Book recommendations for you (Dave's Newsletter)

WHAT WE'RE HEARING

15 Books You Won’t Be Able To Put Down Over The Holidays. And No, They’re Not All About Marketing.

Editor's Note: Hey. It’s Dave. This newsletter is hitting your inbox on Christmas morning, so we thought it would be fun to share some book recs in case you have any free time over the next couple weeks. I am currently editing this email after coming home from last minute shopping and all I can say is WHY DO I DO THIS EVERY YEAR!!! I’ll have to write a future newsletter on all of the toys the Gerhardt Kids got this year, but for now - my team had the idea of me sharing my book list, since last month I finally got hip surgery (something I'd been putting off for like 10 years) and while I was recovering, I got into a bunch of books. It was awesome, and I know it’s always nice to get book recommendations from someone you trust, so here are some of my favorites from this year.

I tell my kids this all the time: all leaders are readers.

Leadership requires continuous learning. And books are one of the best ways to do that.

For a while I only read business books. Simon Sinek, Brené Brown, Tim Ferriss. I've read every marketing and management book under the sun.

But lately I've been reading a lot more fiction. And honestly? Fiction is just as valuable. It's good for your brain. It's good for creativity.

I always notice that the more I'm reading, the more ideas I have.

It doesn't matter if I'm reading about murder or Harry Potter or history. Reading makes me better at my job. So here are some recent reads I couldn’t put down.

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4 Books I Read in 2025 That Are Worth The Hype

1. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Jess on our team recommended this one to me. It has a 4.5 on Goodreads and it’s about a guy who wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there and has to save humanity.

Get the audiobook for sure. The narrator, Ray Porter, is incredible. He does different voices for the characters and brings the whole thing to life.

OH and they're turning it into a movie with Ryan Gosling. And who doesn’t love him?

2. From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks

Look, I'm 38. I hope this isn't my second half yet. But this book is about finding success and happiness when your career shifts.

Arthur Brooks talks about how the things that made successful early (raw horsepower, fluid intelligence) peak earlier than think. NFL running backs are done by 27 or 28.

Then you shift to crystallized intelligence. Wisdom, teaching, connecting dots.

The book is about making that transition without losing your identity. Really good.

3. The Fury by Alex Michaelides

A thriller you’ll finish in one sitting. My wife read a book by this author a couple years ago called The Silent Patient. She loved it. It was a psychological thriller that completely hooked her.

We were actually looking for that at the bookstore when we came across this one.

I picked it up one night and couldn't put it down. You think you know what's happening and then it completely flips. If you’re into thrillers, this is a good one.

4. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

I know, I know. A little late to the party here. But my daughter got me hooked on Harry Potter (she’s way ahead of me, btw). I never read it as a kid so I'm learning the greatness now.

Talk about an incredible book. The world-building, the characters, the way it pulls you in - I get why an entire generation was obsessed with these books.

If you missed it the first time around, it's not too late. And if you have kids, reading it together is even better.

Books Other Marketers Can't Stop Talking About. So you know they’re good.

I asked the Exit Five community what they're reading and got flooded with responses.

These four came up over and over again.

5. The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

If you’re looking for an easy series, there are short novellas about a cyborg that was built to be a war bot but really just wants to watch Netflix. Quick reads. Fun. Perfect if you need something light between the holidays.

Someone said it's "one of the best for character development that I've read."

6. Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

You won’t be able to put this one down. A traumatized woman's literal mistake exposes a brutal past and forces her into the world.

"Never read anything like it. Amazing! You will be absorbed from the first line."

That's the quote that sold me on this one. If you want something that grabs you immediately and doesn't let go, this is it.

7. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

A guy and his ex-girlfriend's cat try to survive in a post-apocalyptic intergalactic game show. It’s "Hysterically funny."

And if you get the audiobook, they used a full studio to produce it. Voice actors, sound effects, music. The whole thing. It’s next level.

8. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

This one will suck you in. It's fantasy. Deep world-building. Complex magic systems. The kind of book that makes you want to call in sick to work so you can keep reading.

Fair warning: the series isn't finished yet.

Books for Leading Teams…Dan Just Got Promoted, So I'm Sending Him These

A couple weeks ago I promoted Dan Murphy to CEO of Exit Five.

He's been our COO for two years and has been running the business day-to-day while I get to do the fun stuff like write newsletters like this and record podcasts.

I'm sending him two books that have shaped how I think about management and leadership. Because my love language is sending books and knowledge (does anybody else do this?).

If you're running a team or just got promoted, these are worth reading.

9. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

This is one of the best books on management I've ever read.

It's newer. A little more modern. And it's about building a business when there are no easy answers. Like the really hard decisions you have to make as a leader…you know, the stuff nobody wants to talk about. A must-read that doesn’t sugarcoat anything.

10. The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo

1:1s, feedback, expectations, prioritization. Super readable, zero fluff, and useful whether you have 2 reports or 20.

If you’re newer to management or rebuilding fundamentals, this one pays off fast. You’ll wish you had it on day 1.

These Books Should Be Required Reading For Every Marketer

I've read every marketing book under the sun. Most of them are forgettable.

These three aren't.

They're the ones that changed how I think about marketing. The ones I come back to over and over again.

If you want to get better at the craft, start here.

11. Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz

I got this book with a note that said: "You can't call yourself a marketer and not have this book in your library."

A cult classic. One of the most sought-after books on copywriting (and worth every penny). Not the easiest read. But you'll come out the other side as a better copywriter.

12. Purple Cow by Seth Godin

This book came out in the early 2000s and is more relevant than ever today with what's happening with AI.

Founders and companies everywhere are struggling to differentiate. You must stand out. You must be remarkable.

13. The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert

A love letter from prison. Gary Halbert wrote this to his son about copywriting and marketing while he was in prison for tax fraud.

Here's what stuck with me: Everyone divides their mail into two piles. The A-pile (personal letters, things you’re excited to open) and the B-pile (AKA junk mail).

You want your stuff in the A-pile. Emails, LinkedIn messages, everything you write as a marketer.

The A-pile sounds human. It has personality. It feels like it's from a real person who actually cares.

Stop writing like a company. Start writing like a human. That's how you get into the A-pile.

Books That’ll Make You a Better Communicator

You'll never be a great marketing executive if you're not a great communicator.

Seriously. Clear communication is one of the reasons I was able to advance my career quickly. More than knowing CAC to LTV or MQL definitions.

So if you want to take the next step, start here.

14. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo

This book breaks down Jobs' genius into tactics you can steal, like the structure: story, problem, solution, proof, call to action.

He simplified massive ideas into lines like "1,000 songs in your pocket."

Watch the 2007 iPhone keynote. Outline it. Your next pitch will level up instantly.

15. Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives, and Other Introverts by Joanna Penn

For anyone who hates public speaking. You can be introverted and still be a great speaker.

The book covers the practical stuff: how to prepare, how to manage nerves, how to connect with an audience without pretending to be someone you're not.

If the idea of public speaking makes you want to hide, this one’s for you.

One last thing!

I have this feeling that I'm going to die one day having only read a tiny percentage of the books out there.

So I have a really low tolerance for books that don't grab me. If I'm three nights in and it's not interesting, I'm done. Life's too short.

All the knowledge in the world is out there. You just have to go find it.

Hope you find at least one book you can’t wait to tell your friends about in this newsletter.

– Dave

P.S. Drop me a reply with a book you loved that I should read in 2026.

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