Want to know what books David McCammon recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of David McCammon's favorite book recommendations of all time.
1
John Berger’s Classic Text on Art
John Berger's Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and the most influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC television series about which the (London) Sunday Times critic commented: "This is an eye-opener in more ways than one: by concentrating on how we look at paintings . . . he will almost certainly change the way you look at pictures." By now he has.
"Berger has the ability to cut right through the mystification of the professional art critics . . .... more John Berger’s Classic Text on Art
John Berger's Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and the most influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC television series about which the (London) Sunday Times critic commented: "This is an eye-opener in more ways than one: by concentrating on how we look at paintings . . . he will almost certainly change the way you look at pictures." By now he has.
"Berger has the ability to cut right through the mystification of the professional art critics . . . He is a liberator of images: and once we have allowed the paintings to work on us directly, we are in a much better position to make a meaningful evaluation" —Peter Fuller, Arts Review
"The influence of the series and the book . . . was enormous . . . It opened up for general attention to areas of cultural study that are now commonplace" —Geoff Dyer in Ways of Telling
Winner of the 1972 Booker Prize for his novel, G., John Peter Berger (born November 5th, 1926) is an art critic, painter and author of many novels including A Painter of Our Time, From A to X and Bento’s Sketchbook. less 
Robert JonesHe’s a Marxist and says that the role of publicity or branding is to make people marginally dissatisfied with their current way of life. (Source)
David McCammonWays of Seeing goes beyond photography and will continue to develop your language around images. (Source)
John Harrison (Eton College)You have to understand the Marxist interpretation of art; it is absolutely fundamental to the way that art history departments now study the material. Then you have to critique it, because we’ve moved on from the 1970s and the collapse of Marxism in most of the world shows—amongst other things—that the model was flawed. But it’s still a very good book to read, for a teenager especially. (Source)
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2
Originally published in 1973, this survey of The Museum of Modern Art's photography collection explores the evolution of the photographic medium using specific examples to illustrate its development. In concise analyses, John Szarkowski investigates the aesthetic, formal, social and historical issues of 100 photographs selected from the Modern's collections. This archive of pictures contains a vast range of works from familiar and not-so-familiar photographers. Included are some the of most recognizable pictures of the past 150 years by acknowledged masters of their field such as Adamson,... more Originally published in 1973, this survey of The Museum of Modern Art's photography collection explores the evolution of the photographic medium using specific examples to illustrate its development. In concise analyses, John Szarkowski investigates the aesthetic, formal, social and historical issues of 100 photographs selected from the Modern's collections. This archive of pictures contains a vast range of works from familiar and not-so-familiar photographers. Included are some the of most recognizable pictures of the past 150 years by acknowledged masters of their field such as Adamson, Cameron, Stieglitz, Weston, Cartier-Bresson, Cunningham, Arbus and Frank. less David McCammon“Looking at Photographs” lets us begin to understand the language of photography and how we can talk about our images. And we must know how to talk about our work or find someone else to do it for us. (Source)
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3
Yousuf Karsh is acknowledged to be the twentieth century's leading portrait photographer. His iconic images of Bogart, Hemingway, Churchill, the Kennedys, Auden, Castro, Einstein, the Clintons, Khrushchev, Casals, and Elizabeth II inhabit the mind's eye of anyone familiar with photographic history. A refugee from the ethnic cleansing of Turkish Armenians in 1916, Karsh made his home in Boston and Ottawa but travelled the globe during his sixty-year career, photographing political leaders, celebrities, monarchs, and movie stars. He died in 2002, aged 94. He left a legacy of 50,000 portraits.... more Yousuf Karsh is acknowledged to be the twentieth century's leading portrait photographer. His iconic images of Bogart, Hemingway, Churchill, the Kennedys, Auden, Castro, Einstein, the Clintons, Khrushchev, Casals, and Elizabeth II inhabit the mind's eye of anyone familiar with photographic history. A refugee from the ethnic cleansing of Turkish Armenians in 1916, Karsh made his home in Boston and Ottawa but travelled the globe during his sixty-year career, photographing political leaders, celebrities, monarchs, and movie stars. He died in 2002, aged 94. He left a legacy of 50,000 portraits.
This is the first biography, written with help from his family and colleagues and based on the Karsh archive in Ottawa. Its publication marks Karsh's centenary in 2008, when retrospective exhibitions are scheduled in a number of locations in North America, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Art Institute of Chicago, Boston Public Library, and Rhode Island School of Design. The book reproduces sixty of Karsh’s most celebrated portraits, and reveals the technique behind the camera and the brilliant mastery of the photographer. less David McCammonThe Karsh book gives great insight into how a very successful photographer worked. There are some wonderful stories from how he created his famous portrait of Churchill to some excellent business ideas. (Source)
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4
Since its first publication in 1937, this lucid and scholarly chronicle of the history of photography has been hailed as the classic work on the subject. No other book has managed to relate the aesthetic evolution and technical innovations of photography with such an absorbing combination of clarity, scholarship and enthusiasm. more Since its first publication in 1937, this lucid and scholarly chronicle of the history of photography has been hailed as the classic work on the subject. No other book has managed to relate the aesthetic evolution and technical innovations of photography with such an absorbing combination of clarity, scholarship and enthusiasm. less David McCammonThere are other history books, but Newhall’s a great overview of the early days up to the 1950’s. It’s a beginning. (Source)
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5
David McCammonThere are so many books I have read that gave me wonderful insight about what I was experiencing at the time. It becomes a part of me and my process – a long slow build if you will. Early on 2 photography books grabbed me by the collar and tossed me around. Ansel Adams' "The Camera" and "Images 1923-1974" and Yousuf Karsh's "Faces of Our Time" both showed me what I wanted to do with my life. They... (Source)
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6
A 2019 New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book
For fans of Ed Young and Peter Sis, this breathtaking picture book, from LBYR's first Emerging Artist Award Winner, Jin Xiaojing, is the perfect read for anyone who has lost a loved one.
A young girl has never met her grandpa. He passed away before she was born, but she misses him every day. She often wonders...what did he look like?
Grandma says: His face was shaped like the moon, his mouth was good at telling stories, and his hair was as curly as a bird's nest.
more A 2019 New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book
For fans of Ed Young and Peter Sis, this breathtaking picture book, from LBYR's first Emerging Artist Award Winner, Jin Xiaojing, is the perfect read for anyone who has lost a loved one.
A young girl has never met her grandpa. He passed away before she was born, but she misses him every day. She often wonders...what did he look like?
Grandma says: His face was shaped like the moon, his mouth was good at telling stories, and his hair was as curly as a bird's nest.
With the help of her grandma and the rest of her loving family, will this young girl be able to imagine her grandpa's face in her mind--and feel the love that he shared with others?
less David McCammonThere are so many books I have read that gave me wonderful insight about what I was experiencing at the time. It becomes a part of me and my process – a long slow build if you will. Early on 2 photography books grabbed me by the collar and tossed me around. Ansel Adams' "The Camera" and "Images 1923-1974" and Yousuf Karsh's "Faces of Our Time" both showed me what I wanted to do with my life. They... (Source)
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7
Ansel Adams, Robert Baker | 4.28
This is an attractively priced photography classic made accessible to a wider, new audience. It covers everything from "seeing" the finished photo in advance, to lens choices. It is illustrated with many of Ansel Adams most famous images. more This is an attractively priced photography classic made accessible to a wider, new audience. It covers everything from "seeing" the finished photo in advance, to lens choices. It is illustrated with many of Ansel Adams most famous images. less David McCammonThere are so many books I have read that gave me wonderful insight about what I was experiencing at the time. It becomes a part of me and my process – a long slow build if you will. Early on 2 photography books grabbed me by the collar and tossed me around. Ansel Adams' "The Camera" and "Images 1923-1974" and Yousuf Karsh's "Faces of Our Time" both showed me what I wanted to do with my life. They... (Source)
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8
PLEASE NOTE: Some recent copies of Let Your Life Speak included printing errors. These issues have been corrected, but if you purchased a defective copy between September and December 2019, please send proof of purchase to josseybasseducation@wiley.com to receive a replacement copy.
Dear Friends: I'm sorry that after 20 years of happy traveling, Let Your Life Speak hit a big pothole involving printing errors that resulted in an unreadable book. But I'm very grateful to my publisher for moving quickly to see that people who received a... more PLEASE NOTE: Some recent copies of Let Your Life Speak included printing errors. These issues have been corrected, but if you purchased a defective copy between September and December 2019, please send proof of purchase to josseybasseducation@wiley.com to receive a replacement copy.
Dear Friends: I'm sorry that after 20 years of happy traveling, Let Your Life Speak hit a big pothole involving printing errors that resulted in an unreadable book. But I'm very grateful to my publisher for moving quickly to see that people who received a defective copy have a way to receive a good copy without going through the return process. We're all doing everything we can to make things right, and I'm grateful for your patience. Thank you, Parker J. Palmer
With wisdom, compassion, and gentle humor, Parker J. Palmer invites us to listen to the inner teacher and follow its leadings toward a sense of meaning and purpose. Telling stories from his own life and the lives of others who have made a difference, he shares insights gained from darkness and depression as well as fulfillment and joy, illuminating a pathway toward vocation for all who seek the true calling of their lives. less David McCammonI was teaching at the time and Palmer provided insight into reaching my students with empathy and authenticity. I was facing life challenges of my own as well. Palmer’s book gently gave me pause to consider where I wanted to go from here without imposing the how. Let Your Life Speak reminded me changing direction is a great choice throughout one’s life. I revisit this book at least once a year. (Source)
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9
Santiago BasultoIf you want to make the transition into business, sales is a must. Most sales books are bloated and spand many thousands of pages without much insight, but there are a few that are different and you MUST read:
Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness
SPIN Selling (Source)
David McCammonA business book I have referred to frequently over the years is Jeffrey Gitomer’s “Little Red Book of Selling”. It’s full of simple, straight forward sales ideas many of which can take on a different degree of importance at different points in one’s career. (Source)
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10
Do you have a hobby you wish you could indulge in all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take that passion and make a living doing what you love. In Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion, Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. Then one day he turned on a video camera, and by using the secrets revealed here, transformed his entire life and earning... more Do you have a hobby you wish you could indulge in all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take that passion and make a living doing what you love. In Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion, Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. Then one day he turned on a video camera, and by using the secrets revealed here, transformed his entire life and earning potential by building his personal brand. By the end of this book, readers will have learned how to harness the power of the Internet to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Step by step, Crush It! is the ultimate driver’s manual for modern business. less 
Tony HsiehGary Vaynerchuk is one of those entrepreneurs who has discovered the secret to combining passion with business. He is always an inspiration and always entertaining. You owe it to yourself to read this book! (Source)
Garrett MoonGary Vaynerchuk’s original book Crush it was definitely a difference maker. It was before I had taken the leap as an entrepreneur and just hit all the right chords at the time. (Source)
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11
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius
We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it needn’t be this way. There is a formula for success that’s been followed by the icons of history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—a formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities. Faced with impossible situations, they found the astounding triumphs we all seek.
These men and women were not exceptionally brilliant, lucky, or gifted. Their success came from timeless... more “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius
We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it needn’t be this way. There is a formula for success that’s been followed by the icons of history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—a formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities. Faced with impossible situations, they found the astounding triumphs we all seek.
These men and women were not exceptionally brilliant, lucky, or gifted. Their success came from timeless philosophical principles laid down by a Roman emperor who struggled to articulate a method for excellence in any and all situations.
This book reveals that formula for the first time—and shows us how we can turn our own adversity into advantage. less 
James AltucherMy life has been beset with obstacles. It takes practice (and pain) to surmount them and achieve success. [This author]’s book is a how-to guide for just that. (Source)
Marvin LiaoMy list would be (besides the ones I mentioned in answer to the previous question) both business & Fiction/Sci-Fi and ones I personally found helpful to myself. The business books explain just exactly how business, work & investing are in reality & how to think properly & differentiate yourself. On the non-business side, a mix of History & classic fiction to understand people, philosophy to make... (Source)
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Don't have time to read David McCammon's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
