[S4E6] Am I Being Too Subtle? by Sam Zell

Bill Gates is known as the aggressive businessman who brought us Microsoft and pioneered the modern software business. But in his recent memoir, Source Code, we discover Trey, the kid with bad grades who resents his parents' authority. From childhood misfit to precocious teenage prodigy, he was a young person who never quite fit in but always had ambition. Source Code takes us through Bill Gates’s childhood, early entrepreneurial ventures, schooling, and the early years of Microsoft. Join us as we discuss the young Bill Gates. Thank you to our friends at Audible for sponsoring this episode. Check out AudibleTrial.com/biz for a 30-day free trial of Audible and free credits toward an audio book like Source Code. Show Notes Source Code by Bill Gates via Amazon BASIC: The Democratization of Computing via Kopec Explains Software Pirates of Silicon Valley via Amazon Idea Man by Paul Allen via Amazon Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

John Romero is widely regarded as one of the greatest game developers of all time. In his 2023 autobiography, Doom Guy: Life in First Person, he recounts his journey from a sometimes difficult upbringing to the heights of fame and fortune. An award-winning game designer and programmer, Romero is the co-creator of some of the most influential games of all-time, including the genre-defining Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake. While well known as an innovator in the PC, mobile, and social gaming spaces, Doom Guy also reveals Romero as an inspired and relentless entrepreneur who built the teams, culture, and business models required to create legendary games. We were privileged to be joined by John on the podcast to discuss his life, career, and of course, Doom Guy. Thank you to our friends at Audible for sponsoring this episode. Check out AudibleTrial.com/biz for a 30-day free trial of Audible and free credits toward an audio book like Doom Guy, narrated by John Romero himself. Show Notes Doom Guy by John Romero via Amazon Romero Games The Romero Shop John Romero on X John Romero on Instagram Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

Daniel Kahneman is an award winning psychologist who made Nobel Prize winning contributions to the field of behavioral economics. In Thinking, Fast and Slow he recounts his research journey and makes digestible to the reader some of the key insights that may help them improve their decision making. Kahneman’s book introduced many now common terms into popular culture and helped illuminate the cognitive biases that we all face both at work and in our personal lives. Instead of tediously covering every facet of this long and sophisticated work, in this episode we will delve into the ideas that we found most interesting and that we think you can apply to your work and financial lives. Thank you to our friends at Audible for sponsoring this episode. Check out AudibleTrial.com/biz for a 30-day free trial of Audible and credits towards a free audiobook. Show Notes Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman via Amazon Daniel Kahneman on Wikipedia Magnus Carlsen on Joe Rogan Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

Silicon legend Pat Gelsinger joins us to discuss his book The Juggling Act: Bringing Balance to Your Faith, Family, and Work. How do you live a balanced life, including prioritizing your faith and family, while achieving ambitious goals in the workplace? Pat, the former CEO of Intel, provides key strategies and insights that can help any working professional master the juggling act. We also discuss with Pat the appropriate place for faith and politics in the workplace. Show Notes The Juggling Act by Pat Gelsinger via Amazon Pat Gelsinger on X Pat Gelsinger on LinkedIn Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

Season 4 of Business Books & Co. was comprised of nine highly regarded books, three author interviews, and one special guest. Join us as we look back at the highs and lows of the past season of the show. And we won't hold back—we'll tell you the books we loved, but also the ones we didn't. Plus we'll tell you what we're planning for season 5! We want to hear from you! Please fill out the feedback form linked below. Show Notes Season 4 Feedback Form via Google Forms Thinking Fast & Slow by Daniel Kahneman via Amazon (our first book of Season 5) Wrestling with Life by George Reinitz via Amazon (David K's pick) The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman via Amazon (David S's pick) Devolution by Max Brooks via Amazon (Kevin's pick) Business Books & Co. on YouTube Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

First released in 2018, Atomic Habits by James Clear has quickly become one of the best-selling self-help books of all-time. Clear meticulously studied the psychology and practical side of forming good habits and eliminating bad habits. He then created an easy-to-read how-to manual that can be applied to just about any habit. We discuss the book's key takeaways and how they apply to our careers and personal lives. Show Notes Atomic Habits by James Clear via Amazon Atomic Habits Website Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

There are timeless principles that underlie stock trading. In this episode we discuss Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, considered by many to be a classic work in the space. First published in 1923, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre is a fictionalized biography based on the career of legendary stock trader Jesse Livermore. Through the first-person recounting of protagonist Lawrence Livingston’s career, Lefevre imparts hard won stock trading lessons. Through many booms and busts Livingston grows and forms a deeper understanding of the principles that underlie the market as well as the forces that propel it. The fictionalized biography has minimal personal anecdotes, concentrating almost wholly on Livingston’s career and the events that shape the US economy during his exploits from the 1890s through to the 1920s. We were pleased to be joined by investor and entrepreneur Brad Mills on this episode, a huge fan of the book. Show Notes Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre via Amazon Brad Mills's Website Brad Mills on Instagram Follow us on X @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

Trader Joe's is an iconic American grocery chain. And yes, there was an actual Trader Joe. In this episode we interview Patty Civalleri, the co-author with Joe Coulombe of Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys. Founded as a small chain in California in the 1960s, Trader Joe’s has gone on to become one the most unique and influential grocery retailers in the United States. Through that journey of growth, Joe Coulombe, its founder, battled government regulations, competitors, and many preconceived notions about how a grocery store should operate. Show Notes Becoming Trader Joe by Patty Civalleri and Joe Coulombe via Amazon Patty Civalleri's Website Patty Civalleri on X Patty Civalleri on Instagram Patty Civalleri 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

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