The best books that will make you a better and more successful leader

Adam Leitman Bailey Author Of Finding the Uncommon Deal: A Top New York Lawyer Explains How to Buy a Home For the Lowest Possible Price
By Adam Leitman Bailey

Who am I?

My name is Adam Leitman Bailey. I am a lawyer, a writer, an advocate, and a leader. Most importantly, I can not stand injustice.  


I wrote...

Finding the Uncommon Deal: A Top New York Lawyer Explains How to Buy a Home For the Lowest Possible Price

By Adam Leitman Bailey,

Book cover of Finding the Uncommon Deal: A Top New York Lawyer Explains How to Buy a Home For the Lowest Possible Price

What is my book about?

Our recent economic meltdown transformed real estate from a popular investment to financial kryptonite. Too many people purchased homes with mortgages they simply could never afford. The good news: great deals are out there for the taking.

Finding the Uncommon Deal gives you the secrets to discovering and successfully negotiating the lowest prices for the most prized properties available. You'll get the expert advice you need to navigate this changing real estate world.
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The books I picked & why

The Fountainhead

By Ayn Rand,

Book cover of The Fountainhead

Why did I love this book?

At 18 years old, this book taught me that it was okay to be different and that it was okay to aim for greatness and success without worrying about what other people thought of me.

The book also taught me the value of perseverance and the importance of staying true to oneself even in the face of adversity.  

By Ayn Rand,

Why should I read it?

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


Book cover of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Why did I love this book?

This book is a fascinating depiction of Lincoln’s presidency and cabinet.

It is full of fantastic lessons on leadership and overcoming obstacles in dark times. Lincoln's leadership style offers valuable insights for today's leaders. Overall, it's a must-read for history buffs and anyone interested in the art of leadership. 

By Doris Kearns Goodwin,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

One of the most influential books of the past fifty years, Team of Rivals is Pulitzer Prize–winning author and esteemed presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin’s modern classic about the political genius of Abraham Lincoln, his unlikely presidency, and his cabinet of former political foes.

Winner of the prestigious Lincoln Prize and the inspiration for the Oscar Award winning–film Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, directed by Steven Spielberg, and written by Tony Kushner.

On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago.…


Churchill: A Life

By Martin Gilbert,

Book cover of Churchill: A Life

Why did I love this book?

Churchill was a great leader and lawyer and showed how to overcome difficult times.

No leader in world history has exemplified overcoming great odds to lead a country to beat the Nazis and instill a morale within its people when none existed. Almost every chapter in the book is a lesson on how to be a better leader.

By Martin Gilbert,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Churchill as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This edition of the highly acclaimed one-volume Churchill: A Life, is the story of adventure. It follows Winston Churchill from his earliest days to his moments of triumph. Here, the drama and excitement of his story are ever-present, as are his tremendous qualities in peace and war, not least as an orator and as a man of vision. Martin Gilbert gives us a vivid portrait, using Churchill's most personal letters and the recollections of his contemporaries, both friends and enemies, to go behind the scenes of some of the stormiest and most fascinating political events of our time, dominated by…


Alexander Hamilton

By Ron Chernow,

Book cover of Alexander Hamilton

Why did I love this book?

No American has done more for New York and America than Alexander Hamilton. No person is more exciting either.

I love New York and I love its history. Alexander Hamilton set a great precedent for me to set goals to achieve more than I was achieving, whilst also keeping me humble as I could never achieve as much as he did in his short life.  

By Ron Chernow,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Alexander Hamilton as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller, and the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Hamilton!

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow presents a landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father who galvanized, inspired, scandalized, and shaped the newborn nation.

"Grand-scale biography at its best-thorough, insightful, consistently fair, and superbly written . . . A genuinely great book." -David McCullough

"A robust full-length portrait, in my view the best ever written, of the most brilliant, charismatic and dangerous founder of them all." -Joseph Ellis


Few figures in American history have been more hotly debated or more grossly misunderstood than Alexander Hamilton.…


Book cover of Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Why did I love this book?

Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking made John D. the first billionaire, and those leaders and entrepreneurs looking to sharpen their skills with a fascinating story should make this book a must-read.

It made me a better entrepreneur, a smarter businessperson, and a stronger leader among men and women.  

By Ron Chernow,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
 
From the acclaimed, award-winning author of Alexander Hamilton: here is the essential, endlessly engrossing biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.—the Jekyll-and-Hyde of American capitalism. In the course of his nearly 98 years, Rockefeller was known as both a rapacious robber baron, whose Standard Oil Company rode roughshod over an industry, and a philanthropist who donated money lavishly to universities and medical centers. He was the terror of his competitors, the bogeyman of reformers, the delight of caricaturists—and an utter enigma.
 
Drawing on unprecedented access to Rockefeller’s private papers, Chernow reconstructs his subjects’ troubled origins…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in individualism, capitalists, and statesmen?

9,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about individualism, capitalists, and statesmen.

Individualism Explore 25 books about individualism
Capitalists Explore 18 books about capitalists
Statesmen Explore 36 books about statesmen

And, 3 books we think you will enjoy!

We think you will like Winston's War, Sapiens, and A Gentleman in Moscow if you like this list.