Season 3 was a landmark season for our show. We read some amazing books and interviewed some award-winning authors. In this episode we discuss the highlights of Season 3. We pick the best and worst books we read. And we provide a behind the scenes look at our author interviews. Plus, we preview Season 4. Show Notes Season 3 Listener Survey via Google Forms David Kopec on Return to the Little Kingdom via CFO Bookshelf David Short on Nostr: npub1fl8yl9m9n6mn9c90drxhltylgph3vtcguzlzdq9uth4pd7nnnzgsyweqxm Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.comRead transcript

Layered Money: From Gold and Dollars to Bitcoin and Central Bank Digital Currencies by Nik Bhatia is one of the most popular books in the world of bitcoin. But it's much more than that. The first half of the book is a history of monetary systems. This sets the stage for a dive into the world of bitcoin, including what makes it special and how it differs from the currencies that preceded it. Finally, Layered Money takes the reader through current developments in the Bitcoin world and how central banks will likely respond to it with their own digital currencies. We are pleased to be joined by the author of Layered Money, Nik Bhatia. Show Notes Layered Money: From Gold and Dollars to Bitcoin and Central Bank Digital Currencies by Nik Bhatia via Amazon The Bitcoin Layer Nik Bhatia on Twitter Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. is an epic biography of the industrialist by acclaimed author Ron Chernow. Rockefeller was the founder of Standard Oil, a company that was notorious for its monopolization of the oil industry in the late 19th century. An adept businessman and talented strategist, Rockefeller was demonized throughout his career for his sometimes brutal tactics. During the latter half of his life, Rockefeller became America’s foremost philanthropist, establishing a pattern of giving that has been emulated by many later tycoons. In this episode we’ll discuss John D. Rockefeller’s life, work, the economics of the late 19th century oil industry, and the lasting legacy of Standard Oil. Show Notes Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow via Amazon Ron Chernow via Wikipedia Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It is considered one of the best books of all time on negotiation. Instead of focusing on economic theory or game theory, it focuses on practical techniques and psychological insight. Voss uses anecdotes from his career as an international hostage negotiator for the FBI to enliven the narrative while alternating with everyday business negotiation scenarios. We are thrilled to be joined by author Chris Voss to discuss his book. Show Notes Never Split the Difference by Chriss Voss via Amazon The Black Swan Group The Black Swan Group on Twitter The Black Swan Group on YouTube Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley is a comprehensive portrait of the early era of PayPal—predominantly focused on the years between its founding in 1998 and its sale to eBay in 2002. A deeply researched and well written narrative, The Founders provides the backstory of the group of individuals who became known as “The PayPal mafia.” We are privileged to be joined by the book’s author, Jimmy Soni. Show Notes The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni via Amazon Jimmy Soni's Website Jimmy Soni on Twitter Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone by David Carey and John Morris is more than just a book about Blackstone—it’s a history of private equity. Carey and Morris explain the sometimes esoteric world of this segment of high finance. They recount its cycles of booms and busts from the 1980s through the 2010s, and explain how Blackstone navigated the sometimes tumultuous waters to ultimately become one of the most influential alternative investment management companies in the world. In this episode we explain the basics of private equity and discuss the history of the private equity as recounted in the book. Show Notes King of Capital via Amazon Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, venture capitalist Ben Horowitz recounts lessons he learned about how to run a Silicon Valley startup, largely from his time as the CEO of Loudcloud, which later became Opsware. Horowitz provides specific advice about hiring, firing, managing emotions, handling growth, deciding whether or not to sell, and everything in-between. His thoughts are sometimes unconventional and often punctuated by relevant anecdotes from his experience as a CEO or venture capitalist. Show Notes The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz via Amazon Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Instant: The Story of Polaroid covers the rise, heyday, and decline of Polaroid Corporation. It has a particular focus on the personality and management style of Edwin Land, Polaroid’s innovative and dynamic founder, who was an inspiration to Steve Jobs. Polaroid’s niche in the marketplace and the strategic mistakes that led to Polaroid’s decline are other major themes of the book. We were pleased to be joined by the book’s author, Christopher Bonanos, for an interview about his work. Show Notes Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher Bonanos via Amazon Christopher Bonanos on Twitter Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous by Christopher Bonanos via Amazon Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Measure What Matters, by venture capitalist John Doerr, is about OKRs—Objectives and Key Results—an approach to goal setting. Doerr evangelizes the use of OKRs and explains how they can help any organization better align its direction and continually evaluate its success. OKRs are a simple concept, but the book elucidates them with many anecdotes about their use in varying organizations, including startups, large corporations, and charities. We discuss the key takeaways from the book and how they're applicable to our careers. By the end of the episode you'll have a strong understanding of OKRs. Show Notes Measure What Matters by John Doerr via Amazon S1E1 High Output Management S1E13 Only the Paranoid Survive Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

We interviewed Eric Berger, the author of Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX. It's about the journey of grit, resilience, and unbridled optimism that turned a scrappy startup into the premier space company of the 21st century. Eric utilized full access at SpaceX to get the inside story from employees and Elon Musk himself. Most of the book focuses on the exciting early period of SpaceX from 2002 - 2009 when there were experimental rockets, tropical islands, and even some explosions. We also welcomed our new co-host, Kevin Hudak, and learned more about his background. Welcome to the show, Kevin! Show Notes Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX by Eric Berger via Amazon Eric Berger on Twitter Eric Berger at Ars Technica Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com