Recommended Reading
We like to say “readers lead and leaders read” in our offices. In fact, we have a company book club where everyone is invited to do just that – come together and read a book on a different topic every month for one hour a week and talk about their “Ahas” so we get collectively smarter. With that being said, here are some of Ben and the team’s favorite book recommendations for personal growth and business advancement.
Atomic Habits
By James Clear
If you know Ben Kinney or are in his world, there’s a good chance you’ve already read Atomic Habits. We thought this book was so good, we had the leadership in our brokerages, 20 expansion teams around the country, tech offices, and Ben Kinney Training Master Class attendees read it right when it came out in October 2018! The principles are so simple yet profound, like habit stacking and making habits more attractive, and the results of sticking with a good habit over time can have insane compounding results. Find Atomic Habits on Amazon here.
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
By David Goggins
David Goggins is one of the toughest human beings on the planet. In his new book, Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, he tells what it took to transform himself from David -a depressed, overweight young man with an incredibly rough childhood stuck in a dead end job spraying for cockroaches- into Goggins: a decorated Navy SEAL and the only member of the U.S. Armed Forces ever to complete SEAL training, U.S. Army Ranger School, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training. Goggins has competed in more than sixty ultra-marathons, triathlons, and ultra-triathlons, and is a former Guinness World Record holder for completing 4,030 pull-ups in seventeen hours. In his book, Goggins tells some insane stories about SEAL training, running his first ultra, and he teaches the principles and lessons he’s learned over his life that anyone can apply to dig deep, master their mind, and live a life of no regrets. We recommend getting the Audible version, as narrator and collaborator Adam Skolnick interviews Goggins between chapters, so there’s tons of extra content and depth to the stories with an almost podcast-like format. You can purchase Can’t Hurt Me from Amazon here.
Sales Success
By Brian Tracy
This book is short, sweet, and you can finish it in one day. It’s one of the best ways to learn what the key differentiators are for salespeople at the very top of their game, and some of the differences are surprisingly simple. Our tech sales teams and real estate sales agents all recently read Sales Success and loved it. The consensus: it’s a must-read for people looking to up their sales game. Find Sales Success on Amazon here.
Tax Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes (Rich Dad Advisors)
By Tom Wheelwright
Ben Kinney has said that this book taught him more about building wealth that any other book in recent years. Tax Free Wealth has the power to completely change your understanding of taxes, from smart tactics intelligent taxpayers user to legally pay far less taxes to how your CPA might not have your best interests at heart. Wheelwright states that 99.5% of the tax code is actually written to save you money, and gives you tangible advice on how to start being smarter about taxes right away. Be sure to pick up the updated second edition, so you get the most up-to-date information. Find Tax Free Wealth on Amazon here.
The Captain Class: A New Theory of Leadership
By Sam Walker
In The Captain Class, Sam Walker reveals his “seven traits of elite captains” that he observed while researching the top athletes, teams, and coaches in history for over a decade. Learn the common threads of leadership that allow teams to maintain sustained excellence, from extreme doggedness and a democratic communication style to strong convictions and ironclad emotional control. Find The Captain Class on Amazon here.
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
By Gary Keller with Jay Papasan
This book is centered around a radically simple yet powerful question: “What’s the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” Gary and Jay outline what it means to get clarity in their priorities so that their efforts will have a domino effect on the other things they need to achieve. It’s a quick read, but a life-changing one when the concept is applied in any aspect of your life. Find The ONE Thing on Amazon here.