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Ben Casnocha is a Silicon Valley–based entrepreneur and author. Currently twenty-one years old, he serves on the board of Comcate, Inc., the leading e-government technology firm he founded eight years ago. He has received various accolades. In 2006 BusinessWeek named him one of America's best young entrepreneurs. In 2004 PoliticsOnline ranked him among the "twenty-five most influential people in the world of Internet and politics." The Silicon Valley Business Journal named his blog one of the "Top 25 in Silicon Valley."
Below are his favorite books, a great list indeed!
- Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis
(history, nonfiction)
"An awesome book. Highly recommended for a look at the men behind the Revolutionary Generation." - Saturday By Ian Mcewan
(literature and fiction)
"An excellent novel by one of Britain's leading writers." - The Immortal Game: A History Of Chess, Or How 32 Carved Pieces On A Board Illuminated Our Understanding Of War, Art, Science And The Human Brain by David Shenk
(history)
"An awesome book on chess -- some history, some strategy, and some humor too." - Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than Iq by Daniel Goleman
(health, self-help, success, parenting)
"A classic. Awesome." - The Cure: How A Father Raised $100 Million--and Bucked The Medical Establishment--in A Quest To Save His Children by Geeta Anand
(business books, health, parenting)
"Inspiring book about how far a parent will go to save his children." - Anonymous Lawyer: A Novel by Jeremy Blachman
(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)
"Hilarious satire of a big L.A. law firm written in the form of blog entries. Must read for anyone in a law firm or considering that path." - Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson
(history)
"A fantastic biography of one of history's most extraordinary people." - Chasing Daylight by Gene O'Kelly
(business books, health, self-help, nonfiction)
"Truly extraordinary. A must-read." - The Game: Penetrating The Secret Society Of Pickup Artists by Neil Strauss
(health, nonfiction)
"Fascinating and provocative book inside a world I didn't know existed." - The Pleasure Of My Company: A Novel by Steve Martin
(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)
"Great novel -- brief but energetic. And funny most of the time." - The Blind Side: Evolution Of A Game by Michael Lewis
"An excellent storytelling job by Lewis. Highly recommended." - Why Do I Love These People?: Understanding, Surviving, And Creating Your Own Family by Po Bronson
(health, nonfiction, parenting)
"An excellent collection of stories about families who have overcome challenges." - American Sphinx: The Character Of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis
(history, nonfiction)
"Excellent analysis of this complex man." - Miracle In The Andes: 72 Days On The Mountain And My Long Trek Home by Vince Rause
"Stunning, inspiring, beautiful." - Ender's Game By Orson Scott Card
(sci-fi, children books, children books series, teens)
"A science fiction classic that I re-read and still liked." - Old School By Tobias Wolff
(literature and fiction)
"An awesome novel, particularly for those interested in books and reading." - Discover Your Inner Economist: Use Incentives To Fall In Love, Survive Your Next Meeting, And Motivate Your Dentist by Tyler Cowen
(business books, health, success, self-help)
"Chock-full of mind grenades." - The Perfect Storm: A True Story Of Men Against The Sea by Sebastian Junger
(literature and fiction, nonfiction, science)
"A famous, awesome account of the perfect storm -- and commercial fishing more generally." - Only As Good As Your Word: Writing Lessons From My Favorite Literary Gurus by Susan Shapiro
"Excellent memoir on writing and mentors" - Who Are We: The Challenges To America's National Identity by Samuel P. Huntington
(history, nonfiction)
"An excellent, provocative read on Americanism and immigration" - Free Prize Inside: The Next Big Marketing Idea by Seth Godin
(business books)
"One of the better marketing books I've read. A lot of cool ideas." - We The Media: Grassroots Journalism By The People, For The People
(IT books, nonfiction)
"An important read for any blogger or anyone interested in the next phase of journalsim. See my review." - The Mousedriver Chronicles: The True-life Adventures Of Two First-time Entrepreneurs by Kyle Harrison
(business books)
"A fantastic read and required reading for any entrepreneur." - Clinton & Me: A Real Life Political Comedy by Mark Katz
"Hilarious and highly reccomended for anyone interested in laughing and politics." - Mind Wide Open: Your Brain And The Neuroscience Of Everyday Life by Steven Johnson
(health, self-help, management, science)
"Excellent" - Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology And The Law To Lock Down Culture And Control Creativity by Lawrence Lessig
(business books, nonfiction)
"A powerful, provocative book that is required reading for anyone thinking about the digital media space and the law/IP." - Soros: The Life And Times Of A Messianic Billionaire by Michael T. Kaufman
"An excellent biography that sheds light into one of the most influential private citizens in the world." - The Wisdom Of Crowds: Why The Many Are Smarter Than The Few by James Surowiecki
(business books)
"A tremendously interesting collection of anecdotes and behavioral economics lessons. Highly recommended." - Dress Your Family In Corduroy And Denim by David Sedaris
(literature and fiction)
"A must-read book that makes the utterly mundane original and funny." - The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker
(management, management / leadership, business books)
"A classic management book that simply must be read by all executives." - A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again : Essays And Arguments by David Foster Wallace
(literature and fiction)
"Highly recommended" - The World Is Flat: A Brief History Of The Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman
(history, nonfiction, science)
"A must read" - The Marketing Playbook: Five Battle-tested Plays For Capturing And Keeping The Lead In Any Market by Rich Tong
(business books)
"An excellent, instructive read for anyone involved in start up marketing." - Reflections Of An Affirmative Action Baby by Stephen L. Carter
(economics, business books, nonfiction)
"A must-read" - Running The World: The Inside Story Of The National Security Council And The Architects Of American Power by David Rothkopf
(history, nonfiction)
"A must-read book for anyone interested in US foreign policy. " - Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
(literature and fiction, classics, fantasy, sci-fi)
"One of the most influential books of our time" - Sigmund Freud: An Outline Of Psycho-analysis by Peter Gay
(health, science)
"An excellent introduction to Freudian thought." - The Geography Of Thought : How Asians And Westerners Think Differently...and Why by Richard Nisbett
(health, nonfiction, science)
"An excellent book that shows how Asians and Westerners think differently." - The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions by Huston Smith
(history, religion and spirituality)
"The most authoritative and accessible read on the world's religions. Highly recommended." - The Universe In A Single Atom : The Convergence Of Science And Spirituality by Dalai Lama
(religion and spirituality, science)
"An excellent book on why science and Buddhism should be able to co-exist." - The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)
"An excellent story set in a racist south. Great for mothers, daughters, bee lovers, or yes, guys." - The Blank Slate : The Modern Denial Of Human Nature by Steven Pinker
(health, history, nonfiction)
"The most influential book I read in 2005." - Katharine Graham: Personal History by Katharine Graham
(history, nonfiction, writing)
"An excellent, fun tour through the life of this journalistic giant." - Swimming Across: A Memoir by Andrew S. Grove
"An awesome memoir by Intel founder....which doesn't mention Intel once. " - Winning The Loser's Game by Charles D. Ellis
(business books, management, management / leadership)
"An excellent introduction to investing." - Consider The Lobster : And Other Essays by David Foster Wallace
(literature and fiction, classics, writing)
"As always, very excellent. " - The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits And True Growth by Fred Reichheld
(business books, management, management / leadership)
"A great book that got me thinking about customer satisfaction in a whole new light." - Fooled By Randomness : The Hidden Role Of Chance In Life And In The Markets
(economics, business books)
"One of the most important and best books I've read in years." - Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft Powerpoint To Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, And Inspire by Cliff Atkinson
(business books, IT books)
"An excellent intro to make compelling PPT's -- all presenters should read this or his blog." - Creative Destruction : How Globalization Is Changing The World's Cultures by Tyler Cowen
(economics, business books)
"Excellent thesis on how globalization is providing more and better cultural choice. " - The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
(literature and fiction, sci-fi)
"Perhaps the best living American novelist." - Stumbling On Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
(business books, happiness, self-help, health, science)
"Chock full of nuggets. Required reading for people who pursue happiness with vigor!" - In An Uncertain World: Tough Choices From Wall Street To Washington by Jacob Weisberg
(economics, business books, nonfiction)
"Excellent memoir from the former treasury secretary." - The New New Thing: A Silicon Valley Story by Michael Lewis
(economics, business books, IT books)
"Another entrepreneurial journey story to help me as I write my own book. Great read -- Jim Clark is a maniac." - River Town: Two Years On The Yangtze by Peter Hessler
(history, nonfiction)
"An outstanding recollection of two years in the Peace Corps in China. Awesome writing and great portrait of China." - Indecision: A Novel by Benjamin Kunkel
(literature and fiction)
"Excellent novel by a new literary sensation. " - The Best American Essays 2005 by
(classics, literature and fiction)
"Awesome writing and essays. Good for any non fiction lover." - The Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
(literature and fiction)
"A simply moving and inspiring account of Didion dealing with grief. A must-read" - Snow by Orhan Pamuk
(literature and fiction)
"Complex, sad, beautiful. A wonderful novel by this Nobel prize winning Turkish writer. Vivid images of Turkey - now I want to go there! It can be hard to follow the different threads, but I highly recommend this, especially if you don't know much about Turkey or Turkish people." - Teacher Man by Frank Mccourt
"Awesome. Why had I never heard of McCourt? This is a beautiful memoir about McCourt's teaching years in New York City. Certainly one of the best I've read about teaching. I can't imagine any teacher disliking this book." - Love Is The Killer App, How To Win Business And Influence Friends by Tim Sanders
(business books, motivational, management / leadership)
"Awesome book on how to bring compassion into the business world" - The Bonfire Of The Vanities by Tom Wolfe
(literature and fiction)
"Bonfire is considered by many people to be Wolfe's best book and one of the best novels ever written. Even though I missed the 80's, I was still captivated by his portrayal of New York Wall Street and racial tension and courtroom drama. A masterpiece." - San Francisco Is Burning: The Untold Story Of The 1906 Earthquake And Fires by Dennis Smith
(history, science)
"A solid, if at times drearily written, account of the largest metro fire in history." - The Devil Wears Prada By Lauren Weisberger
(literature and fiction)
"A solid work of chick lit and good lesson for any recent college grad." - The Diving-bell And The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
(health)
"An inspiring, moving book written by a man completely paralyzed (written by blinking his left eye)." - The 4-hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, And Join The New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
(motivational, business books, careers, success, self-help, health)
"Compelling life hacks." - Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
(literature and fiction)
"I got through 3/4 of this 1,000+ page book. Massive but worth it." - The Art Of Political Warfare by John J., Jr. Pitney
(history, nonfiction)
"A good overview of how military imagery and strategy is used in U.S. politics." - Rules For Radicals By Saul Alinsky
(nonfiction)
"A classic that has influenced Obama and Clinton, among others. Many interesting thoughts on organizing." - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
(literature and fiction)
"An excellent novel and highly recommended." - Under The Banner Of Heaven : A Story Of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
(history, nonfiction, religion and spirituality)
"A fantastic book for anyone interested in religion, extremism, Utah/Mormonism, or excellent literary nonfiction." - Interpreter Of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
(literature and fiction)
"Great short stories about India and America." - Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide To Knowing What The Numbers Really Mean by John Case
(business books, management, management / leadership)
"Finance 101. Awesome, basic overview of the financial drivers of a business. Good for entrepreneurs not otherwise steeped in this stuff." - America At The Crossroads: Democracy, Power, And The Neoconservative Legacy2 by Francis Fukuyama
(history, nonfiction)
"Awesome summary and analysis of neoconservatism in the past and looking toward the future." - I Am Charlotte Simmons: A Novel by Tom Wolfe
(literature and fiction)
"An excellent, gripping novel. " - Who Controls The Internet?: Illusions Of A Borderless World by Tim Wu
(IT books, nonfiction)
"A quick and provocative read about how national borders and laws are rejecting internet-utopians' prediction of borderless world." - Up The Organization: How To Stop The Organization From Stifling People And Strangling Profits by Warren Bennis
(leadership, management / leadership, business books)
"Timeless lessons from this old business classic." - Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
(health, religion and spirituality)
"Inspiring. Read it." - The Definitive Book Of Body Language by Allan Pease
(health, self-help)
"Some very useful tips for thinking about how our non-verbal cues influence people." - Flow: The Psychology Of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
(health, happiness, self-help)
"Recommended if you want to better understand how and why you get in the "flow" and time flies." - How Would You Move Mount Fuji? Microsoft's Cult Of The Puzzle - How The World's Smartest Company Selects The Most Creative Thinkers by William Poundstone
(careers, business books, management / leadership)
"A fun and insightful book; reccomended for anyone in the high-tech job interviewing world (as employer or interviewee)." - Raising The Bar : Integrity And Passion In Life And Business: The Story Of Clif Bar, Inc. by Gary Erickson
(biography, business books, leadership, management / leadership)
"A great first person account of the story behind Clif Bar. You'll like it especially if you are an outdoors person." - The Four Steps To Te Epiphany: Strategies For Products That Win by Steven Gary Blank
(business books, children books, IT books, food and cooking, health, history, literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers, nonfiction, parenting, religion and spirituality, romance, science, teens)
"Good intro book for the concept of "customer development." - Never Eat Alone : And Other Secrets To Success, One Relationship At A Time by Tahl Raz
(motivational, business books, careers, management, management / leadership, communications)
"A good networking guide for the serious businessperson." - The Secrets Of Facilitation: The S.m.a.r.t. Guide To Getting Results With Groups by Michael Wilkinson
(management / leadership, business books, communications)
"A quick, informative read on excellent facilitation techniques." - Emerson: The Mind On Fire by Robert D. Richardson Jr.
(literature and fiction)
"A nice biography of one of the country's most influential intellectuals." - Lawrence Kohlberg's Approach To Moral Education by Lawrence Kohlberg
(health, nonfiction)
"A strong book for anyone interested in morality and schools." - Getting Things Done: The Art Of Stress-free Productivity by David Allen
(business books, time management, health, self-help)
"Good reminders on practical productivity strategies. " - Ghost Wars: The Secret History Of The Cia, Afghanistan, And Bin Laden, From The Soviet Invasion To September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll
(history, nonfiction)
"A detailed, rewarding read. " - Reading In The Dark : A Novel by Seamus Deane
(literature and fiction)
"Wonderful Irish novel packed with meaning and mystery. "Reading in the dark" is the kind of terrific paradox that defines this novel." - This Boy's Life: A Memoir by Tobias Wolff
(literature and fiction)
"A beautiful, classic memoir about childhood." - French And Americans: The Other Shore by Pascal Baudry
(business books, children books, IT books, food and cooking, health, history, literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers, nonfiction, parenting, religion and spirituality, romance, science, teens)
"A good compare-and-contrast book on French and American cultures." - Holidays In Hell by P. J O'Rourke
(writing)
"Hilarious; He travels to the world's worst places and asks, "What's funny about this?" - The Big Moo: Stop Trying To Be Perfect And Start Being Remarkable by The Group of 33
(careers, business books, leadership, management / leadership, motivational)
"Inspiring words of wisdom, tips, and stories. Good read for anyone in business." - Death By Meeting: A Leadership Fable...about Solving The Most Painful Problem In Business
(management, management / leadership, business books)
"Another good Lencioni book. His big point is to infuse meetings with conflict and drama, and to run different kinds of meetings (the standing-only, the strategy monthly, etc)." - The Starfish And The Spider by Rod A. Beckstrom
(business books, communications, management)
"A good read on decentralized orgs." - China Ceo: Voices Of Experience From 20 International Business Leaders by Laurie Underwood
(leadership, management / leadership, business books)
"Some good, practical tips for international managers in China." - Pour Your Heart Into It by Dori Jones Yang
(biography, business books, management, management / leadership)
"A nice read from the Starbucks founder on how he cultivated a luxury brand"
Source:
http://bigben.blogs.com
Why should you l isten to him?
Ben is the author of the bestselling business book My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley (Jossey-Bass, May '07), which the New York Times called "precocious, informative, and entertaining." He founded Comcate, Inc., an e-government software company, at age 14. Ben's work has been featured in dozens of international media including CNN, USA Today, CNBC, and ABC's 20/20. At a conference in Paris PoliticsOnline named him one of the "25 most influential people in the world of internet and politics". BusinessWeek recently named Ben "one of America's top young entrepreneurs."
Ben has given speeches at dozens of universities and organizations around the world. He has traveled to more than 25 countries. He also co-runs the Silicon Valley Junto, an intellectual discussion society for business and technology executives. In his free time Ben enjoys playing chess, ping-pong, reading, and writing.
Ben has given speeches at dozens of universities and organizations around the world. He has traveled to more than 25 countries. He also co-runs the Silicon Valley Junto, an intellectual discussion society for business and technology executives. In his free time Ben enjoys playing chess, ping-pong, reading, and writing.
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