Book Summaries
This page lists all my book summaries. For many of them, I’ve published my personal notes along with a three-sentence summary and five key takeaways.
There are currently 75+ nonfiction books on topics like business management, leadership, self-improvement, personal finance, and more. If a particular book sounds interesting to you, click on the full book summary and you can browse all of my notes on it.
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Book Summaries Organized by Category
You can browse my book summaries by category below. Click on a link to jump to that particular section.
- Business Management and Strategy
- Negotiating
- Leadership and Self Improvement
- Math and Science
- Productivity
- Health and Fitness
- Behavioral Psychology
- Career Strategies
- Personal Finance
- Sales and Marketing
- Writing
- Christian
- Biography and History
Business Management and Strategy
High Output Management
By Andrew S. Grove
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: Andrew Grove teaches us through his experience as CEO of Intel how to manage and lead an organization. This book is a guide for how to measure productivity, conduct meetings, make decisions, plan ahead, organize resources, motivate performance, coach improvement, promote success, train potential, and retain high output individuals. It’s a handbook for business owners, entrepreneurs, and managers of all kinds, filled with practical advice for creating and managing highly productive teams.
The Effective Manager
By Mark Horstman
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: An effective manager is someone who produces results while retaining and developing a high performing team. They do this by building relationships with their people, communicating clearly about performance, asking for more, and pushing work down. In this book, Mark Horstman provides practical advice and step-by-step examples for anyone who wants to learn the behaviors of an effective manager.
Profits Aren’t Everything, They’re the Only Thing: No-Nonsense Rules From the Ultimate Contrarian and Small Business Guru
By George Cloutier
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Author George Cloutier shares 15 practical, unapologetic, and sometimes unorthodox rules for how to manage a successful small-medium size business. Rules such as, “love your business more than your family,” “delegate, don’t abdicate,” and “give up golf, retreats, off-sites, and trade shows” make up short, easy-to-read chapters that are equal parts entertaining and smart. You may not agree with all of Cloutier’s maxims, but his ideas are worth reading if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or struggling business owner who wants to grow a successful company.
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
By Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: The Goal is a business novel that preaches a simple but insightful truth: productivity is the act of bringing a company closer towards its goal. If the company’s goal is to make money, then we should focus on increasing throughput, decreasing inventory, and decreasing operational expenses. By teaching us how to search for process bottlenecks and apply the Theory of Constraints, Eli Goldratt helps us achieve a fundamental understanding of how we should design productive systems.
A Sense of Urgency
By John P. Kotter
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: John Kotter believes that effective change within any organization begins with a true sense of urgency. Leaders in today’s rapidly evolving economy need to be equipped with the strategies and tools to combat complacency and mediocrity. This book teaches us how to cultivate a culture that is poised to adapt and react quickly to changes in the market.
Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable About Destroying the Barriers That Turn Colleagues into Competitors
By Patrick Lencioni
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Silos, politics and turf wars are combatted by unifying your organization around a common sense of purpose. Develop a time-bound thematic goal, and then support the goal with shared, qualitative objectives. In this entertaining fable, Lencioni gives us a useful framework for driving company alignment.
Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business
By Patrick Lencioni
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: In his signature business fable style, Lencioni challenges why we hate going to meetings. This book gives us a framework for thinking about how to make meetings entertaining, meaningful, and effective. Packed with practical advice and examples, Death by Meeting will help you improve your meeting structure, participation, and results.
The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
By Clayton M. Christensen
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: The Innovator’s Dilemma tries to answer why successful companies often falter when confronted with disruptive changes in technology or market structure. Best business practices – like benchmarking the competition, investing in new technologies, and listening to the customer – can become stumbling blocks. Christensen’s book provides a strategic framework for any company that desires to avoid becoming obsolete in today’s innovative and fast-paced economy.
Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company
By Tom Searcy and Barbara Weaver Smith
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Whale Hunting will teach you the strategy and tactics needed to find, target, and land whale-sized customers for your business. It’s a how-to sales guide filled with examples and resources for growing your business faster and smarter. Short on theory and long on practical details, this book outlines a 9-step sales process that has the potential to help carry your company to the next level.
What I Didn’t Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World
By Jay Barney and Trish Gorman Clifford
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: All of the theories, frameworks, and tactics you learn in business school have their limitations. This is a book about how strategic decisions are made in the real world. Written as a business novel, you follow protagonist Justin Campbell as he matures in his career, learns from his mistakes, and becomes better at managing the messy human dynamics that come into play during strategic decision-making.
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant
By W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: The only way to beat the competition is to stop trying to beat the competition. This book challenges the conventional strategy that views beating the competition as the only way to gain market share. Instead, Blue Ocean Strategy outlines six principles that will help any business pivot towards uncontested domains where the competition is irrelevant and pent-up demand remains untapped.
Financial Intelligence: A Manager’s Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean
By Karen Berman and Joe Knight
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Whether you’re responsible for meeting a budget, or funding a new project, having a basic financial understanding is critical to making smart business decisions. This book breaks down what’s in the financial statements, where assumptions and estimates come into play, differentiating cash from profit, and teaches the fundamentals of financial calculations. Financial Intelligence is a great resource for helping you “talk numbers,” and manage your business (or department) with more confidence.
The No Asshole Rule: Building A Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t
By Robert I. Sutton, PhD
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: The No Asshole Rule is a book that we all can relate to at one point or another in our career – working with a mean-spirited employee or a boss that just doesn’t get it. Dr. Sutton helps us define who in our organization is a true “asshole” and then gives us recommendations for enforcing rules against demeaning and counter-productive behavior. In the end, this book also asks us to evaluate our own “asshole” tendencies and gives us a roadmap for building a culture of respect in our organizations.
Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future
By Joi Ito and Jeff Howe
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: This book is a guide to business strategy and management for the future. Authors Joi Ito and Jeff Howe break down nine principles that they believe will be key to thriving in more complex and volatile markets. Whiplash challenges you to think differently about how you will leverage new technology and adapt your philosophy to take advantage of an environment where everything is faster, cheaper, and more accessible.
The Art of War
By Sun Tzu
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Few books written over 2,000 years ago still contain valuable lessons for today – this is one of them. The Art of War is a treatise on ancient Chinese military strategy, but its tactics translate well to the world of politics, economics, and business psychology. Mandatory reading in business schools and executive offices, Sun Tzu’s classic on resolving and avoiding conflict is full of timeless lessons that are easily applied on and off of the battlefield.
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
By Peter Drucker
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: Considered one of the most influential management thinkers ever, Peter Drucker’s classic book on how to get the right things done is just as relevant today as it was when it was published in 1967. Managing your time, setting priorities, and effective decision making are just a handful of practical topics that Drucker covers with a fresh perspective. This book is an essential reference guide for anyone who aspires to become a more effective leader.
Rework
By Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: This book is a field manual for better, faster, and more productive ways to work and succeed in business. Rework flies in the face of conventional corporate strategy and suggests ideas like it’s better to ignore the competition, work regular hours, and that you need less (not more) to get ahead. Simple to read, inspiring, and practical, Rework is for entrepreneurs, small business owners, or anyone who is looking for a straightforward approach to getting results.
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
By Michael Gerber
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Too much time spent working in the business and not enough time spent working on the business is a big reason why 50% of new ventures fail within the first 5 years. In this book, Michael Gerber teaches us how to think about growing a business as if we were planning to franchise it. His Business Development Process is a framework for developing turn-key systems throughout an organization to produce predictable results and grow in a sustainable way.
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
By Eric Ries
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: American entrepreneur, blogger, and author, Eric Ries, has combined the lessons learned from leading startups with the principles from lean manufacturing to create an approach for building new companies that is capital efficient and leverages human creativity more effectively. This book teaches entrepreneurs how to navigate extreme uncertainties by testing scientific hypotheses with a minimal viable product (MVP). Instead of creating elaborate business plans, The Lean Startup offers a framework for startups to test, learn, and adjust their strategy through a cycle of continuous improvement.
The Great CEO Within: The Tactical Guide To Company Building
By Matt Mochary
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: This book has distilled the best advice from business management classics like High Output Management, Getting Things Done, The One Minute Manager, and others and combined them into a down and dirty playbook for tech startup entrepreneurs. Matt Mochary has written a bare-bones, no-frills, pragmatic instruction manual on how to manage your email, make rapid decisions, get alignment, document processes, measure KPIs, solicit investors, build an effective team, and everything in between. You don’t have to be an aspiring Silicon Valley founder to appreciate much of the valuable management and leadership advice.
The Pursuit of WOW! Every Person’s Guide to Topsy-Turvy Times
By Tom Peters
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: What are the things that make your business exceptional, unique, and sought-after? Tom Peters’ unconventional advice for beating the competition rings perhaps even truer today than it did twenty years ago. In 210 short, blog-style chapters, this book will challenge you to say no to commodities and yes to free spirits, show you why breaking the mold is less risky than following the crowd, and teach you the winning strategy of WOW!
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building A Business When There Are No Easy Answers
By Ben Horowitz
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Ben Horowitz, one of Silicon Valley’s most respected entrepreneurs, shares many invaluable and humbling lessons he learned during his time as the CEO of Opsware. Each chapter is filled with practical business wisdom that might help you avoid costly leadership mistakes. However, rather than being a playbook for how to do things right, this book is more likely to be a source of inspiration when you inevitably get it wrong and need to find the courage to persevere.
Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential
By Greg Crabtree
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Author Greg Crabtree is a CPA who specializes in helping entrepreneurs take ownership of their financial data. This book teaches the fundamentals of owner compensation, profit targets, labor productivity, cash flow, and data reporting. Clear explanations and helpful illustrations throughout make it a must-read guide for small business owners looking to achieve higher profits.
Managing The Professional Service Firm
By David Maister
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: This book is required reading for anyone entering a career at a professional service firm. David Maister masterfully teaches the fundamentals of a firm’s unique business model, describing how it differs from other business enterprises, and shares best practices for overcoming many of the common problems these organizations face. Exploring issues ranging from marketing to business development, human resource policies to profit improvement strategies, senior leaders, as well as new associates, will find practical insights they can apply to the future success of their firm and professional careers.
Negotiating
Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations
By William Ury
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Successful negotiating is all about being tough on the problem, but soft on the people. Each chapter in this sequel to Getting To Yes describes an insightful strategy for turning adversaries into negotiating partners. Learn the tricks for controlling your emotions and the tactics of gentle persuasion to turn confrontation into cooperation and get what you want.
Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
By Roger Fisher and William Ury
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: Getting To Yes is the seminal book on negotiating strategy and tactics. Each chapter offers concise, step-by-step instructions for reaching an agreement that satisfies both parties. Applicable whether you’re an elder statesman working to pass a bill, or an employee seeking a raise, this is a must read on the art of win-win negotiations.
Dealmaking: The New Strategy of Negotiauctions
By Guhan Subramanian
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Dealmaking dives into the theory of both negotiations and auction sales, and then presents a third hybrid theory that is a combination of the two (hence the subtitle). Subramanian writes from an academic’s perspective, but he doesn’t fail to provide plenty of helpful examples and case studies along the way. Recommended as a how-to guide for anyone involved in the sale of high-value assets, This book is a fun read for those who have a deeper appreciation for deal-making strategy than most.
Leadership and Self Improvement
Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build A Thriving Organization
By Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: This is a book is about improving team performance and individual job satisfaction by first identifying, and then upgrading, the culture of the tribe. There are five stages of tribal leadership and each can be identified by the words people use to communicate. This book teaches us to focus on language and behavior to transform disjointed, selfish individuals into a cohesive, selfless team.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
By Stephen R. Covey
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: “Leadership is communicating others’ worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.” Stephen Covey’s timeless book on how to live a life rooted in principles will challenge you to think and act in service of others. More than just a guide on how to be effective, this book will become an instant companion for personal reflection in any stage of life.
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win
By Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Two former Navy SEALs teamed up to bring us the most badass book on leadership ever written. In Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin take turns describing their experience fighting in the Battle of Ramadi, Iraq, and then conclude each chapter with a leadership principle and business application. Equal parts war memoir and leadership manual, these guys will get you to stop making excuses, take ownership of your life, and put you on the path to experience freedom through discipline.
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of A Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow
By John C. Maxwell
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Your character is the difference between knowing how leadership works and becoming a successful leader in the real world. This book is concise and distilled with one lesson on leadership per chapter. John helps you navigate topics like commitment, discernment, initiative, relationships, and servanthood with practical advice for applying these core principles in your everyday life.
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
By Sheryl Sandberg
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Best known for her role as COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg writes to encourage more women to become leaders in the workforce. With self-deprecating humor and plenty of personal anecdotes, she makes the case that it’s beneficial for society to have more women in positions of power. In her own style, Sandberg will undoubtedly cause you to contemplate how you navigate your own career with a new perspective.
The Magic of Thinking Big
By David Schwartz, PhD
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Believe in yourself, never underestimate your own intelligence, think positively, and plan for success. The Magic of Thinking Big may come across as one of those cheesy self-help books, but if read with an open mind, you’ll find plenty of practical wisdom in Dr. Schwartz’s words. This book serves as a good reminder that confidence isn’t something that we’re born with, but rather a trait that is developed with intentional habits.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
By Dale Carnegie
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Dale Carnegie’s seminal book on relationship management may be over 80 years old, but the principles it teaches remain just as true today as they did back in 1937. A leader in the self-help genre, this classic will help you master the social cues and techniques that help you relate better with people, handle complaints, avoid arguments, make you a better speaker, and lead with charisma. If you can excuse some of the outdated language and social themes, I’m sure that you too will appreciate this celebrated book jammed pack with timeless wisdom.
The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
By Ryan Holiday
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Nobody has perhaps had a greater influence on popularizing the teachings of Marcus Aurelius and stoic philosophy than Ryan Holiday. This book quickly became a cult classic as inspiration to perform our best by using obstacles as opportunities to get better, stronger, and tougher. To let go of what you can’t control and focus on what you can is the driving message behind this a book that will motivate you to accept challenges head-on as the best path to success.
Think and Grow Rich
By Napoleon Hill
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: After an interview with America’s steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie, Napoleon Hill was inspired to investigate the psychology of success. 20 years later, the result of that quest was this literary classic that kickstarted a boom in the genre of self-help. If you can look past some of the anachronistic language and examples, this book is still a sure source of inspiration that deserves to be revisited time and again.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
By Greg McKeown
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Know your priority and focus all your energy on achieving that goal. This book gives you permission to say no, even to good opportunities, if they do not align with what’s most important. Greg McKeown’s practical and motivating guide will help you do fewer things better and find the clarity to declutter a life full of trivial distractions.
Steer: Eight Practices to Drive Leadership
By Joel Wayne
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Pastor Joel Wayne’s leadership manual is a short read that highlights eight essential practices for managing people and organizations with greater influence. He teaches how to communicate your purpose, build a winning culture, motivate your team, and hold people accountable for reaching their goals. It’s a practical workbook with application questions at the end of each chapter designed to encourage self-reflection and action.
Math and Science
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets
By Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: This book will alter your worldview and change the way you think about perceived luck. Taleb writes incredibly smart, yet refreshingly informal, in his personal treatise on the role of randomness in life and business. Eye-opening, independent-minded and insightful – if Fooled by Randomness does its job, then you’ll walk away convinced that you know even less about how the world works than before.
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
By Matthew Walker, PhD
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: In case you didn’t know why sleep was important, this book makes the data clear – sleep is vital to our health and has the ability to make us smarter, more attractive, slimmer, and happier. Matthew Walker is on a mission to change our attitude about sleep with a book that aims to demystify what sleep is, warn us of the consequences of sleep deprivation, explain the fantastical world of dreams, and give us reliable and practical advice for helping society get more zzz’s. Learning why we sleep is a powerful wake-up call to those of us who have foolishly made forfeiting sleep routine.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
By Elizabeth Kolbert
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: There have been five great extinctions in the earth’s history, and now we are witnessing a sixth. The rate of biodiversity is shrinking today on an unprecedented scale due to human activity. This award-winning book is a straightforward, entertaining, and sobering account of what may very well be mankind’s lasting legacy.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
By Yuval Noah Harari
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited the earth. This is a scientific exploration of what traits led to the dominance of Homo sapiens and how we have evolved to evade the laws of natural selection and now design the world around us. Sapiens is a book that explores what it means to be “human,” by investigating the past, observing the present, and looking to the future.
Productivity
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
By David Allen
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: Getting Things Done is the only guide to personal productivity that you’ll ever need. David Allen will teach you how to keep track of your commitments, plan long-term projects, clear your inbox, and organize your life. I swear by this book as a foundational tool for anyone seeking to upgrade their creative potential and learn how top performers get consistent results.
Digital Minimalism: Choosing A Focused Life In A Noisy World
By Cal Newport
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Over the last two decades, social media companies have made trillions profiting off our time and attention. Most of us enjoy the benefits of these free internet innovations without giving serious consideration to mitigating the risks they pose to our social and mental wellbeing. In Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport outlines his prescription for a healthier and more productive relationship with technology where greater focus is placed on defining how we use these digital products and services to intentionally enhance the things in life that we value most.
Health and Fitness
Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual
By Michael Pollan
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: In this lighthearted and quick read, Michael Pollan reminds us that eating well doesn’t need to be complicated. Adages like “avoid foods with ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce,” “eat mostly plants, especially leaves,” “stop eating before you’re full,” and 80 others fill these colorful pages. This book is a fun reminder that a healthy relationship with food boils down to making simple choices.
Behavioral Psychology
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
By Daniel H. Pink
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Drive is about understanding human psychology and the forces of motivation in the 21st-century economy. Daniel Pink argues that most businesses have failed to upgrade their ineffective “carrot-and-stick” motivators. Instead, the work poised to take off in tomorrow’s economy – characterized by non-routine and creative activities – can only flourish when people are given autonomy to pursue mastery with a clear purpose of contributing to something larger than ourselves.
Sway: The Irresistable Pull of Irrational Behavior
By Ori and Rom Brafman
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Humans have consistently proven themselves to be incredibly irrational beings. Sway introduces us to some of the external forces that mold and shape our behavior. Loss aversion (our tendency to go to great lengths to avoid perceived losses), the diagnosis bias (our inability to reevaluate our initial diagnosis of a person or situation), and the “chameleon effect” (our tendency to take on characteristics that have been arbitrarily assigned to us) are just a few examples that you’ll encounter in this compelling read.
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance
By W. Timothy Gallwey
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Author Tim Gallwey first wrote The Inner Game of Tennis before sports and performance psychology was mainstream. Now his wisdom is cited by elite athletes like quarterback Tom Brady and NBA coach Steve Kerr. This book will teach you to quiet the mind, experience “relaxed concentration,” and practice more intelligently on your way to consistent peak performance.
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
By Daniel Goleman
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: This wide-ranging book reminds us that we feel first, and think second. Learning to recognize and regulate our feelings (i.e. emotional intelligence) has a profound influence on our ability to make wise decisions, motivate ourselves, and lead others. Goleman presents convincing research that challenges the pedestal upon which we place IQ and makes a strong case that we should instead focus on elevating our EQ if we want to live a more successful and fulfilling life.
Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention
By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Professor Csikszentmihalyi coined the term “flow” to explain a theory on how we can achieve a mental state of peak performance and happiness. Now he uses that same theory and applies it to help us understand the creative process. Drawing on nearly one hundred interviews with creative people in every field, this book explores the traits of creative people and helps us identify ways to encourage our own originality.
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
By Adam Grant
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Becoming an original contributor isn’t some impossibly high standard that can only be attained by famous artists, musicians, and inventors. Rather, originality is a skill that we must all learn and embrace if we desire to create a better world. Adam Grant once again delivers a compelling argument that weaves together storytelling with research to teach us how to recognize novel ideas, go against the grain, garner support, combat group-think, manage anxiety, and much more.
Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
By Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: Have you ever wondered why most celebrities, athletes, and public politicians never fully own up and take ownership when they screw up? Or why it’s so easy for us to see the faults and inconsistencies in others, yet remain obstinate to our own hypocrisies? This book is a must-read lesson on the pervasive power of self-justification – how it works, the harm it can cause, and how we can overcome it.
Man’s Search for Meaning
By Viktor E. Frankl
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: In this autobiographical bestseller, Viktor Frankl recounts his experiences surviving the Holocaust and describes how it shaped his understanding whereby man finds meaning for his life. According to Frankl, man can find meaning in his work, in his love for another, and in the courage required to endure suffering. Viktor Frankl passed through the darkest depths of human’s capacity for evil, and yet he didn’t emerge angry, resentful, or nihilistic, but rather encouraged, optimistic, and hopeful by what he described as man’s ultimate freedom and responsibility in life—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
By Jordan B. Peterson
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: In 12 Rules For Life, Jordan Peterson weaves together personal anecdotes, intellectual history, and religious imagery into a truly unique book that explores how to live a life full of meaning and purpose. This book broadly discusses individual responsibility, discipline, freedom and adventure in ways that range from the humorous and surprising, to the deeply philosophical and serious. Dr. Peterson’s unconventional style is full of encouragement and optimism that serves his message well; that a better world is possible if we aim to swallow our pride, take responsibility for our individual faults, listen to each other, and act with compassion and humility.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
By James Clear
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: Atomic Habits gives you a step-by-step system for improvement, whether your goals center on health, money, productivity, relationships, or all of the above. Learn how to start new habits, break old ones, and maintain consistency long enough to see the results. James Clear’s book is a valuable resource, full of useful examples and templates, that make the science of human behavior change interesting and immediately applicable to your life.
Career Strategies
Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time
By Keith Ferrazzi
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: My biggest takeaway from this book was admitting that building intentional relationships requires effort. Many would agree that you can accomplish more by leveraging the help of others, but few are willing to put in the work of fostering those networks before they’re needed. Ferrazzi does an excellent job dispelling the slimy connotations associated with “career networking” and instead provides practical advice that teaches authentic generosity as a means to harness the power of relationships.
They Don’t Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something’s Guide to the Business World
By Alexandra Levit
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: “The corporate world is not a natural fit for graduates who leave school expecting results from a logical combination of education and effort.” In this book, Alexandra Levit encompasses the main theme of my blog. She writes to help young professionals learn how to transition successfully into the workforce with practical advice for building relationships and getting results.
So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love
By Cal Newport
Read on Amazon
⭐️ My Favorites
3 Sentence Summary: Unafraid of controversy, Cal Newport argues that the long held belief of “follow your passion” is simply terrible career advice. Passion for a job is much more likely to follow after years of mastering valuable skills. If you are unsure about what to do with your life or frustrated in your current job situation, this book will give you an evidence-based roadmap for building the career capital you need to find your ideal vocation.
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
By David Epstein
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Harkened by the popularity of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule, famous chess prodigies, and sports superstars, advice to rack up hours of focused, deliberate practice and specialize early has almost been accepted as basic truth – until now. In this persuasive counter-point, David Epstein argues that early specialization is the exception, not the rule. In a wicked world, where we are constantly facing rapidly changing demands, we desperately need people who aren’t afraid to quit and try something new, who think broadly and rely on a breadth of diverse experience to find creative solutions.
Personal Finance
Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence
By Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: This book isn’t just a guide on spending less, saving more, and investing wisely. Your Money or Your Life will help you cultivate a healthy relationship with your money and teach you how to make deliberate and meaningful financial decisions. Whether you are trying to get out of debt, own fewer possessions, or just don’t know where to start, this book will take you through nine steps that will leave you with the clarity you need to begin down the path of accomplishing your financial goals.
Get A Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties
By Beth Kobliner
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: Do you feel completely lost when you hear people talk about money market instruments, capital gain, Roth IRA, or adjustable-rate mortgages? This book is the perfect financial handbook for young adults who need to get a quick education on managing debt, banking, investing, saving for retirement, buying a home, filing your taxes, and much more. Beth Kobliner’s wisdom will help you make sense of the financial system and put you in the driver seat of making smarter decisions regarding your money.
The Little Book That Still Beats the Market
By Joel Greenblatt
Read on Amazon
3 Sentence Summary: As someone who is not particularly interested in buying and selling individual stocks, this short book was still an insightful read to get a fundamental understanding of how to spot a good deal in the market. Written in plain language and interspersed with humor, this is an accessible read for those who want to learn the principles of value investing. I recommend this book as basic investing knowledge regardless of your skill or interest.
The Richest Man in Babylon
By George Clason
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3 Sentence Summary: Pound for pound, this book is a juggernaut of personal financial wisdom. Each chapter is a parable on how to acquire money, keep money, and make your money earn more money. Simple, practical, and timeless – George Clason’s classic is mandatory education on the road to accumulating personal wealth.
Sales and Marketing
This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See
By Seth Godin
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3 Sentence Summary: Marketing genius and prolific writer Seth Godin passionately urges us to shift our perspective on what makes for effective marketing. This book teaches us how to connect with our audience, be authentic, vulnerable, and sincere about understanding the needs of the people we seek to influence. It reads like a collection of blog posts, which makes it fun and easy to read, but left me wanting for more concrete examples and practical application.
Launch: An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula to Sell Almost Anything Online, Build A Business You Love, and Live the Life of Your Dreams
By Jeff Walker
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3 Sentence Summary: Jeff Walker is well known for being a pioneer of digital marketing and creating high converting email campaigns. Despite the clickbait title, this book is actually packed with sound strategic advice and step-by-step instructions. Walker will erase any doubt that his advice can live up to the promise by starting each chapter with a success story that is guaranteed to get you fired up about building your business online – fast.
Writing
Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process
By John McPhee
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3 Sentence Summary: John McPhee is a giant in the literary world, known for his tight prose and concern for structure. This book is as close as a layman writers (like myself) will ever get to learning the craft of nonfiction writing from a master. Readers of this collection of essays will walk away with a taste of the true effort and dedication to the craft required to make sound decisions regarding arrangement, diction, and tone that shape nonfiction pieces.
Hey Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating Great Ads
By Luke Sullivan and Edward Boches
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3 Sentence Summary: This guide is chock-full of examples and how-to advice for anyone venturing into the world of advertising. You may not be going to work for Ogilvy & Mather, but everybody is involved with marketing in some capacity. Whether you’re selling a product, an idea, or yourself, knowing how to communicate persuasively using text, images, video and digital media is what this book is all about.
The Boron Letters
By Gary C. Halbert
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3 Sentence Summary: While serving prison time for tax fraud, Gary Halbert wrote a series of letters to his son Bond meant to impart hard-earned life lessons and career advice. Those letters were later published into what is now considered the definitive book on how to write persuasive copy. The letters begin with some advice on health and relationships, but the bulk of it focuses on teaching practical direct marketing and copywriting techniques.
On Writing Well
By William Zinsser
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3 Sentence Summary: Learn how to employ good English to the task of persuasive nonfiction writing. Like a carpenter who first learns to saw wood neatly before he bevels the edges, writing is a craft based on certain principles that build upon one another. On Writing Well is a master class on how to become a better writer, clearer thinker, and stronger communicator.
Christian
Not A Fan: Becoming A Completely Committed Follower of Jesus
By Kyle Idleman
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3 Sentence Summary: Are you a true follower of Jesus, or just an enthusiastic admirer? Jesus called his disciples to leave their jobs, abandon their families, forfeit their wealth, deny themselves, and take up their cross to follow him. Pastor Kyle Idleman challenges Christians to stop cheering for Jesus and get in the game—to pursue an intimate, fully-committed relationship with Jesus with everything we have.
Mere Christianity
By C.S. Lewis
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3 Sentence Summary: In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis aims to prove to the sensible skeptic that God does exist and that He sent His son Jesus Christ to redeem the world. The book begins with a logical proof for the Christian God and then transitions into a discussion of the common ground upon which all of those of the Christian faith stand together. Readers at all stages of belief will find that Mere Christianity provides an approachable path to discover a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith.
The Case For Christ
By Lee Strobel
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3 Sentence Summary: With the rigor of a seasoned investigative journalist, Lee Strobel’s New York Times bestselling apologetic builds a progressive argument for the reliability and trustworthiness of the New Testament gospels. Through a dozen interviews with world-renowned experts, Strobel tests the accuracy of the gospel narrative and addresses popular critics that challenge the claim that Jesus was the son of God. Regardless of where you are on your faith journey, Christians and nonbelievers alike will enjoy this entertaining quest for the truth about history’s most compelling figure.
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream
By David Platt
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3 Sentence Summary: Christians don’t have time to settle for the watered-down version of Jesus that makes them comfortable. The real Jesus of the Bible taught a radical message of self-sacrifice, love for one’s enemies, and unconditional dependence on God. With billions of people who don’t yet know Jesus as their savior, David Platt reminds Christians of their urgent mission to spread the gospel to all nations and invites them to live with eternal purpose and meaning.
Biography and History
The Rickover Effect: How One Man Made a Difference
By Theodore Rockwell
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3 Sentence Summary: Admiral Hyman G. Rickover was enigmatic, flawed, and master of getting things done. More than anyone else, he was responsible for developing practical applications for nuclear power after World War II. Bitterly opposed by his political rivals, yet deeply respected by all who served under him, this rare portrait gives you a glimpse into the mind of a leadership genius.
“Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman!”: Adventures of a Curious Character
By Richard Feynman
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3 Sentence Summary: “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.” Richard Feynman, the winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, was one of America’s greatest minds and original personalities. His recollection of past days trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein, cracking safes that held nuclear secrets, and accompanying a ballet on his bongo drums are just a handful among a lifetime spent feeding an insatiable mind one crazy adventure after another.
Napoleon: A Life
By Andrew Roberts
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3 Sentence Summary: This is the definitive biography of the great soldier-statesman that was Napoleon Bonaparte. You don’t need to be a history buff to appreciate the stories and lessons imparted by one of the past’s most astute leaders of men. This poetic account is an endlessly interesting and entertaining masterpiece on the life of a deeply flawed, yet surprisingly likable, political genius.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
By Ashlee Vance
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3 Sentence Summary: A behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of today’s most enigmatic, unapologetic, and visionary business leaders. I read this book before Elon smoked marijuana with Joe Rogan, called a British cave diver a ‘Pedo’ on twitter, or ran into trouble with the SEC. In my opinion, each turn of events only adds to this man’s growing legacy as an imperfect human with superhuman ambition to radically innovate in pursuit of a better tomorrow.
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
By Tim Weiner
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3 Sentence Summary: An unapologetic exposé on the repeated missteps and failures of the CIA over the past 60 years. This endlessly fascinating account will thoroughly shatter any image you may have held of a highly effective government intelligence agency. Detailed accounts void of anonymous quotes, Tim Weiner delivered a scathing review of how the CIA has profoundly jeopardized our national security.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
By Katherine Boo
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3 Sentence Summary: Had I not been given the opportunity to visit India for myself in early 2019, I’m not sure that I could have comprehended the dismal squalor and wretched living conditions described in this nonfiction narrative. Based on years of real reporting, this book recalls the heartbreaking stories of three families living in the slums of Mumbai and their fight for a better future. It’s a revealing portrait of the gross inequalities that exist in a rapidly changing world economy.
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
By Walter Isaacson
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3 Sentence Summary: The Innovators is a saga about the generations of people who contributed to and ushered in the age of computers and the digital revolution. Isaacson masterfully weaves together the lives of great leaders and thinkers such as Ada Lovelace, Vannevar Bush, Alan Turing, John von Neumann, J.C.R. Licklider, Doug Engelbart, Robert Noyce, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, Tim Berners-Lee, and Larry Page. This book is not only a history of the semiconductor and birth of the Internet but also an attempt to uncover the seeds that cultivate breakthrough innovations.
The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edision Invented the Modern World
By Randall Stross
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3 Sentence Summary: I was fascinated to learn that Thomas Edison was perhaps the biggest global celebrity of his generation. Edison had few successes, but many failures; few moments of independent genius, but often relied heavily on the sweat and determination of his rivals and assistants. Randall Stross attempts to separate man from legend and offers an understanding of how Edison managed his work and his fame.
Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination
By Neal Gabler
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3 Sentence Summary: Neal Gabler gives us an epic account of the man, myth, and creative legend that is Walt Disney. It’s a spellbound narrative of Disney’s climb out of childhood deprivation to become the very symbol of American entertainment. This book doesn’t shy away from Walt Disney’s struggles – his financial woes, nervous breakdowns, and anti-Semite accusations – but is an overwhelming testament to one man’s power of wish fulfillment and iron determination.
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
By Ron Chernow
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3 Sentence Summary: John D. Rockefeller, Sr. was the world’s first billionaire and perhaps America’s most misunderstood and controversial businessman. The man behind the Standard Oil monopoly was accused ferociously of collusion, predatory pricing, corporate espionage, and political bribery until Teddy Roosevelt and the trustbusters finally broke up the oil-producing behemoth. Despite all that, Chernow sheds light on Rockefeller’s quirky personality, unprecedented philanthropy, and family struggles that reclaim the complex human nature of a 19th-century iconic mogul.
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
By Robert A. Caro
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3 Sentence Summary: Robert Moses was the most powerful man in the 20th century that you have probably never heard of. For 44 years, Moses held a tight grip on New York politics as he tirelessly built parks and parkways, playlands and beaches, and relocated thousands of poor tenants to pave highways and bridges. This is a classic true tale of how one man’s immense accumulation of power shaped America’s largest city.
Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life
By Steve Martin
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3 Sentence Summary: I loved reading this story of a wild and crazy (successful) guy. His “overnight success” took 10 years, as a young Steve Martin worked at the Disney magic shop and Bird Cage Theatre at Knott’s Berry Farm performing his (often ridiculous) acts tirelessly night after night to perfect his craft. One of the most iconic and original comedy acts of our time, Steve’s personal memoir is emotional, inspirational and massively entertaining.
Shoe Dog
By Phil Knight
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3 Sentence Summary: As inspiring as they come, this personal memoir by the founder of Nike takes us through the tumultuous early days and timid first steps of a shoe company that would grow up to become one of the world’s most iconic and influential brands. Shoe Dog is a story about risk, perseverance, relationships, failure, and fame. One of the rawest and entertaining memoirs I’ve ever read, Phil Knight is the definition of “Just Do It.”
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
By Edmund Morris
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3 Sentence Summary: Theodore Roosevelt quickly became my favorite past President after reading the first of a three-part chronological series. Described by the author as a “man of many selves,” Roosevelt was a naturalist, a writer, a lover, a hunter, a ranchman, a soldier, and a politician – who merged at age forty-two to become the youngest President in our history. There is much to admire and learn from a man whose boundless energy was matched only by his curiosity for life and love for serving his country.
Open: An Autobiography
By Andre Agassi
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3 Sentence Summary: Andre Agassi’s personal memoir is wildly vulnerable, honest, and engrossing. Raised from birth to become a tennis prodigy, Agassi’s story about his relationship with the game, fame, and former wife Brooke Shields is inundated with soaring highs and tragic lows. Called one of the best sports autobiographies of all time by Time Magazine, Open is a tell-all account of a remarkable life.
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
By Walter Isaacson
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3 Sentence Summary: He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, hand paddles (for swimming), and made a myriad of other improvements and contributions to science – but the most interesting thing that Franklin invented, and continually reinvented, was himself. This definitive account of Benjamin Franklin chronicles a life that was full of imagination, perseverance, and self-reflection. You can’t help but be captivated and inspired by the man who fully embodied the American spirit and whose wisdom and ideals molded the formation of our nation.
Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt
By Michael Lewis
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3 Sentence Summary: Flash Boys is a story about what can happen when greed takes advantage of technology under the cloak of complexity. Fiber optic cables have ushered in an era of high-speed trading that opened the door for black-hat traders to effectively charge a tax for trading. The details are a bit complex, but Michael Lewis does a phenomenal job at explaining the story of how Brad Katsuyama and his motley crew eventually uncovered the scheme and advocated for reform on Wall Street.