MARCH 26, 2010

Recommended Reading

Reading is the most important thing I do in my work. I love to read. I always have. I begin my day reading the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Typically I still read the print editions but increasingly I read these publications and others online.

I’m always on the hunt for great books. I have dozens in my Kindle (a life-changing device for anyone who loves to read and travels a lot), but I’m open to recommendations. Here are a few examples of what I’ve been reading lately.

I’ve recently re-read Truman by David McCullough. Certainly one of the greatest presidential biographies. The major lesson for me is how prepared Truman was to be President even though he had little formal education, had failed as a businessman, was not briefed by FDR and was thought to be little more than a small-time machine politician. He was prepared because he knew history, he understood people - from all walks of life - and he had a profound sense of accountability and integrity.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Steinberg. Just an amazing book about one of the greatest business leaders in American history. Buffett’s extraordinary ability to translate complex issues into clear, simple thoughts is a model for anyone in communications. Also, the chapter on Salomon brothers is a template for how to handle a crisis.

1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft and Debs By James Chace. Excellent perspective for today’s contentious politics. 1912 was a bitter, dramatic, exciting and transforming election. I can only imagine what it would have been like if cable TV been around then.

On the Brink By Henry Paulson. What I found fascinating about this book is how real and intense Paulson makes the financial collapse. He does an amazing job of bringing you into the inner circles of government as the Bush economic advisors attempt to manage the financial firestorm. You can feel the pressure, the fear and the excruciating uncertainty of what’s gong to happen next.