Here is a list of all the books I read (well, audiobooks from Audible.com) in 2011. Books are in order, as this first book was finished this week. Enjoy and hope you read one, so we can discuss. If there are any books that you have recently read, feel free to share. But, I need a book that will give me actionable items to improve myself, my business, my life, my income, or my well-being. Knowing what kind of dragon tattoo some girl has does not do the trick for me.

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The Go-Giver, Bob Burg- Was a recommendation from my Father. Short book about a young businessman learning an important lesson about giving. I’d call it a adult version of "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. Good book. Short and Easy.

Quitter , Jon Acuff - A book about "how to quit your job." Truth is, this book was no longer relevant to me. It was aimed at someone who was still in a job and itching to get out. That was me 2 years ago, but decided to make the leap on my own. If you hate your current job or thinking about doing something new, it is a good fit and provides some good insight. The book follows the true story of a guy who had an unfulfilling job and the choices he made to venture out to do something new.

Grouped , Paul Adams - This book was okay. It is all about social networks, people in your life, how to influence them, etc. Touched a bunch on the subconscious mind, selling power, buying influence, and proper marketing techniques, which I found weird at some points. I downloaded it in an effort to help (well, learn more) about the Mint Media social media presence.

Steve Jobs Biography, Walter Isaacson – Boom. Great book. People knew about this autobiography for several months (maybe even years) before the release. It was officially scheduled to be released in the Spring of 2012, however, due to Steve’s declining health concerns… rumors started floating about the released being pushed up. Steve died in early October 2011 and this book was released about 2 weeks later. It is the full (uncut) story of the greatest innovator of my time. Lots of LSD, crying, and yelling. Steve was a unique guy and the book showed a side of him that I never knew (super-intense, detail-oriented, and borderline crazy.) However, still consider him the greatest innovator of my time and it was interesting to get a first-hand look at how his companies were built, how he operated, and how he thought. After reading this, you’ll see Pixar movies in an entirely new light. Really long book. Highly recommend.

The Knack, Norm Brodsky – Honestly, I only read the first chapter. A book written by 2 Inc.com columnists, which is a magazine I read monthly and follow online. I figured I would enjoy their book. I got caught-up with the Steve Jobs Biography. So, will revisit at somepoint.

The Undercover Economist, Tim Harford - This came from a recommendation from a friend. A book about the economy, measuring, working, living, buying, selling, etc… in the US Economy. Sounded cool when my friend told me about it. Upon reading the description, I learned the book was actually written in 2006. Bummer, it completely lost credibility. It was written before the recession and lost all relevance in my opinion. I gave it a shot anyhow. Got through about half of the book and gave up. Sorta dry and I kept second-guessing the author based on the whole "Not our current economy" basis.

Talent Is Overrated, Geoff Colvin - I don’t remember reading this book. My Audible.com account says it is 75% complete. Weird. Sometimes these generalized buisness books all mesh together. My recommendation, it is worth skipping, I guess.

Delivering Happiness, Tony Hsieh – Awesome book. Easy, entertaining, and inspiring. It is the story of Zappos.com. I didn’t think a book about selling shoes would be good, but the reviews were off the charts and everyone love it. Well, they got another fan. It dissected the Zappos business model and intertwined the Zappos story. Highly recommend.

Onward, Howard Schultz - I did not finish it. It is the story about Starbucks. Figured it would be right up my alley. I love the 60-minute specials on CNBC about Starbucks, Home Depot, McDonalds, Wal-mart, and other big businesses. Heck, I watched the one on Target and another on America’s Coffee Addiction last night. The book just did not keep my attention for some reason.

The Lean Startup, Eric Ries – Mint Media is lean. My other company, Unique 360 Tours, is lean. Very little overhead. Easy to operate. That is intentional and I designed both companies to be lean. Flat and Fast. That is the model. (Thanks Tom Peters and Bill Gibbs). Anyhow, figured this book would be right up my alley. And it was, sorta. At the time, I was hoping that it would help form Mint Media, but it was going a different route. More along the lines of Venture Capital, Funding, Manufacturing, Mass Markets and how to streamline those entities. Interesting, but doesn’t directly correlate with what I was trying to do with Mint Media at the time. Good book if you’re in the product-based industry, opposed to service-based industry.

In the Plex, Steven Levy – Ahh, the Google Story. Good book. I love everything Google does. I own a Google Droid, Mint Media is a certified Google Engage Agency, there are google stickers on the windows of my office, and I own 2 Google hats. (I know, sorry) Just big fan of the Google Business Model, what they do, what they build, and how they operate. This was the perfect book for getting an inside look at all those things, including their corporate culture, lifestyle, and work habits at GooglePlex.

Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs, Carmine Gallo – Another book about Steve Jobs. Cool story, good insight, and inspiring. However, if you are going to read about Steve, read the Biography listed above.

The 8th Habit, Stephen R. Covey - (NOTE: See the last book on my list). This is an addendum to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Time changes and the original book has been around for decades. This updated version included one more "today" version of his theory/methods. Good book. Read the main book first, though.

Anything You Want, Derek Sivers - Coolest Book I read all year. Story about CD Baby and their founder, Derek Sivers. I never heard of CD Baby prior to this book. If you’re a fan of music, small business, entrepreneurship, or simply good business I highly recommend you read this book. Super short. Audible listening time is like 90 minutes and I’ve listened to it maybe 5 times since. At the end of the book, he said to email him a question. We shared several emails back and forth. Cool guy.

Go the F–k to Sleep, Adam Mansbach – Uhh, this was on the Best Sellers list and was $0.99. I guess I was intrigued. A childrens book narrated by Samuel L. Jackson with the F-word in the title. Go figure. Not sure I have an opinion about it. Funny. I guess. For 99 cents, it was worth it.

The 4-Hour Workweek, Timothy Ferriss - So, I attempted to read this book a few years ago. Physical copy on the beach one summer. Never finished. Gave it another shot and finished it this time. I still don’t buy into his methodology or theory of taking mini-vacations. I sometimes think I’m addicted to working and building my companies… and I’m okay with that. It takes a certain person to accomplish the "way of life" that he teaches. Interesting book and you should atleast look into it.

The 4-Hour Body, Timothy Ferriss - Same author as above, different topic. Instead of Work, Job, and Money-related topics… this book was about Body, Mind, Diet, Health, etc. Normally, not a book that I would get into, but I did. I think I listened to it twice. Even today, I still semi-follow pieces of his diet and eating advice. Good book. If you’re looking to shed some pounds or improve your health, read this.

Your Brain at Work, David Rock – This book followed a husband and wife through their daily schedules, roles, jobs, duties, etc. Huge emphasis on science, neurotransmitters, brain development, etc. That part was 50% interesting and 50% boring. Taught me alot of time management skills that I already knew about… and already do on a daily basis. Nerd Alert.

FREE: The Future of a Radical Price, Chris Anderson - This was a Free book about the Power of giving things away for Free. I didn’t even start it. Just downloaded it and added it to my library. Goes to show you about things that are free. It is an interesting topic. I bet if he charged a dollar or five or ten or twenty… I would have read it. Weird, right?

I’m Feeling Lucky, Douglas Edwards – A book written by one of Google first employees (#59 to be exact). A very cool and almost intrusive look at Google, how it was started, who was involved, why they did it, and how they did it. Okay book.

The Prince: The Strategy of Machiavelli, Niccolò Machiavelli – Rookie mistake. This book was stupid. Made it about 20 minutes in and gave up. Uhh, even just writing this… I’m getting bored. I guess I’m not cultured enough to get it. It is similar to my attempt a reading Don Quixote. I was given a piece of framed Don Quixote artwork years ago. I figured I needed to read the book, which I tried to do. After about 2-3 failed attempts, I found myself reading the cliff notes on Wikipedia. Like Machiavelli, Great Concept…Boring Book.

The Steve Jobs Way, Jay Elliot – My first Steve Jobs book. If you’re going to read about Steve, read his Biography instead. This was a good book, but the biography was better.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey - Probably the most important book that exists. If you haven’t read it, do it immediately. I’ve read it 4-5 times. It will change the way you think and operate in life (work, home, everywhere). Highly recommend and borderline demand that you read this. If everyone in America were to sit down and read this book, we would reverse this economy in 48 hours. I was first forced to read this book for the Towson University version of "Senior Thesis." Changed my life.

PPHHEWWW…

I didn’t realize this list was going to be this long.

Pick one and read it… or download it at Audible.com.

If you’ve read one of these, let me know what you thought!