2022 Director's Reading List

Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids about Money – That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
by Robert T. Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter

272 Pages
Explode the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich. Challenge the belief that your house is an asset. Show parents why they can't rely on the school system to teach their kids about money. Define once and for all an asset and a liability. Teach you what to teach your kids about money so they will benefit in ways you did not.

--Director’s note: There are some very good principles in this book, but there are also some questionable ideas and methods in my opinion. Read the book and know how to discern the good and the bad.

The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life
by J.L. Collins

185 pages
In the dark, bewildering, trap-infested jungle of misinformation and opaque riddles that is the world of investment, JL Collins is the fatherly wizard on the side of the path, offering a simple map, warm words of encouragement and the tools to forge your way through with confidence.

A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload
by Cal Newport

320 pages
Modern knowledge workers communicate constantly. Their days are defined by a relentless barrage of incoming messages and back-and-forth digital conversations--a state of constant, anxious chatter in which nobody can disconnect, and so nobody has the cognitive bandwidth to perform substantive work. There was a time when tools like email felt cutting edge, but a thorough review of current evidence reveals that the hyperactive hive mind workflow they helped create has become a productivity disaster, reducing profitability and perhaps even slowing overall economic growth. Equally worrisome, it makes us miserable. Humans are simply not wired for constant digital communication.

The knowledge sector's evolution beyond the hyperactive hive mind is inevitable. The question is not whether a world without email is coming (it is), but whether you'll be ahead of this trend. If you're a CEO seeking a competitive edge, an entrepreneur convinced your productivity could be higher, or an employee exhausted by your inbox, A World Without Email will convince you that the time has come for bold changes, and will walk you through exactly how to make them happen.

You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want
by Jesse Mecham

224 pages
A guide based on the tenets of the award-winning financial platform, "You Need a Budget," argues that a well-planned budget does not involve deprivation and counsels readers on how to prioritize financial goals, reduce stress through strategic cash flow allocations and meet the challenges of unplanned expenses.
--Director’s note: If you don’t read anything else this year, be sure to read this one!

On the Fly Guide to...Building Successful Teams
by Bill Butterworth

112 pages
There’s little more energizing and fulfilling in life than the satisfaction of working well with others to accomplish a common goal. And this powerful little book can help you experience more team satisfaction than ever before Making use of his exceptional, humor-laced storytelling style, Bill Butterworth makes the basics of teamwork easy to grasp and easy to put to work.

The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho

182 pages
Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago, who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids.

It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life
by Tom Rath

35 pages
Life is not about you. It’s about what you do for others. That’s the realization that has driven Tom Rath—the mega-bestselling expert in self-development research—to evolve his focus from one’s inward search for strength to the larger outward search for purposeful contribution to others. It’s Not About You is a short introduction to the next chapter in the life and career of perhaps our greatest living self-help writer.

Diagnosed with a rare genetic condition at age sixteen, Tom’s awareness of his own mortality drove him to pursue a meaningful life in the nurturing care of his family, including his eventual mentor and collaborator, Tom’s grandfather Don Clifton. In this empowering hybrid of a self-help memoir, Tom remembers and celebrates his greatest teacher as he emphatically encourages each and every one of us to answer life’s great question: What can I put into the world?

Get Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction
by Bob Boylan

177 pages
Learning to lead others is the critical skill for today's managers. Every day, you are challenged to lead – to get others to work at your direction towards your organization's goals.

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success
by Amy Morin

275 pages
Like physical strength, mental strength requires healthy habits, exercise, and hard work. Morin teaches you how to embrace a happier outlook and arms you to emotionally deal with life's inevitable hardships, setbacks, and heartbreaks--sharing for the first time her own poignant story of tragedy, and how she summoned the mental strength to move on. As she makes clear, mental strength isn't about acting tough; it's about feeling empowered to overcome life's challenges.

The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts
by Shane Parrish

216 pages
This volume details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making, productivity, and how clearly you see the world. You will discover what forces govern the universe and how to focus your efforts so you can harness them to your advantage, rather than fight with them or worse yet— ignore them.