“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ‘em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.” – U.S. President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt
I believe reading to be a fundamental part of growth in one's business and self. Many CEOs are avid readers. Recently, people have asked me to recommend some of my favorite books. Since I read a lot – possibly a book per week, I decided to compile this list of some books I have read over the years that helped me form my opinions, business strategies and world view. It spans the gamut between sports, business, marketing, design and biographies. I don't typically read for pleasure or fiction books (although I will admit I have been listening to Game of Thrones audiobooks), I read for knowledge and to get better as person, business owner and designer.
Business & Entrepreneurship
- Without Their Permission by Alexis Ohanian
- Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuck
- The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
- How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Positioning for Professionals by Tim Williams
- Good To Great by Jim Collins
- Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters
- Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff
- The Art of the Pitch by Peter Coughter (An Advertising Age book)
- The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck Feeney Made and Gave Away a Fortune by Conor O'Clery
- Shark Tank: Jump Start Your Business, How to Launch and Grow a Business from Concept to Cash by Daymon John, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban
- The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuck
- Start Something that Matters by Blake Mycoskie (founder of TOMS)
- REWORK by Jason Fried, Founder of Basecamp
- Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried, David Hansson
- The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
- Baked In: Creating Products and Businesses that Market Themselves by Alex Bogusky
- The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business by Cameron Foote
- The Business Side of Creativity: The Complete Guide to Running a Small Graphic Design or Communications Business by Cameron Foote
- Design is a Job by Mike Montiero
- Choose Yourself by James Altucher
Design, Advertising & Creativity
- Paul Rand by Steven Heller
- Paul Rand: Conversations with Students by Michael Kroeger
- Saul Bass by Jennifer Bass and Pat Kirkham
- The Pentagram Papers by Pentagram
- Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy
- Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
- Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson
- Victore: or, Who Died and Made You Boss (the work of James Victore)
- Design and Content by Pentagram's Abbott Miller
- Glimmer: How Design Can Change Your World by Warren Berger
- Rise of the DEO: Leadership by Design by Maria Guidice & Christopher Ireland
- Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All by IDEO's Tom & David Kelley
- Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation: What They Can't Teach You at Business or Design School by Idris Mootee
- Do You Matter: How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company by Robert Brunner & Stewart Emery
- Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky
- Thoughts on Design by Paul Rand
- Brand Thinking by Debbie Millman
- Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler
- Change By Design by Tim Brown
- Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmul (President of Pixar)
- Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon
- Designers Don't Read by Austin Howe
- Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod
- Mad Women: The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the 60s and Beyond by Jane Maas
- Damn Good (For People with Talent) by famous art director, George Lois
- It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden
- The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst
- Kern and Burn: Conversations with Design Entrepreneurs by Tim Hoover and Jessica Heltzel
- Idea+Ology: The Designer's Journey: Turning Ideas into Inspired Designs by Stanley Hainsworth
- ADLAND: Searching for the Meaning of LIfe on a Branded Planet by James P. Othmer
Design Inspiration
- Hand Job: A Catalog of Type by Michael Perry
- Fingerprint: The Art of Using Handmade Elements in Graphic Design by Chen Design Associates
- Fingerprint: The Evolution of Using Handmade Elements in Graphic Design by Chen Design Associates
- Typography Sketchbooks by Steven Heller
- Sketchbook: Conceptual Drawings from the World's Most Influential Designers by Timothy O'Donnell
- American Trademarks: A Compendum by Steven Heller, Erik Baker and Tyler Bilk
- Elegantissma: The Design & Typography of Louise Fili
- Identify: Basic Principles of Identity Design in the Iconic Trademarks of Chermayeff & Geismar by Tom Geismar
- George Lois: on His Creation of the Big Idea by George Lois
- Design Revolution: 100 Products that Inspire People by Emily Pilloton
- All-Access: The Making of 30 Extraordinary Graphic Designers by Stefan Bucher
- Match Day: Football Programmes: Post-war to Premiership by Bob Stanley & Paul Kelly
User Experience & Technology
- Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug
- Converge: Transforming Business at the Intersection of Business and Technology by Razorfish's Ray Velez & Bob Lord
- User Not Customers: Who Really Determines the Success of Your Business by Huge Inc.'s Aaron Shapiro
- Product Design For the Web: Principles of Designing & Releasing Web Products by Etsy' creative director, Randy J. Hunt
- Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience by Jeff Golthelf
- Designing for Emotion by Aaron Walter
Sports
- The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian
- Called to Coach by Bobby Bowden
- Top Dawg: Mark Richt and Revival of Georgia Football by Rob Suggs
- Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Road Trip Into the Heart of Fan Mania by Warren St. John (mentioned often on the podcast)
- Toughness by Jay Bilas
- You Herd Me!: I'll Say It If No One Else Will by Colin Cowherd
- Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN by James Andrew Miller & Tom Shales
- Meat Market: Inside the Smash Mouth World of College Football Recuiting by Bruce Feldman
- The Last Great Game: Duke vs. Kentucky and the 2.1 Seconds that Changed Basketball by Gene Wojciechowski
- The Last Coach: A Life of Paul "Bear" Bryant by Allen Barra
- Bowerman and Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Co-Founder by Kenny Moore