Weekly Bookmarks –
175th Edition – May 5, 2025
Although we tend to believe that we can and should remember anything we want, the reality is we are designed to forget.
Charan Ranganath, Why We Remember
1. The Best Business Books According to Readers at Goodreads
Whenever I see a book list in a major publication, I scan it for ideas and gems. Perhaps the Top 100 at Goodreads is the ultimate list of business books.
The top-ranking title is How to Win Friends and Influence Others by Dale Carnegie, no surprise. What I found interesting was the types of books omitted. For instance, there are no books on management theory by university professors. The Balanced Scorecard does not even crack the Top 100.
What do you think of this list?
One of the best-known motivational guides in history, Dale Carnegie’s groundbreaking publication has sold tens of millions of copies, been translated into almost every known written language, and has helped countless people succeed.
2. The 2-7-30 Rule for Memory
I love any mental model that has a number in its title or description. Recently, I came across the 2-7-30 Rule.
In short, the mental model is about using spaced repetition to recall important information on the second, seventh, and thirtieth day. This tactic will elevate what we remember.
There’s an excellent article on this topic at Inc. magazine if you want to learn more.
3. The Best and the Brightest
I frequently encounter the term ‘Best and Brightest’ in the context of graduation speeches. And where did that term come from? David Halberstam gave one of his books that title, and it was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the whiz kids who worked in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations during the Vietnam War. The term was far from flattering.
Using portraits of America’ s flawed policy makers and accounts of the forces that drove them, The Best and the Brightest reckons magnificently with the most important abiding question of our country’ s recent history: Why did America become mired in Vietnam, and why did we lose? As the definitive single-volume answer to that question, this enthralling book has never been superseded. It is an American classic.
4. How About a Baseball Book?
As we move into the summer months, how about a baseball book to throw into your reading pile? While I enjoy biographies and historical narratives about my favorite sport, our title needs to be story-driven, tug at the heart, and have a satisfying conclusion.
Here is my pick, and it’s a sleeper. If you have any teens playing the sport, have them read this book:
In this gripping, cinematic narrative, Chris Ballard tells the story of the team and its coach, Lynn Sweet: a hippie, dreamer, and intellectual who arrived in Macon in 1966, bringing progressive ideas to a town stuck in the Eisenhower era. Beloved by students but not administration, Sweet reluctantly took over the ragtag team, intent on teaching the boys as much about life as baseball. Together they embarked on an improbable postseason run that buoyed a small town in desperate need of something to celebrate.
5. The Forgotten Book on Exit Planning
I think the first book I read on exit planning was Built to Sell by John Warrillow. This is a good starting point for the topic, particularly for mom-and-pop shops or lifestyle businesses. Three of my favorites in this book category include:
- Before the Exit by Dan Andrews
- Finish Big by Bo Burlingham
- Exiting Your Business, Protecting Your Wealth by John Leonetti
The first two books are story-driven, which the CEO can relate to. The third is more technical but still useful before a CEO hires a professional exit planner.
An underrated title in this genre is Selling Your Business for a Premium by Tom McKaskill. Tom advises his readers to shift their focus away from the balance sheet and income statement, and instead concentrate on the buyer’s threats and opportunities.
Regarding the timing of an exit, I can relate to this line:
Very few firms choose the timing of their acquisition. Most are forced into a sale by external events or through poor management. A smaller number are approached by a potential buyer and take the opportunity to sell out. Only a very few control the timing of their acquisition by taking the initiative to find a buyer when they are not under ressure to sell.
Selling Your Business for a Premium, Tom McKaskill
Recent Bookmarks: 174 | 173 | 172
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Take care, and have a great week. Always be learning.
