What books are you reading right now?

What books are you reading right now?

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

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?

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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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  • Hayward, CA · Member since 2017 · 48 posts · 55 votes
    6y

    Currently reading Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Fisker, a book from a blogger who writes about frugality and investments.

    Last book I just finished was The Magic of Thinking Big, I thought it was just ok, not great.

    My top book recommendations for a group like BP is Rich Dad Poor Dad, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and The E-Myth Revisited.

    Great thread!

  • Rental Property Investor · Canton, OH · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    @Nathan G.

    Not reading a book at the moment, but have been listening to just about every entrepreneur video or interview from Patrick Bet David on the Valuetainment YouTube channel. Would highly encourage those to anyone!

  • Crystal SmithPro Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    Great question. The past year we've gone on a Presidential Biography kick.  No self-help books except the bible. Our criteria: No autobiographies; Not alive or alive in my lifetime.  Here's the list:

    • Amerian Lion: Andrew Jackson by Jon Meacham; Great book; terrible man 
    • Grant by Ron Chernow- Great book & author; Great general; Terrible administrator 
    • Thomas Jefferson- The Art of Power by Jon Meacham- Fantastic book; but I'm glad the country followed Hamilton's financial direction for the country and not Jeffersons. 
    • Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow- He wasn't a President but I couldn't skip reading Hamilton given his conflicts with Jefferson. 
    • The Path to Power/Means of Ascent/Master of the Senate/Passage of Power- The Years and life of Lyndon Banes Johnson by Robert A Caro- Best series of Autobiographies I've ever read. Johnson was an OG. 
    • FDR by Jean Edward Smith Churchill- Walking with Destiny- Had to read Churchill after finishing FDR 
    • Truman by David McCullough  
    • Eisenhower in War & Peace by Jean Edward Smith 
    • Richard Nixon-The Life by John Farrell 
    • Team of Rivals- The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Goodwin- Fantastic book 
    • John Adams by David McCullough 
    • The Three Lives of James Madison by Noah Feldman 
    • The Last Founding Father: James Madison by Harlow Giles Unger 
    • John Quincy Adams: Amerian Visionary by Fred Kaplan- JQA is my hero 
    • Washington - A Life by Ron Chernow
    • Impeached- The Trial of President Andrew Johnson- Politics was dirtier in the 1800s than it is now
    • Woodrow Wilson by John Milton Cooper
    • The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
    • Benjamin Franklin- An American Life by Walter Isaacson- What a man!!!
    • The Unexpected President- Chester Arthur- The biggest surprise thus far
    • Working on James Polk and William Henry Harrison now
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    6y

    Great list! I've read four of these and a couple more you don't list. With the state of politics recenty, it's nice to go back and look at leaders of substance and extraordinary intelligence. We do not see leaders of that caliber today. I don't think I could handle that many books about politics in one year so I am truly impressed.

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  • Member since 2019 · 18 posts · 14 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G.

    Essentialism - Greg McKeown

    Basically about streamlining/decision making/increasing productivity, etc. while NOT giving yourself a mental breakdown. Quite good - but I sort of feel like I’m going much of this already.

  • Crystal SmithPro Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

    Great list! I've read four of these and a couple more you don't list. With the state of politics recenty, it's nice to go back and look at leaders of substance and extraordinary intelligence. We do not see leaders of that caliber today. I don't think I could handle that many books about politics in one year so I am truly impressed.

    My partner and I listen to audible first then buy hardbacks for the books we really liked. What’s been fascinating is that it’s really not been about politics but about our history, drama, war, betrayal, women, women and more women.  Very few of these men were puritanical.

  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    6y

    Ben Franklin was quite the rascal. He must have had a way with words!

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  • Rental Property Investor · Kingsport, TN · Member since 2018 · 26 posts · 22 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G.

    Books read in 2019:

    1) Getting Things Done

    2) Antifragile

    3) The Big Short

    4) The War on Normal People

    5) Good to Great

    6) The Gift of Fear

    7) 1984

    8) Long Distance Real Estate Investor

    9) The Story of Kodak

    10) The E Myth: Revisited

    11) Trend Following: How Great Traders Make Millions in Up or Down Markets

    12) The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs

    13) What Every Real Estate Investor Need to Know About Cash Flow

    14) The Book on Managing Rental Properties

    15) Set for Life

    16) The Millionaire Next Door

    17) Zero Risk Real Estate: Creating Wealth Through Tax Liens and Tax Deeds

    18) Real Estate Loopholes

    19) Market Wizards

    20) Rich Dad Poor Dad

    21) Sleepy Hollow

    22) The Personal MBA

    23) On Tyranny

    2020 Reading List:

    -Wealth of Nations

    -The Organization of Industrial Scientific Research

    -Toms River

    -In Love and War

    -Skin in the Game

    -Extreme Ownership

    -Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book

    -Finance for Nonfinancial Managers

    -The Muller Report

    -All Quiet on the Western Front

    -Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

    And whatever else catches my eye...

  • Edison, NJ · Member since 2019 · 16 posts · 19 votes
    6y

    Dennis posted .. . 

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

    Awesome sarcasm (or you missed the whole point of David and Brandon's humor).

    David Spatz

  • New to Real Estate · Poughkeepsie, New York. · Member since 2019 · 26 posts · 15 votes
    6y

    @Whitney Anne Kwek

    I am also reading that book atm. I read it halfway last year and didn't get it either. I just pick it back up last week and decided I was going to take it slow because I think I read it too fast the first time. This time I definitely get it. Some things I had to read more than once to get it. But so far so good 👍

  • Investor · Jonesboro, AR · Member since 2017 · 136 posts · 79 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G.

    Everyday millionaire good read

  • Realtor · Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 154 posts · 82 votes
    6y

    I'm early on my reading Journey. I just read the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia and will start the second pretty soon. I'm also reading Think and Grow Rich and will start Rich Dad Poor Dad after that! I like to walk around the bookstore and just pick up books sometimes if that helps at all

  • Rental Property Investor · NC · Member since 2016 · 21 posts · 7 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G. I'll be adding your third book to my list. Currently I have an audiobook going, F**k Feelings by Michael I Bennett, and a book on kindle, Making Money with Mobile Homes by Lonnie Scruggs.

  • Rental Property Investor · Moncks Corner, SC · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 22 votes
    6y

    @Bill F.

    I would absolutely recommend the book Evicted. I read it a while back. It’s a very sobering book. Places things in perspective. Great read! For what it’s worth, I believe the book was on Bill Gates’ list of books to read for 2017 or maybe 2018. Great book

  • Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2017 · 6 posts · 2 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G.

    Principles by Ray Dalio. A great book to read with Atomic habits by James Clear.

    Cheers

  • Rental Property Investor · Twin Cities, MN · Member since 2019 · 122 posts · 150 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G.

    "The One Thing"

    Gary Keller

  • Accountant · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2019 · 45 posts · 27 votes
    6y

    This is an amazing thread! Looks like we have books for days or years haha! 

    I am starting “ why the rich are getting richer” 

    On deck : the book on managing rentals 

  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    OP
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Ana Klein:

    This is an amazing thread! Looks like we have books for days or years haha! 

    I am starting “ why the rich are getting richer” 

    On deck : the book on managing rentals 

    I've added 8 more to my list!

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  • Rental Property Investor · Holbrook, NY · Member since 2018 · 16 posts · 3 votes
    6y

    @Whitney Anne Kwek I've had the same issues with Think and Grow Rich. I've tried a couple times to get through it and haven't been able to.

    I just read Tribe of Millionaires which is a GoBundance book. Very enjoyable read and recommended.

    I recently picked up Scott Trench's Set for Life and Scott Pressfields The War of Art.

  • Rental Property Investor · Yakima, WA · Member since 2019 · 15 posts · 4 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G. The weekend millionaire's secrets to investing in real estate Mike Summey and Roger Dawson .

  • Rental Property Investor · Plymouth MA · Member since 2019 · 41 posts · 12 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G. I’m a huge fan of the Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki. I also got the audible book Cashflow Quadrants by the same author and found much invaluable information.

    He’s able to give some real life scenarios his rich dad put him through put thinking about wealth in context.

    Any of the books by Tony Robbins are incredible as well. He is so inspiring and is an absolute wealth of knowledge in finance and self growth.

  • Specialist · San Marcos, TX · Member since 2019 · 26 posts · 12 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G.

    Traction-it’s a business book about processes and systems

    The Body-Bill Bryson

  • Specialist · San Marcos, TX · Member since 2019 · 26 posts · 12 votes
    6y

    @Whitney Anne Kwek I honestly don’t think I would’ve finished Think and Grow Rich if it weren’t for Audible. With that said, there were a few takeaways.

  • Rental Property Investor · SF Bay Area · Member since 2016 · 234 posts · 103 votes
    6y

    @Nathan G. great question

    The book “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss is amazing 😉 teaches us how to not just be afraid to negotiate but to thrive on this crucial skill

    Also Brandon and Josh Book "Investing in Real Estate" is foundational for building our REI game

    Best of luck in 2020 BP community!

  • Rental Property Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2019 · 24 posts · 15 votes
    6y

    Trailblazer by Mark Benioff - how we can use business to better the world.

    The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek - the mindset we need to better the world.

    Ryan Holiday Trilogy - Ego is the Enemy, The Obstacle is the Way, Stillness is the Key - great reading on the art of living.

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