Written Works That Shaped Thinking

Professionals from all walks of life talk about how reading affects their ability to lead, make decisions, and think. Studies in cognitive psychology have shown that reading fiction makes you more empathetic, while reading nonfiction makes you smarter and better at fixing problems. Even Albert Einstein agreed that fantasy was a big part of how new things were found, and stories are the best way for people to learn. Reading with the goal of thought helps people in all fields think critically, be curious, and see patterns. Have you ever thought about how one book idea could change the way you solve problems or the choices you make every day? Long-term growth is affected by well-thought-out ideas, whether they are used to understand human behaviour or put lessons learned into practice in strategy. This roundup focuses on how reading a lot and thinking critically about what you read can help you become more self-aware, resilient, and take purposeful action in your personal and work life.

Keller Taught Me Systems Trump Hustle

Gary Keller’s The Millionaire Real Estate Agent completely changed how I work. I used to just hustle and hope for the best, but the book showed me that systems beat raw hours every time. You need a resource that forces you to rethink your daily habits. That shift made my business predictable and let me focus on my clients instead of just scrambling.

Richard Morrison, Founder, Richard Morrison Vancouver Homes

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Frost Exposed Choice Myths, Discipline Drove Strategy

The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost changed how I view strategy. People often quote it as a celebration of bold choices, but when I reread it, I noticed something different. The narrator admits that both paths were really the same, and meaning is only created afterward. This idea made me stop idealizing the notion of one perfect plan.

I choose a direction and commit to it with discipline. I keep evidence close and my ego far. If the results do not match the hypothesis, we adjust without guilt. This mindset also improves team culture, as it removes the fear of making the wrong choice. Teams focus on learning quickly and documenting what works.

Sahil Kakkar, CEO / Founder, RankWatch

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Mockingbird Reminded Me Justice Requires Courage

To Kill a Mockingbird stuck with me long after high school. It made me realize that being a lawyer isn’t just about the client in the room. Trying to hold onto that idea while rushing to meet deadlines was tough, but it kept me grounded when the right choice wasn’t the easy one. You should find a book that actually challenges what you stand for.

Daniel Sagal, Chief Operating Officer, Braff Law Car Accident Personal Injury Lawyers

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Housel Proved Behavior Drives Smarter Wealth Decisions

I spent my early career at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network before founding Seek & Find to move away from transaction-based advising. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel completely reframed my perspective, proving that wealth management is 20% math and 80% behavior.

When the S&P 500 fell 5.75% in March 2025 and Bitcoin dipped below $80k, this mindset helped our clients ignore the noise. Instead of chasing safe havens like gold when it hit $3,500/oz, we focused on personal long-term goals and practical action plans.

This book inspired me to replace generic models with technology-driven planning on the Altruist platform. For entrepreneurs earning $400K+, the real value isn’t in a “hot tip,” but in building a strategy that aligns with your specific life and tax situation.

Daniel Delaney, Owner, Seek & Find Financial

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Wave Taught Me to Let Children Lead

The book that changed my perspective is Wave by Suzy Lee. It taught me to use wordless books the same way I teach in the pool: slow down, notice cues, and let the child lead. I began asking questions that pull meaning from facial expressions, body language, and cause and effect. My favorite prompt is: “What do you notice first, and what do you think the character is feeling, what in the picture makes you think that?”

Alena Sarri, Owner Operator, Aquatots

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Dreamland Exposed Systemic Roots, Courts Prioritized Recovery

After 20 years in the courtroom and serving as Lackawanna County District Attorney, I’ve seen that 70% of our criminal cases are rooted in substance abuse. My tenure as Chief of Narcotics taught me that traditional prosecution often treats the symptoms of a crisis rather than its source.

Dreamland by Sam Quinones fundamentally changed my perspective by detailing how the opioid epidemic was a systemic corporate failure rather than just a surge in street-level criminality. It reframed the defendants in my courtroom from simple lawbreakers to casualties of a broader, predatory marketing shift.

This insight led me to help establish specialty courts and the “Heroin Hits Home” initiative during my time in office. We shifted the focus toward using the legal system as a tool for recovery, leveraging “external motivation” to help individuals find sobriety instead of just seeking convictions.

Shane Scanlon, Owner, Shane Scanlon Law

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Covey Anchored a Purposeful, Tech-Forward Law Practice

Balancing a seven-figure law firm with raising eight children and coaching ice hockey requires a philosophy focused on effectiveness rather than just busyness. My perspective on time and legacy shifted permanently when I read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

Covey’s principle of “beginning with the end in mind” pushed me to stop reacting to daily legal crises and start building a tech-forward firm in South Ogden. This mindset was the catalyst for integrating AI to automate our processes, ensuring we provide high-quality family law services without sacrificing my time on the ice.

Applying these habits transformed my career from a source of potential burnout into a customized, results-driven practice. It allowed me to write Attorney Reinvented and prove that a lawyer can achieve professional success while maintaining a 5-star commitment to their family and community.

Ammon Nelson, Member Manager, Ammon Nelson Law, PLLC

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Mockingbird Kept My Practice Centered on People

To Kill a Mockingbird changed how I see the law. Atticus Finch fighting for fairness in Maycomb reminds me of what I see in Los Angeles courts. After years of tough cases, I learned that treating people with respect works better than anything else. I tell new lawyers to read it because it shows the job is actually about people, not just statutes.

Ramiro Lluis, Managing Attorney, Lluis Law

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Sinek Made People First, Results Followed

Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last stuck with me while we fixed how we ran the field teams at Truly Tough Contractors. Once I started looking out for the crew instead of just the schedule, jobs finished faster and we stopped having so many accidents. Worrying less about the daily stats actually made the whole place run better. Just put people first and the rest sorts itself out.

Joseph Melara, Chief Operating Officer, Truly Tough Contractors

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Start With Why Turned Strategy Into Purpose

During my two decades at HP and in global M&A, I realized that many organizations quietly erode because they focus on strategy while ignoring the human element. Simon Sinek’s Start With Why shifted my focus from the “what” of a business to the deeper purpose that drives sustainable success.

This book is why I now prioritize the WHY.os framework in my coaching to help teams find alignment in minutes. It moved me from being a leader who just executes “on paper” strategies to one who builds systems that connect the numbers to the people.

In my M&A work at Buy and Build Advisors, this perspective helps founders shift from a “worker mindset” to an “architect mindset.” We use this clarity to build transferable value, ensuring a business can thrive and scale even after the owner has moved on.

Andrew Lamb, Founder & Owner, 4 Leaf Performance

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Mukherjee United Data With Patient Humanity

Reading “The Emperor of All Maladies” by Siddhartha Mukherjee completely changed my view on healthcare. After seeing how hard the system can be, this book showed me that cold data isn’t enough. You need the human story too. That is the approach we take at Superpower. We build AI tools that actually get what patients are going through, rather than just processing numbers. It connects the science with real life better than anything else.

Max Marchione, Co-Founder, Superpower

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Brooks Proved Headcount Kills Software Velocity

Many engineering groups wrongly believe that they can speed up delivery by adding more developers. I found out from Frederick Brooks’ “The Mythical Man Month” that this is not true; adding people to a project that is late will result in an exponential increase in the communication burden of everyone working on the project and therefore lead to an even larger delay. Real velocity is not about the number of individuals working on a project but rather removing the friction that prevents a focus team from reaching its goal quickly.

When under pressure, the desire to grow your team is a natural reaction, but will typically result in more trouble than success. Taking a moment to assess your new sources of frustration is sometimes far less complicated than trying to introduce new elements into an already complicated equation.

Abhishek Pareek, Founder & Director, Coders.dev

Have Your Say

We’d love to hear your thoughts:

• What lesson from reading or reflection has stayed with you longest?
• Which book or resource has changed how you approach work or life?
• How do you apply new ideas in practical ways?

Alignment with the UN SDGs

• SDG 4: Quality Education – promotes lifelong learning and knowledge sharing
• SDG 8: Decent Work – enhances professional skills and informed decision-making
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – encourages ethical thinking and reflective leadership

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Note: The views and opinions expressed in the content provided on this page are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any organizations mentioned. The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as professional advice. Readers should consult with relevant experts or professionals for guidance specific to their circumstances. The examples used are for illustrative purposes and results may vary depending on various factors. Any external links provided are for convenience, and we do not endorse or take responsibility for the content, products, or services available through these links.

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