Gary's Book Recommendations
​
The One Thing by Gary Keller 
This is one of my favourite books of the last year. A New York Times bestseller the One Thing will help you deliver crystal clear focus on what's important to you in every aspect of your life - work, personal, family and even spiritual. By asking yourself one question you will get very clear on what you want, what needs to be done, and how to get there. I love this book as it gives you a practical approach you can apply on a day-to-day basis. I speak often of this book in my keynotes and it always is curious to see how many people are furiously taking notes about the philosophy of The One Thing.

​
The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin
Josh Waitzkin knows what it’s like to be at the top of his game. He's been a world champion chess player, martial artist, and a bestselling author. He works with some of the top business leaders in the world to help them understand what separates success from failure. Josh Waitzkin believes that achievements, even at the championship level, is a function of a lifestyle that fuels a creative, resilient growth process. I can always tell a great book by the number of highlights I leave within it. This book was a kaleidoscope of colour as there was so much to highlight for takeaway value - a truly great book. 
10 - Minute Toughness by Jason Selk
There has been a lot written and spoken of with reference to mental toughness. This is one of the first books that I have found that actually take you through a step-by-step proven routine to help you find the toughness you require when you require it. Whether preparing for a presentation, a big corporate event, a social engagement , a sporting activity or a moment where you have to bring your best , this step-by-step guide (that takes less than 10 minutes) will get you ready for competition. The lessons I took from this book I use regularly on the speaking circuit. Topical, easy and accessible to anyone at any level, this is a book worth reading immediately if you have a desire to bring out your best when it counts.
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
 When this book was recommended to me I will admit I was a bit sceptical. A book on checklists? I did think that was a bit hard to take, however I am now a convert. By building checklists you eliminate error, become more focused, detailed and precise in many aspects of your life. The sheer volume and complexity of today's life really does demand that we start to develop appropriate checklists so the we are not relying on ourselves and our memory alone to deliver…. all with the fear of missing a specific detail. The book shows extreme examples right down to everyday examples of where checklists have made a difference in people's lives. From airline pilots to hospitals and doctors and corporate environments when you read this book you will not only simplify and improve everything in your life, but you’ll find that you will start to transform your performance and productivity simply by following its manifesto.
Deep Work by Cal Newport
​We spend our days battling destruction and interruption. It takes eight hours in a day to do what should be done in just a few. Most of us spend our day doing shallow work, merely skipping over the surface of our workload and never getting down to the truly important bits . Newport shows you how to get down to the important work, to remain focussed, and above all, really think about an issue or opportunity. Through revealing portraits of both historical and modern day thinkers academics and leaders in all fields, Cal Newport shows how Deep Work should be such a valued attribute for today's productive leader. Put simply Newport argues that developing and cultivating a deep work practice is one of the best decisions we can make in an increasingly distracted world. I personally found this book powerful and have adjusted my daily routine to adopt a deep work philosophy.
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
​In Essentialism, the author shows us how to achieve what he calls the disciplined pursuit of less. Being an Essentialist is about developing a disciplined way of thinking and challenging the core assumption of we can have it all and that you have to do everything. Instead, this book gives you a recipe for pursuing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time. The book gives you control of your choices so you can channel your time, energy, and effort into making the highest possible contribution towards the goals, dreams and activities that matter to you.  If you value performance, productivity or you consider yourself a minimalist, you'll love this book.
Busy by Tony Crabbe
The first question you get when you meet a friend is “Are you busy”? Busy is not a badge of honour anymore. It’s not a right of passage. It's a feeling of being overwhelmed because of the demands on our time, on our inbox that is out of control, and a to do list that never ends. All this is making us unproductive, producing a reduction in performance and making many of us very unhealthy. In Busy, Tony Crabbe draws on solid psychological research to address this very problem in modern life. Busy is not a time management book. This is a book that provides real advice that helps you increase your productivity and efficiency by setting out key strategies to help you master your time and give you a sense of control over your life. If you're seeking focus, true engagement in the present moment, and the right momentum to get things done, then you'll love this book.  My copy is littered with coloured highlights that demonstrate how much value I took from this book.
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
Although I have never shopped at the Zappos, I was curious as to the inner workings and back story of a brand that I had heard so much about (such as the story of Zappos paying staff $2000 to leave the company while still training to be an employee). Zapppos is a business that is truly focused on company culture as its number one priority, an organisation that made customer service the responsibility of every single person, not just a department. This is a must read for anyone in business, particularly those who work in the field of retail or any business leader who values customers, clients, and the relationship they have with those who buy from them. This is a wonderful story by a guy who truly has built an outstanding business not only in turnover …..currently at $1 billion sales annually, but also a real story of building a real company culture that can stand the good, the bad and the ugly.
Non Obvious by Rohit Bhargava
It’s fair to say that I have a great interest in trends - current trends, and the trends that lead to something that is about to happen many horizons ahead. I'm curious about what’s next. If you share the same curiosity then you’re going to like this book. The author has curated his bestselling list of Non Obvious trends by asking the questions that most trend predictors miss. It's a book that not only outlines trends but gives you a sense of what to look for, how to judge a trend, and how to get on board the wave before it hits the beach. It is full of lots of great examples in all areas of our lives and I found this to be a thought-provoking yet useful book that not only talks about what a trend is, but also how to identify it, how to get on board, what to do about it,  and how to capitalise on it.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo
​Okay, this book can be a hard sell when you consider the title and the content. However all I can say is, give it a go. Marie Kondo is Japan's expert declutterer and professional cleaner. In a world of simplicity, minimalism, and decluttering this book is gold.  The ConMarie method will not just transform your space, but once you have your house in order, it will change how you look at things.  It will increase your productivity, creativity and performance. Many people find clutter and the chaos of a messy environment around them steals their Mojo. This worldwide bestseller is simple to read, very powerful, and once implemented, will certainly change your living working and social space. This system and philosophy is now being used by biohackers all over the world, and is the basis for much of the minimalist and simplistic approach that performance and productivity experts are using.  I have seen hard nosed business leaders change their whole philosophy to business and life after reading this book. 
Daring and Disruptive by Lisa Messenger
​Lisa Messenger is certainly one of the leading lights in Australian business as an entrepreneur and business go-getter. Daring and Disruptive is and easy to read account of this entrepreneur's rollercoaster ride to success. If you are running a start-up, looking to reinvigorate your business,  or looking for real tips and tools to ignite your daring and disruptive mind this is a great read. This book will help you dig deep, stay on purpose, back to yourself, and be true to your ideas, even when others doubt you. There is no doubting what Lisa has done in recent years in her business career, and as an author, has successfully put together a great array of tips tools suggestions and opinions to help you be your best.
Chasing Daylight by Eugene O’Kelly
​Eugene O'Kelly was the global CEO of KPMG. His life was immediately changed when  he was diagnosed with brain cancer. This book is an honest, touching, and ultimately inspirational memoir of this highflying business leaders last 3 1/2 months between the diagnosis of brain cancer and his death in September 2005. No matter what level of business you find yourself at today, this book is an absolute wake-up call for all of us and reminder that your 100 days starts today. This book is well written as well as haunting as we know this was written by a man who faced the end of his days. With 100 days left to live he shows us what to do when facing the end, and emphasises that we should never wait for our 100 days to be cast upon us. Every business leader needs to read this book. 
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying  by Bronnie Ware
Bronnie Ware found herself building a career in palliative care. Her days were spent at bedsides tending the needs of those who were dying. After writing a blog called “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying” and finding an audience of more than 3 million people across the globe, and at the request of her readers, Bronnie decided to develop that blog post into what ultimately became this book. This can be a life changing book for you if you heed the advice, put into place the suggestions, and lead your own fulfilling life, so that when you get to the end of your road you don't look back with the same regrets that the author heard time and time again from those who were dying. The real power of this book is the opportunity to implement the content of the book based on the regrets of those who left this planet with regrets, so that you don't do the same.
The Start Up of You by Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha
There would not be many people who do not know about or use LinkedIn. Written by the co-founder and Chairman of LinkedIn this is a supremely practical, relevant and current look at business, and social networking. It is a very valuable book filled with not only great content and information, but usable practical techniques and action plans, that you can put in place to get started on the new dream to you and your business. This book outlines completely how to apply the strategies of successful entrepreneurial businesses do your own career to further develop your progression and hence how to run the “start-up of you.”