Staff Picks

We are known for our business book expertise, but most of our staff started working here because of our passion for books, not business. 800-CEO-READ is a company filled with voracious readers—talented, creative individuals who know books, and who excel at getting the right books into the hands of the right people. Whenever we can, we like to do that by telling you about the books we’ve been reading.

The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir

By Emily Porter, published July 24, 2019, at 9:00 AM – Filed under: Fiction, Narrative & Biography

From the mesmerizing illustrations to the heartfelt writing, Thi Bui has created a hard to put down treasure.

How to Make a Plant Love You: Cultivate Green Space in Your Home and Heart

By Gabbi Cisneros, published July 9, 2019, at 9:30 AM – Filed under: Big Ideas & New Perspectives, Personal Development & Human Behavior

Gabbi reviews a book that teaches us how plants and people aren't so different.

Sabrina & Corina

By Gabbi Cisneros, published June 26, 2019, at 9:30 AM – Filed under: Fiction

Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s eleven stories are woven together into a tapestry revealing the common threads between the diverse lives of Indigenous Latina women in the American West.

Tales of the City

By Emily Porter, published June 7, 2019, at 9:00 AM – Filed under: Fiction

Armistead Maupin's San Francisco series is, quite simply put, a masterpiece.

Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer

By Gabbi Cisneros, published May 16, 2019, at 11:30 AM – Filed under: Big Ideas & New Perspectives, Current Events & Public Affairs, Innovation & Creativity

The newest member of our marketing team, Gabbi Cisneros, reviews Bren Smith's journey to becoming an ocean farmer.

Tin Man: A Novel

By Emily Porter, published May 9, 2019, at 9:30 AM – Filed under: Fiction, Personal Development & Human Behavior

Sarah Winman's Tin Man is a novel "full of love, loss, and the awe of rebuilding your soul after devastating grief."

The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction

By Emily Porter, published April 24, 2019, at 9:00 AM – Filed under: Innovation & Creativity, Personal Development & Human Behavior

Our newest employee, Emily Porter, reviews Meghan Cox Gurdon's new book about "The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction."

American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey Into the Business of Punishment

By Rebecca Schwartz, published October 3, 2018, at 2:00 PM – Filed under: Current Events & Public Affairs

Our owner and CEO takes a look inside the country's prison industrial complex, and its long history, through the lens of journalist Shane Bauer's new book.