter with your emotions and the emotions of others and it will make you a more likable, trustworthy, and intelligent individual.
Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman – A must read. It follows the adventures of renowned theoretical physicist Richard Feynman and his life experiences that relate so well to brilliant, but socially awkward individuals.
The Art of Strategy – This is one of those books that really change your perspective of the world. You learn to see things differently. Game theory. Not seduction, but actual game theory. Everything in life can be broken down into some type of game. How do you play? This book opens you up to strategies and how to win them all.
Bargaining for Advantage – Learn how to improve your bargaining and negotiating skills. This is great for all areas and interactions in life that involve some sort of exchange of value.
Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RGR Nabisco – Absolutely amazing book about what happened to RGR Nabisco during the 6-week long takeover by leveraged buyout. If you’re looking for a tough, hard-hitting Wall Street story with lessons in negotiations, business, ethics, and all around great drama, this book is for you.
Accounting Made Simple – Everyone should have some knowledge of the fundamentals of accounting principles. This is a very concise book, in under a 100 pages, you get a quick understanding of the major parts of accounting.
Killer Angels – A pulitzer price winning historical novel about the Battle of Gettysburg. Incredibly gripping book.
Unbroken – Amazing story about perseverance and survival in WWII. Will make you a better person.
Predictable Revenue – A solid book about building a sales team to take your business to the next level.
Destiny of the Republic – An incredibly eye-opening book about the assassination of President James Garfield in 1881. You learn quite a bit about this unknown president and his insane assassin. Oh, did I mention that Alexander Graham Bell tried to invent a device to save the President and that the President’s doctors were arguably the ones that killed him? Worth the read!
Slaughterhouse Five – This is a classic piece of literature. It’s a novel and it follows the story of Billy Pilgrim who was taken by aliens and is now able to time travel to any point in his life. Sounds weird, but read the reviews. It’s a quick read, but after finishing the book, it really puts life into perspective.
Thinking, Fast and Slow – A book that challenges your understanding of how humans make rational decisions. The way our brains are wired, we are more prone to make absurd judgments than you might think. Great book.
The Devil in the White City – A book that takes you on an epic adventure back to 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair. All the while tracking the mystery and notorious serial killer H. H Holmes. A dramatic true story.
The World Without Us – A book that describes what happens to the earth if humans suddenly disappeared.
A Short History of Nearly Everything – This book, as the title suggests, is a short history of nearly everything. From how the earth and cosmos formed, to evolution, the human body, the cell, and everything in between. Moreover, it details how these scientific discoveries took place and the curious characters behind them.
The Boys in the Boat – The inspiring story about the US Rowing team that came together for the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things – When you’re an executive in business, you’re going to have to make the tough decisions. An intense book about being a manager and how to handle the various problems after shit has hit the fan.
When Genius Failed – Awesome, dramatic account of the rise and fall of Long Term Capital Management
BIFF: Quick Responses to High Conflict People – We live in a Culture of Blame and Disrespect in which emails, social media posts, and personal attacks are on the increase. We must learn to respond to people who communicate this way — people with high-conflict personalities.
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup – Follow the rise, bust mostly fall of Theranos. A medical device startup that attempted to bring cheaper and faster blood testing to American households. It did not go as planned…
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike – The story of how Phil Knight launched one of the most iconic brands in history. The story starts off in early 1960s and takes you through all the wild trials and tribulations that Mr. Knight had to go through to be successful. What a journey.