Recommended Book List by Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh

I have a long love affair with entrepreneurs. As visionaries, they carry within them the commitment to bring their unique idea from concept into form. Conscious entrepreneurs are visionaries with ideas, however, they see themselves as shapers of a culture, not solely profiteers. They use their skills and talents for the benefit of humanity. I have a been a lifetime connoisseur of learning from these bold men and women and implementing much of what I’ve learned into my own life.

Zappos founder and CEO, Tony Hsieh, is a master of creating community. He sees works as not something you go to as a separate part of life; but as a form of self expression to be done in the midst of and with others who share the same values. To Tony, liking who you work with is vitally important to a company’s success. So much so, that it takes an average of 68 days to hire a new employee as the elaborate process includes multiple interviews to access a corporate fit. He believes in playing with those you work with and there is a department for “fun” within the company. Employees are considered to think outside of the box and be weird. Yesterday, I toured Zappos corporate headquarters in Old Town Las Vegas, a long held desire of mine.

I left feeling as though many of the “old school” corporate terms don’t fit this cultures. As I was typing the word “employee” it felt disempowering and dishonoring to the creative power that the contributors make to the whole of the company. The Zappos Insight poster below, lists the corporate values:

Zappos Insights:

1. Deliver WOW through service; 2. Embrace and drive change; 3. Create fun and a little weirdness; 4. Be adventurous, creative, and open-minded; 5. Pursue growth and learning; 6. Build open and honest relationships with communication; 7. Build a positive team and family spirit; 8. Do more with less; 9. Be passionate and determined; 10. Be humble.

The tour concluded in a mini-bookstore where as tour guests we were invited to purchase Tony’s favorite business books with the money going to charity. I could hardly wait to share this list with you!! I bought several of them and I’m open to connecting and sharing insights. Enjoy!

Peak, Chip Conley
Great by Choice, Jim Collins
The Connected Company, Dave Gray
Triumph of the City, Edward Glaeser
Uplifting Service, Ron Kaufman
Where Good Ideas Come From, Steve Johnson

Fred Factor, Mark Sanborn
Fred 2.0, Mark Sanborn
Start with Why, Simon Sinek
Switch, Chip Heath & Dan Heath
The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
Tribal Leadership, Dave Logan, John King, Halee Fischer-Wright

Happier, Tal Ben-Shahar
The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor
Delivering Happiness (Comic), Tony Hsieh, Rob Ten Pas

Made to Stick, Chip Heath, Dan Heath

The Three Laws of Performance, Steve Zaffron, Dave Logan
212 Degrees, Sam Parker
Decisive, Chip Heath, Dan Heath
The Doodle Revolution, Sunni Brown
Finding Your Element, Ken Robinson, Lou Aronica
Fish, Stephen Cl Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen, Ken Blanchard
Get Off Your ‘But’, Sean Stephenson
How Will You Measure Your Life?, Clayton M. Christensen
Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell