Are you looking for a page turner for your summer getaway? Perhaps a resource to help deepen your financial or business acumen? We surveyed our staff on what they’ve recently read or are currently digesting, whether they pertain to alternative investments or not. Read on for our recommendations for financial-related reading, business books, non-fiction, (lots of) historical novels, and even a podcast.
Jake Heidkamp, Senior Analyst:
- Serpent on the Rock (by Kurt Eichenwald) – A tale of private placements in the 1980s that really ties in multiple dimensions of the due diligence process and the fallout to widows and orphans. I find this inspiring and it helps me to stay focused on what is at stake through product reviews.
- Fooling Some of the People All of the Time (by David Einhorn) – This chronicles the due diligence dive of David Einhorn/Greenlight Capital into Allied Capital (a large publicly-traded BDC that got rolled into Ares). It really hits home as accounting/valuation of illiquid assets is key to the story.
Neither of these are the most recent releases (1995, 2002) and sadly Serpent on the Rock is not available in audiobook format, but both are due diligence classics nonetheless.
Kemp Hanley, VP, Financial Services:
- Beneath a Scarlet Sky (by Mark Sullivan) – Based on the incredible true story of an Italian teenager living in Milan towards the end of World War II. This book simply has it all—spy intrigue, heartbreaking romance, detailed history, and the amazing setting of Northern Italy and the Italian Alps.
- The Spy and the Traitor (by Ben Macintyre) – The true account of how a high level KBG agent from a family of KGB agents became a traitor to the Soviet Union and one of England’s most important and influential cold war spies, who would eventually be brought down by the CIA’s Aldrich Ames. Fascinating nonfiction that reads like a John LeCarre novel.
Leah Berend, Administration:
- The 5 Second Rule (by Mel Robbins) – Mel is a dynamic motivator who encourages 5 second decisions to be healthier happier and more productive. A quick, life changing read.
- Roger CPA Review Audit Textbook (by Roger Philipp) – Although the material may be dry at times, Roger’s material is the most engaging way to become a CPA. I’d highly encourage it for someone pursuing their CPA license.
Kate Stephany, Securities Attorney:
- Elizabeth I CEO: Strategic Lessons from the Leader who Built an Empire (by Alan Axelrod) – A quick read about how Elizabeth I dealt with various issues through her reign and comparing those to various business principles.
- Just One Damned Thing After Another (by Jodi Taylor) – The first in a series about a fictional research facility that investigates historical events in real time. They don’t like to refer to it as time travel, but it’s time travel.
Jessica Ryan, Marketing Coordinator:
- No Fail Meetings (by Michael Hyatt) – Recommended to me by my awesome co-worker, this book is the best play-by-play out there for orchestrating meetings that actually maximize team productivity and provide tips on how to steer clear of time-fillers.
- CMI (Content Marketing Institute) – As someone still fairly new to the industry, I’m always looking for fresh and creative ways to spread the FactRight word to new, existing and potential clients. CMI makes keeping up with content marketing trends a breeze by sending out weekly reads with advice!
Russ Putnam, Due Diligence Analyst:
- The Sopranos Sessions (various authors) – A collection of recaps and essays covering each episode of the TV show The Sopranos, which was just released on the 20th anniversary of the show’s debut. It’s great to read each chapter in conjunction with re-watching the show. Also, the final chapter of the book is supposed to provide clarification on the show’s finale, where Tony… [deleted for spoilers]
- Slow Burn (by Leon Neyfakh) Narrative podcast series that focuses on the Watergate Scandal and the Impeachment of Bill Clinton. [Not a book, Russ— Ed.]
Jaydee Lindgren, Administration:
- Lilac Girls (by Martha Hall Kelly) – Fascinating novel about three women and their experiences during World War II—an American volunteer for the French consulate, a German doctor at Ravensbruck concentration camp, and a Polish woman working for the resistance in Poland. Eventually their lives become interwoven through their roles they play during the war.
- The Aviator’s Wife (by Melanie Benjamin) – Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s perspective of her husband, Charles Lindbergh, American aviator who flew the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight.
Brandon Raatikka, VP, Due Diligence Services:
- Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything (by Joshua Foer) – How a journalist with average memory researched and trained his way to compete in the U.S. Memory Championships in less than one year. It’s more of a story than a catalogue of practical advice on how to improve memory, although there is a fair amount of that, too.
- Brideshead Revisited (by Evelyn Waugh) – Details the protagonist’s experience with idiosyncratic members of an aristocratic English family between the World Wars. Drama, romance, theology, history, poetic prose (filled with hundreds of words I don’t know the meaning of)… it’s the best novel I’ve ever read twice.
