Books

I read a lot, either for school, professional skills, or just enjoyment, so in casual conversation, I tend to recommend books often. If it's for enjoyment, I usually go with an audible book. They really bring a good fiction to life, plus you cannot beat the price - $15/mo. 

Here are my current recommendations, with links to Amazon to purchase.

Free Agent Nation - great breakdown of how things are shaping up economically in the PSTS (professional, scientific, technical services) economy. 

Linchpin - Some hyperbole, but after you get through that and see the forest through the trees, the message is still sound - be the best you can be at something, and make sure you are indispensable. 

4 hour work week - I don't like the name anymore than you do. Tim has a very matter-of-fact tone, and I like it. He doesn't take excuses and doesn't put up with those that accept mediocrity in their life. Is this all original material? No. Is this applicable 100% to everyone? Absolutely not. But what's here does have great value. For instance, Tim's time management strategy involving interruptions dances around the TOC explanation of it. He's so close to nailing his explanation. 

 I've read MANY reviews, blog posts, etc of people bashing Ferriss, all the while stating they haven't read the book. 

The Goal - I don't think any one book has changed my thinking and direction in life more than this. For me, it all starts here. Say what you will about TOC - "Its just JIT", or "It's too subjective." Ok. No book sells as much as this and has a critical following in production globally and is just JIT. I have a number of other TOC books I can recommend, but they are primarily academic so I recommend them with caution.

Critical Chain - I am a TOC junkie, as noted above. I've read almost every book from Goldratt and company. I use TOC for management & strategy development. TOC is based in production, but I dont work in that field, so I apply its tools to management, perhaps at a journeyman level. This book is great for anyone who is a project manager or wants some help at time management. It's written in novel form, which makes for easy reading and comprehension of difficult material. 

Thinking Strategically - This one is on game theory. It's a dry read, but its the best I found without getting super-academic. I would recommend reading the first 2 chapters then flipping through to see what you might be interested in. 

Influence - This is more a book on how your emotions/brain interpret situations. I found the info about reciprocity to be the most interesting. I would say this is the science behind "Achieving Success Through Social Capital" or any other book on social capital. 

Emotions Revealed - Ekman will probably be given his due after he dies. This guy is amazing. Is this subjective? Maybe. His science has been sensationalized by the Fox show "Lie to Me", which I do love. Having said that, the story of his science and how this happened is amazing. 

Freakonomics - If you haven't read this yet, read it. It's informative and fun. The podcast is cool too.

Flawless Consulting - With the "Free Agent Nation" upon us, this book is a great resource.  If you are going into consulting, its invaluable. I have completed around 12 consulting jobs thus far, and after reading this, I see exactly how problems could have been averted or jobs saved. It was a required reading in a consulting course. One of the few books that was required that I have found to have actionable information. 

Outliers - I liked this one the best of all of Gladwells books.