I have been asked to post about what books I have been reading. Below is a list of books I have read during the month of October. Don’t let this list scare you, I am a big Audible user and I like to listen to books when I am walking my dog, cleaning, cooking or working out. I also listen to books at 1.75x speed. It took me half a year to be able to get to this speed and still comprehend (side bar - my mentor listens at max speed of 2x, I am not there yet). The list has been broken down based on my top picks!
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger.
I can’t tell you how much I gained from this book. Robert’s story is like many Baby Boomers - right place, right time, with a big side of hustle. Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever, and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger - think global - and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets. Fourteen years later, Disney is the largest, most respected media company in the world, counting Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox among its properties. Its value is nearly five times what it was when Iger took over, and he is recognized as one of the most innovative and successful CEOs of our era. I believe that if I want to be the best version of myself, I have to learn from the best.
2. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Amazon’s algorithm had been working overtime to push this book on me. I had avoided it for a long time and one day I just said yes. Anyone who knows me, knows I love seeing how people overcome life’s challenges. I want to know what they did, how they thought, everything. Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University.
3. Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins
One of my mentors, Tom Bilyeu, recommended this book. I have heard David’s story many times on various podcasts but not in the depth that this book offered. I believe in changing your mindset to become stronger/smarter/more well round/power house. I believe in working hard for everything, smashing barriers and I have worked hard to conquer my ‘victim’ mindset. Through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a US Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him The Fittest (Real) Man in America. Please note, David is notorious for his potty mouth, if this offends you, this might not be the book for you.
4. That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Marc Randolph
Essentially this book discusses Netflix’s origin through to their IPO. While I can’t say this is the best business book, it is more interesting and makes you think about your innovations in greater detail and the way in which your ideas can be melded. What emerges, however, isn't just the inside story of one of the world's most iconic companies. Full of counter-intuitive concepts and written in binge-worthy prose, it answers some of our most fundamental questions about taking that leap of faith in business or in life: How do you begin? How do you weather disappointment and failure? How do you deal with success? What even is success?
5. What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence by Stephen A. Schwarzman
If you were to pick one CEO book this month, I would encourage you to read Robert Iger’s book over this one. People know who Stephen Schwarzman is - at least they think they do. He’s the man who took $400,000 and co-founded Blackstone, the investment firm that manages over $500 billion (as of January 2019). He’s the CEO whose views are sought by heads of state. He’s the billionaire philanthropist who founded Schwarzman Scholars, this century’s version of the Rhodes Scholarship, in China. But behind these achievements is a man who has spent his life learning and reflecting on what it takes to achieve excellence, make an impact, and live a life of consequence. What got me with book is Schwarzman touts opportunities that no longer exist in our society, so it is hard to see how his tactics are relevant. However, this book does inspire you to think about what ‘waves’ you could create.
6. Present over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist
Most would call this a ‘self-help’ book, but I don’t see it that way. I like to challenge myself to live a better life. I have a post it on my bathroom mirror that says, ‘No one is coming to rescue you. This life is 100% your responsibility.’ I believe this. If I want an amazing life, if I want to be a better friend, partner, leader and employee I need to improve myself so I can raise everyone up. Tbh, this is what drives me, I want to be better so I can be a better citizen of the world. In Shauna's warm and vulnerable style, this collection of essays focuses on the most important transformation in her life, and maybe yours, too: leaving behind busyness and frantic living and rediscovering the person you were made to be. If you are male, this isn’t the book for you.
7. The Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen
This book is pretty much a podcast. It is a super quick read. In January 2019, culture writer Anne Helen Petersen set the Internet on fire with her viral BuzzFeed essay diagnosing "millennial burnout"—a chronic state of stress and exhaustion that’s become a "base temperature" for young people today. Now, she continues this generation-defining conversation in a brand-new format, interviewing millennials around the country about their own deeply personal experiences with burnout and the culture that creates it. Listeners will hear about how this issue has affected Petersen’s own life as well as the lives of five very different subjects: Kevin, a musician and Marine veteran; Kate, a first-generation college graduate working to repay her formidable student debt; Haley and Evette, young writers at different career stages in the digital media industry; and John, a pastor and co-founder of a new Baptist church in North Carolina.
When choosing books to invest my time in, I always try to mix them up between educational, mental development, fiction and business. Next month I will also include my list of podcasts I listen to. I love a good podcast!
My book list for November includes ‘The Infinite Game’ by Simon Sinek, ‘Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the quest for a Fantastic Future’ and a few others I am checking out.
See you next month!