No ranking, the first is just as good as the last.

June’s book of the month: 'Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong' by Eric Barker

Everything others tell you about success? Some of it is wrong. Most of it is incomplete. All of it is worth questioning.

Eric Barker backs that up with research. How schools reward conformity, not potential. And that context is everything for qualities that make people wildly successful or sometimes destroy them.

Each chapter flips a conventional belief on its head. Then gives you the science to back it up.

The most important decision you can make is figuring out what the right game is for you. Read it before someone else defines your line of success for you.

Marketing and Strategy books

1. ‘Alchemy’ by Rory Sutherland
     [June 2025 book of the month]
2. ‘No Bullsh*t Strategy’ by Alex M H Smith 
     [February 2024 book of the month]
3. 'Chaz's 100 Things a Planner Should Know' by Charles Wigley
     [October 2025 book of the month]
4. ‘Building a StoryBrand’ by Donald Miller

5. ‘Obvious Adams’ by Robert R. Updegraff
     [January 2026 book of the month]
6. 'Insanely Simple' by Ken Segal
7. ‘Unreasonable Hospitality’ by Will Guidara

8. ‘They Ask, You Answer’ by Marcus Sheridan

9. 'Influence' by Robert B. Cialdini 
     [November 2024 book of the month]
10. 'How Big Things Get Done' by Bent Flyvbjerg, Dan Gardner
11. 'Reinventing the store', ‘Het geheim van bol.com’ by Michael Schaeffer  
     [December 2023 book of the month]
12. ‘How not to Plan: 66 ways to screw it up’ by Les Binet and Sarah Carter

13. ‘Leaders eat last’ by Simon Sinek
14. 'Measure What Matters' by John Doerr
15. 'Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek
16. ‘Let my people go surfing’ by Yvon Chouinard
17. 'Good Strategy, bad strategy' by Richard P. Rumelt
18. 'Epic Content Marketing' by Joe Pulizzi
19. 'The Infinite Game' by Simon Sinek
20. 'Leading the Starbucks Way,' by Joseph A. Michelli
21. ‘Eat your Greens’ by Wiemer Snijders
22. ‘Nudge' by Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein
      [May 2024 book of the month]

Content and copywriting books

23. ‘Very Good Copy’ by Eddie Shleyner
     [August 2024 book of the month]
24. ‘A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters’ by Dan Nelken

25. ‘Writing for Busy Readers’ by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink
26. ‘Simply said’ by Jay Sullivan
27. 'Creativity. A Short and Cheerful Guide' by John Cleese
     [July 2024, October 2025 book of the month]
28. ‘The Copywriter's Handbook’ by Robert W. Bly

29. ‘Copywriting Secrets’ by Alan Sharpe
30. 'TED Talks Storytelling' by Akash Karia
31. 'Everybody writes' by Ann Handley
32. 'Advertising for skeptics' by Bob Hoffman
33. 'Make Your Idea Matter: Stand out with a better story' by Bernadette Jiwa

Mindset and Psychology books

34. 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' by Dale Carnegie
35. ‘Barking Up the Wrong Tree’ by Eric Barker
     [June 2026 book of the month]
36. ‘Pitlane Lessons’ by Marc Priestley
     [May 2026 book of the month]
37. ‘Learning to Learn’ by Barbara Oakley
     [October 2024 book of the month]
38. ‘Thinking Clearly’ by Rolf Dobelli
39. ‘The Let Them Theory’ by Mell Robins
     [February and March 2025 book of the month]
40. 'Think Faster, Talk Smarter' by Matt Abrahams
41. 'The Power of Vulnerability' by Brene Brown
    [September 2024 book of the month]
42. ‘Comfort Crisis’ by Michael Easter 
     [August 2024 book of the month]
43. ‘Slow Productivity’ by Cal Newport 
     [April 2024 book of the month]
44. 'The Art of Gathering' by Priya Parker
45. ‘Invisible Women. Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men’ by Caroline Criado-Perez
    [June 2024 book of the month]
46. ‘Body language’ by Vanessa Van Edwards in Dairy of a CEO
      [January 2025 podcast of the month]
47. 'Get Your Sh*t Together’ by Sarah Knight
48. “The ONE Thing” by Gary Kelly and Jay Papasan
49. 'Thrive' by Arianna Huffington
50. 'If I Could Tell You Just One Thing' by Richard Reed
51. 'Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People' by Stephen R. Covey

52. ‘Don't Sweat the Small Stuff' by Richard Carlson

53. 'The Ideal Team Player' by Patrick M. Lencioni
54. 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear

55. 'Mindset' by Carol S. Dweck
56. 'Living with a SEAL:' by Jesse Itzler
57. 'The 5 Second Rule' by Mel Robbins
      [March 2026 book of the month]
58. ‘Unmasked’ by Ellie Middleton

(Auto)biographies

59. ‘Careless People’ by Sarah Wynn-Williams
      [July 2025 book of the month]
60. ‘Be Useful’ by Arnold Schwarzenegger 
      [January 2024, November 2025 book of the month]
61. ‘Kitchen Confidential’ by Anthony Bourdain

62. ‘Before & Laughter’ by Jimmy Carr
     [August 2025 book of the month]
63. ‘Screw it, Let’s Do It' by Richard Branson
     [December 2024 book of the month]
64. ‘The Art of Resilience’ by Ross Edgley

65. ‘The story of Lululemon' by Chip Wilson

66. 'Can't Hurt Me:' by David Goggins



1. ‘Alchemy. The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life’ by Rory Sutherland 

Initially, I was skeptical about this book. But, man, it didn't disappoint, and I've already listened to it. Twice. 

A combination of Kahneman's ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ and ‘Creativity’ by Cleese. ‘Alchemy’ is about logic and reason, written and read by a Brit, including the accent. 

This should be on every marketer's reading list. It's about how embracing irrationality can lead to innovative solutions, emphasizing understanding human psychology over pure logic to influence behavior and create impactful ideas.

2. ‘No Bullsh*t Strategy’ by Alex M H Smith 

Mandatory reading for every marketer and (self-proclaimed) strategist. In "No Bullsh*t Strategy," Alex M H Smith gives you a simple but powerful line to define strategy: 'You are the only X that does Y.'

This is the unique value your business brings to the market with the strategic philosophy ‘Only is better than best.’

A well-written strategy brings razor-sharp focus by making decisions on what to do and, above all, what not to do.

If Alex doesn't ignite your mind in the first chapter, this is not a book for you, and you'll never get it. 

For the lazy ones, here's a 🎙️ great podcast hosting Alex and his ‘No BS Strategy.’

3. 'Chaz's 100 Things a Planner Should Know' by Charles Wigley

This sweet, short little book is the kick in the but you sometimes need to get unstuck and gain new inspiration. It's written for planners on the agency side, but equally, if not more, important to marketers at the client side. 

His book costs about as much as your over-foamed oat milk macchiato. But it lasts longer.

4. ‘Building a StoryBrand’ by Donald Miller

One of the best books on content and storytelling I have read in recent years. Learn how to build your story with your customer in mind. 

→ It's not about you; it's about how your brand solves your customers' problem(s). 

Once you know this trick, you will recognize it in every great Hollywood movie. Your message will change for the better. 

“The first campaign he released went from nine pages in the New York Times to just two words on billboards all over America: Think Different. When Apple began filtering their communication to make it simple and relevant, they actually stopped featuring computers in most of their advertising. Instead, they understood their customers were all living, breathing heroes, and they tapped into their stories. 

They did this by (1) identifying what their customers wanted (to be seen and heard), (2) defining their customers’ challenge (that people didn’t recognize their hidden genius), and (3) offering their customers a tool they could use to express themselves (computers and smartphones). Each of these realizations are pillars in ancient storytelling and critical for connecting with customers.”

5. ‘Obvious Adams. The Story of a Successful Businessman’ by Robert R. Updegraff

Written in 1916. Still sharper than most marketing today. This short, powerful book should be mandatory reading for anyone in marketing or communications. It will completely rewire how you think.

A quick 40-minute listen on Audible, you'll never regret.

6. 'Insanely Simple. The Obsession that drives Apple's Success' by Ken Segal

Keeping things simple and keep your focus, are two of the most underestimated success factors in business. We want everything for everybody. Almost out of a fear of missing out on customers or business. By making it over-complicated -- you achieve the opposite. Great in combination with 'Good Strategy, Bad Strategy' by Richard P. Rumelt. 

This is my go-to book for most of my clients. With my humble advice 'Better whole-ass one thing that half-ass everything'. 

7. ‘Unreasonable Hospitality’ by Will Guidara

A gem of a book. ‘It’s about how you make people feel' and challenging the status quo to do better. It not only applies to the hospitality industry. Also very relevant for brands, marketers, agencies, and employers. A very nice read or listen, with great insights.

Such as the 95-5 rule. 95% frugal and splurge insanely on the 5% in the details that matter, and create an unforgettable experience. 

8. 'They Ask You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today's Digital Consumer' by Marcus Sheridan 

This book is mandatory reading for everyone working in marketing and or content. The ‘They Ask, You Answer’ is the way to create content to align with your (potential) customer's needs. 

SEO and AI search ranking
A great way to rank high in SEO and attract organic traffic. It’s also AI search-friendly because it prioritizes your customer. I take it further by writing FAQs based on customer prompts, resulting in ChatGPT and Perplexity frequently appearing in my web traffic analytics.

9. 'Influence, New and Expanded. The Psychology of Persuasion' by Robert B. Cialdini 

This is an updated classic. Three reasons why you should read it

First, it explains how Booking.com realized +700% conversion by introducing social proof and scarcity in their booking process with ‘XX other people booked this accommodation today’ and ‘only 2 rooms left’. 

Second, the reason why waiters give you a sweet when they hand the check is not because it's a custom; it's because of the small gift they get up to 21% more tips. 

Third, in this update, Cialdini adds the new ‘unity’ principle. 

Cialdini's Principles of Persuasion:

• Reciprocation
• Commitment and Consistency
• Social Proof
• Liking
• Authority
• Scarcity
• Unity, the newest principle for this edition

10. 'How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between' by Bent Flyvbjerg, Dan Gardner

What I love the most about this book is the 'think slow, act fast' principle. Always take your time to think, plan, create space in your project planning for iterations to learn and improve and if needed, create mockups to test and refine. However tempting it is, never start immediately in the action modus; that is a guarantee for failure.

The second thing I love is the 'start with the end in mind' principle. This is the same principle that Amazon applies: write the press release before you create a project plan. What's in it for the end-user? How can they benefit from your product or service? Only when you have that crystal clear, you work your way backward to the beginning, the project plan.

11. 'Reinventing the store', ‘Het geheim van bol.com’ by Michael Schaeffer 

This book is a little gem. Breaking the rules, challenging the status quo, David versus Goliath. A look behind the scenes at how bol.com succeeded and challenged Amazon. How to nail e-commerce, get inventory, and test with concepts, products, and categories. Fail fast, learn faster. All are based on data. And with real customer-centricity. 

Even though the book can also be seen as one brilliant big commercial for bol.com, I'm still inspired. 

UK version ‘Reinventing the store’ 

Dutch ‘Het geheim van bol.com’, also available as an audiobook on Podimo. My affiliate link (you get a free month and 10h audiobooks, and I get a free month)

12. ‘How not to Plan: 66 ways to screw it up’ by Les Binet and Sarah Carter

f*ckin' brilliant... No brainer. Just read. “Digital data is often daily of hourly, making it easier to measure short-term marketing effect. But much hard to measure long-term effects. They get lost in the noise.” “Get it right, and you can move from Big Data to Big Insights, Big brands, and Big Profits” (in the chapter 'How not to see the wood for the trees'.)

Mandatory for everyone who works in advertising, marketing and or communications: client and agency. The reviews speak for themselves.

13. ‘Leaders eat last’ by Simon Sinek

What I took away from this book and my reasons why you should read this. 

Honestly, the book was not what I expected it to be. It's not a book on ‘how-to’ leadership, it's different; pleasantly surprised by the socioeconomic background and explanations of why we need leadership. 

1. Explanation of how we got where we are as a society. From the roaring ‘20 to the depression, to WOII, to baby-boom, to materialistic egocentric 80 into the now. Simon explains the social circumstances, technology, and innovations that caused our current egocentric, materialistic society; and how we got from a human-focused to a money-focused world, including the first mass layoffs in the 70s. Read part 4 ’How we got there'
2. Why we have a maximum span of 150 friends or people around us. If it are more, you need a middle layer in the hierarchy at the office.  Or you need to ditch some friends ;)
3. It's about balance. Nature and we humans, we always strive for balance. The more extreme the event, the more equally extreme the counter-reaction to create a new balance. 

14. 'Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs' by John Doerr

Mind-blowing easy to keep track of why and what you do. Measure what matters. Love this, from KPI to OKR: 'the Objective is simply what is to be achieved', Key Results' benchmark and monitor how we get to the objective. Effective KRs are specific and time-bound, aggressive yet realistic. Most of all, they are measurable and verifiable.'

A tangible example by Intel. Objective: 'Demonstrate the 8080’s superior performance as compared to the Motorola 6800.' Key Results: 1. Deliver five benchmarks. 2. Develop a demo. 3. Develop sales training materials for the field force. 4. Call on three customers to prove the material works.' (p27)

https://www.whatmatters.com/ 

15. 'Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek

This is a classic. ‘No brainer, just read it. Even better than his TED talk. “Is a customer who buys your product for a second time a loyal customer or just plain lazy?” and more of this ‘food for thought’. Simon Sinek is straight to the point and inspiring.

“Some in management positions operate as if they are in a tree of monkeys. The make sure that everyone at the top of the tree looking down sees only smiles. But all too often, those at the bottom looking up see only asses.” (page 113)

16. ‘Let my people go surfing’ by Yvon Chouinard

How to apply your purpose to your brand, explained by Patagonia and do some storytelling along the way. Amazing example in the book ‘Let my people go surfing’ by Yvon Chouinard.

N=1, first part, grab a bottle of wine and just read it, the second part gets really interesting how their (initial) mission statement “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” is applied to all aspects of their business: from marketing to HR and finance.

17. 'Good Strategy, Bad Strategy' by Richard P. Rumelt

Good strategy is creating focus and making choices.

"A good strategy does more than urge us forward toward a goal or vision. A good strategy honestly acknowledges the challenges being faced and provides an approach to overcoming them."

"The core of strategy work is always the same: discovering the critical factors in a situation and designing a way of coordinating and focusing actions to deal with those factors."

18. 'Epic Content Marketing' by Joe Pulizzi

One of the best books on content, 7 years old and still relevant in this fast-paced industry.

'You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership' quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower (p3)

'Remember, customers don't care about you; they care about themselves and their problems. We often forget that point when we describe how wonderful our widget is (that no one cares about).' (p75)

The ***** reviews on Amazon speak for themselves.

19. 'The Infinite Game' by Simon Sinek

"Do you know the game you are playing?" An infinite game with a finite mindset is to set up for failure.

"The motivation to play in an infinite game is completely different—the goal is not to win, but to keep playing. It is to advance something bigger than ourselves or our organizations. (p. 32)"

"Where a finite-minded player makes products they think they can sell to people, the infinite-minded player makes products that people want to buy. (p. 10)"

Any leader who wants to adopt an infinite mindset must follow five essential practices: Advance a Just Cause, Build Trusting Teams, Study your Worthy Rivals, Prepare for Existential Flexibility, Demonstrate the Courage to Lead (pp. 24-25)

https://simonsinek.com/the-infinite-game

20. 'Leading the Starbucks Way, 5 Principles for Connecting with Your Customers, Your Products, and Your People' by Joseph A. Michelli

Be inspired by how Starbucks grew its business. Amongst others, involving the people on the work floor in the decision-making that impacts their daily work. Light and easy to read.

21. ‘Eat your Greens’ by Wiemer Snijders

'Razor-sharp overview of the marketing myths, misconceptions, dubious metrics and tactics that bear little relation to our actual buying behavior'.

Again... absolutely love this book: crap-cutting nonsense eliminating inspiration, no-brainers, and opening doors at the same excellent level as the 'How not to plan' by Les Binet.

Cherry-pick the chapters that are relevant to you and your job, industry, or profession. To be honest and speaking for me, myself and I: not every page of this book was equally interesting ... and I skipped a few of them due to the subject or the way the chapter was written.

"First, we diagnose the situation of the brand via consumer research and understand just what is going on. Secondly, we use that diagnosis to build a clear and simple marketing strategy. Finally, with that strategy in place, we select the appropriate tactics to deliver the strategy and win the day. Strategy is a very complicated thing to work out, but should be a very simple thing to eventually explain."

"Who am I targeting? What is my position to that target? What are my strategic objectives for that target market? My current estimate is that around 20% of brands could adequately or semi-adequately pass this test, and the rest have not the faintest clue how to even approach these questions."

"Talk to agencies about the quality of the briefs they currently receive from clients, and you will get the kind of hard stare usually reserved for the most outrageous agency gossip." (all three quotes in Chapter 3 Mortification, Tactification, Communification and digitization by Mark Ritson)

Get this brilliant collection by Wiemer Snijders with great minds like Mark Ritson, Peter Field, Eaon Pritchard, Robert van Osnabruggen, Phil Barden, Bob Hoffman, Tom Goodwin, and many many more:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eat-Your-Greens-Wiemer-Snijders/dp/1789016754

22. ‘Nudge' by Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein 

It's not often that I recommend a book for just 2 chapters. This is one of them. How to nudge people in the direction you want them to… reading these chapters is like kicking in an open door and refreshing your mind on what you already know – good to get nudged yourself. 

• Chapter 1, ‘Biases and Blunders’: about how we have a pre-trained and preset mind
• Chapter 5, ‘Choice Architecture’ → how you can influence the choices your customers make by presenting your product or the options

After Part I, honestly, I tuned out and skipped the rest. Like many books, a very strong opening, a less strong middle, and a moah end. 

23. ‘Very Good Copy’ by Eddie Shleyner 

‘This book gives you more sound, simple copywriting advice per page than anything I read’ (Drayton Bird, Ogilvy). I second this. I ate the book for breakfast on a Saturday morning. 

You will be inspired. 

Read it. 

24. 'A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters: A resource for writing headlines and building creative confidence' by Dan Nelken

Another gem on copywriting. If you want to be inspired and know all the tricks for great headlines, don't look any further. 

Dan teaches you how to think in buckets, how to fill these buckets, and let your creativity flow. 

For me, the most valuable was ‘the benefit of the benefit’ to get your headline. If you think about the benefit of your product, what's the benefit of that benefit? 

• If you buy a playhouse for your kids, the benefit is they'll have fun with it; the benefit of the benefit is that you'll have some rest when your kids are playing.
• If you buy a new bed for your dog, the benefit is that your dog will love it and sleep in (on?) it; the benefit of the benefit is that the hairy scruffy dog will not sleep on your bed anymore. ‘all you buy is more space in your bed’

25. ‘Writing for Busy Readers’ by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink

You have to simplify your writing to get busy readers to read. In this book, you'll learn how to write better to communicate more effectively. Todd explains it all by 6 princpiples. 

• Less is more
• Make reading easy
• Design for easy navigation
• Use enough formatting, but no more
• Tell readers why they should care
• Make responding easy

This book is a must-read for everyone. From the CMO and senior marketing manager to the content producer and intern. It's so good that I even dedicated a page to it: ‘Writing for busy readers; simplify your writing to make reading easy’. 

26. ‘Simply said’ by Jay Sullivan

I thought I knew quite some tips and tricks on presenting, writing and how to behave in meetings… this book taught me some new sh*t. Again. And again. And again. A must-read for anyone who can put their ego to the side and wants to improve their communication skills.  A few highlights on how to put and keep your audience in the first place. 

• Persuasive format: a very simple and effective ppt template to get your audience into action within 8 slides (p28)
• Knowledge pyramid: ‘you don’t know what you don't know' is the greatest information out there (p73). And how to get this unknown information to the table by asking closed or open questions
• How to tell your story and keep your audiences' attention with a graph or chart without overwhelming them: RIDE. Read the headline, Identify the graph, Define the parameters and main points, and Explain why you are showing your audience this information (p104)
• Amazing tips for better and clearer writing
• And much much more

27. 'Creativity. A Short and Cheerful Guide' by John Cleese

A sweet and short book on how you can provoke creativity, why the best ideas become even better after a night of sleep, when and why panicking has value, and how to kill your darlings for brevity and soul for not boring people.

On Audible, it's an entertaining and fast listen of just 60 minutes -- the best 60 minutes you can spend.

28. ‘The Copywriter's Handbook’ by Robert W. Bly.

‘A copywriter is a salesperson behind a typewriter.’ This sums up the main reason why you should read ‘The Copywriter's Handbook’ by Robert W. Bly.

What works for great headlines in content can also work for your social copy: writing to get the attention, that selects an audience, delivering a complete message, and drawing the reader into the body copy (or to click through).

‘But the goal of advertising is not to be liked, to entertain, or to win advertising awards; it is to sell products. The advertiser, if he is smart, doesn’t care whether people like his commercials or are entertained or amused by them. If they are, fine. But commercials are a means to an end, and the end is increased sales—and profits—for the advertiser. This is a simple and obvious thing, but the majority of copywriters and advertising professionals seem to ignore it.’

29. ‘Copywriting Secrets’ by Alan Sharpe

Absolutely love this. The proven copy rules: old school advertising print craft by DDB for Volkswagen, can also be applied for social, content, digital, and more these days. Please, read and learn.

"Before you can write great copy, you need to have a big idea, and before you can have a big idea, you need to have a great insight, and before you can have a great insight, you need to do lots of research." (chapter 1)

"One of your main jobs as a copywriter is to translate product features into benefits. People buy benefits, not features. Just so we’re clear: a feature is what a product does, and a benefit is what that feature does for me. How do you communicate that benefit in an original way? With a headline that states the feature and a photo that communicates the benefit." (secret 10)

Or take the video class:https://www.skillshare.com/classes/30-Copywriting-Secrets-from-the-Best-Ad-Campaign-of-All-Time/1238746914/reviews

30. 'TED Talks Storytelling: 23 Storytelling Techniques from the Best TED Talks' by Akash Karia 

Checklist for every speaker, steal those cherries with pride to refine your own non-TED deck.

"The word “you” is regarded as one of the most powerful words in the English language. Why? Because people are interested in themselves!" (p. 47)

31. 'Everbody writes' by Ann Handley

Stuck in writing? or producing content? Just read this book to get started. With 11 hands-on tips and tricks. One of the very few books I have in paper and do not loan without a significant deposit ;)

“Giving your audience a gift, how can you best serve them, with a mindset of generosity?” (p29)

“Produce The Ugly First Draft: that’s basically where you show up and throw up. Write badly. Write as if never one will ever read it.” (p30)

“Start with ‘dear mom’ and keep a real person in mind. Someone you like, because you want to help this person.’ (p55)

32. 'Advertising for skeptics' by Bob Hoffman

"Advertising has gotten worse, not better. Rather than creating advertising that is “more relevant, more timely and more likable” we are creating advertising that is more annoying, more disliked, and more avoided."

"One study showed that of all forms of advertising, the eight types most disliked by consumers were all forms of online advertising."

For the necessary critical view on online advertising by Bob Hoffman -- Advertising For Skeptics

Must read book to broaden your horizon with a different perspective.

33. 'Make Your Idea Matter: Stand out with a better story' by Bernadette Jiwa

Great no-nonsense checklist to make your idea, brand, product or whatever you are doing, sparkle. A few quotes:

• The story makes the product better.
• No matter what you’re pitching, selling or talking about, talk to one person. You might want to appeal to.
• Most companies wonder how they will get their product noticed, before thinking about why on earth it will matter to customers.
• What makes anything you do unique is your voice. The story that only you can tell, from a perspective that nobody else can have. There is more than one way to say something important that needs to be said, and there are a million ways to bring ideas that matter to the world.
• Unsubscribers, critics and naysayers are a gift. Say a mental thanks to them for saving you the job of working out who your right people are. Then go out and do everything in your power to woo the people who matter.
• What you want your website to do is probably very different from what your customers want it to do. The trick (as with most elements of your business) is to build for customers and community first so you can realize the benefits later.

34. 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' by Dale Carnegie

One of the best books ever. Loved and love it. Written in 1938 and still amazingly relevant. The best-kept secret in people and expectations management. 

35. ‘Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong' by Eric Barker

Everything others tell you about success? Some of it is wrong. Most of it is incomplete. All of it is worth questioning.

Eric Barker backs that up with research. How schools reward conformity, not potential. And that context is everything for qualities that make people wildly successful or sometimes destroy them.

Each chapter flips a conventional belief on its head. Then gives you the science to back it up.

The most important decision you can make is figuring out what the right game is for you. Read it before someone else defines your line of success for you.

36. ‘Pitlane Lessons: What F1 Can Teach You About Life and Work' by Marc Priestley

F1 runs on individual glory, but it is built on collective performance. Priestley writes from the inside — the pitlane, not the podium.

Chapter two hit hardest: innovation isn't what you do, it's how you think. The rest follows from there; teamwork, how to celebrate properly, why failure is as essential as winning, how to stay humble when everything is on fire. Simple ideas. Harder to execute than they sound.

If you think you already know how to work well with others, this book will quietly prove otherwise.

37. 'Learning How to Learn' by Barbara Oakley PhD

If you want to improve and speed up your learning skills, this book is for you. Barbara explains why your mind needs to wander to be able to focus, how your brain makes connections, and how you can learn better by using metaphors. Also, how to tackle procrastination effectively and much more.

I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara in person; I have no words for such an amazing, lovely lady who blows you away with her knowledge and explains in great detail how your brain works and how you can let your brain work for you.

Initially, this book is for children, but don't let that fool you. Anyone can use a little help learning to learn. 

'Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens' by Barbara Oakley PhD, Terrence Sejnowski, PhD, Alistair McConville

38. ‘The Art of Thinking Clearly’ Paperback by Rolf Dobelli

It is 99 sweet and short chapters with wisdom and things you already knew yet forgot. Some common sense about confirmation bias, prejudices, and false truths. 

A dear friend recommended this book, and as soon as I started to listen on Audible, I realized I already read it on my Kindle. Hence, if I have it double, for sure, it's worth the read. Everybody can learn something from this book. 

39. ‘The Let Them Theory, A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About’ by Mel Robbins 

How do you let go of the need to control or overreact to others’ behavior? And instead of getting frustrated or trying to change people, you can ‘let them’. While you let others act as they will, you also say, ‘Let me,’ and focus on what you can control. 

An excellent, inspiring read with recognizable examples and frustrations we all encounter daily with coworkers, family, and friends. Also available as 🎙️  podcast. 

Highly recommend. Small personal note: don't listen to the audiobook in one go; her high energy can be a bit overwhelming and a bit too much for us Europeans. 

40. 'Think Faster, Talk Smarter' by Matt Abrahams

This book is more than about ' how to speak successfully when you're put on the spot'. I'm blown away by the simple insights, from common sense and wisdom, sanity checking the reality (and yourself), to how to calm your nerves. In the meanwhile, it's putting things in perspective and emphasizing having joy in what you do. 

It is a unique and inspiring combination of ‘How to win friends and influence people' by Dale Carnegie and the TED talks and public speaking books. If you're presenting or speaking or just want to improve your communication skills in business and personal life, read this book. 

41. ‘The power of vulnerability’ by Brene Brown

This is one of the books I listen to and re-listen. At least twice a year, if not more often. 

It's about daring to show your strength by daring to show your weakness. It's about not taking things overly seriously. It's about not giving a f*ck what others think as long as they are not in your shoes. This made me a different woman. 

'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

 The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; 

who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.' [Theodore Roosevelt]

Next to that, how Brene tells her story on stage is contagious and inspires me to do better. To be vulnerable and have fun at the same time. 

42. ‘Comfort Crisis’ by Michael Easter 

‘Today’s comfort is tomorrow's discomfort'. This book is all about how we continuously move our goalposts. When we reach our desired goal, we're happy and content for a brief moment, and almost immediately, we strive for the next better, more, richer goal. 

Pretty relevant for today's fast-moving, over-consuming, high-self-expecting, crazy-driving society. 

A very nice, light, and easy read on a heavy topic. 

Highly recommend, I loved every moment of it. In an entertaining story of a freezing and starving backcountry 30-day adventure in arctic Alaska where he needs to shoot wildlife to get food, Michael taps into topics that f*ck up today's society and human mankind. 

43. ‘Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout’ by Cal Newport 

According to Carl, we achieve more by doing less. I fell in love with this philosophy, and it makes total sense. 

1. Do fewer things.
2. Work at a natural pace.
3. Obsess over quality.

If you focus on one thing at a time, when you are most productive, and obsess about quality, you'll produce great work. For me, it works: doing fewer things in the early morning and only publishing what makes me tick. 

Give it a try. The audiobook can be quite a tough, monotonous listen from time to time; stick to it, and you'll not be disappointed. 

44. 'The Art of Gathering' by Priya Parker 

‘An exciting new approach to how we gather that will transform the ways we spend our time together—at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond.’ The 4,6 rating on Amazon speaks for itself. 

It makes you rethink how we meet and gather and how our choices can influence the outcome. If you want to have more effective meetings and better meetups and improve your hosting skills, this book is for you. 

Just to be clear, Priya writes about purpose on a very abstract level while feeding your brain with daily examples. This book is not a to-do list or checklist for improving your meetings, it makes you think and do better. 

45. ‘Invisible Women. Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men’ by Caroline Criado-Perez

This eye-opener on how the world is biased for men is underpinned by data and research. Caroline spoons up all the stories, which can be a bit much and overwhelming. If you get angry easily, my advice is not to binge the book from cover to cover. 

• Crash test dummies: Car safety tests use male dummies, which makes vehicles less safe for women, who are 47% more likely to be seriously injured in crashes. Volvo changed this in 1995, and only in 2019 did it launch an initiative for equal representation in crash test dummies.
• Medical research: Women are underrepresented in clinical trials, resulting in misdiagnoses and ineffective treatments, as female-specific symptoms and responses are often overlooked. This underrepresentation is caused by historical bias, hormone variability, and lack of awareness.
• Public transport: Public transport systems favor male commuting patterns, from A to B and B to A, neglecting women's 'trip-chaining A-B-C-D-A' needs. This makes it less convenient, more expensive, and more time-consuming for women.

46. ‘Body Language' with Vanessa Van Edwards in ‘Dairy of a CEO’ podcast

This month, it's not a book; it's a podcast that blew my mind. An interview with Vanessa Van Edwards about how body language and voice are important for good communication. 

• 82% of first impressions come from warmth and competence. Research shows that sitting within 25 feet of a high performer can improve your own performance by 15%. TED Talks that went viral often had speakers using more gestures. 
   
• Gestures matter: Gestures add power to your story. When your hand movements align with your words, they create a sense of trust and honesty that resonates. Our brains are hardwired to notice gestures because they reveal real emotions and intentions. For example, when someone emphasizes a big point with big natural gestures, it makes the message clearer and more engaging.
  
  It’s also incredibly hard to lie with gestures—our hands rarely betray us. When what you say matches how you express it, it reinforces your authenticity and credibility. 
   
• Confidence in speech: Vocal variety is about changing your tone, pitch, and volume to make your message clear and interesting. For example, using a "Ted Talk voice" can show importance and make your audience pay attention.
  
  Switching your voice style, like using a "numbers voice" for statistics, helps organize your ideas and makes key points easier to remember.
  
  How you finish your sentences also matters. Speaking with a downward tone shows confidence, but an upward tone can sound unsure and hurt your credibility.

📺 'Diary of a CEO’ on YouTube

🎙️ ‘Diary of a CEO’ on Apple podcasts or Spotify

47. 'Get Your Sh*t Together’ by Sarah Knight

“But the mental clutter was slowly taking up residence in my brain the way my extra luggage was taking up space in my friend’s basement” (page 264)

Ever felt like being ‘stuck’ and not moving forward in work and or life? Then this is the book for you, read her hands-on tips and tricks on how to get your mental sh*t together and do get those things done. Rereading this every few months when I start procrastinating ;)

48. 'The ONE Thing' by Gary Kelly and Jay Papasan

Ever felt being stuck and procrastinating? Get that sh*t done by "creating your own strategy is to focus and to make a choice. You simply cannot do everything simultaneously."

"… the quality of the answer is directly determined by the quality of the question.

• Ask the wrong question, get the wrong answer.
• Ask the right question, get the right answer.
• Ask the most powerful question possible, and the answer can be life alternating." (chapter 10 The Focusing Question)

49. ‘Thrive’ by Arianna Huffington

Redefining success and adding the third metric to 'money' and 'power'. Fell in luv with especially the first half of the book. Could feel a bit feminine for some of the men, shuffle your ego dudes and get to her point on success and how to thrive in life.

"Lacking a line of royalty in America, (..) one gains today's throne not by fortune of birth but by visible markers of success, money and power."

"... over the long term, money and power are like a two-legged stool - you can balance on them for a while, but eventually you're going to topple over.'

50. 'If I Could Tell You Just One Thing…: Encounters with Remarkable People and Their Most Valuable Advice' by Richard Reed

"If I could tell you just one thing"… it is to read this book.

Great for inspiration and insights. The * reviews on Amazon speak for themselves. 

51. 'Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People: Living the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Every Day' by Stephen R. Covey

Love Stephen Coveys' daily no-brainers' advice.

"Most people say their main fault is a lack of discipline. On deeper thought, I believe that the basic problem is that their priorities have not become deeply planted in their hearts and minds. They attempt to give priority to important but not urgent activities and integrate them into their lives through self-discipline along." Long story short: it is not the lack of discipline, it is a matter of choice.

52. ‘Don't Sweat the Small Stuff' by Richard Carlson

'There are two rules for living in harmony. 1) Don’t sweat the small stuff and 2) It’s all small stuff. (p. 3)'

Great quote for that often much-needed reality check :) in ‘Don't Sweat the Small Stuff' by Richard Carlson.

'Turn Your Melodrama into a Mellow-Drama, (...) we blow things out of proportion and make a big deal out of little things. (...) When I get too worked up or start taking myself too seriously (which happens more than I like to admit), I say to myself something like, “Here I go again. My soap opera is starting.” (p. 147)'

53. 'The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues' by Patrick M. Lencioni

Not often that I am blown away by a book, inhaling the words cover to cover in less than 24h. Complicated stuff explained in a simple way. How to find the ideal team player: humble hungry and smart,

54. 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear

How to get long term gain? In Atomic Habit James Clear explains the science of forming habits with hands-on tips and tricks. Must read!

"Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are delayed. You need to be patient."

"We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action. As Voltaire once wrote, “The best is the enemy of the good.” "We do not change by snapping our fingers and deciding to be someone entirely new. We change bit by bit, day by day, habit by habit."

55. 'Mindset: The New Psychology of Success' by Carol S. Dweck

Never stop learning. How to get a growth mindset: to learn, to thrive, to fuel yourself with feedback.

In 'Mindset' Carol Dweck explains the power of mindset. 'In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed.' 

Note: the second visual is stolen with pride from Google, not directly related to Dwecks' book. 

56. 'Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet' by Jesse Itzler

Dare to challenge yourself. As we all know, out of your comfort zone is where the magic happens. If you dare to push your (physical) limits, you'll grow mentally. Jesse takes you on his journey.

 Be inspired; that's all I can say. Even better if you read 'Can't hurt me' by David Goggins first.

57. 'The 5 Second Rule. Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage' by Mel Robbins

What if the biggest thing holding you back is the five seconds between having an idea and talking yourself out of it?

Mel Robbins’ simple rule is this: the moment you feel the impulse to act, count 5-4-3-2-1… GO and move before your brain starts inventing excuses.

It’s a small trick with a surprisingly big impact. It helps you stop procrastinating, start the thing you’ve been avoiding, and break the endless doom-scroll loop.

From personal experience: it actually works.

58. 'Unmasked. The Ultimate Guide to ADHD, Autism, and Neurodivergence' by Ellie Middleton

Struggling with why you do certain things or have typical habits? This is for you. Ellie is an autistic and ADHD creator, writer, and consultant. She unveils how and why autistic, ADHD, and ADD function at their best. 

Sounds a bit fuzzy, yet this book brought me so much insight to understand why I need my morning run to clear my mind, why I hyperfocus and can't let go of things, or why I like to be alone after social events. 

And most importantly, I learned to embrace these odd, quirky behaviors of mine and thrive, not despite them but because of them. 

59. ‘Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism’ by Sarah Wynn-Williams

This is a behind-the-scenes look at Meta, which has been much discussed and controversial. Sarah critiques the company's internal culture, leadership decisions, and ethical lapses, highlighting its global sociopolitical impact.

It reads a bit like a thriller from a different, greedy world, yet it is an autobiography. It fits very well in our current (April 2025) unstable geopolitical climate.

Warning, this is not a light read. 

60. ‘Be Useful’ by Arnold Schwarzenegger

‘Arnold’s stratospheric success happened as part of a process. As the result of clear vision, big thinking, hard work, direct communication, resilient problem-solving, open-minded curiosity, and a commitment to giving back. All of it guided by the one lesson Arnold’s father hammered into him above all: be useful. As Arnold conquered every realm he entered, he kept his father’s adage close to his heart.’ 

‘Too many of us struggle to disconnect from our self-pity and connect to our purpose. At an early age, Arnold forged the mental tools to build the ladder out of the poverty and narrow-mindedness of his rural Austrian hometown, tools he used to add rung after rung from there. Now he shares that wisdom with all of us. As he puts it, no one is going to come rescue you—you only have yourself. The good news, it turns out, is that you are all you need.’ (Audible)

61. ‘Kitchen Confidential' by Anthony Bourdain

Just because there's nothing wrong with a biography from such greatness that shakes up kitchen and displays the other side. With lots and lots of love for food. 

What I learned from his book… always be honest. Even if it's the ugly truth, as long as you're honest, you can always be proud and look at yourself in the mirror. 

62. ‘Before & Laughter' by Jimmy Carr 

What stuck with me most and made the biggest impression from his book is how comedians are most successful when they're brutally honest. They say the things no one else dares to say, but wrapped in humor, they get away with it. Marketers could really learn from that. I know I certainly did.

It’s a sweet, honest must-read for anyone who wants to improve themselves and their communications.

63. ‘Screw It Let’s Do It. Lessons in Life and Business' by Richard Branson

If you ever are looking for a nudge to start your own business or take that leap? This book is for you. 

No more words needed; just read it and let me know if it sparked to change your life and work. 

64. ‘The Art of Resilience: Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body’ by Ross Edgley

Wow. In one word. From the stoic to the smile to get through the pain. Inspirational. And makes you stop whining and complaining. You always can do better and realize you have an unmet potential that will surprise you. 

65. ‘The story of Lululemon: the stretch black pants’ by Chip Wilson

All about market insights, strategy, and marketing. Chip Wilson tells the story behind the brand and the business. Along the way, he explains how he uses trends in society and innovation to thrive in business.

66. 'Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds' by David Goggins

It's almost scary what you can accomplish if you set your mind to it. And if you're willing to go deep. David takes you into his darkest place. Weirdly reading him suffer makes me dig deeper to achieve my own goals.

Read them in this particular order:

1. ‘No Bullsh*t Strategy’ by Alex M H Smith: to find your strategic advantage
2. ‘They Ask You Answer’ by Marcus Sheridan: to find what kind of questions your audience has about your product category
3. ‘Building a StoryBrand’ by Donald Miller: to create a storyline that resonates with your audience because it’s about them and not about you
4. ‘Writing for Busy Readers’ by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink: learn to simplify your writing to get busy readers to read
5. ‘Very Good Copy’ by Eddie Shleyner: this book gives you sound, simple copywriting tips

→ Bonus🎙️ ‘How Strava built a global fitness community.’ Listen and learn how Strava focuses on ‘great’ over ‘big,’ prioritizes engagement over (vanity) growth, and keeps inventing themselves while jumping on the fast-paced technology. A textbook example of marketing and building a community. 

If you're short on time, start at 12:00 and continue listening until at least 20:00. If it doesn't capture your attention, it's not for you. 

All books are available on 📖 Kindl and 🎧 Audible. 

Want more? Check out the 60+ best books for strategy, marketing and branding. I add new books and podcasts every month.

1. ‘No Bullsh*t Strategy’ by Alex M H Smith

Mandatory reading for every marketer and (self-proclaimed) strategist. In “No Bullsh*t Strategy,” Alex M H Smith gives you a simple but powerful line to define strategy: ‘You are the only X that does Y.’

This is the unique value your business brings to the market with the strategic philosophy ‘Only is better than best.’

A well-written strategy brings razor-sharp focus by making decisions on what to do and, above all, what not to do.

If Alex doesn’t ignite your mind in the first chapter, this is not a book for you, and you’ll never get it.

For the lazy ones, here’s a 🎙️ great podcast hosting Alex and his ‘No BS Strategy.’

2. ‘They Ask You Answer’ by Marcus Sheridan

This book is mandatory reading for everyone working in marketing and or content. The ‘They Ask, You Answer’ is the way to create content to align with your (potential) customer’s needs.

SEO and AI search ranking
A great way to rank high in SEO and attract organic traffic. It’s also AI search-friendly because it prioritizes your customer. I take it further by writing FAQs based on customer prompts, resulting in ChatGPT and Perplexity frequently appearing in my web traffic analytics.

3. ‘Building a StoryBrand’ by Donald Miller

One of the best books on content and storytelling I have read in recent years. Learn how to build your story with your customer in mind.

→ It’s not about you; it’s about how your brand solves your customers’ problem(s).

Once you know this trick, you will recognize it in every great Hollywood movie. Your message will change for the better.

“The first campaign he released is just two words on billboards all over America: Think Different. When Apple began filtering their communication to make it simple and relevant, they actually stopped featuring computers in most of their advertising. Instead, they understood their customers were all living, breathing heroes, and they tapped into their stories.

4. ‘Writing for Busy Readers’ by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink

You have to simplify your writing to get busy readers to read.

Learn how to write better to communicate more effectively. Todd explains it all by 6 princpiples.

• Less is more
• Make reading easy
• Design for easy navigation
• Use enough formatting, but no more
• Tell readers why they should care
• Make responding easy

5. ‘Very Good Copy’ by Eddie Shleyner

‘This book gives you more sound, simple copywriting advice per page than anything I read’ (Drayton Bird, Ogilvy). I second this.

I ate the book for breakfast on a Saturday morning.

You will be inspired.

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