Business Books & Co.

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 CoulombePatty Civalleri's WebsitePatty Civalleri on XPatty Civalleri on InstagramPatty Civalleri on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com Read 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 Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com Read 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 IsaacsonS3E1 Liftoff with Eric BergerS3E6 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.com Read 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 GalloCarmine Gallo's WebsiteCarmine Gallo on XCarmine Gallo on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com Read 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 McCulloughBrian McCullough on TwitterTechmeme Ride Home PodcastInternet History PodcastRide Home Fund Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com Read 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 Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com Read 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 Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com Read transcript

Season 3 was a landmark season for our show. We read some amazing books and interviewed some award-winning authors. In this episode we discuss the highlights of Season 3. We pick the best and worst books we read. And we provide a behind the scenes look at our author interviews. Plus, we preview Season 4. Show Notes Season 3 Listener SurveyDavid Kopec on Return to the Little Kingdom Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com Read transcript

Layered Money: From Gold and Dollars to Bitcoin and Central Bank Digital Currencies by Nik Bhatia is one of the most popular books in the world of bitcoin. But it's much more than that. The first half of the book is a history of monetary systems. This sets the stage for a dive into the world of bitcoin, including what makes it special and how it differs from the currencies that preceded it. Finally, Layered Money takes the reader through current developments in the Bitcoin world and how central banks will likely respond to it with their own digital currencies. We are pleased to be joined by the author of Layered Money, Nik Bhatia. Show Notes Layered Money: From Gold and Dollars to Bitcoin and Central Bank Digital Currencies by Nik BhatiaThe Bitcoin LayerNik Bhatia on Twitter Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. is an epic biography of the industrialist by acclaimed author Ron Chernow. Rockefeller was the founder of Standard Oil, a company that was notorious for its monopolization of the oil industry in the late 19th century. An adept businessman and talented strategist, Rockefeller was demonized throughout his career for his sometimes brutal tactics. During the latter half of his life, Rockefeller became America’s foremost philanthropist, establishing a pattern of giving that has been emulated by many later tycoons. In this episode we’ll discuss John D. Rockefeller’s life, work, the economics of the late 19th century oil industry, and the lasting legacy of Standard Oil. Show Notes Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron ChernowRon Chernow Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It is considered one of the best books of all time on negotiation. Instead of focusing on economic theory or game theory, it focuses on practical techniques and psychological insight. Voss uses anecdotes from his career as an international hostage negotiator for the FBI to enliven the narrative while alternating with everyday business negotiation scenarios. We are thrilled to be joined by author Chris Voss to discuss his book. Show Notes Never Split the Difference by Chriss VossThe Black Swan GroupThe Black Swan Group on TwitterThe Black Swan Group on YouTube Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley is a comprehensive portrait of the early era of PayPal—predominantly focused on the years between its founding in 1998 and its sale to eBay in 2002. A deeply researched and well written narrative, The Founders provides the backstory of the group of individuals who became known as “The PayPal mafia.” We are privileged to be joined by the book’s author, Jimmy Soni. Show Notes The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy SoniJimmy Soni's WebsiteJimmy Soni on Twitter Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone by David Carey and John Morris is more than just a book about Blackstone—it’s a history of private equity. Carey and Morris explain the sometimes esoteric world of this segment of high finance. They recount its cycles of booms and busts from the 1980s through the 2010s, and explain how Blackstone navigated the sometimes tumultuous waters to ultimately become one of the most influential alternative investment management companies in the world. In this episode we explain the basics of private equity and discuss the history of the private equity as recounted in the book. Show Notes King of Capital Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, venture capitalist Ben Horowitz recounts lessons he learned about how to run a Silicon Valley startup, largely from his time as the CEO of Loudcloud, which later became Opsware. Horowitz provides specific advice about hiring, firing, managing emotions, handling growth, deciding whether or not to sell, and everything in-between. His thoughts are sometimes unconventional and often punctuated by relevant anecdotes from his experience as a CEO or venture capitalist. Show Notes The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Instant: The Story of Polaroid covers the rise, heyday, and decline of Polaroid Corporation. It has a particular focus on the personality and management style of Edwin Land, Polaroid’s innovative and dynamic founder, who was an inspiration to Steve Jobs. Polaroid’s niche in the marketplace and the strategic mistakes that led to Polaroid’s decline are other major themes of the book. We were pleased to be joined by the book’s author, Christopher Bonanos, for an interview about his work. Show Notes Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher BonanosChristopher Bonanos on TwitterFlash: The Making of Weegee the Famous by Christopher Bonanos Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Measure What Matters, by venture capitalist John Doerr, is about OKRs—Objectives and Key Results—an approach to goal setting. Doerr evangelizes the use of OKRs and explains how they can help any organization better align its direction and continually evaluate its success. OKRs are a simple concept, but the book elucidates them with many anecdotes about their use in varying organizations, including startups, large corporations, and charities. We discuss the key takeaways from the book and how they're applicable to our careers. By the end of the episode you'll have a strong understanding of OKRs. Show Notes Measure What Matters by John DoerrS1E1 High Output ManagementS1E13 Only the Paranoid Survive Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

We interviewed Eric Berger, the author of Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX. It's about the journey of grit, resilience, and unbridled optimism that turned a scrappy startup into the premier space company of the 21st century. Eric utilized full access at SpaceX to get the inside story from employees and Elon Musk himself. Most of the book focuses on the exciting early period of SpaceX from 2002 - 2009 when there were experimental rockets, tropical islands, and even some explosions. We also welcomed our new co-host, Kevin Hudak, and learned more about his background. Welcome to the show, Kevin! Show Notes Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX by Eric BergerEric Berger on TwitterEric Berger at Ars Technica Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Over the past year we've read some fantastic books... and some that were not so fantastic. In this episode we break down the best and worst books of season 2. We also discuss our picks by category including entrepreneurship, career, and story. Finally, we have a meta discussion about the show and say goodbye to our valued co-host, Eli. Show Notes List of Read BooksEli's Dog's Instagram Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Amazon Unbound is the story of how Jeff Bezos has managed his business empire over the past decade. It picks up where author Brad Stone’s last Amazon book, The Everything Store, left off circa 2013. Stone chronicles Bezos’s incredible attention to detail on Amazon projects like the Echo and the Fire Phone, as well as his stewardship of The Washington Post and Blue Origin; and controversies from his personal life. We get an inside look into the trials, triumphs, and tribulations of this living legend and the organizations he runs. Show Notes Amazon Unbound by Brad StoneEli's Dog's Instagram Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

This month we read Radical Candor by Kim Scott, a people management guide developed through Scott’s years of working as a manager in high tech. Scott led the AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google and served as a faculty member at Apple University. Radical Candor is about fostering relationships where people sincerely care about one another but are also able to challenge each other directly. The book is a guide to developing these relationships in the workplace while avoiding the traps of ruinous empathy, manipulative insincerity, and obnoxious aggression. We discuss the key takeaways from the book and how they relate to our own career experiences. Show Notes Radical Candor by Kim ScottSeason 1, Episode 3: Trillion Dollar CoachEli's Dog's Instagram Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com