10 books I recommend you read in 2016

  
I embarked on a journey in 2015 to read a lot more than I ever have before. For whatever reason, I feel like if I’m reading books, I’m getting smarter…or at least hopefully not getting any dumber. Maybe I’m just staving off the dumb for a few more years.

Regardless of whether I’m getting smarter or dumber, I made a goal to read 12 books in 2015 and ended up reading over 30. This was done through a combination of reading on the Kindle and listening on Audible. The exact breakdown:

• 19 via Kindle
• 14 via Audible

And I focused on reading fiction books (Kindle) and listening to non-fiction and business books (Audible). Here’s a total list of what I read in 2015.

The ten books I read this year that I recommend you check out in 2016:

Non-fiction / Business

Becoming Steve Jobs (post) – Another great Steve Jobs bio. Here’s a summary of the other one by Walter Isaacson, which I read in 2011. My blog review of the new one.

Creativity Inc. (post) – Excellent book about Pixar. Got a little slow in the middle, but overall great look into one of the great companies of the last 20 years. My blog review.

Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business – Amazing. Can’t thank my man Daniel enough for recommending it. Really great for anyone working on company culture and purpose. My blog review.

The Five Temptations of a CEO (listened on Audible) and
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (listened on Audible). Always great reads/listens, Patrick Lencioni is the master of business fables. Just terrific, and very quick reads.

The Great Game of Business (listened on Audible and read on Kindle) suggested by Daniel Roberts. This book is changing the entire way I’m looking at running Dragon Army. I’m completely obsessed with it.

Fiction

The Martian – Brilliant. Crushed it in a week.

The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One – WOW. Patrick recommended this to me and it blew me away. I read/listened to it in 10 days. For a 676 page book, it flew.

The Wise Man’s Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 2) – Brilliant. These two books are terrific, can’t wait for the third to come out.

The Yard, suggested by Steve Swanson. LOVED this book, tore through it in less than a week. I immediately downloaded the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the series and I’m going to (try to) wait until a big vacation I have planned in January to read them. I’m not sure I’ll be able to wait though.

PS – Here is another great list of books recommended by a friend of mine, and here is a completely different take on reading a ton of books in 2016 from another buddy.