Season 4 of Business Books & Co. was comprised of nine highly regarded books, three author interviews, and one special guest. Join us as we look back at the highs and lows of the past season of the show. And we won't hold back—we'll tell you the books we loved, but also the ones we didn't. Plus we'll tell you what we're planning for season 5! We want to hear from you! Please fill out the feedback form linked below. Show Notes Season 4 Feedback Form via Google Forms Thinking Fast & Slow by Daniel Kahneman via Amazon (our first book of Season 5) Wrestling with Life by George Reinitz via Amazon (David K's pick) The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman via Amazon (David S's pick) Devolution by Max Brooks via Amazon (Kevin's pick) Business Books & Co. on YouTube Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

First released in 2018, Atomic Habits by James Clear has quickly become one of the best-selling self-help books of all-time. Clear meticulously studied the psychology and practical side of forming good habits and eliminating bad habits. He then created an easy-to-read how-to manual that can be applied to just about any habit. We discuss the book's key takeaways and how they apply to our careers and personal lives. Show Notes Atomic Habits by James Clear via Amazon Atomic Habits Website Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

There are timeless principles that underlie stock trading. In this episode we discuss Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, considered by many to be a classic work in the space. First published in 1923, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre is a fictionalized biography based on the career of legendary stock trader Jesse Livermore. Through the first-person recounting of protagonist Lawrence Livingston’s career, Lefevre imparts hard won stock trading lessons. Through many booms and busts Livingston grows and forms a deeper understanding of the principles that underlie the market as well as the forces that propel it. The fictionalized biography has minimal personal anecdotes, concentrating almost wholly on Livingston’s career and the events that shape the US economy during his exploits from the 1890s through to the 1920s. We were pleased to be joined by investor and entrepreneur Brad Mills on this episode, a huge fan of the book. Show Notes Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre via Amazon Brad Mills's Website Brad Mills on Instagram Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

Trader Joe's is an iconic American grocery chain. And yes, there was an actual Trader Joe. In this episode we interview Patty Civalleri, the co-author with Joe Coulombe of Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys. Founded as a small chain in California in the 1960s, Trader Joe’s has gone on to become one the most unique and influential grocery retailers in the United States. Through that journey of growth, Joe Coloumbe, its founder, battled government regulations, competitors, and many preconceived notions about how a grocery store should operate. Show Notes Becoming Trader Joe by Patty Civalleri and Joe Coulombe via Amazon Patty Civalleri's Website Patty Civalleri on X Patty Civalleri on Instagram Patty Civalleri on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

We discuss the 2017 memoir Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel by Sam Zell. Zell was the billionaire founder of Equity Residential, Equity International, and EQ Office. In addition he had controlling interests in several other large enterprises, perhaps most controversially Tribune Media. Am I Being Too Subtle? describes Zell’s upbringing, career, business philosophy, and success transforming troubled assets into productive capital. Show Notes Am I Being Too Subtle? by Sam Zell via Amazon Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

Love him or hate him, Elon Musk is perhaps the most accomplished and influential leader in today's business landscape. Dive into the definitive biography, Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, on our latest episode. Spanning 700 pages, this epic authorized account lays bare the polarizing man behind the innovations, exposing both triumphs and flaws. We dissect the biography's strengths and weaknesses, and discuss how it sheds light on the controversies encircling Musk. What insights does the book offer about Musk's persona, both personally and as a manager? Join us for an immersive exploration into Isaacson's detailed narrative, as we share our thoughts on the best book about this multifaceted personality. Show Notes Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson via Amazon S3E1 Liftoff with Eric Berger S3E6 The Founders with Jimmy Soni Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience by Carmine Gallo is a self-help book for anyone who regularly makes presentations. Whether you're an executive, analyst, marketer, or teacher this book will help you improve the impression you make on an audience. By utilizing the legendary keynotes of Steve Jobs as a model, the book presents tips, tricks, and technical techniques to make better slides, tell a better story, and captivate any crowd. We are pleased to be joined by the author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, Carmine Gallo. Show Notes The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo via Amazon Carmine Gallo's Website Carmine Gallo on X Carmine Gallo on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone by Brian McCullough is a history of the companies, entrepreneurs, technologists, and financiers who launched the modern online world. Covering the years 1993 to 2008, this sweeping volume helps the reader understand not only who the important players were in fostering online communities, e-commerce, social networks, and connected mobile computing, but also the context from which they emerged. We are pleased to be joined by the author of How the Internet Happened, Brian McCullough. Show Notes How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone by Brian McCullough via Amazon Brian McCullough on Twitter Techmeme Ride Home Podcast Internet History Podcast Ride Home Fund Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries is a modern management classic. It's about bringing the scientific method to the forefront at the start of a new enterprise. Instead of following a classic waterfall development methodology, Ries emphasizes the importance of building quick MVPs that are easily testable based on actionable metrics. Although just a dozen years old, The Lean Startup philosophy has already gone from controversial to common wisdom. In this episode we’ll break down the key ideas and terminology that the book has popularized. Show Notes The Lean Startup by Eric Ries via Amazon Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

Read transcript This month we read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. First published in the 1930s, How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the most popular self-help books of all time. Carnegie’s suggestions for how to achieve the title’s objective are largely based on anecdotal wisdom, but the anecdotes are numerous and often hard to argue with. While some of the advice is old-fashioned, and much of it is common sense, the vast majority of the outlayed principles have stood the test of time. In this episode we systematically discuss every major principle in the book and explain how they have applied in our own lives. We apologize about some minor audio issues in this episode. Show Notes How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie via Amazon Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com