The Reads of 2021

New Year, New Reads! Whilst I’m looking forward to the books of 2022, I thought I’d give you a recap of the books I read in 2021. I worked through 18 books last year, and as you can see, there’s a little more of a business bent to them as I endeavoured to improve my skills for my real estate career both as a sales agent and a manager. This being said, I think you’ll find the selection pretty flavoursome on the whole.

As they say, readers are leaders, and hopefully my list inspires you to pick up a book or two in ‘22.

Once again, I have bolded the ones I think would be a great read for anybody!

  • A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway (Fiction - Classic Literature)

  • A Promised Land - Barack Obama (Autobiography/Politics - USA)

  • Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Teal Book of Trust: How to Earn It, Grow It, and Keep It to become a Trusted Advisor in Sales, Business and Life - Jeffrey Gitomer (Business/Sales/Personal Development)

  • Confessions - St. Augustine (Christian Theology/Spirituality)

  • Winning the War for Talent: How to Attract & Keep the People Who Make Your Business Profitable - Mandy Johnson (HR/Business)

  • Surprised by Joy - C.S. Lewis (Autobiography/Spirituality)

  • 100 Secrets of My Progress - Paul Scanlon (Personal Development)

  • Why Winners Win - Gary Pittard (Business/Sales)

  • Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life - Craig Groeschel (Psychology/Theology/Personal Development/Spirituality)

  • The Dry - Jane Harper (Fiction - Australian Crime)

  • Paul: A Biography - N.T. Wright (Biography/Christian Theology)

  • Fire & Fury: Inside the Trump White House - Michael Wolff (Politics - USA/Tabloid)

  • Orthodoxy - G.K. Chesteron (Essays/Christian Theology/1900s Literature)

  • Real Estate Dangers and How to Avoid Them - Andrew Trim (Real Estate/Business)

  • Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t - Jim Collins (Business)

  • Start With Why - Simon Sinek (Business/Personal Development)

  • The Old Man and The Sea - Ernest Hemingway (Fiction - Classic Literature)

  • Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness - Jeffrey Gitomer (Business/Sales/Personal Development)


Most Enjoyable:

  • A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway

  • The Old Man and The Sea - Ernest Hemingway

  • A Promised Land - Barack Obama

  • Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness - Jeffrey Gitomer

  • The Dry - Jane Harper (Thank you Emily Cottrell for the gift!)

Books that Influenced Me the Most:

  • A Promised Land - Barack Obama

  • Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Teal Book of Trust: How to Earn It, Grow It, and Keep It to become a Trusted Advisor in Sales, Business and Life - Jeffrey Gitomer (Business/Sales/Personal Development)

  • Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness - Jeffrey Gitomer

  • Winning the War for Talent: How to Attract & Keep the People Who Make Your Business Profitable - Mandy Johnson (Great for anyone who’s looking to make hires!)

  • Start With Why - Simon Sinek

  • Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Other’s Don’t - Jim Collins

I found “Start with Why” and “Good to Great” to be very complementary of each other: get the inner “why” right and the “what'“ and”how” follows!

Jeffrey Gitomer is also a hilarious and confronting author at times. I will never forget the title and principle “Kick Your Own Ass” - his words, not mine!

Most Difficult To Read:

  • Confessions - St Augustine (I bought a version that was in old English… this was a slog!)

  • Orthodoxy - G.K. Chesterton (I found this book less captivating and impressing than “Heretics”, the prequel)


I’m looking forward to a year of new reads - I’ve just started on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton and I am riveted!

Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions on the books above or if you have any recommendations for me - shoot me a DM or leave a comment! 📚

Crude, but effective.

Mark Dunlop