CFO Bookshelf Blog

After watching a video by the CEO of the UK-based retail chain, Timpson, I looked forward to reading a book by its chairman, Sir John Timpson. The title is Upside Down Management. According to Business Sale Report, Timpson is now a 2,000-branch-strong business with revenue totaling £300m. In this conversation, we discuss their hiring of ex-offenders, putting money in the till and acting the part, and unconventional management tactics in a large organization.

The subscription economy is alive and well for products-based businesses and the software industry. But how about professional services firms? Does the subscription model apply to accountants, lawyers, consultants, marketers, and other professionals? Ron Baker founded VeraSage Institute, the leading think tank dedicated to teaching value pricing to professionals worldwide. He’s the co-host of The Soul of Enterprise podcast, and he’s the author of numerous books, including his newest title, Time’s Up!

I’ve read close to two thousand books since I started my business career. I’ve been asked, “What book have you gifted the most?” While I’ve given away many books I like, the title I’ve given away the most is Executive Toughness by Dr. Jason Selk, who is also a gifted public speaker. Not only have I applied his principles on executive toughness, but every beneficiary of this book also says the same thing, “I love this book.”

For the second consecutive year, we’ve dedicated a show to our favorite books we read during the previous year. There’s a Top 10 list, a bucket for fiction, honorable mentions, unexpected surprises, books we reread, and books we did not like. We also make a bold prediction for one of our favorite books for 2023. How many books should you read? What’s behind a great book? Those questions are answered too.

What can any business or financial leader learn from a twenty-year vet in the fire service? I’m calling John Cuomo the John Maxwell for firefighters and other public safety officials based on his book, Leadership Refined by Fire. John has always been interested in leadership and lifelong learning, and his book is full of stories, inspiration, and big ideas that can be applied to any playing field in the areas of lifelong learning, humility, and much more.

As a financial expert, could you estimate the cost savings in the U.S. alone through the country’s use of daylight savings time (DST)? Benjamin Franklin’s estimates in 1784 yielded about $200 million in savings in today’s dollars if people lived their days by making the best use of daylight around the year. David Prerau is the leading expert on daylight savings time, and his book, Seize the Daylight, explores the rich history of DST.

I recently started listening to the podcast Investing by the Books produced by the Nordic investment banker Redeye. The hosts are Eddie Palmgren and Niklas Sävås, and they are great. Both are lifelong learners, and they love books on investing. In this show, we talk about the best investment books that Eddie and Niklas have ever read. We’ll find out their favorite book about Buffett. We’ll also get more insights on Mr. Market, moats, and the Ackman Paradox.

Gordon Graham accepted an IT position at a public utility district in rural Washington because its core values and guiding principles aligned with his. The PUD’s culture started spiraling downward after a new general manager with narcissistic tendencies pushed an agenda with financially damaging outcomes. These behaviors and other bizarre actions resulted in Gordon’s inexcusable termination, which he tells in his book, The Intrepid Brotherhood: Public Power, Corruption, and Whistleblowing in the Pacific Northwest.