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!
Personally, I usually break down my reading into 2 categories:
1. Psychology (I don't like the word: Self Help) books
2. Business/Real Estate books
Best psychology book I've read hands down is The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt and another one I like is the Slight Edge (a lot of Jim Rohn's principles).
I am currently reading GRIT, the power of passion and perseverance by Angela Duckworth.
On the Real Estate/Business front, I am reading Ninja Selling by Larry Kendall. Fantastic book! 💯💯
@Nathan G. Listening to the audiobook Scale, by David Finkel. A lot I already knew and understood, but there are little nuggets hidden everywhere and it reaffirms what I'm doing right and what I need to change.
REI books, I am currently cruising through Finding and Funding Great Deals as there is some really great content in there. Next on the list, Landlording on Autopilot and Multi-Family Millions.
Business book(s), I just finished the 4-Hour Workweek.
Thanks for all the recommendations. Happy New Year!
"Outliers" The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. I'm on chapter 7 and am learning new things with every page read. So far, my best takeaway is that it takes about 10,000 hours to be extraordinary at something which every person has the ability to do.
It’s important to note that reading anymore is just overkill. Don’t be that ‘Shelf’-help guy or use the crux “oh I need to read and get more educated”. You need to step up and take action how many freaking books are you going to read? Many Fortune-500 Human Resources departments use the theory of 70-20-10 in developing employees which apply here. 70% is learned by doing, 20% learned from peers, and 10% is academic/book/classroom training.
@Bill F. Evicted is an amazing book. It shows the hard reality on all sides. It has sparked some new initiatives across the country. I think it is an important read for all landlords, particularly those that make their money in low-income housing.