Team, this one took me an extra day to prepare.  A top 10 book list.  To bleed blue, these are the best 10 books we came up with.  Beth Pautsch and Keith Batenhorst helped me compile the list.  They are two of the largest readers in our company; they inspire me to read more.  It is no coincidence they are also two of the people that have shown the most personal and business growth in the last five years.

I can think of NO BETTER way to learn than read.  It is the single most powerful source in the universe to make yourself better.

“But Joel, I’m not much of a reader.”

That’s fine.  Read one book a year.  Read one page a day.  Read one page 3 times a day until you understand it.  You will get better at retaining information… reading one great book a year and understanding it is impactful.

“Joel ,I don’t have time to read!”

We all have 24 hours.  Currently you are choosing to do something else.  Reading can be done while you eat, before you sleep, when the TV is on, even during a Packer game, while you wait for an appointment.  5 minutes a day adds up!

“Joel, what should I read?”

Whatever interests you!  Deer hunting?  Shopping?  Biographies?  Nature?  Self improvement?  Crisis?  Business skills?  You name it, it’s been written!  Read for a stress relief or read to sharpen your skills…

If you don’t know where to start, here is our MUST READ list.  It’s a must read to understand what makes Drexel tick, what others at Drexel expect from you, and no matter what:

IT WILL IMPROVE YOU IN ALL FACETS OF YOUR LIFE.

Ready?

The Bible.  This is #1 by a long shot and worthy of it’s own list.  The good book was written THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, yet is nearly 100% completely relevant today (not the part about sacrificing sheep) but it will speak TO YOU personally in a unique way at just the time you need it.   An easy way to stay up on your Bible is a daily app you can put on your phone.  Who says technology is devil’s work?

The top 10.  I’d read them in just the order I put them in.  They all build on each other.

1.  Fish
2. The Carpenter (Energy Bus gets a mention here)
3. Unbroken
4. Who Moved my Cheese
5. Delivering Happiness
6. Raving Fans
7. Tuesdays with Morrie
8. The Starbucks Experience
9. Setting the Table
10. Burn your Goals

• All the Dale Carnegie Books are worthy of a mention in this space.  They are there own subset and I hope each of you get to take that course sometime if you wish.

Challenge:  If you would like: do this as a challenge.  I’ll give you a year to complete it.  I’ll work with you on a bonus wager if you finish it!  Just reach out to me and we will discuss what’s the right bonus for you.  A few rules:  1. I’ll buy you the books.  2. In each book you must write what you took away on the back inside cover.  3. Then you must pass the book on, unless you plan on reading again.  Books are meant to be shared.

And yes I have a degree in English and wanted to coach basketball and teach English when I grew up (after my NBA career dreams faded).  My life has led me to both in a unique way… all while pursuing the 1% better at Drexel Building Supply.  Life is amazing!

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our purpose since 1985 is to be a supplier of other people’s happiness.