“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” (Mark Twain)
I love to read but it wasn’t always that way. We were made to read in 1st grade and I hated it. However, all that changed in 2nd grade.
That was when we were able to pick something from the prize box when we read so many pages. I couldn’t tell you a single book that I read that year, but boy do I remember those baseball cards that I picked out and how it motivated me to become a better reader. My teacher allowed me to read football books, baseball books, detective books, really any kind of book that I was interested in.
I read books that interested me … and, yeah I started my huge baseball card collection. Fast forward to present day and I am still reading books. I am still a traditional page turner who likes to highlight, make notes, and dog ear the corners. My shelves may be full of books, but unlike many professors or business people, the books on my bookshelves aren’t just for looks, they are for reading and learning. My wife, however, only reads books on her tablet or phone. Regardless of how you consume it, books are an important part to growth. Readers are leaders.
Though I list 100 of my favorite books below, this is not an exhaustive list. In fact, I’ve probably accidentally left some of my favorite books off the list. I apologize to the authors of some of my favorite books if I did that. If you have suggestions for this list, please reach out to me via Twitter @CoachBechler. I have also denoted the 10 books on this list that are my “must-reads” for coaches with **. Enjoy diving into some new books and being introduced to some new authors.
COACHING
- GENO: In Pursuit of Perfection (Geno Auriemma)
- SUCCESS IS THE ONLY OPTION: The Art of Coaching Extreme Talent (John Calipari)
- COACHING TEAM BASKETBALL (Tom Crean & Ralph Pimm)
- RUNNIN’ THE SHOW: Basketball Leadership for Coaches and Players (Dick DeVenzio)
- CATCH THEM BEING GOOD (Tony DiCicco & Colleen Hacker)
- WHY THE BEST ARE THE BEST: 25 Powerful Words That Impact, Inspire, and Define Champions (Kevin Eastman)
- A SEASON ON THE BRINK (John Feinstein)
- EDUCATION OF A COACH (David Halberstam)
- SACRED HOOPS: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior (Phil Jackson)
- REACH FOR THE SUMMIT (Sally Jenkins)
- FIVE POINT PLAY (Mike Krzyzewski)
- LEADING WITH THE HEART (Mike Krzyzewski)
- THE CONFIDENT ATHLETE: 4 Easy Steps to Build and Maintain Confidence (Tami Matheny)
- BELICHICK: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All-Time (Ian O’Connor)
- EVERY MOMENT MATTERS: How the World’s Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams (John O’Sullivan)
- THE WINNER WITHIN (Pat Riley)
- TO THE HILT: Coaching Character for Life (Kevin Templeton)
- JOE TORRE’S GROUND RULES FOR WINNERS (Joe Torre)
- HOW GOOD DO YOU WANT TO BE (Nick Saban)
- RAISE THE ROOF (Pat Summit)
- BO’S LASTING LESSONS (John U. Bacon & Bo Schembechler)
- ** THEY CALL ME COACH (John Wooden)
- PRACTICAL MODERN BASKETBALL (John Wooden)
MODERN-DAY FABLES
- THE BUS TRIP: The Story of a Team, A Challenging Season, and Lessons Learned on a Bus Ride (Jamy Bechler)
- THE GO-GIVER INFLUENCE: A Little Story About a Most Persuasive Idea (Bob Burg)
- THE SECRET: What Great Leaders Know and Do (Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller)
- THE SOUL OF A TEAM: A Modern-Day Fable for Winning Teamwork (Tony Dungy)
- ** LEAD…FOR GOD’S SAKE!: A Parable for Finding the Heart of Leadership (Todd Gongwer)
- TRAINING CAMP: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else (Jon Gordon)
- THE COFFEE BEAN: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change (Jon Gordon)
- ** THE ENERGY BUS: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy (Jon Gordon)
- SOUP: A Recipe to Create a Culture of Greatness (Jon Gordon)
- THE ADVANTAGE (Patrick Lencioni)
- THE FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM: A Leadership Fable (Patrick Lencioni)
- CALLING UP: Discovering Your Journey to Transformational Leadership (J.P. Nerbun)
CULTURE
- A CIVIL WAR: Army vs. Navy (John Feinstein)
- ** YOU WIN IN THE LOCKER ROOM FIRST (Jon Gordon & Mike Smith)
- WAR ROOM: The Legacy of Bill Belichick & the Art of Building the Perfect Team (Michael Holley)
- HOW TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN A CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE (Jeff Janssen)
- GRIDIRON GENIUS: A Master Class in Building Teams and Winning at the Highest Levels (Michael Lombardi)
- BUILD A CULTURE OF GOOD: Unleash Results by Letting Your Employees Bring Their Soul to Work (Scott Moorehead and Ryan McCarty)
- ANCHOR UP: Competitive Greatness the Grand Valley Way (Tim Selgo)
- THE WINNER’S MANUAL (Jim Tressel)
- THREE AND OUT: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines (John U. Bacon)
- ** THE SCORE TAKES CARE OF ITSELF (Bill Walsh)
LEADERSHIP
- ** THE LEADERSHIP PLAYBOOK: Become Your Team’s Most Valuable Leader (Jamy Bechler)
- ** HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE (Dale Carnegie)
- THE LEADERSHIP GAP: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness (Lolly Daskal)
- HIDDEN TALENT: Uncovering What Really Makes a Champion a Champion (Travis Daugherty)
- LEADERSHIP IS AN ART (Max De Pree)
- THE LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF COLIN POWELL (Oren Harari)
- TEAM OF RIVALS: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (Doris Kearns Goodwin)
- THE POWER OF POSITIVE LEADERSHIP: How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World (Jon Gordon)
- TWO FEET FORWARD: Everyday Lessons in Leadership (Heather Macy)
- DEVELOPING THE LEADER WITHIN YOU 2.0 (John C. Maxwell)
- ** THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP (John C. Maxwell)
- THE 360-DEGREE LEADER: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization (John C. Maxwell)
- INTENTIONAL LIVING: Choosing a Life That Matters (John C. Maxwell)
- THE PARADOX OF POWER (Pat Williams)
- CHARACTER CARVED IN STONE: The 12 Core Virtues of West Point That Builds Leaders and Produce Success (Pat Williams)
- EXTREME OWNERSHIP: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (Jocko Willink and Leif Babin)
LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
- COACH WOODEN AND ME: Our 50 Year Friendship On and Off the Court (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
- THE FAB FIVE (Mitch Albom)
- CHOOSING TO SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope (Mary Beth Chapman)
- GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (Angela Duckworth)
- LOVE YOUR LIFE NOT THEIRS: 7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want (Rachel Cruze)
- RELENTLESS: A Memoir (Julian Edelman)
- BECAUSE OF BURT (Mark Fauser)
- LIVING WITH A SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet (Jesse Itzler)
- CAN’T HURT ME: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds (David Goggins)
- ONE WORD THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE (Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page)
- SHOE DOG: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike (Phil Knight)
- SKIN TO FUR: Takes on Fantasy Sports, Gambling, and Life (Adam Levitan)
- LIVE TO FORGIVE: Moving Forward When Those We Love Hurt Us (Jason Romano)
- WAR AS THEY KNEW IT: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest (Michael Rosenberg)
- REPUBLICANS BUY SNEAKERS TOO: How the Left is Ruining Sports with Politics (Clay Travis)
- 13 THINGS MENTALLY STRONG PEOPLE DON’T DO (Amy Morin)
- START WITH WHY: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (Simon Sinek)
- NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE: Negotiating as if your life depended on it (Chris Voss)
- IT’S CALLED WORK FOR A REASON (Larry Winget)
FAMILY
- THE LENS: Raising a Champion Athlete and Man in Today’s Myopic World (Travis Daugherty)
- HAVE A NEW KID BY FRIDAY: How to Change Your Child’s Attitude, Behavior & Character in 5 Days (Kevin Leman)
- 13 THINGS MENTALLY STRONG PARENTS DON’T DO: Raising Self-Assured Children and Training Their Brains for a Life of Happiness, Meaning, and Success (Amy Morin)
- I PLAYED FOR MY DAD FOR 9 YEARS, AND WE STILL TALK (Josh Templeton)
- COACHING YOUR KIDS TO BE LEADERS (Pat Williams)
BUSINESS
- QUITTER: Closing the Gap Between your Day Job and your Dream Job (Jon Acuff)
- STADIUM STATUS: Taking Your Business to the Big Time (John Brubaker)
- EVERYBODY NEEDS A COACH IN LIFE: Isn’t It Time You Found Yours? (Micheal Burt)
- ZEBRAS & CHEETAHS: Look Different and Stay Agile to Survive the Business Jungle (Michael Burt)
- GOOD TO GREAT (Jim Collins)
- ** THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE (Stephen Covey)
- TRIBE OF MENTORS: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World (Tim Ferriss)
- iPOSSIBLE: How to Achieve Success Faster in Whatever You Do: Turning Impossibilities to Possibilities (Benjamin Foo)
- UNSTOPPABLE: 9 Principles for Unlimited Success in Business & Life (Kelly Roach)
- THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Timothy Ferris)
- THRIVE: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder(Arianna Huffington)
- ** DIG YOUR WELL BEFORE YOU’RE THIRSTY (Harvey Mackay)
- THE 5-SECOND RULE: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage (Mel Robbins)
- OPTION B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy (Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant)
- RAISE YOUR GAME: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best (Alan Stein)
- #ASKGARYVEE: One Entrepeneur’s Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness (Gary Vaynerchuk)