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My Recent Reading List…

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about why I read so much. If you missed it, click this link and check it out.
Today, I wanted to go over what I’ve read recently (because I’m frequently asked about it), and what I’m currently reading. Without further ado, here we go:
Up first is the list of books I read in 2018. I think I might have left a few off, but this is the majority:
Moneyball by Michael Lewis – tells the story in the famous movie 100 times better and with greater detail. As a lifelong baseball fan, and part of a family of ball players, it was about so much more.
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Zapolsky – this should/could have been a college textbook and is the authority on what stress is doing to our lives. I reference this frequently.
The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday – I appreciate the stoics approach to life and dealing with everyday challenges. Contrary to what many think, I also find it lines up quite nicely with my Christian faith.
Leadership Promises for Every Day by John Maxwell – each day there would be a short scripture reading followed by a focus for how to apply that to your life in a leadership capacity. I’m still reading this one each morning along with my Bible.
The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge by Tony Dungy – this was the last (along with Daily Stoic and Leadership Promises) in a trio of devotionals that I would get up and read from each morning in 2018.
Mindset by Carol Dweck – understanding and nurturing a growth mindset is hugely important to me and this book is the seminal work in that arena. I came to this one after reading Angela Duckwork’s Grit the prior year.
The Circle by Dave Eggers – probably the first fiction book I’d read in more than a decade, this caught my eye in an airport when I was coming home from a work trip and I couldn’t put it down. There was a movie made, but as usual, it was terrible. But the book does a fantastic job telling a story of the invasiveness of technology and how it could easily get out of hand.
Endurance by Scott Kelly – the story of the guy who spent more time in space at one time (and cumulatively now, I think?) than any other. Fantastic story telling and its led me to other space books, something I’ve been obsessed with since I was a little kid and visited NASA as a 4th grader.
The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath – single handedly changed the way I view the creation of moments for people in the gym.
Drive by Daniel Pink – Read this book for a fascinating look at understanding what motivates us. It’s not money. It’s three things: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink – we’re all in the business of selling something. It might be cars, cokes, or something else. But here’s the thing, it doesn’t have to be slimy. It just has to solve a problem in a helpful way. This book breaks it down really simply.
Legacy by James Kerr – the story of how the New Zealand All Blacks came to be the most successful sporting team of all time. “Sweep the sheds” is a mantra that has stuck with me.
Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferris – amazing stories from the most interesting and successful people of our time. Tim is great at asking the precise questions it takes to generate the info within this massive volume.
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight – Mandy talked me into getting this when we were in the airport and headed to Chicago last year. I wanted to read it, but wanted to keep my head clear for a speech I would be giving that weekend to a few hundred gym owners and coaches. By the time we landed, I’d read 90% of it.
Nourish by Nicole Aucoin – Nicole is a dear friend of mine and the architect of the nutrition program that we run at CFG. I read this in one sitting. Then I got another copy at the CF Games last year and read it again on the plane home.
StoryBrand by Donald Miller – We completely redid our website after reading this book and I prescribe it to nearly all of the gym owners that I mentor.
Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman – this is something I reread each year. If you’re married, or in a serious relationship I highly recommend this.
Steve Jobs biography by Walter Issacson – I’m obsessed with the history and story of Apple. I reread this every year. Its a great reminder to never compromise on what is important to you. If greatness is what you’re after, don’t bother settling for anything else.
Culture Code by Daniel Coyle – riveting read about how the most successful groups of people operate so well with one another.
The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni – this helped recreate the system that we use to develop and evaluate our coaches at CFG.
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek – he’s one of my favorite authors and I read all of his stuff.
Go-Giver by Bob Burg – another one I reread each year. Fantastic book to understand how life actually works.
Key Person of Influence by Kevin Harrington and Daniel Priestly – this was gifted to me by Jay Bradley and I thoroughly enjoyed their perspective on how to leverage  your talents.
The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk – One of my favorite guys to listen to…and yes he’s got a bit of a potty mouth (haha), but his underlying message is a great one.
 
What I’ve read or am currently reading in 2019:
The Bible – I’m going through and reading the entire Bible in 2019. This is part of my daily morning devotion work that I do right upon waking while I have my coffee.
 
Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Thief by Chris Cooper – the definitive guide to the journey through entrepreneurship. I’m a tinker in case you’re wondering!
 
This is Marketing by Seth Godin – this has helped to really narrow our marketing message. The book in a quote: “People like us do things like this.”
 
The Psychology of Physical Activity by Carron, Hausenblas, and Estabrooks – admittedly this is a college textbook that I held onto, but I’ve come back around to it lately as I’m building a brand new course for developing fitness coaches. Also, Heather Hausenblas was actually a teacher of mine while I was at UF!
 
The Psychology of Exercise, Integrating Theory and Practice by Lox, Martin Ginis, and Petruzzello – this was one that Coach Marc Z actually gave to me. Or maybe I stole it, I don’t remember. But I’m using it in conjunction with the other psych book above.
 
Altar Ego by Craig Groeschel – I just started this one, but already I’m in love with it. I think my mom gave this to me a couple years ago. And NO, this is not the same at ‘Alter Ego’, which does happen to be on my book wish list.
 
Game Changers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Mavericks Do to Win at Life by Dave Asprey – this was a gift by Dr. Justin Scott and was incredible. He touches on a lot of things that most people don’t want to talk about. You’ll have to check it out to know more.
 
Killing Sacred Cows by Garret Gunderson – I’d had this book recommended to me more times than I can remember and I’m so glad I picked it up. Like I said in a previous post, I love reading about how “the other side” views things, and this book (so far) does not disappoint. I just started it a few days ago.
 
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankel – what more can I say? This is about a man’s survival through a Nazi concentration camp.
 
Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford by Clint Hill – I stumbled upon this after reading a FaceBook post by Mike Rowe (yes, of ‘Dirty Jobs’ fame) tell a story about meeting Clint Hill randomly in a bar. Go search for that story and I guarantee you’ll want to buy this book. Apparently after his FB post went viral, the publisher had to start up the printing press for this book that had stopped publication for a while.
 
So, today’s question: what is ONE book that I should add to my Amazon book list (which already has a couple hundred titles on it)?

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