Reading List

A candid and indispensable primer on all aspects of advertising from the man Time has called "the most sought after wizard in the business"  - the founder of Ogilvy & Mather, an advertising agency with 450 offices in 120 countries. This text covers what does as well as what does not sell, and is illustrated with 185 advertisements.

David Ogilvy was considered the "father of advertising" and a creative genius by many of the biggest global brands. First published in 1963, this seminal book revolutionized the world of advertising and became a bible for the 1960s ad generation.

A legend in advertising for more than 60 years, John Caples still serves as a guide to generations of creative marketing people. Here are all the proven selling techniques to remove the guesswork from advertising, making it a science of sure results.

Join or Die is a wake up call to digital advertisers everywhere. Patrick's writing is overflowing with practical knowledge and a unique perspective. After reading Join or Die, you'll feel energized, confident, and motivated to implement these best-in-class automated strategies into your organization's marketing efforts.

This is not a book just for copywriters and other advertising experts but a book for every business owner, marketing expert or anyone who needs to increase sales. Breakthrough Advertising is probably one of the most powerful, and profitable, books on copywriting and marketing ever written.

Scientific Advertising is a book written by Claude C. Hopkins in 1923 and is cited by many advertising and marketing personalities (such as David Ogilvy, Gary Halbert, and Jay Abraham) as a "must-read" book. According to Paul Feldwick, it has sold over eight million copies. David Ogilvy wrote that "Nobody should be allowed to have anything to do with advertising until he has read this book seven times. It changed the course of my life."

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This is a book for everyone who writes or approves copy: copywriters, account executives, creative directors, freelance writers, advertising managers, entrepreneurs. It reveals dozens of copywriting techniques that can help you write ads, commercials, and direct mail that are clear, persuasive, and get more attention - selling more products.

Nobel laureate Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central agents in the economy are humans predictable, error-prone individuals. Misbehaving is his arresting, frequently hilarious account of the struggle to bring an academic discipline back down to earth and change the way we think about economics, ourselves, and our world.

In the new edition of this highly acclaimed bestseller, Robert Cialdini, New York Times bestselling author of Pre-Suasion and the seminal expert in the fields of influence and persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically in business and everyday settings.

In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

Storytelling with Data teaches you the fundamentals of data visualization and how to communicate effectively with data. You'll discover the power of storytelling and the way to make data a pivotal point in your story. The lessons in this illuminative text are grounded in theory, but made accessible through numerous real-world examples ready for immediate application to your next graph or presentation.

Author Joris Bryon is a longtime optimization specialist who writes warmly and conversationally, making even “dry” topics like Google Analytics easy to understand. From metrics all the way down to microcopy, Bryon distills his years of experience into a manual for continuous revenue growth.

Conversion Rate Optimization is a book for people looking to fast track conversion rate growth and unlock the true potential of a digital property. Dr. Ali Nasser has worked with leading brands such as GE Digital, NBA Store, Maui Jim, Workday and Netflix. He shows how anyone can craft a strategy to dominate their online market.

Part science and part art, conversion optimization is designed to turn visitors into customers. Carefully developed testing procedures are necessary to help you fine-tune images, headlines, navigation, colors, buttons, and every other element, creating a website that encourages visitors to take the action you seek.

Most websites lose. Almost all of them. Many never make a profit. Others are successful at first, and then get crushed by competitors. This book is about how to make websites that customers love and that are outrageously profitable.

Brian K. Johnson is the president of a consulting firm who teaches persuasion to trial lawyers and public speaking to transactional attorneys. Based on 25 years of experience from coaching practitioners, this guide integrates cutting edge discoveries in human factors, gesture studies, linguistics, neuroscience, and sports psychology to give litigators a competitive edge.

Crucial Conversations draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time. Backed by 30 years of social science, Crucial Conversations skills represent the standard in effective communication and the marker of high performance individuals and organizations.

For more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greats—Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and hundreds of relentless competitors in sports, business, and every walk of life—and made them greater. Now, for the first time ever, he reveals what it takes to achieve total mental and physical dominance, showing you how to be relentless and achieve whatever you desire.

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This ancient Chinese military text dissects thirteen aspects of warfare from an strategical and intellectual point of view. Deploring the use of excess force causing economic and civilian losses while discussing strategies that are still relevant to modern warfare, the text continues to resonate with readers around the world and has been considered fundamental in military doctrine for over two thousand years.

Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows, a modern classic with over half a million copies sold, is a practical guide to solving complex problems. By showing how systems shape outcomes, it equips business owners and leaders with tools to recognize hidden patterns, avoid costly mistakes, and design sustainable strategies—skills essential for thriving in today’s interconnected, fast-changing world.

40 Years of Breakthrough Leadership Insights in One Extraordinary Book! From The One Minute Manager® to Raving Fans, Ken Blanchard’s books have helped millions of people unleash their power and the potential of everyone around them.

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Since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 15 million copies. Dale Carnegie's first book is a timeless bestseller, packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

With over 500,000 copies sold Fanatical Prospecting gives salespeople, sales leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives a practical, eye-opening guide that clearly explains the why and how behind the most important activity in sales and business development—prospecting. Step by step, Jeb Blount outlines his innovative approach to prospecting that works for real people, in the real world, with real prospects.

In Sell or Be Sold, Cardone breaks down the techniques and approaches necessary to master the art of selling in any avenue. You will learn how to handle rejection, turn around negative situations, shorten sales cycles, and guarantee yourself greatness. With the experience of a seasoned sales vet at the helm, Sell or Be Sold will change the way you perceive the sale—and life.

With refreshing honesty and some much-needed humor, sales expert Mike Weinberg examines the critical mistakes made by most salespeople and executives, then provides tips to help you achieve the opposite results. Named by Hubpot as a Top 20 Sales Book of All Time, this easy-to-follow guide will remove the mystery surrounding prospecting and have you ramping up for new business.

After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a hostage negotiator brought him face-to-face with a range of criminals, including bank robbers and terrorists. Reaching the pinnacle of his profession, he became the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator. Never Split the Difference distills the Voss method, revealing the skills that matter most when it comes to achieving your goals in both your professional and personal life.

Josh Kaufman’s The Personal MBA challenges costly, outdated business schools by offering a smarter alternative. Drawing from top business books, it distills essential lessons in marketing, sales, operations, negotiation, and productivity into practical mental models. Covering market size, value creation, pricing, and revenue growth, it equips readers with timeless principles to build, run, and grow real businesses - without the MBA price tag.

The E-Myth Revisited, voted the #1 business book by Inc. 500 CEOs, challenges the myth that technical skill alone makes a successful entrepreneur. Michael E. Gerber reveals why most small businesses fail, showing the difference between working in versus on your business, and guiding owners through growth with practical, franchise-inspired lessons.

John Warrillow warns that entrepreneurs often build businesses dependent on them, making them hard to sell. Through Alex, a fictional agency owner, he shows that to be sellable, a business must be: Teachable (employees can replicate it), Valuable (specialized to avoid price wars), and Repeatable (generates recurring revenue). Buyers want independence, scalability, and sustainability.

Matt Mochary, coach to Silicon Valley’s top CEOs, distills proven leadership and business tools in The Great CEO Within. This guide helps founders and managers scale efficiently by fostering accountability, problem-solving, and transparent feedback. With little time for formal training, fast-growing leaders can now access practical guidance to become great CEOs - all in one book.

Do you run your business, or does it run you? Many leaders face the same struggles - conflict, low profits, stalled growth, and decisions that never stick. The Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) offers a proven, practical solution. In Traction, you’ll learn to strengthen six key business components, bringing clarity, growth, and freedom - just as 250,000+ companies already have.

Get time-tested advice on navigating risk and building lasting success from Tom Golisano, self-made billionaire and founder of Paychex. In Built, Not Born, he reveals how he turned $3,000 into $28 billion, mentoring entrepreneurs along the way. From smart negotiations to growth strategies, this essential handbook equips aspiring and current business owners to start, grow, and sustain thriving companies.

Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz, delivers raw, practical advice on the challenges of leading startups in The Hard Thing About Hard Things. Drawing from his blog and experience managing, investing in, and selling tech companies, Horowitz shares unfiltered lessons on tough decisions—from firing friends to scaling culture - often framed with rap lyrics, humor, and honesty, making it invaluable for entrepreneurs.

The instant #1 bestseller offers clear answers to the timeless question: How do you lead? Leadership is demanding, often misunderstood, and filled with uncertainty. Retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer Jocko Willink delivers a practical methodology built on proven battlefield, business, and life-tested strategies. This expanded edition equips leaders with principles, skills, and decision-making protocols to guide any team to victory.

Profit First presents a simple but counterintuitive approach to cash management that flips the conventional formula. Instead of Sales – Expenses = Profit, it applies Sales – Profit = Expenses. By taking profit first, businesses naturally limit expenses, simplify accounting, and achieve early, sustained profitability. Practical steps, principles, and case studies show how any company can turn into a profitable cash-generating business.

Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage argues that organizational health is the ultimate competitive edge, surpassing strategy, innovation, or intelligence. A healthy organization is unified, free of politics and confusion, and fosters loyalty among top talent. Lencioni offers leaders a practical model, filled with stories and insights, to build cohesion, maximize human potential, and align around shared principles in today’s fast-changing world.