BOOK CLUB 2021 "A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read." - Mark Twain

In 2018, I started reading more seriously.?Warren Buffet told interviewers he limits the number of appointments he schedules each week to allow time for reading, education, and personal growth.?That's brilliant!??

Starting back in 2019, my goal was to read 25 books before the end of the year.?Thanks to audible, the pandemic and a long commute, I was able to accomplish my goal again in 2021.?Two out of the past three years “ain’t bad!”?Books give me a lot of pleasure and an opportunity to escape the pressures and stress of my day.?There seems to be a personal preference to balance between fiction and non-fiction.?Biographies are also a pleasure, but it seems like I lean towards books about history and books about war.?Not very surprising for me and the rest of my Generation Xers.?I think this fits the stereotype (see a certain song released by Denis Leary in 1993).?There was a lot of sadness in the world in early 2021 and the genre of self-help books and books about business were at the top of my list. ??However, I feel like I need a break from the self-help genre… it became overwhelming and counterproductive.??

Either way… read as much as you like and read whatever you like.?Just start reading. ?For me, I find it helps to always have two books going at the same time. Usually there will be one hard copy and one via Audible.?Last year I gave myself permission to put a book down if it didn’t hold my attention.?This made it much easier to continue my journey towards 25 books.?

Here is my list from 2021:

·????????????????Always Italy – Frances Mayes

·????????????????Linchpin – Seth Godin

·????????????????New Sales. Simplified – Mike Weinberg

·????????????????The Fifth Risk – Michael Lewis

·????????????????The Splendid and the Vile – Erik Larson

·????????????????Snap Selling – Jill Kornrath

·????????????????Killing the SS – Bill O’Reilly

·????????????????The 1-page Marketing Plan – Allan Dib

·????????????????The Devil’s Hand – Jack Carr

·????????????????A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman

·????????????????David and Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell

·????????????????Blink – Malcolm Gladwell

·????????????????Among the Thugs – Bill Buford

·????????????????Nonviolent Communication – Marshall Rosenberg

·????????????????The Alchemist– Paulo Coelho

·????????????????The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis

·????????????????The Storyteller – Dave Grohl

·????????????????Guilty – James Patterson (audible original)

·????????????????The Big Short – Michael Lewis

·????????????????The Alchemist – Pablo Coelho

·????????????????Wild at Heart – John Eldredge

·????????????????The Alchemist – Pablo Coelho*

·????????????????The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz

·????????????????Leader by Accident – Jim Rafferty

·????????????????A World without Email – Cal Newport

*My favorite book of all time and one I read every summer

My 2022 goal will be to increase my goal to 27 books.?I’m looking forward to reading more historical non-fiction and more autobiographies.?If you only read two books from my list, read?Linchpin – Seth Godin and The Fifth Risk – Michael Lewis.?

“There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there's a third team, the linchpins. These people figure out what to do when there's no rule book. They delight and challenge their customers and peers. They love their work, pour their best selves into it, and turn each day into a kind of art.??Have you ever found a shortcut that others missed? Seen a new way to resolve a conflict? Made a connection with someone others couldn't reach? Even once? Then you have what it takes to become indispensable, by overcoming the resistance that holds people back.”?- Amazon Preview

“The Fifth Risk is a 2018 non-fiction book by Michael Lewis that examines the transition and political appointments of the Donald Trump presidency, especially with respect to three government agencies: the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce. The book spent fourteen weeks on?The New York Times?non-fiction?best-seller list.[6]?A lengthy excerpt from the book was published twice by?The Guardian,[7]?using a quote from a top adviser to Trump in the title.”?- Wikipedia Preview

Thank you to my wife, my kids and my colleagues at WebbMason Marketing for providing inspiration and new ideas. Hopefully this article will provide inspiration for other to commit to reading more during our terribly busy and stressful lives.

May you and your family have a very Happy New Year. Here is to 2022; a new year, with new ideas, new videos and new books!

Cheers!