Choosing my next read involves balancing suggestions with my own adventurous spirit, in which case I first choose books recommended by my friends, professionals, or prescribed reading lists, which work as useful filters for finding quality content that matches my interests and objectives. This way, I also keep an eye on emerging ideas and trends relevant in my field. In addition, I appreciate the unexpected, for example, reading fiction or biographies or books outside my professional realm, which tends to fuel my creative thinking. I try to ensure that my purposeful learning and open curiosity work in harmony for my reading.
I mostly stick to curated reading lists from mentors and the SuperScaling group, especially on SaaS and CRM topics. I once grabbed a workflow tip from a book they all talked about, and it cut the time we spend on sales data down significantly. When time is tight, there's nothing better than just following the experts' picks. It's how I keep up.
I tend to read about teen mental health or new therapy approaches because it relates directly to my day-to-day work. I just read a book on trauma-informed education, tried a few techniques with my team, and our client conversations got way more productive almost immediately. Honestly? Just find something that helps with a problem you're dealing with right now. Those new ideas will stick better.
Last quarter a colleague handed me a book on multilingual marketing and it totally changed how I handle our German Cultural Association campaigns. I find the best stuff comes from a mix of people saying "you should read this" and my own random exploring. It leads to good ideas without feeling like we're all reading from the same industry playbook.
I choose my books thinking about my clients. I'll read new trauma research, but then I'll also pick up a memoir about mental illness. Textbooks only tell you so much. Hearing it from someone who actually lived it makes a topic like grief feel less abstract and more manageable in our sessions. That mix of clinical knowledge and human stories helps both of us.
When Tutorbase was expanding, I had no idea how to manage a remote team. I grabbed some books on SaaS efficiency and remote work, and we learned a few tricks that made things run smoother. Now I only read what helps with the problem right in front of me. Random browsing is fun, but a book that helps with my current project is worth more. It saves me the guesswork.
I pick books based on whatever problem we're having at Dirty Dough. If we're about to change operations, I'll read a few on franchise culture. But the trick is talking through what I read with other founders. They keep me honest and tell me if an idea actually works in the real world. Tie your reading to a real problem and find people to discuss it with. That's when it sticks.
My next read usually comes from what people in my media and tech circles are talking about. A teammate once threw out a wild idea, so I picked up a book on visual storytelling. It completely changed my approach for a Magic Hour project, and the Mavericks team really loved it. Recommendations are great, but sometimes exploring a genre you don't know leads to the best unexpected ideas.
I design curricula and choose books based on what my students and teachers are actually experiencing. When we introduced film lessons for Spanish learners in Asia, I read movie scripts and teaching materials from both places to catch the cultural details. Follow your curiosity, but also think about what will support the people you work with. That keeps reading useful and fun at the same time.
Managing Director & Federal Prison Consultant at Zoukis Consulting Group
Answered 4 months ago
What I decide to read is determined largely by what I'm working through professionally and personally at any given time. I tend to not follow bestseller lists, or popular recommendations; I pick books that force me to think about justice, ethics and human behavior. As a federal prison consultant and advocate, I tend to find myself navigating law and humanity, so titles that help me understand both systems and humans are what I am attracted to. I go back and forth between legal analysis, social science literature, and memoirs by people who have been through the criminal justice system themselves. It's this last approach that helps to keep my perspective rooted—not only in policy and procedure, but also in the actual lives those procedures have an effect on. I recently read "Gideon's Trumpet" where you can follow the birth of the right to representation through Clarence Gideon's case -- one individual's determination can rewrite the definition of fairness in the justice system. Once I finished that, I started reading "Thinking, Fast and Slow" — a book by Daniel Kahneman that looks at how bias and intuition are used to guide judgment. One grounded in law, and the other in psychology. Combined, they taught me quite a bit about both trial strategy and human psychology. I have a simple approach that puts me on the path to importance — every book I read has to tie in with something I'M WORKING ON (communicating with clients, making big leadership decisions, or empathy in advocacy). Reading is no longer about how many pages one can finish, and more about honing purpose.
I usually just follow threads of curiosity rather than set reading lists. If a subject — grid tech or sustainable mobility, for example, keeps coming up in conversations or investigations, I follow it. I will usually begin with a combination of long-form journalism, white papers, and one to two books recommended by those whose opinions I value. I prefer common threads in sound recommendations to algorithmic "for you" lists. I also enjoy jumping between genres to shake my brain up a bit. After a technical read, I'll switch to memoirs, behavioral science, or design philosophy to catch creative overlap. It's incredible how lessons from other industries (from aviation safety to urban planning) can kindle new thinking in electric vehicles.
I read two things. First, whatever new tech is happening, like AI diagnostics. I'll check the studies to see if it could work for Superpower. But I also read stories from other founders who've been through it. They know the messy parts the papers leave out. You need both to get a real sense of what's possible.
I hunt for writing where AI, ethics, and business collide. After my gorilla habitat work, I fell down a rabbit hole about AI in conservation. Took me forever to find anything decent - most authors either nerded out on code or got preachy about values. When I finally hit the good stuff, it all clicked into place. Follow your weird interests, even if it means wading through piles of irrelevant books first.
I often eavesdrop on what my marketing peers are reading, but I only pick up a book if it helps with a problem right in front of me. Last year we were wrestling with a new CRM system, and I stumbled on a patient experience book that was a godsend. My advice? Follow your curiosity, but make sure it can actually help you do your work better.
I don't really pick books by genre. I read whatever helps with the business problem I'm staring down right now. When we were rethinking customer loyalty, I grabbed everything about game mechanics. "Hooked" was especially useful. At PlayAbly, we've found that books on user psychology help the most. Read with a specific problem in mind and you'll get ideas you can use right away.