So many books…so little time. Over 80 million print business books were sold in 2021 alone, representing one quarter of all adult non-fiction books sold that year. And rightly so; reading business books is a powerful way to expand your mind and knowledge. From finance and marketing to customer relations, these books can offer insights into trends, best practices, and current strategies that will help their readers make more informed decisions and consider new perspectives.
With almost four million new books published each year (including self-published books), it can be daunting to know where to begin, reading-wise. Fortunately, on Innovative Accountant, our monthly accountant-focused podcast hosted by our own Tim Coakwell, we end each episode by asking our diverse guests to comment on their top recommended reads. We have compiled some of their recommendations to help guide your 2023 business book reading journey.
Book Recommendations from Our Innovative Accountant Podcast Guests
Check out these book recommendations from several of our 2022 podcast guests.
Robin Esrock – Author/Speaker/TV Host/Journalist
In addition to Robin’s national best-selling book, The Great Canadian Bucket List, he recommends the following must-reads:
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think, written by Professor of International Health and TED Talks phenomenon Hans Rosling. Bill Gates has called this book, which does a deep dive into the ten instincts that distort the public’s perspective, “one of the most important books I’ve ever read- - an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.”
Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress by Steve Pinker, uses data to assess the human condition in the third millennium.
Check out the podcast episode, The Great Canadian Bucket List.
Jamie Smith - Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Amplify Advisors
Jamie joined Tim Coakwell for an interesting conversation last summer on the ‘great resignation’. Jamie is of the opinion that not all readers are leaders, but that all leaders are readers, and shared the following recommendations:
Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi, is about the power of relationships and shares strategies used by the Dalai Lama, Winston Churchill, and Bill Clinton (among others) for establishing connections.
The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris. The updated version of this best-selling book has been modernized to include recent technological advancements and provides a blueprint for maximizing business output.
Non-Violent Communication: A Language of Love by Marshall B. Rosenberg, identifies ‘violent communication’ as communication that results in hurt or harm (such as criticizing, judging, and reacting when angry) and shares how to adopt non-violent communication.
Check out the podcast episode, Navigating the “Great Resignation”.
Stacie Joosten – VP, Marketing & Sales, Conquest Planning
Given Stacie’s role with Conquest Planning, a financial planning software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics to deliver customized financial plans, it is not surprising to see a book on AI among her reading recommendations:
Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms Rule the World by Marco Iansiti and Karim Lakhani. An ode to AI, this book shows how AI and data-driven decision-making drive scale, scope, and business growth.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, written by Angela Duckworth, shares insights on why some people fail, and some people succeed. This defining quality, grit, is the hallmark of high achievers and can be nurtured and grown.
The Motivation Code by Todd Henry, draws on research and interviews with 100,000 people to decode what drives people to work their best. The Motivation Code also teaches readers how to uncover their personal core motivators.
Check out the podcast episode, How Tech is Transforming the Financial Services Industry
Ed Hoffman – CEO, Knowledge Strategies, LLC
Ed’s book, The Smart Mission: NASA’s Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People, and Projects was released in August, and in addition to this book he recommends:
Restarting the Future: How to Fix the Intangible Economy, written by Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake. This book looks at the intangible revolution, how the growth of intangible investment has slowed in recent years, and how to reshape intellectual property rules.
Check out the podcast episode, Leadership Lessons from NASA.
WealthCo Book Recommendations
At WealthCo, we have our own set of must-read book recommendations that we make a point of sharing with all new incoming team members, and these include:
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a number one New York Times bestseller and provides a proven framework for forming good habits and breaking bad ones.
Traction by Gino Wickman digs into the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), which is a practical method for achieving business success that focuses on giving teams more focus, more growth, and more enjoyment. EOS serves as a model for how WealthCo manages our practice.
What the Heck is EOS? A Complete Guide for Companies Running on EOS by Gino Wickman is a complementary book to Traction, and engages employees in the EOS processes and tools.
Happy reading!
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