Book Lovers Day is Aug. 9! Nearly everyone has a favorite book—many have more than one. We were curious to find out what Gary’s favorite business books were and why.
In his office, between the red leather couch and chairs where he meets with guests, there is a small table. Among the rows of guitars, pictures of family and friends, and bookshelves littered with books and mementos, it stands alone. Gary uses this table to display eight books. All of them are tattered – some more than others – with faded covers and worn binds. Amazon would probably rate them “Used – Acceptable,” but to Gary, they’re invaluable.
We asked Gary to share his thoughts about a few of these books: when he first read them, what he learned from them and how they still figure into his business and his life.
1. Unlimited Power: The New Science of Personal Achievement by Anthony Robbins – “This is the book that opened my eyes to models. I read it back in the late 1980s and it was a true revelation for me. I’d always believed in learning from others, but had not put together that I should be modeling them. It changed my life and the way I approached it.”
2. Trammell Crow, Master Builder: The Story of America’s Largest Real Estate Empire by Robert Sobel – “This book showed me how you could implement creative compensation into a business with success. I also read it back in the late ‘80s and it was foundational for my thinking on how to approach organizational development and compensation.”
3. The Roaring 2000s: Building the Wealth and Lifestyle You Desire in the Greatest Boom in History by Harry S. Dent, Jr. – “The Roaring 2000s explained the economy to me better than any other book I had ever read. This one I read in the late ‘90s and it cemented my understanding that you can use demographics to predict spending, which is what drives the economy.”
We all have books that changed our thinking, opened our eyes to possibilities and filled us with hope. So please share one of your most admired books with us in the comments below.
And, this Thursday, curl up on the couch or lay by the pool, and read a great book to celebrate Book Lovers Day.
