Books

It’s not typical to list “books read” in a portfolio, but I’ve put significant time into developing myself as a person and as a leader through reading. I normally finish about 1 book per week. 

It’s hard to visually demonstrate the soft skills I’ve acquired since most of them are abstract. Hopefully the list below will serve as a visual representation of efforts I’ve taken to continually improve my decision making skills and minimize my “blind spots.” This is by no mean an exhaustive list, just the dominate few that have helped revolutionize my thinking over the past few years.


“The difference between where you are today and where you’ll be five years from now will be found in the quality of books you’ve read.”
– Jim Rohn


Breakthrough Advertising – Eugene M. Schwartz
When it comes to copywriting this book is the operators manual for the human mind.  Recommended by the top ad men of today, this book is a must have for any marketer who’s worth a damn.

Leadership Strategy and Tactics – Jocko Willink
A fantastic book about effective leadership by developing a culture of communication.

The Road Less Stupid – Keith J. Cunningham
Lots of high quality questions to help ferret out potentially dumb decisions.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz
One of my favorites.  Great advise from an accidental management guru. Written by a white guy that loves gangsta’ rap.  This gets re-read about every 6-9 months.

Principles – Ray Dalio
This book so eloquently summarizes the many lessons I learned. The techniques he uses to make decisions has changed my thinking process forever. 

“You’re looking for the best answer, not simply the best answer that you can come up with yourself.”
-Ray Dalio


The Infinite Game – Simon Sinek
It’s fun to read a book and have your entire world view upended.  This book did that for me.

Multipliers, Revised and Updated –  Liz Wiseman
THE book that helped me realize that you’re only as good as your team.  Before this book I thought “team work” was a bunch of fluffy BS.  After reading it, I finally realized the power of TEAM.

How to Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie
It may sound cheesy, but this should be required reading in all high schools.

Decisive – Chip Heath, Dan Heath
The key to better answers is better questions.  This book is a great resource for algorithmically asking good questions to help get better answers.

Ready, Fire, Aim – Michael Masterson
This book  revolutionized how I evaluate new business ideas.  A total game changer.

Never Split the Difference – Chris Voss
I literally use the techniques in this book everyday.  Literally…everyday.  I’ve even gotten free travel upgrades from the techniques in this one.