Simon T. Bailey’s Top 22 Books to Spark Your Brilliance

Years ago, one of my mentors told me that readers are leaders and leaders are readers. Well, that statement became a mental tattoo and I never forgot. Jim Rohn said it best: “The book you don’t read won’t help." 

According to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults, 23% of American adults say they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic, or audio form. Pew found that an American’s likelihood of reading was directly correlated with wealth and education level. 

One of the greatest gifts in my life was meeting my mentor, Dr. Mark Chironna. When I first met him, he had 4,000 books in his personal library. He invited me to back up my car and load up on books, so I did. Twenty-five years later, my entire life has changed as a result of reading books. Recently, he shared that he’s read more than 18,000 books and he’s only 67 years of age. 

One of my biggest regrets is not reading to my children when they were growing up. They are now in college and, thanks to their mother, they are sharp and astute. However, I have a new granddaughter and one of the gifts that we’ve given to her at four weeks old is a book. Her mother is already reading to her. 

Here’s the bottom line: if you intend to thrive in 2022 and beyond, I suggest you start or join a virtual or in-person book club. The genius of reading a book together is hearing other's perspectives. 

Here are my personal favorite books that I’ve enjoyed and my feedback.