Make Time for a Great Book

With temperatures on the rise, many of you are likely looking forward to backyard BBQs, late sunsets and months of making memories with family and friends. Summer also means laying by the pool or sitting on the beach and getting lost in a great book.

Fresh out of ideas this year? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are some recommendations from FSI members and staff.

Benjamin Wuerffel, President and Financial Advisor, Capital Analysts of Jacksonville

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

This book has had a profound impact on me because it emphasizes the importance of taking full responsibility for your actions and decisions, both personally and professionally. I truly believe that operating with a high degree of integrity isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s also contagious. When you take ownership, you inspire those around you to do the same, creating a culture of accountability. This mindset leads to stronger teams, better results and greater trust in leadership.

The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business, Patrick Lencioni

This book encouraged me to prioritize the culture and overall health of the team as a critical factor for success. Lencioni makes a compelling case that organizational health is more important than strategy or finance in achieving long-term effectiveness. I was especially struck by the idea that cohesive leadership and clarity are essential to building a strong team. It reinforced my belief that investing in people and culture has a ripple effect throughout the entire organization.

Ruth Matt, Founder and CEO, Fore River Financial

The Happy Advisor, Bill Smith

This veteran advisor offers solutions and guidance with hard-hitting stories and observations that cut right through to the issues we face every day. Topics include breaking out of a slump, soothing rattled psyches, getting the respect you deserve, staying updated, managing time, eliminating anxiety and understanding what clients really care about. Truly indispensable.

The Road to Serfdom, Friedrich Hayek

Hayek warns of the danger of tyranny that inevitably results from government control of economic decision-making through central planning. This highly acclaimed book explained the potential of socialist systems to become totalitarian and why this was so significant after WWII. These pages will show you how socialist planning can lead to a loss of freedom, individuality and democracy.

Libet Anderson, Community Leader, Cetera Wealth Partners

I cannot imagine choosing one author (much less one book) who has been the most influential in my professional career. Early on, I learned a lot from books by Peter Lynch, who helped shape my basic investment philosophy. In later years, as I grew into management roles, I relied on authors such as Simon Sinek, Adam Grant and Malcolm Gladwell. I read everything they produce.

The Impossible First, Colin O’Brady

While certainly not a business book, it details Colin’s incredible accomplishments, specifically the first solo crossing of Antarctica. I often found myself (in the comfort of my warm loft) reading about his harrowing, life-threatening daily grind to put one foot in front of another and survive each day, only to do it all over again. This story is incredibly inspiring and provides valuable perspective; I think about it often when I reflect on my career. There are times when I didn’t know where it would take me, but I’ve continued to put my head down and work hard each day.

Dale Brown, CEO & President, FSI

What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service, Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack

My wife and I have been big fans of The West Wing (and anything else by Aaron Sorkin) since the days of appointment TV every Wednesday night in the early 2000s. Now, with streaming capability, I think we are up to four or five times through the entire series. This book by a couple of the cast members was a fun and insightful way to experience so many of the backstories.

A Woman of Firsts: Margaret Heckler, Political Trailblazer, Kim Heckler

One of my wife’s closest friends, Kim Heckler, wrote this book about her mother-in-law, Margaret Heckler. Margaret was the only woman elected to Congress in 1966 and went on to serve in President Reagan’s cabinet as Secretary of Health and Human Services and then as Ambassador to Ireland. I have had several opportunities to meet with and talk to Margaret during our 15 years living in the D.C. area.