Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Amazon — Yvon Chouinard requires no introduction. He's built one of the most legendary companies in Patagonia and a company culture that has come with it. The lessons from this short book and how to treat people will remain on my shelf forever, and I will continue to re-read this book throughout my entire life.
The Things They Carried: A Pulitzer Prize Finalist - The Classic Work of American Literature on War, Memory, and Storytelling by Amazon — The Things They Carried was recommended to me by my old CEO, and he said it was his favorite book of all time. I picked it up on the shelf, and it is now my favorite book of all time. It'll make you cry. It'll make you laugh. It'll make you understand things that you never would be capable of, while its historical fiction seems so real, and I think that's the point of the book. The Things They Carried is quite a story that everyone should read.
Education of a Wandering Man by Amazon — Amazing book about the pursuit of knowledge.
Dove by Amazon — Great adventure tale of the first person to sail around the world. Full of adventure, love, loss and values of life.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Amazon — How to Win Friends and Influence People is a classic. It's a must-read for those that aspire to be a leader and teaches you about how to win anyone over in a conversation.
Born to Run by Amazon — Epic story of ultra running in an unexpected place.
Zero to One by Amazon — Jam packed, small book of no BS ways to figure out how to get from zero to one with a startup.
The Mom Test by Amazon — Best way to learn more about your <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "SF Pro Display", "SF Pro Text", sans-serif;">start up idea.</span>
Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI by Amazon — When this book was written, there was a lot of negative sentiment around AI, and I think to some extent there still is. This is a great take, in my opinion, by Reid Hoffman that gives people hope when it comes to AI in that it does have the ability to change our lives in a positive way.
Elon Musk by Amazon — What a life this man has lived. Everyone can learn something from Elon. It's always important to have dreams and to go after them.
Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making – An NYT Bestselling Entrepreneurship and Product Design Manual by Amazon — Build is an amazing book for entrepreneurs and those that aspire to create their destiny. I listened to the audiobook, but it was well worth my time.
The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects by Amazon — The cold start problem is a must-read for those starting marketplaces and understanding marketplace dynamics.
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Amazon — In Order to Live is an amazing true story about a woman escaping North Korea, her journey, trials and tribulations, escaping North Korea, China, and eventually making it to the U.S. What a story!
Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Amazon — The character of Sam Bankman-Fried is a crazy story to watch unfold, from Jane Street Capital to one of the youngest billionaires of all time. Sam Bankman-Fried doesn't like rules, and he lives by his own compass and, in doing so, he built one of the biggest scams of all time.
The Responsible Company: What We've Learned from Patagonia's First 40 Years by Amazon — Another Yvon Chouinard classic on how companies should aspire to build and take responsibility for their actions.
Meditations by Amazon — This is probably one of the most dense books that I have ever read, packed with lessons and philosophies that, in my opinion, will never change throughout time. If you are young and want to learn more about life, I can't think of a better book.
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Amazon — Start With Why is one of those books and talks that Simon Sinek gave that transformed his entire career because of how much it hit home and how correct he is in building a company. When you start with why, it translates to every single part of your business, from your employees to your customers. This book, even though it's quite short, is packed with wisdom.
Life Lived Wild: Adventures at the Edge of the Map by Amazon — Rick Ridgway has had an amazing life, and he's spent so much time in the Alpine exploring and finding the edges of the earth. This is a story about his life, and unfortunately it's tragic end, but what a life that this man has lived. They have since made a movie about it. It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry, it'll make you experience emotions, and it'll make you dream of a better world.
Edmund Hillary - A Biography: The extraordinary life of the beekeeper who climbed Everest by Amazon — Edmund Hillary is one of those figures that will live on in history: a great man, a great father, a great husband. He's had some very tragic things happen in his life, and exploring the edges of the earth showcased his true character. The title of the book "an extraordinary life" doesn't do it justice.
