I was not always a reader. Some of my professors in college spoiled me a bit on reading by assigning 200 pages of textbook to read in 2 days. But, now I have an alternate opinion. When I find the right book, I can consume it in a day or two. Below is a list of ten books I’ve recently enjoyed and I can recommend to you. I hope you find the list helpful in selecting something worth reading.

If you enjoy reading about sales and leadership communication, here is a list of ten recent books I can recommend for you to add to your list!

Each book title is hyperlinked to Amazon and each author is hyperlinked to their Twitter account, if they have one.

Ten Books Worth Reading in 2017

Intentional Living – John C. Maxwell

When you’re considering your legacy and how you can have an impact for good in this world, read this.

The Legacy Journey – Dave Ramsey

Dave touches on the positive impact you can have on others in this life when you’ve reached a place of financial independence. A great legacy is a life of philanthropy serving others.

The Productivity Project – Chris Bailey

Chris took a year off after graduation to perform productivity experiments on himself. He tried everything from sleep deprivation, to changes in diet, to developing new habits. Interesting, helpful, and sometimes funny.

Crucial Conversations – Kerry Patterson, et al

Patterson is a founder at Vital Smarts consulting. After years of research, his team documented methods and tools you can use for handling the toughest conversations, when stakes and emotions are high.

Thank you for Arguing – Jay Heinrichs

In classical rhetorical fashion, Jay takes you back to a time when arguing wasn’t a four-letter word. It was a mature way to debate issues and wrestle with ideas. In many cases he shows how classic rhetoric is not only useful, but humorous! It’s amazing how he can use Homer Simpson to teach something from Aristotle.

Magnetic: Impress, Connect, and Influence – Patrick King

King provides easy steps based on influence research to help leaders create positive impact on others.

Killing Reagan – Bill O’Reilly, Martin Dugard

Several “Killing” books have been written in this series and I’ve read several of them. Killing Reagan is my most recent and so far my favorite (but I haven’t read Killing the Rising Son yet, which I heard is the best.) This is a great chronology of Reagan from the time he was an actor, to a democrat, to a republican president.

Heretics and Heroes – Cort Dial

I was introduced to Cort by a mutual friend, Sara Canaday. She simply told me, “You have to read his book.” If Sara tells me to do something, I’m gonna do it. This book reads like a novel or auto-biography of Cort’s start in chemical engineering all the way to working as an executive leadership consultant in the oil and gas industry, even with people close to the Deepwater Horizon tragedy… great lessons for leaders.

Start with Why – Simon Sinek

If you haven’t heard of Simon or this book in the last year… well, now you have. Yes, it’s that popular and for good reason. Simon’s research on companies that have the greatest longevity and profit can be founded in the fact that they all define why they exist before they define what they do and how they do it.

Deep Work – Cal Newport

Cal’s meta-research uncovers a fading skill in today’s world, deep work. He shows the profound benefits of creating time for deep work instead of the shallow tasks and distractions we face more and more. Yes, social media is one of the topics.

I’ve enjoyed learning from all these professionals,
Russ

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One more book I hope you enjoy:

Corporate Ovations: Your roadmap to more effective presentations, Russ Peterson Jr. and Kevin Karschnik

Claim your copy of my new FREE eBook on Sales and Leadership Inspiration.

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.