AMU Editor's Pick Military

Wes’ Favorite Things: Top Five Must-Read Books in 2016

usafaWords by Wes O’Donnell, Managing Editor, inmilitary.com/inmilitary.

Wes is a highly sought after presenter who has recently spoken at TEDx on Data Visualization and is speaking at the US Air Force Academy on Leadership.  Most importantly, Wes is a veteran and believes that when all 21.8 million of us are united, we can change the world.  Connect with Wes on LinkedIn.

Have a look at five books that I recommend you read in 2016, and feel free to sound off in the comments with your own recommendations!  Happy reading!

Editor’s note: Neither inmilitary.com/inmilitary nor Wes O’Donnell receive any affiliate compensation from the publisher or Amazon for listing the links to purchase.  It is merely done out of convenience for the reader.

5. The Power of Broke by Daymond John

Amazon.com
Amazon.com

The implications of working without a safety net means that, not only did I have more guts than brains, it means I had to be much more creative and disciplined in my first business. After all, not succeeding was too terrible to imagine.

Daymond John, a Shark Tank host, began his first business with $40. While that seemed like an obstacle at the time, he says that being broke is a powerful creative advantage. Release Date: January 19

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Broke-Greatest-Competitive-Advantage/dp/1101903597/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452529695&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Power+of+Broke+by+Daymond+John

 

4. An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy by Robert Dallek

Amazon.com
Amazon.com

What better way to pass the time in a presidential election year, than to read a masterful biography on one of the 20th Century’s nimblest and most charming politicians. Everyone seems to focus on his assassination, but Kennedy’s life was much more relevant to today’s partisan politics.

When it was originally published in 2003, AN UNFINISHED LIFE brought to light new revelations about JFK’s health, his love affairs, his brothers and father, and the path JFK would have taken in the Vietnam entanglement if he had survived. A blockbuster bestseller, the book was embraced by critics and readers as a landmark assessment of our 35th president.

http://www.amazon.com/An-Unfinished-Life-John-Kennedy/dp/0316907928

 

3. Winter Is Coming by Garry Kasparov

Amazon.com
Amazon.com

I fondly remember the 1990s, and so do many Russians. It was the first time in decades that Russian citizens actually had hope for the future; that perhaps the freedom and democracy that they so enviously admired about the West, could finally be theirs.

And then an ex-KGB agent took over and Russians have watched their freedoms erode slowly ever since.  The ascension of Vladimir Putin—a former lieutenant colonel of the KGB—to the presidency of Russia in 1999 was a strong signal that the country was headed away from democracy. Yet in the intervening years—as America and the world’s other leading powers have continued to appease him—Putin has grown not only into a dictator but an international threat. With his vast resources and nuclear arsenal, Putin is at the center of a worldwide assault on political liberty and the modern world order.

2016 is going to be an interesting year for Russia and for the world.

http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Is-Coming-Vladimir-Enemies/dp/1610396200

 

2. The Martian by Andy Weir

Amazon.com
Amazon.com

More than just a sci-fi story that has been turned into an award-winning movie, it’s time to find out what all of the hype is about… This is not a touchy-feely book about love, romance or relationships. There is no overpowering angle between characters. No good guys in white hats and bad guys in black hats. There’s no room for clichés. It’s all very business-like and scientific.

So why is it a must-read?

The novel is a tightly constructed and completely believable story of a man’s ingenuity and strength in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Riveting.

http://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452529731&sr=1-1&keywords=the+martian+andy+weir

 

1. Mastery by Robert Greene

Amazon.com
Amazon.com

“Mastery – the feeling that we have a greater command of reality, other people, and ourselves.”  Mastery is a book that will stand the test of time. Robert Greene writes to instruct others how to achieve mastery in any field, told through a series of mini-biographies, life lessons, timeless quotes, and a modern understanding of psychology and human nature. Mastery combines these different varieties of anecdotes and instructions simply and beautifully. It is a great read, and one that would have been relevant 500 years ago and will still be relevant 500 years from now. Few non-fiction books that are published today can claim such an accomplishment.

I had just finished another of Robert Greene’s books, “The Art of Seduction”, when I picked up this title.  These two, combined with another of Greene’s titles, “The 48 Laws of Power”, almost work together as a trilogy; all three books working together to weave a Machiavellian world-view of success. Highly recommend for 2016.

http://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Robert-Greene/dp/014312417X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452530119&sr=1-1&keywords=mastery+robert+greene

Wes O'Donnell

Wes O’Donnell is an Army and Air Force veteran and writer covering military and tech topics. As a sought-after professional speaker, Wes has presented at U.S. Air Force Academy, Fortune 500 companies, and TEDx, covering trending topics from data visualization to leadership and veterans’ advocacy. As a filmmaker, he directed the award-winning short film, “Memorial Day.”

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