One year ago, almost to the day, I set the lofty goal of reading 50 books in 2009. And here, in my 50th blog post of the year (strangely coincidental), I am proud to announce… mission accomplished!
I actually began my quest about two weeks prior to the New Year and cracked opened the first book on the list below on December 14, 2008. I was on a flight to Hawaii as I traveled with Montrose to play in the Iolani Classic. I read four books over the course of that ten-day trip and have been on a rampant pace every since. Given the fact those four books were technically read in 2008, I made sure to read an additional 50 books in 2009, hence the current total of 54. I haven’t stopped since reaching my goal. I am halfway through #55 and have four more books to read before year’s end.
I also want to clarify that 14 of the books on my list are Audiobooks I listened to on my iPod during long car drives and a myriad of flights (denoted by an (A) below). For those who don’t think Audiobooks should count… sorry… it was my goal and my rules!
I never thought being a veracious reader would be so fun. I can honestly say I learned more in 2009 than during any other single year of my life. And the best part was, I had a blast doing it! It was never a chore. Other than a few of exceptions, I really enjoyed and benefited from every book on the list.
I tried to read a wide-variety of books and did my best to pick ones I believed would help me become a better coach, a better businessman, or a better person (the three areas of my life I am always looking to improve).
I have rated each book on a scale from 1 to 10 as well as marked which domain I found the book most beneficial – coaching, business, or personal. NOTE: anything marked for “coaching” would be beneficial for athletes as well!
So, without further adieu…
1. Mind Gym by Gary Mack
9 – Coaching – insightful thoughts on mental training and preparation
2. Little Black Book of Relationships by Jeffrey Gitomer
10 – Coaching/Business – tremendous resource on building quality relationships
3. No Limits by Michael Phelps
7 – Coaching – inspiring story about one of the greatest Olympians ever
4. 100 Ways To Motivate Yourself by Steven Chandler
9 – Personal/Business/Coaching – tons of original strategies on self improvement
5. The Bald Truth by David Falk
8 – Coaching/Business – fascinating story of the NBA’s first super agent
6. Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
9 – Personal/Coaching – incredible story with numerous life lessons
7. How To Eat, Move, and Be Healthy by Paul Chek
7 – Personal – excellent concepts for general fitness and improved heath
8. The Story of You (A) by Steven Chandler
10 – Personal/Coaching/Business – a must read for everyone; life changing concept
9. Little Green Book of Getting Your Way by Jeffrey Gitomer
9 – Business/Coaching – superb resource for writers and speakers
10.Rebound Rules by Rick Pitino
10 – Coaching/Personal/Business – terrific resource for being successful
11.How To Get Clients by Steve Chandler
7 – Business – several helpful strategies
12.Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inside Basketball by Pat Williams
7 – Coaching/Personal – numerous heartwarming stories
13.Born Standing Up (A) by Steve Martin
9 – Personal/Business – wonderful insight on the life of a show biz legend
14.Chicken Soup for the Sport’s Fan Soul (A) by Jack Canfield
5 – Coaching/Personal – a couple of terrific stories; several lame ones
15.Making It All Work (A) by David Allen
3 – Business/Personal – only got through about 60% of it; found it boring and repetitive
16.People Are Idiots And I Can Prove It (A) by Larry Winget
9 – Personal/Business – hilarious and extremely accurate & insightful
17.Quiet Strength (A) by Tony Dungy
9 – Coaching/Personal – sensational story of an iconic coach and humanitarian
18.The Success Principles (A) by Jack Canfield
10 – Personal/Coaching/Business – tremendous resource on becoming successful
19.Why We Suck (A) by Denis Leary
9 – Personal – hysterical and extremely perceptive
20.22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al Ries
8 – Business – full of valuable concepts on branding a company or product
21.The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
5 – Personal – good book; just not my “cup of tea”
22.Money Players by Marc Isenberg
10 – Coaching/Business – a must read for anyone who is or works with elite athletes
23.Me 2.0 by Dan Schawbel
9 – Business/Personal – magnificent resource for all Gen Y’s
24.Gold Standard by Coach K
10 – Coaching/Personal/Business – a must read for every basketball coach
25.Always Looking Up (A) by Michael J Fox
9 – Personal – an amazing “feel good” story… very touching
26.Can We Do That by Peter Shankman
9 – Business – excellent resource for any business trying to get noticed
27.Collapse of Distinction by Scott McKain
9 – Business – outstanding resource for any business owner
28.Think Like a Champion (A) by Donald Trump
8 – Business – valuable insight; but I liked several of his other books better
29.Fight For Your Money by David Bach
5 – Personal – I am a huge David Bach fan; didn’t find this one very helpful though
30.Shift Your Mind by Steven Chandler
8 – Personal/Business – numerous lessons for self-improvement
31.Twitter Power by Joel Comm
10 – Business/Personal – a must read for anyone who utilizes Twitter
32.Facebook Marketing by Steven Holzner
6 – Business – got a few decent nuggets, overall was disappointing
33.Secrets of Social Media Marketing by Paul Gillin
6 – Business – gave couple decent tips; not very groundbreaking
34.Outliers (A) by Malcolm Gladwell
10 – Business/Coaching/Personal – absolutely fascinating… a must read
35.Know Yourself As A Coach by Denny Kuiper
9 – Coaching – incredible resource for coaches of all levels
36.Game On by Tom Farrey
10 – Coaching/personal – captivating look at American sports culture… a must read
37.The Adsense Code by Joel Comm
3 – Business – well written; just didn’t do much for me
38.Cross Over by Brian McCormick
9 – Coaching – tremendous resource for basketball coaches
39.Leadership Game Plan for Success by John Wooden
10 – Coaching/Personal/Business – one of the best books ever written about success
40.The Talent Code (A) by Daniel Coyle
6 – Coaching/Business – a few interesting tidbits; not as good as Outliers
41.Optimum Performance Training for Basketball by Michael Clark
7 – Coaching – well done; pretty repetitive for me personally
42.Training Young Athletes by Brian Grasso
8 – Coaching – excellent resource for anyone who coaches younger kids
43.Pistol by Mark Kriegal
8 – Coaching – a bit lengthy, but extremely interesting
44.The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
10 – Personal/Business – brilliantly written story; a must read for everyone
45.The Miracle of St. Anthony by Adrian Wojnarowski
10 – Coaching/Personal – a must read for every basketball coach
46.Winning (A) by Jack Welch
4 – Business/Coaching - only made it through about 70% of it; couldn’t stand any more
47.Bounce Back by John Calipari
9 – Coaching/Business/Personal – valuable resource for overcoming obstacles
48.The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo
9 – Business – outstanding resource for any public speaker
49.Trade Off: Why Some Things Catch on and Others Don’t by Kevin Maney
9 – Business – superb resource for any business owner
50.Hard Work: A Life On and Off the Court by Roy Williams
10 – Coaching/Personal/Business – a must read for every basketball coach
51.No by Jim Camp
9 – Business/Personal – exceptional concepts on negotiating
52.Funny Thing Is (A) by Ellen Degeneres
6 – Personal – I am a huge Ellen fan; unfortunately I heard most of this in her stand up
53.Secrets of the Millionaire Mind (A) by T. Harv Eker
2 – Business/Personal – didn’t quite finish it; too corny
54.The 50th Law (A) by Robert Greene and 50 Cent
10 – Business/Personal – Captivating story of how 50 became a hip hop mogul
I hope you found this list helpful. I would love your feedback and thoughts as well as hear any books you recommend for me to read.
I challenge each and every one of you to try to read 50 books in 2010. Don’t think you can find the time? You are partially right. You will never find the time to accomplish something like this… you have to make the time to do it! If something is important to you, you have to make it a priority. And what could possibly be more important than becoming a better person, a better coach or player, or a better business person?
Are you up for the challenge?
In my next blog, I will give you a glimpse of what’s to come in 2010. I have a suite of programs, events, and products I am really excited to launch!
Until then, if I can ever be of service or help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com. I promise to respond as quickly as possible.
Play hard. Have fun.
Alan Stein
