My favorite books on efficiency, mental strength, and business growth

Why am I passionate about this?

Having built multiple profitable businesses in multiple states, I’ve learned that success comes from thinking outside the box and at times comically questioning authority. Flexibility, nimbleness, and comfort with change are bedrocks of a strong entrepreneurial foundation. However, even though there may be no standard blueprint to success, winning in business still requires some basic tenants, like a strong level of determination and efficiency. Every year, my team and I work with hundreds of home buyers and sellers to fulfill their dreams, and a huge reason for this lies in the lessons we’ve learned in the books listed here. I hope you learn from them as much as I have.


I wrote...

One in a Million: Everything You Need to Know to Find the Best Realtor

By Erik Brown,

Book cover of One in a Million: Everything You Need to Know to Find the Best Realtor

What is my book about?

In One in a Million, Erik Brown shares in a fun, informative, and easy-to-read way for you to identify a great agent and why you want them long-term as a go-to professional in your corner. When you buy, sell, or invest in a home or property, Brown guides you to finding the professional services to give you the right peace of mind for a job well done.

Written by an agent that has helped hundreds of home buyers and sellers in multiple states buy or sell a home, like The Matrix, Brown shows you how to "read the code" of how to buy and sell a house. Discover typical and costly common pitfalls and mistakes made, and areas of interest that can make or break a successful sale.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Secret

Erik Brown Why did I love this book?

The Secret describes the law of attraction; everything in your life you attract to you, by images you hold in your mind.  Think thoughts of abundance and wealth, and don't allow contradiction to enter your mind. The law responds to your thoughts, whatever they may be. I loved this book as a foundational pillar to set your mind around whatever it is you want to accomplish. Trust the universe, have faith. Take the 1st step.

By Rhonda Byrne,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Secret as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The tenth anniversary edition of the book that changed lives in profound ways.

In 2005, a groundbreaking feature-length movie revealed the great mystery of the universe -- The Secret. In 2006, Rhonda Byrne followed with a book that became a worldwide bestseller.

Everything you have ever wanted - unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth - is now at your very fingertips.

The Secret is an enigma that has existed throughout the history of mankind. It has been discovered, coveted, suppressed, hidden, lost, and recovered. It has been hunted down, stolen, and bought for vast sums of money. A number…


Book cover of Ben Franklin: America's Original Entrepreneur

Erik Brown Why did I love this book?

This book is an absolute blueprint from one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. I could share hundreds of examples you could use daily, but one of my favorites is his creation of personal virtues that he practiced and tracked over and over until perfection. Success leaves clues, and Franklin gives a road map to how he went from printing assistant to founding father, inventor, businessman, and visionary.

By Blaine McCormick,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ben Franklin as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

You are holding the only modern adaptation of Benjamin Franklin's 18th century autobiography. It is at its heart one of the greatest business stories ever told. The most versatile Founding Father was a husband, a father, a writer, an inventor, a statesman, a fundraiser and a military leader. But in his mind, he was first and foremost a businessman.

Franklin's captivating adventures include his almost single-handed responsibility for establishing the first media empire, the first public library, the first fire brigade, the University of Pennsylvania, the first book club and the first franchise--all of which are detailed within these pages…


Book cover of The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

Erik Brown Why did I love this book?

In this wonderful book, Keller pushes back on the idea of a “balanced” life. To accomplish anything of true worth, to build an uncommon life requires an uncommon approach to living it.

He explains the benefits of narrowing the focus down to 1 thing and be determined to excel at it. Prior to reading this, I’d try to be good at so many things, spreading myself too thin. By focusing on my one thing over and over, I was able to overcome my challenges and get to the mountaintop sooner.

By Gary Keller, Jay Papasan,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The ONE Thing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

YOU WANT LESS. You want fewer distractions and less on your plate. The daily barrage of e-mails, texts, tweets, messages, and meetings distract you and stress you out. The simultaneous demands of work and family are taking a toll. And what's the cost? Second-rate work, missed deadlines, smaller paychecks, fewer promotions-and lots of stress. AND YOU WANT MORE. You want more productivity from your work. More income for a better lifestyle. You want more satisfaction from life, and more time for yourself, your family, and your friends. NOW YOU CAN HAVE BOTH-LESS AND MORE. In The ONE Thing, you'll learn…


Book cover of The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

Erik Brown Why did I love this book?

In his NY Times bestseller, Ferris describes how true freedom does not come from fiscal wealth, but time. Fewer hours can equal more meaningful results. Relative income is better than absolute income, relative takes in time and money and work. This resonated with me, as I learned that I can have all sorts of business success, but if I don’t have the time to enjoy it the way I like, then what is the point?

By Timothy Ferriss,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked The 4-Hour Workweek as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A new, updated and expanded edition of this New York Times bestseller on how to reconstruct your life so it's not all about work

Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan - there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, this book is the blueprint.

This step-by step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches:

* How Tim went from…


Book cover of Big Game Hunting: Networking with Billionaires, Executives, and Celebrities

Erik Brown Why did I love this book?

I’ve always appreciated the personal power and connection that comes from networking, but Big Game Hunting takes it to another level. Kai explains how you don’t just want to go make connections in a room; you want to be in the room. BGH does an excellent job sharing action steps for you to build meaningful, long-lasting connections. I’ve found my network correlates to my net worth, and this book absolutely helped me build it better.

By Christopher Kai,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Big Game Hunting as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


Billionaire Charlie Munger believes that the easiest way to solve problems is to look at the problem in reverse.
So instead of asking you how do you network better?, Christopher Kai reverses the problem and shares the 20 most common mistakes people make in networking, and how you can avoid them to develop life-changing relationships and lasting communities with Big Gamers- anyone in a position of influence you think is out of your league, which includes but is not limited to billionaires, executives and celebrities. Kai shares specific, actionable steps before, during and after an event so you can identify…


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Api's Berlin Diaries: My Quest to Understand My Grandfather's Nazi Past

By Gabrielle Robinson,

Book cover of Api's Berlin Diaries: My Quest to Understand My Grandfather's Nazi Past

Gabrielle Robinson Author Of Api's Berlin Diaries: My Quest to Understand My Grandfather's Nazi Past

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Retired english professor

Gabrielle's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Gabrielle found her grandfather’s diaries after her mother’s death, only to discover that he had been a Nazi. Born in Berlin in 1942, she and her mother fled the city in 1945, but Api, the one surviving male member of her family, stayed behind to work as a doctor in a city 90% destroyed.

Gabrielle retraces Api’s steps in the Berlin of the 21st century, torn between her love for the man who gave her the happiest years of her childhood and trying to come to terms with his Nazi membership, German guilt, and political responsibility.

Api's Berlin Diaries: My Quest to Understand My Grandfather's Nazi Past

By Gabrielle Robinson,

What is this book about?

"This is not a book I will forget any time soon."
Story Circle Book Reviews

Moving and provocative, Api's Berlin Diaries offers a personal perspective on the fall of Berlin 1945 and the far-reaching aftershocks of the Third Reich.

After her mother's death, Robinson was thrilled to find her beloved grandfather's war diaries-only to discover that he had been a Nazi.

The award-winning memoir shows Api, a doctor in Berlin, desperately trying to help the wounded in cellars without water or light. He himself was reduced to anxiety and despair, the daily diary his main refuge. As Robinson retraces Api's…


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