9 Books I've Read Lately That Were Helpful

I’m about to give you some suggestions regarding several books I’ve read over the past few years that were helpful to me in achieving my goals.

However!

Just because I’m recommending them to you doesn’t mean you should read them.

Several years ago, I adopted a “just in time” reading model instead of a “just in case” model.

Most people who read nonfiction books use a “just in case” model. This means that they read a book because they heard it was good, not because they actually need it right this minute. “Maybe someday I could use this information.”

For example, when you read a book on how to do online pay-per-click advertising when you haven’t even figured out a niche or even what to sell.

And I’ve been guilty of this myself in the past. But no longer.

Now I use a “just in time” reading model, where I will only read a book if it directly applies to something I’m working on right now. If it doesn’t, I will make a note of the book in my reading list but I don’t get the book and I stay away from it.

(To be clear, these models only apply to nonfiction books. Fiction books are for entertainment and enrichment, so read all of the fiction books you like with no rules. I certainly do.)

I strongly recommend you follow the same reading model. Don’t read a book just because I or someone else tells you it’s awesome. Only read a book because you need the how-to information in it because of something important you’re working on right this minute.

I’ve also started to use AI to summarize certain books and I just read the summaries instead of the entire book, but I’ll talk about that some other time.

That all being said, here are some of the books I’ve read that really helped me, some of which won’t apply to you:

Willpower Doesn’t Work by Benjamin Hardy

Great book on how to organize your environment, schedule, and brain so that you don’t have to rely on willpower all the time.

Note: There will still be times in your life you need to use willpower - there’s no getting past this 100% if you want to dramatically improve something.

Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

Absolutely critical book for me. I’m going to re-read it shortly. It’s how to outsource and delegate damn near everything in your work life and your personal life.

I don’t relate to the author at all (very different personality from mine), but the book is fantastic.

Financial Intelligence by Karen Berman and Joe Knight

This book is for business owners and CEOs who need a deep dive into how to read complicated balance sheets, cash flow statements, P&Ls, and other such exciting things.

I didn’t enjoy reading this book at all; it felt more like boring homework, but as a CEO of a business I need to scale, I need this skill, so I read it and learned a lot.

Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Marc Winters

Written by the guys behind EOS, this is another outsourcing/delegation book that focuses on how to hire and work with a COO/operations manager while you grow the business. Fantastic.

The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles

Old book written back in 1910(!). It’s very similar to Think and Grow Rich. Very good for mindset.

The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington

Foundational book for me, changed the entire way I work. You treat quarters like years and forget about the concept of the calendar year.

It’s a very hard mental shift to make and I’m still not 100% there, but it’s helped me a lot.

The Road Less Stupid by Keith J. Cunningham

Holy shit. Probably the best business book I’ve read in the past 15 years. Absolutely packed with techniques that I haven’t even begun to crack even though I’ve been studying this book for about 4 years now.

This book only applies to you if you already have a business, but it’s another foundational book for me.

The Easy Way To Lose Weight by Allen Carr

He’s more well-known for his quit-smoking books, and he does say some weird vegetarian stuff, but outside of that, this book is probably the best book I’ve ever read regarding the mindset about eating.

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat by Michelle May

Just as good as Carr’s book, but even more complete. It’s a bible regarding the psychology of eating. Fantastic.