The one commonality that I’ve seen from every successful person is that they read a book a month. -Noah Kagan
I thought it would be helpful to create a books page that you can always come to for all of your learning needs. I have added a quick blurb about each book so you can make a better decision about whether you would want to read it. I’ll add to it as I learn more, and I recommend bookmarking it for your reference and convenience. Enjoy!
FAQ: Do I read eBooks or hard copy? – I personally prefer to read eBooks using the Kindle or Nook app. Amazon is much better about returning books, so I tend to use them more frequently than B&N as they have a no-return policy. Ultimately, read however you prefer.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. Please understand that I have experience with all of these resources, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
My Top 5
The 4-Hour Workweek – Timothy Ferriss
A must read for everyone of all ages because of how inspiring it is.
The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg
This book is not only good because it has incredible case studies and advice in it, but it tells these stories in a way that makes you want to keep reading. In addition, the case studies found here are extremely valuable because of what they teach, and I have found them nowhere else.
The Miracle Morning – Hal Elrod
If you don’t have a morning routine, you need one. TMM is your answer on how to structure your morning routine, and it is the best out there.
The Compound Effect – Darren Hardy
This is one of the best self-help books out there. It’s a great reminder that every single action you take and habit you form should be made intentionally and with purpose.
Smartcuts – Shane Snow
Very similar structure to The Power of Habit, which I said “is not only good because it has incredible case studies and advice in it, but it tells these stories in a way that makes you want to keep reading. In addition, the case studies found here are extremely valuable because of what they teach, and I have found them nowhere else.”
My full book list in the order I read them
I Will Teach You To Be Rich – Ramit Sethi
The only investing book you need to read. This is essential reading for people ages 18-25.
A Beginner’s Guide to Investing – Ivy Bytes, Alex Frey
This book is only necessary if you want a little more depth to investing in stocks on your own.
Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes – Gary Belsky, Thomas Gilovich
Though I enjoyed this book, the last 10 pages or so are the conclusions and take-aways. I recommend just reading the conclusions, and if you don’t understand one of the conclusions, go back and read that specific chapter. The examples they use in this book are really helpful to wrap your head around the concepts.
The 4-Hour Workweek – Timothy Ferriss
A must read for everyone of all ages because of how inspiring it is.
The Compound Effect – Darren Hardy
This is one of the best self-help books out there. It’s a great reminder that every single action you take and habit you form should be made intentionally and with purpose.
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill, Arthur Pell
This book was much too slow for my appetite. I did not finish it, but I might revisit it again in the future.
Zero to One – Peter Thiel, Blake Masters
For people interested in startups, this is a must read. I have see references to the question asked in this book many times. Peter Thiel asks, “What do you believe that no one else believes?”
The $100 Startup – Chris Guillebeau
People rave about this book, but I did not take away much from this book. It goes in depth to businesses that were started with under $100, so at best I can say it was an interesting read.
The E-Myth Revisited – Michael Gerber
This is a long book that has some good points to it, but it would be best to just read a summary.
The 4-Hour Body – Timothy Ferriss
As Tim suggests in the beginning of this book, I did not read it in order. Instead, I read the parts I was interested in, and come back to reference this book when I need it. I followed the slow carb diet for about 3 months, but I did not see any major improvements in my health. It’s also tough to follow if you’re not home all day. The workouts described are goofy, but work very well. Overall, I ended up reading the entirety of this book and highly recommend it.
MONEY Master the Game – Tony Robbins
One of the worst books written on money to exist. He analyzed past returns of bond heavy portfolios in a bond bull market. However, past performance does not predict future performance. In addition, he outlines how much fees cut into your returns, which is actually extremely important to recognize. However, he then proceeds to recommend a “partner” company with much higher fees than industry standards.
In summary, there are three pieces of advice that stuck:
First, don’t lose money; if you invest $100 and lose 50%, you then have $50 left. To get back to your original investment of $100, you will have to make 100% in returns on the $50 you now have left.
Second, invest in things that have the possibility of returning at least 10x the investment.
Third, invest your money in a target date fund. If you want actionable advice on investing, Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You To Be Rich is the right place for you.
The raw interview write ups at the end of the book are worth the read, and this is the only reason I left the link to buy this book.
If you want a more in depth review of this book, you can find one here and here.
The 4-Hour Chef – Timothy Ferriss
The first 200 or so pages are a must read, and are applicable to everyone. I only read bits and pieces of the actual recipes in the latter portions of the book.
The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur – Mike Michalowicz
A decent book that I read in its entirety, but I failed to take notes on. It’s on my list to revisit as it has some valuable information.
Running Lean – Ash Maurya
When I mentioned The Lean Startup to a good friend, he instead recommended Running Lean to me. My biggest takeaway is no matter what stage of product development you are in, if you have not gotten customer feedback, you need to get some.
How To Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
Though people rave about this book, it can be understood very well by a summary. This book highlights things that most good people know, but sometimes fail to implement.
The Five Minute Journal – Alex Ikonn, UJ Ramdas
Highly recommend checking this one out. If you want more info, I go into more detail in my own eBook, which you can check out here.
The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg
One of the longer books, but it is a must read.
Waking Up – Sam Harris
This was a fairly tough book to read, and I did not feel like I was getting a lot out of it. Both of those reasons led me to stop reading after about 50 pages. I feel as though I am not ready for this book, so I will be revisiting it in the future. If you want to live more spiritually, and give yourself a good challenge in reading, this is the perfect book for you.
Lying – Sam Harris
A very short, leisurely read. If you want to have a deep conversation, I recommend this book, which basically covers the question, “Is lying wrong?”
The Miracle Morning – Hal Elrod
If you don’t have a morning routine, you need one. TMM is your answer on how to structure your morning routine, and it is the best out there.
The ONE Thing – Gary Keller, Jay Papsan
This book is the 80/20 rule on steroids. Even if you feel like you’re a productive person, this book will help you focus even more. What is your ONE thing you should do in the next month based on your yearly and five year goal and rendering everything else easier or useless to do? Send me an email at eddy@eddyscanlan.com and let me know.
Smartcuts – Shane Snow
This book is not only good because it has incredible case studies and advice in it, but it tells these stories in a way that makes you want to keep reading. In addition, the case studies found here are extremely valuable because of what they teach, and I have found them nowhere else. It has a very similar structure to The Power of Habit, which I also enjoyed quite a bit.
The Content Marketing Handbook – Rohin Dhar, Priceonomics
This is a free book that I recommend to anyone who wants to better understand content marketing. I am reading this concurrently with Smartcuts, which goes along nicely because the author of Smartcuts, Shane Snow, started his own content company.
The Boron Letters – Gary Halbert
Neville Medhora swears by these, and best of all: they’re free. (Link is courtesy of Neville himself, and he recommends printing these out). My verdict on these letters: they’re worth the read because they’re somewhat short, give you a good laugh, and also teach you a fair amount about the timeless principles of marketing, such as AIDA.
Sprint – Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, Braden Kowitz
For more information about this, watch the first half of this video.
Currently Reading
The Obstacle Is the Way – Ryan Holiday
On My List
The Startup Owner’s Manual – Steve Blank, Bob Dorf
Good to Great – Jim Collins
Mindset – Carol Dweck
This was recommended to me by a good friend, and comes up briefly in The ONE Thing. Looking forward to this one.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz
Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
We Learn Nothing – Tim Kreider
Growth Hacker Marketing – Ryan Holiday
Traction – Gabriel Weinberg, Justin Mares
The Magic of Thinking Big – David Schwartz
Hooked – Nir Eyal
Don’t Make Me Think – Steve Krug
Awaken The Giant Within – Tony Robbins
The School of Greatness – Lewis Howes
80/20 Sales and Marketing – Perry Marshall
The Personal MBA – Josh Kaufman
The Millionaire Fastlane – MJ DeMarco
