Andy’s Self Help Journey of Reading – Summer of 2017

Posted by Andy Hamilton on 2/02/2017 10:13:35 AM

Over the 2017 Summer, here are a few books that I read which had some great insights, tools and stories in. I am sparing you the love stories, the crime novels and the comics.


Together is Better by Simon Sinek Cover

Together is Better - Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek sparked a movement with his bestsellers START WITH WHY and LEADERS EAT LAST. Now this beautifully illustrated book will inspire more readers to ask for help, help others, and discover their own courage through a charming story about change.

 

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony Cover

The Elephant Whisperer - Lawrence Anthony

The Elephant Whisperer is a heartwarming, exciting, funny, and sometimes sad memoir of Anthony's experiences with these huge yet sympathetic creatures.

 

Zero to One by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters Cover

Zero to One - Peter Thiel

If you are looking to do a new product or service or even a startup, this book is a must read – I read this around 2 times per year to get fresh and clear on what you really need to do when doing something new. Innovating is something we all must do – and there is a method and way to do it that gives you the best chance of success. Read this to start something, and read Ben Horowitz’s book when you want to grow it.

 

How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is Shaping our Future by Ashlee Vance Cover

Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is Shaping our Future - Ashlee Vance

Elon Musk is the Steve Jobs of the present and the future, and for twelve months, he was shadowed by tech reporter, Ashlee Vance. This is an important, exciting and intelligent account of the real-life Iron Man.

 

Quiet Leadership by David Rock Cover

Quiet Leadership: Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work - David Rock

After attending a brain based coaching workshop at the end of last year, one of the gifts was this book about how to lead, how to be still and how to be better. I loved the reflection opportunity to read post the workshop and to really reflect about being a leader is so much about listening and getting rid of the crap that you have in your head and the stuff you want people to do. Very good reminder that it is about ‘them’ and not about ‘you’.

 

Legacy by James Kerr Cover

Legacy - James Kerr 

This is a fantastic book about the All Blacks Legacy and their coaching and leadership systems. I took so much from this book and will be applying some of the learnings into what we do at The Icehouse – it was really interesting for me thinking about high performance in sport when travelling through South Africa and talking to their people about why the Springboks were performing below their expectations. Many of them have reasons of blame, and when you look at what James Kerr uncovers it is how the All Blacks have integrated so many different cultures and perspectives into something powerful. This book is still relevant even if you are not a rugby head. It also creates permission to be positive and to remove any excuses in being the best.

 

What Got Your Here, Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith Cover

What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There – Marshall Goldsmith

This is a great and personal self-help and focus book that really focuses on your belief systems around what you can do with yourself, to be the best you can. It is confronting, challenging and also has lots of good solutions for you to take forward. I recommend this book for the more ego-driven people out there who are ready to look in the mirror.

 

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand Cover

Seabiscuit – Laura Hillenbrand

Yes, a story about a horse, a famous horse in the 30’s in the US of A. It is a true story and it is a great example of identifying talent that others don’t see, cultivating and nurturing and being true to what you believe to achieve outstanding results. I loved the emotion and the story and as Ben Horowitz talks about in his great book The Hard Thing about Hard Things, it is really about the ‘struggle’ that so many of our companies go through that ended up creating success.


This blog post is by Andy Hamilton, CEO of The Icehouse.

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