Want to know what books Darrah Brustein recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Darrah Brustein's favorite book recommendations of all time.
1
At last, a book that shows you how to build--"design"--a life you can thrive in, at any age or stage
Designers create worlds and solve problems using design thinking. Look around your office or home--at the tablet or smartphone you may be holding or the chair you are sitting in. Everything in our lives was designed by someone. And every design starts with a problem that a designer or team of designers seeks to solve.
In this book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we... more At last, a book that shows you how to build--"design"--a life you can thrive in, at any age or stage
Designers create worlds and solve problems using design thinking. Look around your office or home--at the tablet or smartphone you may be holding or the chair you are sitting in. Everything in our lives was designed by someone. And every design starts with a problem that a designer or team of designers seeks to solve.
In this book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are. The same design thinking responsible for amazing technology, products, and spaces can be used to "design and build "your career and your life, a life of fulfillment and joy, constantly creative and productive, one that always holds the possibility of surprise. less 
Darrah BrusteinAnother is Designing Your Life by two Stanford professors who teach a course on how to create your life. I deeply believe in the necessity and purpose of this, and the book had actionable tools to help me get there in a moment where I was rejiggering my path. (Source)
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2
Limitless will help you get "unstuck" -- and achieve extraordinary results. This book is like a high energy masterclass and brainstorming session all in one - with actionable tips to transform your vision for your career and do work with purpose.
What if success doesn't equal happiness?
Many of us spend our lives pursuing a singular idea of success, one that was created for us by someone else. We give votes to those who shouldn't even have voices and strive to go faster and faster even as we find ourselves falling further and further behind. We chase gold stars, we check all... more Limitless will help you get "unstuck" -- and achieve extraordinary results. This book is like a high energy masterclass and brainstorming session all in one - with actionable tips to transform your vision for your career and do work with purpose.
What if success doesn't equal happiness?
Many of us spend our lives pursuing a singular idea of success, one that was created for us by someone else. We give votes to those who shouldn't even have voices and strive to go faster and faster even as we find ourselves falling further and further behind. We chase gold stars, we check all the boxes, we Lean In - and we still feel incomplete.
This is not a story about failure, but it might as well be. When we don't define success in our own terms, finding our purpose and carving our own path becomes impossible. How do you break the cycle so that you can be better at work and life?
In this book, Laura Gassner Otting teaches you how to ignore the rules that created your limits, align your energies and your actions, and do work that really matters so that you can live your best life. Often described as "a kick in the ass surrounded by a warm hug," Laura brings both tough love and wisdom and offers a no-holds-barred look at what it really takes to get out of your own way and earn your success today.
If you ever dreamed about discovering and crushing that personal goal that is so big and so scary that you've only dared whisper it to yourself, this book is the permission you didn't even know you needed to live into it as only you can. less 
Marci AlboherThis brilliant book shatters countless myths about what it means build a career — and a lifestyle — that’s both good for you and good for the world. If you’re grappling with malaise, frustration, exhaustion or full-on burnout, Limitless provides an action-oriented blueprint to get unstuck. (Source)
Robin RobertsLimitless' takes 'thinking outside the box' to a whole new level. Laura Gassner redefines success and discovers what it really means to be happy in her inspirational book. (Source)
Carol Fishman CohenIn Limitless, Laura Gassner Otting demands that we stop caring about what everyone else thinks and define for ourselves what it means to be successful. So forget about fulfilling your parents' expectations or sticking with that career you fell into when you graduated, and let Limitless show you the way to living your best work life. (Source)
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3
Eckhart Tolle is emerging as one of today's most inspiring teachers. In The
Power of Now, a #1 national bestseller, the author describes his transition
from despair to self-realization soon after his 29th birthday. Tolle took
another ten years to understand this transformation, during which time he
evolved a philosophy that has parallels in Buddhism, relaxation techniques,
and meditation theory but is also eminently practical. In The Power of Now
he shows readers how to recognize themselves as the creators of their own
pain, and how to have a pain-free... more Eckhart Tolle is emerging as one of today's most inspiring teachers. In The
Power of Now, a #1 national bestseller, the author describes his transition
from despair to self-realization soon after his 29th birthday. Tolle took
another ten years to understand this transformation, during which time he
evolved a philosophy that has parallels in Buddhism, relaxation techniques,
and meditation theory but is also eminently practical. In The Power of Now
he shows readers how to recognize themselves as the creators of their own
pain, and how to have a pain-free existence by living fully in the present.
Accessing the deepest self, the true self, can be learned, he says, by
freeing ourselves from the conflicting, unreasonable demands of the mind and
living present, fully, and intensely, in the Now. less Roxana Bitoleanu[One of the books that had the biggest impact on ] The power of now, as time is a limited resource and we should spend it as wonderfully as possible. (Source)
Darrah BrusteinOthers include The Power Of Now which is powerful reminder that all we have is the present and helps give you meaningful ways to live in it, not in the past or the future. (Source)
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4
E-Myth \ 'e-,'mith\ n 1: the entrepreneurial myth: the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs 2: the fatal assumption that an individual who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does that technical work
Voted #1 business book by Inc. 500 CEOs.
An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business. Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points... more E-Myth \ 'e-,'mith\ n 1: the entrepreneurial myth: the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs 2: the fatal assumption that an individual who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does that technical work
Voted #1 business book by Inc. 500 CEOs.
An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business. Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business.
Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business—from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective: the guiding light of all businesses that succeed—and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business.
The E-Myth Revisited will help you grow your business in a productive, assured way. less 
Timothy FerrissAfter reading The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber and The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch, I decided that extreme questions were the forcing function I needed. (Source)
Brian ScudamoreThe book that’s had the biggest impact on me is The E-Myth by Michael Gerber (I even wrote about it in my own book). I read it front to back, then reread it right away.
Gerber takes you through every step of a running a business from start to finish, and shows you what you need to make it successful. I read it when I was looking to take 1-800-GOT-JUNK? to the next level, and I had an epiphany:... (Source)
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5
In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. The Four Agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best. more In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. The Four Agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best. less 
Jack DorseyQuestion: What are the books that had a major influence on you? Or simply the ones you like the most.
: Tao te Ching, score takes care of itself, between the world and me, the four agreements, the old man and the sea...I love reading! (Source)
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6
Give and Take highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common.
For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting... more Give and Take highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common.
For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return.
Using his own pioneering research as Wharton's youngest tenured professor, Grant shows that these styles have a surprising impact on success. Although some givers get exploited and burn out, the rest achieve extraordinary results across a wide range of industries. Combining cutting-edge evidence with captivating stories, this landmark book shows how one of America's best networkers developed his connections, why the creative genius behind one of the most popular shows in television history toiled for years in anonymity, how a basketball executive responsible for multiple draft busts transformed his franchise into a winner, and how we could have anticipated Enron's demise four years before the company collapsed - without ever looking at a single number.
Praised by bestselling authors such as Dan Pink, Tony Hsieh, Dan Ariely, Susan Cain, Dan Gilbert, Gretchen Rubin, Bob Sutton, David Allen, Robert Cialdini, and Seth Godin-as well as senior leaders from Google, McKinsey, Merck, Estee Lauder, Nike, and NASA - Give and Take highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common. This landmark book opens up an approach to success that has the power to transform not just individuals and groups, but entire organizations and communities. less 
Susan CainAs brilliant as it is wise, this is not just a book—it’s a new and shining worldview. (Source)
Tony HsiehDefines a road to success marked by new ways of relating to colleagues and customers as well as new ways of growing a business. (Source)
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