Verbatim: What’s the Best Book You’ve Read That Helped You in Life & Business?

This is another question worthy of bringing back from the archives as new books are written or read and new contributors to this column have their favorites. In this column, adopted from the familiar “Heard on the Street” format, we offer our responders a chance to answer the question posed in the title. These are their replies reported verbatim. 

Summer Reading List? 

‘Unbroken’ by Louis Zamperini. Mr. Zamperini’s story of struggle, redemption and forgiveness served to remind me of things my father tried to teach me when I was too young to understand the lessons. Mr. Zamperini was an imperfect person who came to realize through his triumphs and struggles what it truly means to live in faith and act in service of Jesus Christ. 

Josh Simpson 
Little Kamper LP 
Manteca, California 

OK, I know you’re going to think this is crazy, but this silly little book really helped me several years ago and it comes to mind from time to time when I get stubborn and don’t want to change my ways. The name of the book is ‘Who Moved My Cheese’ by Spencer Johnson. It’s a cute little parable book on how important it is to consider change in changing times. 

Judy Taranovich 
Proctor Gas Inc. 
Proctor, Vermont 

The book I have in mind is ‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich’ by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. It’s a story about Ivan, who is imprisoned in a Russian gulag and must find small ways to help him make it through the day in the best frame of mind that he can muster. It’s a lesson in positive thinking that has myriad applications in day-to-day life. But it’s also the first book title that came to mind as I recalled a Literature 101 class in junior college that took me from just reading words to learning to search for perspectives and biases of authors and other important details that can lead to a deeper understanding of the piece. 

Bruce Swiecicki 
Consulting Engineer 
Tinley Park, Illinois 

Recently, I read a self-improvement book called ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear. Although I typically prefer fiction, this book came highly recommended by a friend, and it did not disappoint. ‘Atomic Habits’ explores how small changes in habits can lead to significant results over time. One key idea that really resonated with me is the principle of making just a 1% improvement each day. It’s a simple yet powerful concept that now prompts me to ask myself daily, ‘OK, what’s one small thing I can do today to be 1% better?’ Reading it made me way more aware of my habits, especially the not-so-great ones. If you’re looking for something easy to read but packed with really practical advice, I’d definitely say give ‘Atomic Habits’ a shot. 

Staci Rammel 
Woodruff Energy 
Bridgeton, New Jersey 

One book I often think about that helped shape my outlook on life is ‘Breakfast of Champions’ by Kurt Vonnegut. The book was recommended to me by my dad when I was a junior in high school. Looking back at it now, I think Dad was just happy to see me read a book … any book. ‘Breakfast of Champions’ contains enduring human issues like mental illness, finding purpose or meaning in life, how we treat those we love and humanity in general, written in an amusing way. The book opened the door for me to many other Vonnegut novels, all with very similar themes and all darkly comical. ‘Breakfast of Champions’ immediately led me to read ‘Slaughterhouse Five,’ which helped shape how I think of war and the ways it changes the young people’s lives that fight them. (Kurt Vonnegut was a [prisoner of war] in World War II.) Dad must have known what he was doing. He made lifelong Vonnegut fans of my brothers, too. I think we all share similar values that run as a common thread through all of Vonnegut’s books: cruelty in this world of any kind is completely unnecessary. Regardless of religion, social status, education or wealth, people must take care of one another. We’ll all have better lives for it. 

Don Montroy 
Bergquist Inc. 
Rockford, Michigan 

I recently read ‘Elon Musk’ by Walter Isaacson. Wow, I didn’t know Elon was such a complex person. Six-hundred-plus pages and I couldn’t put it down. It was fascinating to hear about his upbringing and each of his companies, not to mention all of his ‘baby mama drama.’ Elon’s passion and vision for the future is what drives him. When his company goals are unmet, he personally gets involved with the frontline workers to problem solve and invigorate his team until the breakthrough happens. I enjoy reading biographies about any successful person.  

Julie Johnson 
Ted Johnson Propane 
Baldwin Park, California 

I would have to say that there are two books that have helped me in life and business. The first book is Stephen Covey’s ‘The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness.’ This book picks up from his ‘7 Habits of Highly Successful People’ and provides some insight to taking your life to the next level. He really emphasizes balance in life, making sure that we continue to work on our four intelligences (mind, body, heart and spirit). If we keep these four areas in balance, we will achieve more and live a happier, more fulfilled life. It’s a longer read, but his style is very relatable and easy to understand. Great follow-up to his bestseller. The second book that I really enjoy and have shared with my kids is Andy Stanley’s ‘Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets.’ In this book, Andy talks about the five questions that we should ask ourselves before we make decisions in our life, especially the big ones like career, relationships, purchasing a house, etc. Andy provides a biblical and common-sense approach for decision-making, in the hopes of avoiding regrets. I gave it to my kids and their husbands as a guide to help through the big decisions they will be making. It is a short read but a great message. I strongly recommend this quick read, especially for our younger generations. 

Tom Krupa 
NGL Supply Terminals Co. 
Richmond, Virginia 

The best book I’ve read that helped me in life and business is ‘Everything I Know About Business I Learned From the Grateful Dead’ by Barry Barnes, Ph.D. The book transformed my thoughts on business and taught me how business culture was more important than setting goals or KPIs. It showed me how to run a business on what felt right for our clients and our employees. Some of the chapters are titled ‘Strategic Improvisation,’ ‘Live Your Values,’ ‘Be Kind to Your Customers,’ ‘Share Your Content,’ ‘Create a Business Tribe’ and ‘Innovate Constantly.’ I highly recommend [it] for both business and personal growth. 

Steve Abbate 
Cetane Associates 
Kent, Connecticut 

A quick read called ‘The Richest Man in Town’ by V.J. Smith is about a Walmart cashier named Marty who genuinely enjoyed his job. He went the extra length to connect with people, look them in the eye to ask how they were and truly listened. Marty made people smile and had a positive impact on how people felt when they’d leave the store. As technology continues to evolve, I believe it’s necessary to remember the importance of that human interaction in our everyday lives. Small things can go a long way. 

Abby Thurston 
Rural Computer Consultants 
Bird Island, Minnesota 

One of my favorite books that has really helped me in my career and personal life has been ‘Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High.’ This is key in a working world where there can be a lot of misconceptions that, if not addressed immediately or correctly, could lead to unnecessary damage to a working relationship. I, myself, have been guilty of trying to avoid the hard conversations and just hoping they pass and try to move on. I’ve found this book to be very helpful not only in approaching difficult topics with my coworkers and customers, but also close friends and family when the ‘elephant in the room’ has to be addressed. This book has given me so much insight on how to properly approach those hard topics to discuss with others without a fear of offending or hurting their feelings. 

Sam Fung 
Emerson Fisher LP Gas 
McKinney, Texas 

‘The Good Old Days, They Were Terrible!’ Read that in 10th grade. Do not remember if that was the exact title. Do not remember the author, either [Editor’s Note: The author is Otto Bettmann]. All about life in the early, early days. Makes you think about how far we all have come along. Other than that, I am not a book person. 

Richard Strycharz Jr. 
Walter’s Propane 
Sunderland, Massachusetts 

The Life-Business Connection 

These submissions from our colleagues remind me that great books on life can help our work lives and great books on business may help our lives outside of work. Several of these book authors have advanced degrees and wisdom regarding what creates success in our lives. Kindness, flexibility, dedication, compassion, service, patience, positive thinking, new habits, humor, life balance, common sense, values, overcoming fear and reflection are offered by these authors as guidelines to being our better selves.