Books

By Brett Gillan · October 10, 2026

Top CEOs read 60 books per year and attend 6 conventions. Get on it!!

Top Recommendations

1. 1.
   #1 Pick - Think On These Things by Jiddu Krishnamurti - This book really opened up my mind to question everything and to ask the right questions to fully understand different situations. - Philosophy
2. 2.
   #2 Pick - Wisdom Untethered: The Time for Questions by Michael Singer - Best book for letting go of everything. Never suppress...relax and let it go. Rise above it. Pray for God to come take it away. This moment is special because it is YOURS...NOBODY else will ever experience what you are experiencing...Honor that. - Self-Help
3. 3.
   A Changed Mind by David Bayer - Great book! Suffering is caused by the meaning you give experience and beliefs around it. Beliefs dictate EVERYTHING! Change your limiting beliefs...change your life! (LINK) - Self-Help
4. 4.
   Authority Behaviour by Chase Hughes - This was great! Talks about confidence. Ways to have it: Discipline, be the most comfortable, be the most happy in a room. Smile when you walk into a room and show vitals. This gives confidence and social acceptance. Posture. - Psychology
5. 5.
   Book Of Wisdom - Volume 1 by Harry B Joseph - Great book...took notes. Gives answers for thoughts I've had...that the bible/God is too personified...they're really just stories or a map to guide you within yourself. i.e. Father, Son, Holy Ghost could be Mind, body, spirit. (LINK) - Self-Help
6. 6.
   Living From A Place Of Surrender by Michael Singer - Brain processes: senses, thoughts, emotions - that's all you have to control - that's who you are...the spirit. "The moment in front of you is not bothering you...you're bothering yourself about the moment in front of you." DEFINITELY LISTEN TO SESSIONS 7 AND 8 AGAIN. Being stuck on an old thought and ruminating is like touching electricity and being pulled to it...but all you have to do is release and let go and then watch the thought pass...I see it as a huge blue wire that has infinite energy...I just let go and let it flow. - Self-Help
7. 7.
   The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson - Really good - thoughts on life, business and money. - Business
8. 8.
   The Greatest Secret by Rhonda Byrne - Great book...similar ideas to Michael Singer. We are a spirit having a human experience. - Self-Help
9. 9.
   The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, M.D. - Some of the best and most relatable life lessons. - Psychology
10. 10.
    The Untethered Soul Lecture Series by Michael Singer - Amazing! EVERYONE should listen to this. EVERYTHING is energy...especially thoughts and emotions. Every moment is a Kodak moment...live that way. People don't like traveling...they like how they feel inside when they travel. We want our energy to flow and do what makes the energy flow (gambling, alcohol, fighting, etc.) Work on the energy inside you so it aligns with the way you want it...outside world does not matter. Energy is meant to flow...if you have a "bad" or "shameful" experience/thought...you are dam'ming up the flow...let it flow. - Self-Help
11. 11.
    Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss - Don't overestimate the world and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think. Life happens for us. Not to us. What should I do with my life? Enjoy it! You must want to be a butterfly so badly that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar. Free education is abundant. All over the Internet. It's the desire to learn that is scarce. The gems of life are forged in the struggle. Never give up! There's also a section on suicide. If you're going through tough times and need help...go to a bookstore and read pages 616-627. Be forewarned: This is one book you will probably end up buying if you start perusing it in the book store. So read it. Learn from it. Put it into action. Get your life on track! - Self-Help
12. 12.
    You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay - Great book to help you heal anything in your life. Good affirmation meditations. - Self-Help
13. 13.
    You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor - Good one. Similar things to Kevin Trudeau and manifestation and positive ways of thinking. - Self-Help
14. 14.
    Your Wish Is Your Command by Kevin Trudeau - GREAT...definitely listen to again. "The feeling is the secret"...feel the way you would feel once you have what you want. - Self-Help
15. 15.
    Astrophysics For People In A Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson - If you want your mind blown and your head to hurt for a few days! But, ultimately, have your entire world view expanded! - Science
16. 16.
    Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler - Think BIG! How can you affect the lives of a BILLION people. Not about making the next #angrybirds but about making a dent in the universe by doing things such as prospecting asteroids and making an international space university on the space station. Don't think big. Think HUGE! Think MASSIVE! Think of things no one has thought about and then execute. If your dreams don't scare you...they're not big enough! - Self-Help
17. 17.
    The Power Of Intention by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer - You have the power to create your destiny. Focus on what’s good in your life and you will attract more of the same. - Self-Help

Additional Library

1. 18.
   $100M Leads by Alex Hormozi - Revisit when building a business. Last 10 minutes has good recap. (LINK) - Business
2. 19.
   $100M Money Models by Alex Hormozi - Listen if you have a business. Upsell, downsell and advertise effectively. 1 product, but multiple offers. Part 9 has really good recap (LINK) - Business
3. 20.
   $100M Offers (Valuation Equation is linked) by Alex Hormozi - OK book...maybe revisit if starting a business. Grandslam offers. Pick a good market (i.e. 50 year olds have disposable incomes...better than 20 year olds). Premium price is best. Best competitive advantage for hot dog salesman is a starving crowd...be near the starving crowd. (LINK) - Business
4. 21.
   101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest - Gave up on...it's just "lists" of things...wasn't resonating. - Self-Help
5. 22.
   12 Principles for Winning The Mind Game by Bob Proctor - Quit listening...it was very similar (even exact sections) from a previous Bob Proctor book. - Self-Help
6. 23.
   6 Minute X Ray by Chase Hughes - Really good for "reading people" in conversation. The final "Track 4" explains a lot...how to read people with 4 of the 6. - Psychology
7. 24.
   6 Steps To Songwriting Success by Jason Blume - Music & Performing Arts
8. 25.
   A Universe From Nothing by Lawrence M. Krauss - Science
9. 26.
   A Users Guide To The Brain by John J. Ratey - Psychology
10. 27.
    Activating The Inner Eye by Harry Joseph - Very quickly skimmed this book. It has some exercises for activating the pineal. - Self-Help
11. 28.
    Ask And It Is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks - Good book about living in high frequency vibration. Focus on what you DO...live the way you would live if you had the thing or were that person...don't focus on not having it or lack. Focus on abundance. - Self-Help
12. 29.
    Atlas Of The Heart by Brené Brown - Not my cup of tea...mainly just semantics...defining words. - Psychology
13. 30.
    Attraction And Abundance by Abraham Hicks - Self-Help
14. 31.
    Audition by Michael Shurtleff - Music & Performing Arts
15. 32.
    Awaken The Giant Within by Tony Robbins - Self-Help
16. 33.
    Awakening The Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das - OK book. - Spirituality & Religion
17. 34.
    Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza - Self-Help
18. 35.
    Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan - Pets & Animals
19. 36.
    Clear Thinking by Hy Ruchlis - Psychology
20. 37.
    Confidence by Martin Meadows - Self-Help
21. 38.
    Daily Rituals by Mason Currey - Self-Help
22. 39.
    Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner - Music & Performing Arts
23. 40.
    Endure by Cameron Hanes - Biography & Memoir
24. 41.
    Feeling is the Secret by Neville Goddard - Short 41 min audio book, but great. Basically...when you manifest/visualize, you MUST become that which you are wishing to be...don't just wish/pray for it, but bring it into a conscious state and embody that. (LINK) - Self-Help
25. 42.
    Finding True Happiness by Fulton Sheen - Spirituality & Religion
26. 43.
    Finding Your Way Through Grief by Karen Katafiasz - Relationships
27. 44.
    For The Love Of The Game by Michael Jordan - Biography & Memoir
28. 45.
    Games People Play by Eric Berne - Psychology
29. 46.
    Grit: How To Keep Going When You Want To Give Up by Martin Meadows - Self-Help
30. 47.
    How Fiction Works by James Wood - Writing & Literature
31. 48.
    How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell - Self-Help
32. 49.
    How Successful People Think differently by Akash Karia - Self-Help
33. 50.
    How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan - Psychedelics. Psilocybin, LSD. Some mushrooms can paralyze for a while. - Potential "night clubs" for psychedelics. - There is a netflix series based on the book. - Psychology
34. 51.
    How To Persuade People Who Don't Want To Be Persuaded by Joel Bauer & Mark Levy - Business
35. 52.
    How To Think Like A Philosopher by Peter Cave - Stopped listening at 5:41 - Philosophy
36. 53.
    I Am A Professional Artist by Gilli Moon - Music & Performing Arts
37. 54.
    Lead...For God's Sake! by Todd G. Gongwer - Fiction
38. 55.
    Letting Go by David Hawkins - Pretty good book. Similarities to Michael Singer for letting go of negative thoughts. Can have compassion for "bad" people and see them as people who have been overtaken by negative energy. - Self-Help
39. 56.
    Little Black Book of Songwriting by Michael Anderson - Music & Performing Arts
40. 57.
    Little Ways To Keep Calm And Carry On by Mark A. Reinecke - Self-Help
41. 58.
    Loving What Is by Byron Katie - Psychology
42. 59.
    Magnet To Money by Bob Proctor - Decent book. Law of attraction stuff and overcoming your paradigm. - Self-Help
43. 60.
    Make The Most of You by Patrick Lindsay - Self-Help
44. 61.
    Merle Haggard - My House of Memories by Tom Carter - Biography & Memoir
45. 62.
    Mother Teresa - Her Essential Wisdom by Carol Kelly-Gangi - Spirituality & Religion
46. 63.
    Nashville Songwriter by Jake Brown - Music & Performing Arts
47. 64.
    Never Finished by David Goggins - Self-Help
48. 65.
    New You New Life by Joe Dispenza - Overcoming limiting beliefs. Becoming someone else. Change old thoughts, feelings, actions. - Self-Help
49. 66.
    Notes From A Friend by Tony Robbins - Self-Help
50. 67.
    Out of Your Mind by Alan Watts - Always good listening to Alan speak his mind, but not sure how much I took away from this. It's just him rambling rather than well thought out, concise, information. - Philosophy
51. 68.
    Power vs. Force by David Hawkins - Great book. The map of consciousness is a little pseudo-science as it just uses the "arm test" to rank energy and feelings/emotions. I do believe higher energy is better than lower energy vibrations and we should seek to be higher than lower. But, naming the exact emotions isn't necessarily necessary. End of the book was amazing and it said "pain and suffering only come from ego...never from God (aka the highest vibration)." - Psychology
52. 69.
    Practicing The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle - Spirituality & Religion
53. 70.
    Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz - Self-Help
54. 71.
    Quotes That Will Change Your Life by Russ Kick - Self-Help
55. 72.
    Relationships 101 by John C. Maxwell - Business
56. 73.
    Relentless: From Good To Great To Unstoppable by Tim Grover - Self-Help
57. 74.
    Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki - Really good book on money/investing/business building. - Personal Finance
58. 75.
    Secrets To Manifesting by Wayne Dyer/Abraham - Rampage of appreciation - Self-Help
59. 76.
    Seeing Clearly: A Buddhist Guide to Life by Nicolas Bommarito - It's "eh." Good concept was ultimate truth vs conventional truth (Conventional...like spoon looking bent in water...but it's not bent...you just didn't realize it at the time...you THOUGHT it was bent). - Philosophy
60. 77.
    Shaken by Tim Tebow - Biography & Memoir
61. 78.
    Shaolin Spirit: The Way To Self Mastery by Shi Heng Yi - Lots of "lists" - Spirituality & Religion
62. 79.
    Smile At Fear by Chögyam Trungpa - Spirituality & Religion
63. 80.
    Songwriters on Songwriting by Paul Zollo - Music & Performing Arts
64. 81.
    Songwriting Without Boundaries by Pat Pattison - Music & Performing Arts
65. 82.
    Success - One Day At A Time by John C. Maxwell - Self-Help
66. 83.
    Talk - The Science of Conversation by Alison Wood Brooks - Not bad...recommendation to create a "conversation topic list" to keep conversations rolling. - Psychology
67. 84.
    Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds by Carmine Gallo - Think of it as teaching. Not public speaking. Public teaching. Add value. Help them learn. Just like learning, chess, watch great speakers speak. You will become better. Things that I have done to improve creative: the narrative I need to speak. What I bring to the table. Frequency of speaking will help. Be prepared. Practice. Only way to achieve excellence. Must test it through practice. - Business
68. 85.
    Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee - Health & Fitness
69. 86.
    Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell - Philosophy
70. 87.
    The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication by John C Maxwell - Lots of tips for "public speaking" on stages - one takeaway, start with "My name is Brett, and I'm your friend." Then speak from that mindset/frame. - Business
71. 88.
    The 5am Club by Robin Sharma - Fiction, but throws in ideas for how to make a great life by getting up early and getting things done! - 531 Creed, 202020 Formula, 4 interior empires - Self-Help
72. 89.
    The Algebra Of Wealth by Scott Galloway - Lots of great advice on investing. - Personal Finance
73. 90.
    The Analysis of Mind by Bertrand Russell - Psychology
74. 91.
    The Art of Expressing The Human Body by Bruce Lee - Health & Fitness
75. 92.
    The Art Of Impossible by Steven Kotler - Do the impossible. Impossible are things mankind hasn't done. impossible are things I haven't done. Get in flow state with 22 triggers and avoid 4 flow blockers. - Self-Help
76. 93.
    The Art Of Mental Training: A Guide To Performance Excellence by D. C. Gonzalez - Self-Help
77. 94.
    The Art of Songwriting by Ed Bell - Music & Performing Arts
78. 95.
    The Beatles - A Hard Day's Write by Steve Turner - Music & Performing Arts
79. 96.
    The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk - Trauma is stored in the body. - Psychology
80. 97.
    The Book of Wisdom - Volume 2 by Harry Joseph - Everyone is on their own journey - Self-Help
81. 98.
    The Brain Training Revolution by Paul E. Bendheim - Psychology
82. 99.
    The Creative Act by Rick Rubin - The audience comes last. Make art that moves YOU! - Writing & Literature
83. 100.
    The Ellipsis Manual by Chase Hughes - In depth book on reading people in interrogations as well as hypnosis/influence. - Psychology
84. 101.
    The Emperors Handbook by Marcus Aurelius - Philosophy
85. 102.
    The Eye of the I by David Hawkins - People on similar energy levels also think similar thoughts. Have no opinions on anything and watch all negativity evaporate. - Psychology
86. 103.
    The First And Last Freedom by Jiddu Krishnamurti - Philosophy
87. 104.
    The Goal Achiever by Bob Proctor - Decent book. Manifest and achieve goals. - Self-Help
88. 105.
    The Healing Power of Mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn - Mostly just stories of how meditation is very beneficial. So, meditate. Stopped listening 030 - 4:50 - Spirituality & Religion
89. 106.
    The Intent To Live by Larry Moss - Music & Performing Arts
90. 107.
    The Little Book of Stoicism by Jonas Salzgeber - Pretty decent at explaining ways to live by the stoic principles - Philosophy
91. 108.
    The Musicians Handbook by Bobby Borg - Music & Performing Arts
92. 109.
    The Myth Of Normal by Gabor Maté - Decent book for child development - Psychology
93. 110.
    The Nature of Success by Mac Anderson - Self-Help
94. 111.
    The Neurogenesis Diet & Lifestyle by Brant Cortright - Health & Fitness
95. 112.
    The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus And Discipline In Your Life by Thomas M. Sterner - Self-Help
96. 113.
    The Psychology Of Money by Morgan Housel - Personal Finance
97. 114.
    The Science Of Storytelling by Will Storr - Good book if writing a novel and need character/plot development. - Proper resolution for hero is they need to have strength, order, feeling and understanding over the prior situation. - Writing & Literature
98. 115.
    The Secrets of Songwriting by Susan Tucker - Music & Performing Arts
99. 116.
    The Songwriters Survival Guide by Judy Stakee - Music & Performing Arts
100. 117.
     The Status Game by Will Storr - Basically, humans want status and will do ANYTHING to get it. Even within their own tribe. You can't fully escape or ignore status games—they're wired into us evolutionarily. To earn status: Signal warmth, sincerity, and competence and communicate in ways that make positive impressions—show genuine care for others while demonstrating ability. Avoid aggressive dominance tactics, which backfire long-term. Contribute to the group: Focus on actions that raise the group's overall status. View others as heroes in their own stories, avoid zero-sum traps, and blend virtue with success for positive impact. - Psychology
101. 118.
     The TenX Rule: The Only Difference Between Success And Failure by Grant Cardone - Self-Help
102. 119.
     The Undefeated Mind: On The Science Of Constructing An Indestructible Self by Alex Lickerman - Self-Help
103. 120.
     The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer - Really good...but his lectures are better. - Self-Help
104. 121.
     The Value Of Others by Orion Taraban - Captain of ship (lifestyle) vs. passenger. Captain needs seduction, frame management, destination - need to sell it - physique, wardrobe/appearance, communication (subject and tone) - Passengers will test the captain's character...they will cultivate stress "on land" to see how the captain may react "out at sea". - Psychology
105. 122.
     The War of Art by Steven Pressfield - Self-Help
106. 123.
     Think On These Things by John C. Maxwell - Spirituality & Religion
107. 124.
     Total Freedom by Jiddu Krishnamurti - Philosophy
108. 125.
     Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger - Highest form of PTSD is seeing a friend get KIA (especially if you were in charge of them) - Easier to get rid of "mugging" because it's all a negative experience...Servicemembers have positive of "becoming a man" as well...so tougher to separate the positive from negative. - Social Science
109. 126.
     Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins - Self-Help
110. 127.
     Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto - Quality of thoughts and producing ideas should be judged more in education...this is open source education. But, currently, we consume ideas. - Social Science
111. 128.
     What It Takes To Be Number One by Vince Lombardi - Self-Help
112. 129.
     When by Daniel H. Pink - Psychology
113. 130.
     When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron - Spirituality & Religion
114. 131.
     Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn - Spirituality & Religion
115. 132.
     Will by Will Smith - Shows how crazy Jada Pinkett Smith is. - Biography & Memoir
116. 133.
     Wishes Fulfilled by Wayne Dyer - Self-Help
117. 134.
     Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison - Music & Performing Arts
118. 135.
     You Are A Bad Ass by Jen Sincero - Self-Help
119. 136.
     You Are The Placebo by Joe Dispenza - Psychology
120. 137.
     Jack Reacher Series (30 books) by Lee Child - Amazing fictional series following Jack Reacher. This helped make long drives go by quickly! - Fiction
121. 138.
     The Catholic Living Bible - Spirituality & Religion
122. 139.
     The End of Dieting by Joel Fuhrman - Health & Fitness