Thomas Stanley, author of the Millionaire Next Door, tells us that the average millionaire reads one non-fiction book per month. Last year, I had the opportunity to read 22 non-fiction books and the breaks that the month of January offers from my normal routine has allowed me the opportunity to do some additional reading this month. I recently started my fifth book for the month.
Here’s what I’ve read/am reading during the month of January:
|
Do More Faster by David Cohen and Brad Feld – “Do More Faster” is a book written to entrepreneurs, primarily entrepreneurs that work for venture-backed start-up companies that are producing software products. My company, bootstrapped and profitable, doesn’t quite fit the niche audience that Cohen and Feld are speaking to, but they’re two of the smartest people in the technology entrepreneurship scene and have a lot of great advice for anyone looking to start a company. |
|
The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson – Eric Swanson will be speaking at my church in February and be having a Saturday workshop for leaders in the church. I thought reading the book now would provide a great value-added experience. I’m currently about half-way through the book. Rusaw’s and Swanson’s message is that the local church should stop focusing on how many people they can get in the doors of the church and instead focus on how they can serve the community around them. The authors share stories of churches that have made that transition and provide some great ideas to help move a church in that direction—a must read for anyone in a church leadership role. |
 |
Never Buy Another Stock Again by David Gaffen – “Never Buy Another Stock Again” makes the case that picking single stocks is a bit of a fools game. He argues that stock picks offered by talking heads on CNBC and by other members of the financial news media have poor track records and are little more than a distraction to building wealth. He contends that investors are better served by developing a diversified portfolio of cash, real estate and mutual funds and by minimizing their investment costs. |
|
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – E-Myth is a great book for small business owners. Gerber first published the book in the 1980’s and issued a new edition in 2007. The thesis of the book is that small business owners get frustrated by spending too much time working in their business as employees and not spending enough time developing their business model. He suggests that each small business owner should run their business as if they are preparing to franchise the idea out to others so that a business provides a consistent and special experience to customers. The book is a bit heavy on the specific methods that Gerber’s company teaches, but has a great overall message. |
|
Sex Begins in the Kitchen by Kevin Leman – “Sex Begins in the Kitchen” is very much a “married people” book; however, I’ll soon have the privilege of marrying my bride to be. Author Kevin Leman provides some great insight into how men and women feel loved and how birth order plays into a relationship. This is a great book for anyone that’s married or ever thinking about getting married. |
I have quite a few other books that are sitting on my Kindle waiting to be read including “Why We Get Fat” by Gary Taubes, “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry and “What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures” by Malcom Gladwell.