Hi Everyone!
I get excited for these posts! I may just be a book nerd but I get pumped on these posts! As some of you know I am constantly reading and trying to find a book or author that really speaks to me. An author or a story that gives me some kind of hint or life hack or entertainment value. I read fast and as much as I can and at the end of the month I try and pick four books. That’s right four, one a week, for you to possibly read in the upcoming month.
I am a firm believer that everyone and I mean everyone should be knocking out at least one book a week. It’s really not that hard. My tip for doing this is to actually schedule time each day to read and do nothing else. Just like you would schedule time in the gym, schedule time for your brain! It will pay off a lot more than the gym. I promise.
Ok with that, let’s get into it!
Managing Oneself by Peter F. Drucker
I don’t know how I haven’t talked about this book earlier. I mentioned it the other day on our podcast (episode 4) and I have also included it as a gift in some recent snapchat (@michaelbosstick) give-aways. This is a 100% must read. It just is. Peter Drucker has done an amazing job in just a little over 50 pages to give you the secrets on managing yourself. I have this downloaded on my phone and kindle so that I can refer to it when I have spare time. If I am in a waiting room and on my phone there is a good chance I am re-reading this. You can finish it in an hour! Read it!
Deep Work by Cal Newport
This book is all about focusing without distractions. In the age of technology, phones, the internet, texting, snapchat!!, social media etc. There are so many distractions at our fingertips and in front of our faces that most people are getting lost in the fray. This book is all about conquering those distractions and getting into Deep Work. Deep work is defined here as “Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate”. I found it to be very helpful and informative.
The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty by J. Randy Taraborrelli
I like biographies a lot. This one was really interesting because of the focus on multiple family members of the Hilton clan. Conrad Hilton helped shape the business model for the luxury hotel industry. His son was married to Elizabeth Taylor and some went on to become reality stars after a sex tape release! Highly entertaining book!
The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
I was on Snapchat the other day talking about Monday mornings. I see so many people posting about how they hate Mondays. I get it. You are tired from the weekend, you have to get up early, you have to put in work. That’s tough but don’t you think you should be pumped up and excited on Monday for whatever it is that you are doing? If not what’s the point? So many have it backwards. Work to be successful so you will eventually be happy. This is backwards. Happiness actually fuels success. Success does not fuel happiness. This book sets out to fix the formula!
I hope you guys like these book posts! Let me know in the comments if you have any book recs for me! I would appreciate it. Cheers!
-Michael
I’ll have to check these out further! Sadly, I have hardly been reading lately. I need to get back into it.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for commenting! Time to get back on the reading train!
I absolutely LOVE these monthly book recommendations and find your passion for reading inspiring. Keep ’em coming! 🙂
Thanks Sarah! I am glad you like the posts.
Yessssss I LOVE love love these posts. You have such great taste in books and I swear every book my dad tells me to read is one you’ve posted {maybe he’s a secret TSC reader 😉 } but all jokes aside, they are always dead on. BUYING ALL OF THESE. Especially excited for Managing Oneself and The Hilton’s – keep em coming!
I’m not a huge fiction fan but one of the best books I’ve ever read was Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. I think it is right up your alley. Def check it out. This may sound silly – & weird – but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Purgatorio from Dante Aligheri’s Divine Comedy. In fact, it is something I go back on almost daily when I feel discouraged. It’s all about taking the mountain of purgatory from hell (Inferno) to heaven (Paradisio) but the quotes are just too good. Can’t recc it enough, especially as I embark this mountain myself – but on the biz side of things! xx
Hey Shannon, your dad and I are pen pals! haha JK. Thanks for reading! Managing Oneself is a must. I will check out your rec, thank you!
Thank goodness for this post, I was just saying to myself last night I need to do some research today on the next book I want to read! Thanks for sharing these picks, I will be on the first one today! xo C
Hey Courtney! All four are really good! Thanks for commenting!
Keep the book reqs coming, Michael! I keep a list of books I want to read categorized by how I discovered them(I am insane). Now I have The Michael Bosstick list. Love you guys!
haha! that’s not insane, sounds like the smartest thing I have heard in a while. I will work on growing that category for you!
If there is one message from your Snapchat/ Podcast that I’ve taken away it’s to realize if you’re not doing something you love and that excites you on a Monday morning something needs to change. I’m so excited to say I had my second interview at a new company yesterday! Thanks for the constant motivation & awesome book recommendations!
Hi Diana, 100% exactly as you said it. Awesome to hear about the interview! I will keep snapping and reading away!
Love your book recs and that you are a big part of the blog now. It’s really inspiring to see a couple hustling together and pushing each other to be the best versions of themselves they can be. Can’t wait to see how far you guys can take this thing! And keep the business advice coming, it’s so helpful!
Hi Deepa!,
Thanks for the support! I consider myself very lucky to have a partner like Lauryn who pushes me so hard to be my best self! I will do my best to keep it coming!
I LOVE the book posts! I am always looking for new books to inspire+inform me. Thanks Susan!
You’re Welcome!!!
Love these posts since I read a lot (I think most of my money on amazon is spent on books to be honest)… Added these ones to my list! Also, if you haven’t gotten the 99U Series done by Adobe it’s a really great collection of three books. I read one of them on my flight this morning.
p.s. I have my first edition of my book recs coming tomorrow am to http://WWW.SIMPLYWANDERLUST.COM 🙂
Hi Arin,
That is money well spent. I will check 99U out!
Thanks for these recommendations Michael! I have a huge “to read” list and am always adding your recs to the list! I appreciate these posts and love the reminder to READ. I feel like people sometimes forget to read with everything else going on.
Hi Katie,
You’re welcome. I think it is the best thing you can do for your mind and future. Read!
PLEASE keep these posts coming! I’m an insane reader, my norm is 3-4 books a week (I’ve been reading voraciously since I learned to read, don’t have cable, my boyfriend works nights and I read while I have lunch at work). Sorry, but people always ask how I “have time to read”.
I’ve read a number of your prior recommendations, The One Thing, The Devil in the White City, The Story of the Human Body and Growth Hacker Marketing (I’d already read a few of your other mentions). Growth Hacker Marketing literally blew my mind, I’ve never been more inspired. I work in marketing in the biotech industry supporting two programs (one in oncology and the other in a rare disease). I read this book on a flight, landed and typed up 3 proposals; 1 for each program on all of the ways we should pivot and some general new tactical ideas and the 3rd for my friend who runs her own interior design company. It lit a fire in me – THANK YOU!
I read 80:20 Fiction to Non-Fiction, but have been increasing my NF reads more. Based on your recommendations to date, I’d recommend to you Made To Stick and Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath, Humble Inquiry by Edgar Schein, How Google Works and if you don’t read anything else, I strongly urge you to check out The Mind and The Brain by Jeffrey Schwartz. If you only ever read one book on neuroplasticity (which I find incredibly fascinating as a topic), this would be the one. It can be dense in the beginning, but is well worth it.
Lastly, I entirely agree with your philosophy around reading and making time to read. The majority of flattery I receive I can almost always attribute to the fact that I read and read often. Knowledge is as accessible as a click on Amazon or a stop at a library and it’s sexy as hell (or so I’m told) 😉
Hi Sam,
That’s awesome that you read so much! GHM is an awesome book, and that’s really cool that it helped you! Thank you for the recs i will check them out!
I agree that knowledge is sexy!
I really enjoy these posts! Just curious–will you ever have recommendations for fiction or do you mostly read nonfiction?
I read a lot of fiction books. Maybe I will do a big post on my go to’s. A lot of people think because the book is fiction there is nothing to learn. Even fiction books can carry a lot of very useful information. I.E. did you know that Ghengis Khan and his horde survived off of horse blood and milk? This enabled them to travel over large areas of land faster than their enemies which led to the largest land empire in history. Learned that in a fiction book and it’s true.
I always love reading posts about books 🙂
http://www.99percentlifestyle.com/
😉
Adding those on my list! I’ve made it a habbit to read 30min to 1 hour before going to bed every day and so far it’s been working for me! You’re right, it’s all about scheduling that time and sticking with it. Here are some books you might find interesting: “A Mind Of It’s Own” by Cordelia Fine, “Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely & “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz 😉
xx
ALINA ERMILOVA | BLOG
Hi Alina,
Awesome to hear that! and thank you for the recs!
I haven’t read any of your books yet. I used to read all the time. I have very lame excuses.
I just wanted to say I love your snapchat. I downloaded snapchat just because of you and lauren. When you snapped about just doing it, stop being afraid and just Fing do it. I think that all the time. I haven’t yet, but I’m working up to it!!!
Hi midwestmomm!
Thank you for the snapchat support, I really appreciate it! Try one of these recs out! I think you will enjoy them.
Michael! So obsessed with your book club!!! Also loved the book Crush It. I love reading about inspiring influencers and also building your own business….would you have a top five you recommend? Cheers! Frances