I try to have about three books on the go at any given time: one on training or anatomy, one on business or self-help, and now with the interwebz thingy going on I’m trying to get a book once in a while on using that fancy shiny box on my desk. I’m going to go through some of the best books I’ve read in the past few months, and if you’re interested in any of them, there will be handy dandy links to click along the way so you can pick them up as easy as pie.

1. Outliers – by Malcolm Gladwell

Ever want to know how to make your little Wayne Gretzky wanna-be make it to the big leagues?? Simple: Birth the little bugger in January. This and other little tid-bits of correlative conundrums from a guy who looks like he got beat up a lot as a kid and vowed to rule the earth as an uber-rich and successful adult.

 

2. 4-Hour Body – Tim Ferriss

I wrote a review of this one a few days ago, and it’s gaining a lot of publicity from well-known academic types like The View and Dr. Oz

3. How to Write & Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit – Robert Bly

Honestly, I haven’t cracked this one yet, as I’ve got three others on the go and want to finish them before tackling this one. I figure the title is pretty self-explanatory, but we’ll see if it has any merit to it. Anyone else read it?? Thoughts??

4. Never Let Go – Dan John

Probably one of the best written books on sports psychology and motivational philosophy I have ever read. If you read only one book this year, pick this one. It will probably change the way you view yourself and everything you do as a trainer and worker-outer.

5. Power to the People – Pavel Tsatsouline

This guy is a freak, plain and simple. Here’s a guy who teaches Russian Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Olympic athletes who win gold like it’s going out of style, and can even show Stuart McGill a thing or two. A crazy smart guy who can write like a demon.

6. Switch – How to Change when Change is Hard – Chip and Dan Heath

When there are big challenges ahead of you, there are two ways to handle them: give up because you don’t want to work that hard, or find a way. This book gives a way to figure out how to make action from the impossible.

7. The Definitive Guide to Body Language – Barbara Pease

If you ever learn one skill that will help you to deal with people on a higher level, learning their subconscious body language cueing will give you an edge in any situation. Be it sales, friendship, love, or simply trying to find out what your clients are thinking when you’re asking about their food and weight loss. Don’t believe me?? Just ask Lindsay. I wouldn’t be with her if I didn’t know how to read her like a book. This book.

8. Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalances: The Janda Approach

Nothing can explain genius though processing like taking complex concepts and turning them into extremely simple solutions. Janda does this for rehab, and has influenced decades of practitioners. Want to improve balance? Get some Birkenstocks, cut a golf ball in half, and glue one to the other.

Well folks, these are some of the books I’ve been reading in the past two months. Alwyn Cosgrove has always said that to become great, spend an hour each day reading books to improve your abilities to train and build your business. What books have you been reading that have helped you out?? I need some new ones. Leave me a comment below to let me know some that are keeping your gray matter working.