Four Books in January
The first month of 2018 is coming to an end, and it has been great. Every new year, month, day, minute and second alive is excellent yet every start of a new year feels equal. Think about your career and what the new year has meant for you. Do you make new year resolutions? Do they only last a year? Born in 1988 and nearly 30 years old, I have never made a new year resolution mostly because of how often associated with fitness and health goals. As a kid who played sports, a new year is a break from school and games but the season is still the same. If you played a fall sport and transitioned into a winter sport, your new year was your sports transition, football to basketball and soccer to hockey. In college, I played football but not all four years. As a non-athlete college student, that perspective changes a bit; new year starts after classes end in mid-December. Moreover, as a working professional, your new year transition is closer to Christmas. The shift we all encounter is that of the holiday season and the feeling it gives us. According to a YouGov poll, the most common aspirations for 2018 in the U.S. are to eat healthier, get more exercise and to save more money. On the other hand, 32 percent of people in the U.S. were not interested in resolutions for the new year. I am a 32 percenter, let me explain how my 24-year educational experience transitioned into a part-time college student and now my professional career. Moreover, although I am not an institutional student anymore, my studies consist of reading books for personal enjoyment and professional development. This essay summarizes the four books I finished this month, and it represents the educational transition that I am accustomed too.
You have to believe me when I say that I never finished a book from cover to cover in my life, until last year. I swear, completing a book was not a new years resolution, but after graduating with an MBA in Dec. 2016 I knew I would have more time on my hands. No more 1 AM business cases readings and essay writings. No more cramming studies between my day job. With more free time, I purchased a motorcycle and decided to read and write to further my business studies. I grew up with a learning disorder and got through school by socializing and performing well in sports. Reading and writing have always given me trouble, and school work was something teachers made us do. School work was never as natural as sports, so why waste time on it? I graduated high school with reading levels significantly below average, and I barely got into college. If it were not for my athletic ability, rejection from all the four-year universities would not have come as a surprise. Nearly ten years later, I cannot help but feel like I have some catching up to do! Reading is still tricky for me, but thankfully we have text-to-read programs and audio books during this digital revolution. Here is a list of the four books I finished this month. I will include a reason why I read them and summarizing the books to the best of my ability. I hope to bring value to you and I also hope to continue as a lifetime learning!
Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson
I found this book on audible solely because I ran out of audible credits and decided to search for free business books. Chris Anderson is a journalist, author, and an entrepreneur. I like the fact that Chris spent time early in his career working for The Economist and Wired magazines. He can convey his perspective on business as a storyteller rather than a business person who has focused on one particular business function. Released in July of 2009, the $29.99 hard copy version of Free debuted as #12 on the New York Times Best Seller List. It was also accessible as a free download for a limited time. Chris not only explains the benefits of a Freemium model, but he also contributes to the economic principle by providing free digital copies of his book! He explores the freemium model for major brands such as Starbucks, Google, Yahoo!, and other companies in the technology industry. Starbucks, creating value through free Wifi in retail locations. Google, introducing Gmail in 2004 and changing the way consumers viewed email. Gmail offered 2 GB storage for all users, while Yahoo standard users were stuck with 100 MB of storage and only premium users paying for 2 GB. To keep up with the growing number of Gmail users, Yahoo eventually introduced unlimited storage. During the storage war, Google also launched a free GSuite which at the time, competed with paid versions of Microsoft Office. Free models are successful when a paid product or service brings value to customers. Chris goes into detail about how Jello was invented in the late 1800's and didn't become popular until free recipes were delivered door-to-door to homeowners. Jello sales professionals had created value by providing useful information for free! In today's digital world, information is data storage. Computer components and costs of manufacturing electronics are reducing drastically. Opensource models empower businesses to thrive with low overhead thus creating value for millions of customers.
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
This book was referred to me by a friend named Zach, an ex-colleague. Zach and I worked together in sales, and we were both recognized for our yearly performance, exceeding company sales expectations. Zach is the definition of a go-getter, and he takes his work and personal relationships very seriously. His dad is the owner of a well-established business consulting group in Boston, which contributes to Zach's relationship building skills and salesmanship. Ego is the Enemy, written by Ryan Holiday, who is around the same age as Zach and me. Ryan is a marketer and a media strategist who has seen success working for American Apparel, becoming a Director of Marketing at an unconventional young age. Ryan's business experience revealed the rise and fall of one of his mentors. As the title refers, Ryan explores how ego was the demise of his business mentor. He also tells stories of great businesspeople and leaders who have let ego get in the way of their success. In one instance, the book refers to the life and story of Ulysses S. Grant. General Grant was successful and respected before serving as President of the United States. After serving as President, Ulysses entered into a business venture that nearly ruined his legacy. From presidents to pop culture, Ryan relates his personal experience with ego, to historical figures, while also reaching today's icons like Kanye West who is well known from his musical talent but has struggled to have a breakthrough with his clothing line venture. This book is a great read for anyone who has established themselves in their career.
Black Titan: A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire by Carol Jenkins
These two books align because of the nature of each referral. Nasir Jone aka Nas (rapper) is one of my favorite artist of all times. Nas is known for his thought-provoking lyrics that touch on street culture and politics. In his 2008 album, Untitled, Nas enlightens listeners with a song titled We are not alone which talks about the fight for ending terrorism and racism in America. Through his skillful lyricism, Nas discusses that Reginald Lewis seemingly disappeared, despite his massive success as a business mogul. Years later, Paul Carrick Brunson, an online mentor suggested reading books about Reginald Lewis and A.G. Gaston. Both Reginald and A.G. despite race boundaries became iconic business people. In the 1960's Reginald went to Virgina State College before graduating from Havard Law School in 1968. With only two years as a practicing lawyer, Reginald started his own law firm. He spent the next 13 years primarily working on deals for clients involving capital raising, mergers, and acquisitions. Although he was successful, he knew that there was something more significant out there for him. In 1988 his company acquired Beatrice Foods for nearly $1 billion making him one of the worlds wealthiest people. Sadly, he passed away in 1993 at the age of 50, but his legacy continues. Ironically Lewis passed on January 19th the same day as A.G. Gaston. Born in 1892, at age 103 A.G. passed in 1996, three years after Lewis. Despite not having gone to an Ivy and only having a 10th-grade education, A.G. founded the Booker T. Washington College of Business. A.G. Gaston served a number of years in the military before coming home to severe living conditions. Gaston is well-known for his business mind and vertically integrating companies in the funeral and burial industry. Hard working and master of relationships, he leveraged his ability to find needs and fill them. Gaston first discovered a need for funeral insurance amongst the black community in the south during a time of segregation. He expended his business to include funeral services and burials thus vertically integrating his companies. During his time as a businessman, he also invested in financial institutions, a construction, hotels, and educational institutions. His childhood idol was Booker T. Washington, naming a school and his insurance company after him. Before Gatson's death, he turned over his companies to his employees. A total of nine companies, worth $35 million was transferred to 350 staff members for just $3.4 million. The book Black Titan: A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire was written by Carol Jenkins, a family member of Gaston. Her perspective and descriptions of A.G. give readers the strong understanding of how unique, Mr. Gatson really was.
In closing, thank you for your time and if you have any book suggestions for me, please pass them along. At this time, I'm only interested in business, non-fiction, and self-development books! Thank you for checking in and I'll be sure to provide an update at the end of next month!