2022-04-09 18:45:01
11. Cyropaedia by Xenophon (a more accessible “translation” can be found in
Xenophon’s Cyrus The Great: The Arts of Leadership and War)Xenophon, like Plato, was a student of Socrates. For whatever reason, his work is not nearly as famous, even though it is far more applicable. This book is the best biography written of Cyrus the Great, one of history’s greatest leaders and conquerors who is considered the “father of human rights.” There are so many great lessons in here and I wish more people would read it. It teaches you self-restraint, generosity, leadership, loyalty and much more. Machiavelli studied him, as this book inspired The Prince. An example lesson from Cyrus that any leader should remember: “Success always calls for greater generosity—though most people, lost in the darkness of their own egos, treat it as an occasion for greater greed.”
12. Rules for Radicals and Reveille for Radicals by Saul AlinskyBoth Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama studied Alinsky extensively as they mapped their individual paths to power. For those reasons, Alinsky has become a controversial figure—and far too many people have strong opinions about him without, you know, actually reading any of his brilliant writing. Alinsky was a die hard pragmatist, a man who had ideals but also a sense for working with and through the system to get what he needed. In fact, his best examples in these books is actually how to use the system against itself to get what he needed. These two books are classics and woefully underrated. They are both tutorials in strategy, pragmatism and how to actually get things done. Whatever you set out to do in your life, these books can provide you with strategic guidance and insight. Read them now.
13. The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King by Rich CohenThis book tells the incredible story of Sam Zemurray, the penniless Russian immigrant who, through pure hustle and drive, became the CEO of United Fruit, the biggest fruit company in the world. The greatness of Zemurray, as author Rich Cohen puts it, “lies in the fact that he never lost faith in his ability to salvage a situation.” For Zemurray, there was always a countermove, always a way through an obstacle, no matter how dire the situation. Zemurray has perfected the art of overcoming obstacles and this book teaches you how. The book is a course in business strategy and leadership from a fruit peddler-turned-mogul—read it now.
14. Bodyguard of Lies: The Extraordinary True Story of D-Day Vol I by Anthony Cave BrownThe book’s description says that it's about D-Day but really it's a history of almost every special, covert operation of the Second World War (in fact, Vol I ends as D-Day
approaches). Every page is fascinating, none of it dull and it is a masterclass in strategy, espionage, leadership and hard choices. It's old and out of print but worth every penny. Rush and get it. Oh, and the second volume is just as good.
15. Up From Slavery by Booker T. WashingtonOf all the seminal slave narratives—Frederick Douglass, Solomon Northup—this the most accessible and self-improvement oriented. His story is inspiring and remarkable—only sixteen years old, hearing about a school in Virginia, Washington traveled 500 miles, often on foot, and sleeping under a raised sidewalk along the way to make it there. He showed up without a recommendation or even an appointment. Without waiting, he picked up a broom and swept the room immaculately clean, impressing a teacher who remarked “I guess you will do to enter this institution.” He would later on become one ofAmerica’s most prominent civil rights leaders and someone worth studying and emulating. His autobiography is a short read but packed full of lessons on personal responsibility, on hard work, on race, on fairness, on advancing an agenda, on building an institution and on working with other people.
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