I personally try to alternate between real estate/business books and then something more "entertaining" like a fictional novel or biography. I'm down to my last few books on the shelf and am looking for fresh ideas for 2020! I'm currently reading "Evicted - Poverty and Profit In The American City" by Matthew Desmond. The author follows eight families in Milwaukee, as well as some Landlords, to give a detailed look at the problems facing renters. It was written right before the housing crisis and is very timely. My big take-away: I'm not surprised these people are trapped in poverty because they continue to make the same bad decisions without ever stopping to think they could have a better life by making a few hard choices. I was surprised to see how the Landlords could be so hard...then generous...then inept. The second book I'm reading is "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" by Eric Metaxas. This is about a young, Christian pastor that stood up to Hitler from the very beginning and lost his life for it. Very interesting and Metaxas is a great author. The next one I'm starting is "Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale Into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days" by Joseph John Coleman. I haven't started it yet but it's all about building that customer experience that develops into customer loyalty. I'm looking forward to it! So, what are you reading right now?

The most influential are The Bible, Rich Dad Poor Dad, How To Win Friends and influence People. Those are the three that really created a shift in mindset and put me on a new path. The 4-Hour Work Week is another eye-opener though I believe it's full of exaggerated results.

How to win friends and influence people

I’m currently reading (listening to) Wealth Can’t Wait by David Osborn. I listened to the first half and then I started it over and started listening to it slower and more carefully because of how good it is. @Whitney Anne Kwek, @Ned Carey, and @Nathan G. I also did not have a moving experience with Think and Grow Rich. I rarely say that out loud for fear of being ostracized by the intelectual elites. So please don’t share that with others. Whitney, a book I would recommend if you haven’t read it already would be The Richest Man in Babylon. It is the foundational finance book of America.

What books are you reading right now?

Bjorn AhlbladPro Member

Investor · Shelton, WA · Member since 2017 · 6k+ posts · 6k+ votes

6y

@Nathan Gesner American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella. Great Story!

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Bill F.

Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 3k+ votes

6y

@Nathan Gesner Great idea for a thread and I follow a similar pattern as you.

The business/investing book I'm reading right now is Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor by Seth Klarman. A great summary of what value investing means, the outlook needed to "find value", valuation methods, and places to look for "value" investments.

My fiction book is Red Plenty by Francis Spufford. It is set in the USSR during the late 50's and 60's when the Soviet Union's planned economy looked like it could fulfill the dream of Socialism and provide everything its citizens needed with a planned economy. It takes a look into how the economy and politics actually worked through a cast of characters who are the scientists, planners, economist, ect that have the responsibility of trying to make the blended politically and economic engines work.

Up next is Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk,which covers how humans have dealt with risk from the stone age to now.

Would you recommend Evicted - Poverty and Profit In The American City, or is it just the same lesson over and over again?

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member

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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes

6y

Originally posted by @Bjorn Ahlblad:

@Nathan Gesner American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella. Great Story!

Thanks for the recommendation. I live in Wyoming and American Bison are a big deal here. Unfortunately, they have to cull the herds regularly to keep them from over-populating. They are planning to cull up to 900 this winter.

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member

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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes

6y

Originally posted by @Bill F.:

@Nathan Gesner Great idea for a thread and I follow a similar pattern as you.

Would you recommend Evicted - Poverty and Profit In The American City, or is it just the same lesson over and over again?

I am enjoying Evicted, but probably for the wrong reasons. I "enjoy" reading it because it reinforces my view that people are impoverished due to the choices they've made, that absentee fathers and loose women play big roles in poverty, and that our government encourages / enables poverty far more than it does to solve it. I grew up poor and almost all of my relatives are still poor so I have some first-hand experience but don't want to give the impression I'm not open to new information.

Thanks for the recommendations!

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Daniel Haberkost

Rental Property Investor · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2018 · 682 posts · 729 votes

6y

@Nathan G. Great post idea, I can talk about books all day. “Evicted” was just recommended to me by a friend, I’ll have to read it.

But I would highly recommend reading the following non real estate books.

1.) Deep Simplicity by John Gribbin

2.) Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

3.) Poor Charlie’s Almanac

4.) Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

I’m currently reading

1.) The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

2.) How the Scots Invented the Modern World by Arthur Herman

Not sure I’d recommend either of those though.

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Mike Dymski

Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2016 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes

6y

Now: Fierce Conservations, Susan Scott and Principles, Ray Dalio

I recently read AI Superpowers by Kai-Fu Lee...pretty entertaining. Linchpin from Seth Godin was excellent. Awaken The Giant Within by Tony Robbins was awesome. I am a voracious reader and could go on and on.

3 Reply

Medi Sarwary

Pleasanton, CA · Member since 2016 · 73 posts · 48 votes

6y

The Black Swan: The impact of the highly improbable

Its written by Nassim Taleb and it explores the impacts of outliers

3 Reply

Whitney Anne Kwek

Real Estate Agent · Portland, OR · Member since 2019 · 28 posts · 20 votes

6y

I am currently reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I am pretty early into it but I honestly don't get the hype around this book. It may be too abstract for me and I don't like the style of language. Is there something I'm missing?

I read @Brandon Turner's The Book on Rental Property Investing recently and found it an enjoyable read. Maybe I am just drawn to more practical real estate books right now.

I just got a bunch of real estate and personal finance books from my local library, so I'm starting on those now. I'll update if I find any of those to be a must-read!

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Jim K.

Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes

6y

Book 4 of the Witcher series.

2 Reply

Brandon Frulla

Real Estate Agent · Omaha, NE · Member since 2018 · 83 posts · 51 votes

6y

Originally posted by @Whitney Anne Kwek:

I am currently reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I am pretty early into it but I honestly don't get the hype around this book. It may be too abstract for me and I don't like the style of language. Is there something I'm missing?

I read @Brandon Turner's The Book on Rental Property Investing recently and found it an enjoyable read. Maybe I am just drawn to more practical real estate books right now.

I just got a bunch of real estate and personal finance books from my local library, so I'm starting on those now. I'll update if I find any of those to be a must-read!

Couldn't agree more about your thoughts on Think and Grow Rich. I have tried to read it multiple times throughout the years and I have never been able to finish it. This isn't only my experience, I have spoken with many people who echoed this sentiment. I don't have the slightest idea about what the hype is about. To me, it feels like he is constantly speaking in circles and hoping that the reader 'fills in the blanks' with the substance that the book lacks on his behalf.

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Account Closed

Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

6y

I’ve got Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller on the go at the moment.

Hunter S Thompson is mixed in there regularly for a brain break.

2 Reply

Dennis M.

Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 9k+ votes

6y

I sit on the couch and watch Dancing with the stars reruns while I drink Pabst till I drift into unconsciousness

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member

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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes

6y

Originally posted by @Whitney Anne Kwek:

I am currently reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I am pretty early into it but I honestly don't get the hype around this book. It may be too abstract for me and I don't like the style of language. Is there something I'm missing?

Whitney, you are not alone! I read Think and Grow Rich and it was too "alternative" for me. Yes, there's power in positive thinking but I felt the book took it a step too far. To each his own.

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member

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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes

6y

Originally posted by @Dennis M.:

I sit on the couch and watch Dancing with the stars reruns while I drink Pabst till I drift into unconsciousness

That's an option, too. There are many people that manage to be successful despite their bad habits.

I'm not a Pabst drinker. Anything interesting on the label?

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Gerardo Ali

Rental Property Investor · Tacoma · Member since 2018 · 19 posts · 8 votes

6y

@Nathan G. Doing the impossible by Patrick Bet David, he’s brilliant in showing ways to excel as being an entrepreneur!

1 Reply

Jon Hill

Real Estate Agent · Firestone, CO · Member since 2018 · 124 posts · 115 votes

6y

@Nathan G. I do something similar with a couple of different books at once. Currently reading One Million Followers by Brendan Kane and Deep Work by Cal Newport. I am really enjoying both of them as they go hand in hand. Cal explain how to get more out of your work and allow time to let your brain problem solve. Brendan talks about how to test different content effectively to find the best way to reach your audience. Would recommend both!

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Ned CareyPro Member

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Investor · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 13k+ votes

6y

I was not impressed with Think and Grow Rich when I read it. I am glad I am not the only one.

Right now I am listening to "The Snowball" about Warren Buffett. It is interesting but way to long, more detail than needed.

Recent read/listen that I liked was "Ego is the Enemy". It was recommended to me but I didn't expect it to resonate with me. It made me realize how often Our ego affects our choices and actions.

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Jim K.

Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes

6y

Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

Originally posted by @Bill F.:

@Nathan Gesner Great idea for a thread and I follow a similar pattern as you.

Would you recommend Evicted - Poverty and Profit In The American City, or is it just the same lesson over and over again?

I am enjoying Evicted, but probably for the wrong reasons. I "enjoy" reading it because it reinforces my view that people are impoverished due to the choices they've made, that absentee fathers and loose women play big roles in poverty, and that our government encourages / enables poverty far more than it does to solve it. I grew up poor and almost all of my relatives are still poor so I have some first-hand experience but don't want to give the impression I'm not open to new information.

Thanks for the recommendations!

I was wondering if I was the only person to have that reaction to "Evicted." My heaviest contempt is really saved for all the absent fathers in the book. I'm not much for coming down on "loose women," not with all the things I've done in my life. But having kids, abandoning them, and expecting the social safety net to pick up the slack...we have to work to eradicate that attitude in our society. It doesn't matter how much it costs, we can't afford the destructive mayhem of deadbeat-dad mentality as a culture. We can't ask all these women to be our social heroes because all the men have decided they want to be little boys forever.

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Russell BrazilBusiness Member

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Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes

6y

Your Best Year Ever: A 5 Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals.

Not the typical book Id read, but my wife bought it for me for xmas. She said she heard about it on one of the podcasts I was playing in the car.

Whitey: The Life of Americas Most Notorious Mob Boss

This is just a fun read that gives me nostalgia, talking about a lot of neighborhoods close to mine where I grew up. As an adult, seems kind of surreal that growing up everyone knew Whitey ran stuff in Boston, and it just was that way. Youd see the guy out and about, and he was just a free man running all the drugs and gambling in town.

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Dennis M.

Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 9k+ votes

6y

Originally posted by @Jim K.:

Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

Originally posted by @Bill F.:

@Nathan Gesner Great idea for a thread and I follow a similar pattern as you.

Would you recommend Evicted - Poverty and Profit In The American City, or is it just the same lesson over and over again?

I am enjoying Evicted, but probably for the wrong reasons. I "enjoy" reading it because it reinforces my view that people are impoverished due to the choices they've made, that absentee fathers and loose women play big roles in poverty, and that our government encourages / enables poverty far more than it does to solve it. I grew up poor and almost all of my relatives are still poor so I have some first-hand experience but don't want to give the impression I'm not open to new information.

Thanks for the recommendations!

I was wondering if I was the only person to have that reaction to "Evicted." My heaviest contempt is really saved for all the absent fathers in the book. I'm not much for coming down on "loose women," not with all the things I've done in my life. But having kids, abandoning them, and expecting the social safety net to pick up the slack...we have to work to eradicate that attitude in our society. It doesn't matter how much it costs, we can't afford the destructive mayhem of deadbeat-dad mentality as a culture. We can't ask all these women to be our social heroes because all the men have decided they want to be little boys forever.

I felt the same way about evicted . Actually the book agitates me just thinking about it . It’s just so incredibly biased toward a socialist type narrative . I felt zero pity for the tenants .
the characters were just plain pathetic including the Nefarious slumlords who were supposed To represent a typical landlord . I agree that fatherless households is a huge problem that’s not being addressed in depressed areas of our country . So many social ills could be fixed with a working father in the house . Every child should see a father go to work each morning

4 Reply

Jay HinrichsBusiness Member

Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes

6y

Originally posted by @Mike Dymski:

Now: Fierce Conservations, Susan Scott and Principles, Ray Dalio

I recently read AI Superpowers by Kai-Fu Lee...pretty entertaining. Linchpin from Seth Godin was excellent. Awaken The Giant Within by Tony Robbins was awesome. I am a voracious reader and could go on and on.

I am reading the Dalio book or really just skimming it for the nuggets.. I find it hard to read everyword of business books as I don't have the attention span.. But someone that successful I am going to read it..

All the travel I do I use airline time for recreational reading.. although with Gogo internet and free streaming movies I find myself watching movies these days on the plane.

for the motivational guys I like to listen to the tapes.. Dennis Wately

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Joshuah Mundy

Fenton, MI · Member since 2017 · 26 posts · 9 votes

6y

@Nathan G.

"You can't teach a kid to ride a bike at a seminar" by David Sandler.

It's a book about a selling system. I like it and would recommend it to anyone wanting to start a business where you will be selling.

"They Call Me Coach" by John Wooden. It was recommended years ago so I bought it. So I finally started it. If you like these types of books it's good, but I don't recommend it as a most read.

"Marching Off The Map" by Tim Elmore. This book is about inspiring students and employees of the young generation. It comes with a workbook to get your imagination working. I recommend it if you're working with young adults.

2 Reply

Lorna LeBlanc

Member since 2019 · 33 posts · 28 votes

6y

Landlording by Leigh Robinson

1 Reply

Dalton Ward

New to Real Estate · Winston-Salem, NC · Member since 2019 · 19 posts · 11 votes

6y

You may have already read this because it's so popular but I'm currently reading "Rich Dad Poor Dad." It's my first real estate book and I'm only about halfway through but it's already reshaped the way I look at finances and my work ethic.

4 Reply

Wade Coons

Contractor · Houston, TX · Member since 2019 · 8 posts · 6 votes

6y

Am I Being Too Subtle? by Sam Zell

2 Reply

What books are you reading right now?

What books are you reading right now?

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