September was my first full month back from our month-long European trip. It was great to sleep in my own bed and get back to a normal routine after weeks of living out of hotels and being on the move. I wouldn’t trade our time in Europe for anything. Being back in the office, watching football on weekends, reading physical books, and coaching youth sports again brought back a sense of normalcy.
My September reading list included Copy This!, It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work, The Ride of a Lifetime, and The Rolex Story. I’d read The Ride of a Lifetime before but got even more out of it this time around. For more recommendations, check out my previous reading lists.
Copy This!
“I could barely run the first copier we leased back in 1970.” — Paul Orfalea
Copy This! is Paul Orfalea’s memoir of building Kinko’s.
It’s the story of a dyslexic kid who struggled in school and turned a 100-square-foot copy shop into a billion-dollar business.
Timeless lessons that I’ll use personally include:
- Work on the business, not in the business.
- Build a positive work environment where people can perform at a high level.
- Hire high-integrity people who have skills you lack.
- Use apparent limitations to see problems from fresh angles.
- Be laser-focused on your cash flow at all times.
- True success means achieving inner peace and freedom over your time.
For more on Orfalea and Kinko’s, read:
It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work
“If you can’t fit everything you want to do within 40 hours per week, you need to get better at picking what to do, not work longer hours.” — Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work makes the case for building a calm company in a business culture that celebrates anxiety, chaos, and overwork.
The book argues for reasonable workloads, less waste, fewer distractions, and working on fewer things at once.
Practical lessons I’ll take with me:
- A calm company creates the conditions for better work.
- Long work hours aren’t a badge of honor.
- Productivity depends on protecting uninterrupted time and eliminating unnecessary work.
- Get better at choosing what matters instead of simply working longer.
For more on working differently, read:
📚 It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work
The Ride of a Lifetime
“Innovate or die, and there’s no innovation if you operate out of fear of the new or untested.” — Bob Iger, recounting a lesson from Roone Arledge
The Ride of a Lifetime is Bob Iger’s memoir about leadership, risk, and decision-making. He reflects on his years leading one of the world’s most influential entertainment companies and the lessons he learned.
Timeless lessons stand out:
- Pursue quality relentlessly.
- Embrace change and technology instead of fearing them.
- Take thoughtful risks and make consequential bets.
- Make timely decisions.
- Treat people fairly and lead with integrity.
For more on Disney, Iger, and leadership, read:
📚 The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
The Rolex Story
“At first I ventured to inscribe ‘Rolex’ on one watch in every six.” — Hans Wilsdorf
Rolex has become one of the most successful watch brands over the past century.
The Rolex Story explores this history, including how founder Hans Wilsdorf recognized the marketing power of placing watches on athletes accomplishing historic feats.
Key takeaways:
- A product name needs to be short, memorable, and easy to pronounce in any language.
- Companies converted into foundations can perpetuate their life’s work and share their success with humanity.
- Scale mass production without sacrificing top-tier quality.
- Create a product so distinct that it advertises itself.
For more on Rolex, Wilsdorf, and the secrets behind their enduring success, read:
September Reading List
Across these four books, four themes stood out: integrity, success, priorities, and quality.
Integrity means hiring people you trust who have skills you lack and treating everyone fairly. Success looks different for everyone. Sometimes it means having peace of mind and control over your time. Working longer hours isn’t a badge of honor. Focus on choosing what matters instead. Never sacrifice quality. Pursue it relentlessly.