Red's Books Read (& Ranked) in 2020

2020 

The 46 books I read in 2020 arranged in order of their greatness and applicability to me. This is not a book review or rating list other than how “I” personally liked, grew, or was entertained by the book.   

I started wondering if I was losing my edge since this is my lowest number of books read in a year in quite a while but then I remembered how crazy busy we’ve been at IFPG – not to mention all the homework from my MBA classes... Hope you enjoy this list and share yours with us too. 

1. The Motivation Manifesto; 9 Declarations to Claim Your Personal Power - Brendon Burchard (4th time read) 

• I just love this book. It’s one of my all-time favorites. Powerful, passionate, bold, and honest. 

2. Talk Triggers; The Complete Guide to Creating Customers with Word-of-Mouth – Jay Baer & Daniel Lemin (Read twice this year) 

• Marketing, Branding, Clear Communications, and Customer Service are what I do. This book does a solid job of explaining how to do them right. 

3. Fortitude; American Resilience in the Age of Outrage – Dan Crenshaw 

• Outstanding. Every American should read this non-PC tome to liberty, thinking for oneself, and why a mature approach to our challenges will yield a new age of American exceptionalism and prosperity. Beyond Conservative or Liberal - it's about humanity, caring about one another, and sacrificing for others while empowering the individual.

4. Finding God’s Life for My Will; His Presence in the Plan – Mike Donehey 

• Soooo good! This guy is my new best friend. He’s cool, honest, wise, transparent, and witty.   

5. The Future is Faster Than You Think; How Converging Technologies are Disrupting Business, Industries, and Our Lives - Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler 

• Blew my mind. Making my teenagers read it. 

6. Texit; Why and How Texas Will Leave the Union – Dr Bill Brooks 

• Man, oh man this book is thorough and incredibly well thought through. Dr Brooks isn’t just a philosopher and visionary, he has been and continues to be in the conservative center of the beast that is the Texas Republican party. He answers all the questions and overcomes all objections regarding this crazy idea. It’s amazing how close we’ve already come to a legitimate Texit – and with the happenings of late, the likelihood is ever stronger that we'll confront this option again real soon at the voting booth. The Republic of Texas resurrection may sound ludicrous... but for millions, it's going to come to fruition. #fascinating  

7. The Compound Effect; Multiply Your Success One Simple Step at a Time – Darren Hardy 

• Full of wise counsel and intelligent insights for success as well as lots and lots of common-sense tactics that very few of us are implementing in our daily lives. Darren is relatable, likable, motivating, and can spin a good story with the best of ‘em. He also lives by example rather than just write books about it. 

8. Sell It Like Serhant; How to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine – Ryan Serhant 

• Very well written. Clever, interesting, relatable, and certainly valuable insights on how to win in the career of Sales. Almost all his examples are realtor-related which is of course is his career but not always relative to other industries. 80% of Serhant’s teachings are “Sales 101”/elementary but still good to be reminded of. His cool, optimistic-common sense attitude makes it impossible to not like him.   

9. The Wolf of Wall Street - Jordan Belfort 

• I put off reading this long book for years due to fear of what people might think of me but since seeing the movie nearly a decade ago I’ve been intrigued by the story of Jordan and his rag-tag team’s meteoric rise. He created such a strong following and loyalty from those he worked with - not to mention a passion-filled sales culture and unparalleled profits. It’s amazing how well he did despite his incredibly stupid, over-confident, and selfish drug abuse and exploits of every vice. One thing’s for sure, W.o.W. was incredibly well written - mega kudos to the ghost writer! 

10. Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey 

• Cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce – I love me some McConaughey (not like that though, you perve!) Transparency to the max while drawing you into every page. A master story teller who’s voice you can clearly hear throughout this book of stories, advice, mistakes, luck, passion, stubbornness, fear, sacrifice, victory, and heartache. 

11. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success - Carol S. Dweck 

• I need to read this again. Common sense flows all through it while weaving deeper insights into human motivation, attitude, discipline, and influence.   

12. The Ride of a Lifetime; Lessons Learned from 15 Years as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company - Robert Iger 

• I realize Robert is writing about himself and therefore can paint the picture however he wants - which of course is that of an incredibly strong leader but wow! he went through so much and somehow came out on top almost every time. Fascinating stories throughout. 

13. You Need a Budget; The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want – Jesse Mecham 

• Comfortable read. Lots of common sense but also plenty of stories and examples to help the principles hit home. Numerous soft-pitches for the reader to purchase their YNAB online tools but they also offer a free version. 

14. Fuel; What It Takes to Survive as an Entrepreneur – Josh York 

• Josh is a friend of mine and a very successful franchisor. I could really relate to the massive sacrifices he made starting out. I felt like I lived a lot of these stories. I wish some could have included more details though.  

15. Humanocracy: Creating as Amazing as the People Inside Them - Gary Hamel & Michelle Zanini  

• A really good book. The author seems to follow the perfect formula in book writing – balancing fascinating statistics with real-world stories and useful take-ways. Hamel and Zanini really hit the topic of organizational excellence between the eyes. There weren’t any life-changing epiphanies in this book for me but I’m certainly glad I read it and might just go back for a second round. 

16. Think Like a Rocket Scientist; Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work & Life – Ozan Varol 

• This long book is all over the place – heard to follow the overall premise and yet kept my attention fairly well throughout. Turns out it really is all about learning to think like a real Rocket Scientist, which is complicated but cool and believable the way he explains it with example after example from his life working as a Rocket Scientist at NASA. 

17. The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your life - Robin Sharma 

• I have to believe this book’s author had no formal training in how to write a book but regardless, I totally dig the story and message. Clunky and elementary but uplifting and clever - this book is one I’ll probably have my kids read soon. 

18. Runnin’ with the Devil; A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen - Noel Monk & Jay Layden 

• As a big Van Halen fan (Roth AND Hagar) I was super curious about this book. Although quite interesting, it ultimately was a sad, sad tale of emotionally immature, lonely, insecure rock stars who influenced a generation and could have done so much more had they not gotten in their own stupid, selfish ways. 

19. Rise of the Youpreneur; The Definitive Guide to Becoming the Go-To Leader in Your Industry & Building a Future-Proof Business - Chris Ducker  

20. Make Your Bed; Little Things that Can Change your Life… and Maybe the World – William H. McRaven (2nd time read) 

• Reread this short but solid book after enjoying it last year. Required each of my children read it. Through interesting stories, this Navy Admiral teaches how discipline, focus, responsibility, resiliency, and integrity are important to living a successful and fulfilling life. 

21. Start From Zero; Build Your Own Business; Experience True Freedom - Dane Maxwell 

• A buddy claimed this was as good as anything he’d ever read… OK, it was pretty good - actually really good in giving proven techniques to build predictable, secure income streams. I might read it again as there was plenty that just didn’t stick with me - I think partly because the author’s focus and passions are different than mine so he didn’t keep my attention very well. 

22. Red Shoes Living; Stand Out for the Positive in How You Work and Live Your Life - Lonnie Mayne 

• Someone I met at a franchise event introduced me to this book and author (For obvious and incredibly coincidental reasons that we both wear red low-top, classic lace-up Vans). The positive message it terrific but quite elementary. 

23. Reach; Reach out, Reach High, Reach Back – John Rotch & Mike Skitzki 

• This book is a good look into the life and mind of a true entrepreneur in franchising. Nothing too deep – just real-life stories from a guy who cares and leads by example. The stories were very relatable to me having gone through similar struggles and triumphs. I did have trouble discerning when the author transitioned back and forth between Rotche and Skitzki though. 

24. Can’t Hurt Me; Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds – David Goggins 

• Fascinating story of overcoming every obstacle and overcoming personal limitations at the most extreme level. The stories were so inspiring and yet completely unrelatable to me.  

25. Man Up; How to cut the Crap & Kick Tail in Business (& in Life) - Bedros Keulian 

• I started this book with the wrong attitude.  Bedros is a big, tough, intimidating, hard-charging machine and I frankly, didn’t like him. However, his willingness to change – even during the toughest times as well as his insane commitment to growth and impact really began to resonate with me by the last few chapters 

26. Indistractable; How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life – Nir Eyal & Julie Li  

• Ironically, I kept losing my attention while reading this book. Nothing wrong with anything in it at all but I didn’t walk away from the book determined to make a single change – and for that, as they say on Shark Tank... “I’m out”. 

27. The Untethered Soul; The Journey Beyond Self – Michael A. Singer 

28. Your Best life Now; 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential – Joel Olsteen 

• I put this book off for a long time due to my disdain for Joel’s milquetoast gospel and feel-good, name-it-claim-it doctrine but I gotta admit I do love his incredible optimism and never-say-die attitude under any adversity. This is a great example of a 90% awesome book with just a little bit of heresy to screw it all up. 

29. Corona Crisis: Plagues, Pandemics, and the Coming Apocalypse - Mark Hitchcock 

• I could have done without the first 10% of the book recapping what has occurred over the past 100 days. Still, it was good. My favorite was a short section where he clearly laid out the significant differences/warning signs between the rapture and the 2nd coming. 

30. Overcomer; 8 Ways to Live a Life of Unstoppable Strength, Unmovable Faith, and Unbelievable Power – Dr David Jeremiah  

• What’s not to love from Dr J? There’s not a single thing wrong with this work - I just didn’t really grow or learn anything new from it. The book read a lot like a sermon. 

31. I Declare War; Keys to Winning the Battle with Yourself – Levi Lusko 

• One of my favorite preachers ever. I love his heart and the wisdom he shares is pure gold. I just get wigged out how transparent he is as Brother Levi is one messed up dude! I mean, we’ve all got issues – he's just REALLY got some friggin’ issues!   

32. The Success Lie; 5 Simple Truths to Overcome Overwhelm & Achieve Peace of Mind – Janelle Bruland & Stephen M. R. Covey 

• Nothing new other than some decent personal stories. Message is generally elementary mixed in with some exercises that should be helpful to most anyone needing clarity, direction, and organizational discipline.  

33. The Hero Factor; How Great Leaders Transform Cultures and Create Winning Organizations – Jeffrey W. Hayzlett & Jim Eber 

• This book would be 20% shorter is Hayzlett eliminated all the times he says “the hero factor” in it. The book is probably better than where it’s landed in this ranking. I’ve met him, read Hayzlett’s other books, and have heard him speak on multiple occasions. He just seemed to be recruiting for his “Hero” organization a bit too much for me. The complaining about how it’s been along with bragging about his successes both got a little old too. 

34. How to Fight a Hydra: Face Your Fears, Pursue Your Ambitions, and Become the Hero You are Destined to Be – Josh Kaufman 

• A little dorky, different, and just a bit inspiring. A story kinda like The Richest Man in Babylon – full of analogies and lessons. I appreciate the last chapter where he explained a lot and helped me realize he wasn’t as weird as the book made the author out to be. 

35. 50 Little Tips That Make a BIG Difference; Overcoming the Seeds of Rudeness in Business and in Life - Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor 

• Nancy is wonderful and this book is good. Plenty of cool ideas and lots of stuff you already know but need reminded of (and some extreme “no duhs”, too!). Super short - a cute gift / leave-behind 

36. The Perfect Day Formula; How to Own the Day and Control Your Life – Craig Ballantyne 

• Solid basics. Yawn. 

37. The Art of Noticing; 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday – Rob Walker 

• Duh. 

38. Living an Examined Life; Wisdom for the Second Half of the Journey – James Hollis, PhD 

• I read this last year and felt I didn’t grasp its greatness. Nope still didn’t resonate with me. It reads like a Doctoral Thesis (not that I’ve ever read one!). Hollis uses more big words than any author I’ve ever read! The guy's vocabulary is cross-disciplinary (that means “big”) 

39. Who Moved My Cheese; An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change Your Work and in Your Life - Spencer Johson 

• Super “Cheesy”. Sure, there’s great wisdom in this easy read but it’s so basic that most will roll their eyes and yawn as try to finish it before falling asleep 

40. Unselling; The Independent Consultants Guide to Trusting God for More Business, Faith, and Life - John D. Hughes  

• Solid guide for a Christian starting up their 1st Consulting practice. He does downplay the power of social media though. Nothing really new for me but I've lived in this world for a long time too so probably a lot more applicable for a newbie.

41. 12 Rules for Life; An Antidote for Chaos – Jordan Peterson 

• meh 

42. Caffeine; How Caffeine Created the Modern World – Michael Pollan 

• Didn’t have high expectations for this book and they were met. Although occasionally clever, and randomly sharing an interesting fact, the book was just a ploy to take my money 

43. International Business – Michael Czinkota 

• Required reading for a class I’m taking for my MBA. At least it’s much better that #44. 

44. Operations Management – Multiple Authors 

• Required reading for a class I’m taking for my MBA. 

A new category:  Books that are both incredibly great and horribly bad 

45. Unscripted; Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Entrepreneurship – MJ DeMarco 

• Never in my life have I read a book so rock solid in its overarching message and yet so incredibly annoying in its non-stop, over-the-top, snarky, exaggerated, bold, rudeness. It’s like a group of cantankerous old life-long entrepreneurs got together to gripe about the clueless and lazy younger generations and then preach about the idiotic millennials while sipping more than a little whiskey and one-upping each other with extreme analogies. 

46. Profit First; Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine - Mike Michalowicz 

• I didn’t completely finish this book but plan to when appropriate. It is very much a thorough workbook for business owners (which wasn't clear when purchasing it) to get a much better grasp on the health and profitability of their businesses as well as help them prioritize maximum profits now rather than “one day”.   

Tee’d Up: 

• The Infinite Game – Simon Sinek 
• From Poop to Gold; The Marketing Magic of the Harmon Brothers – Chris Jones 
• The Wisdom of Crowds; Why the Many of Smarter than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Societies, Economies, and Nations – James Surowiecki 
• Doesn’t Hurt to Ask; Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade – Trey Gowdy 
• Invent and Wander; The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos - Jeff Bezos and Walter Isaacson 
• Around the Corner to Around the World; A Dozen Lessons I learned Running Dunkin Donuts - Robert Rosenberg 
• How I Built This; The Unexpected Paths to Success form the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs – Guy Raz