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

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.comRead transcript