Todd Sattersten brings over 20 years of experience in nonfiction book publishing, and is the author of "The 100 Best Books for Work and Life." He's also the publisher at Bard Press and has dedicated his career to helping leaders navigate the overwhelming world of business literature.
In this episode, Todd reveals how he curated 100 essential books into 25 problem-focused chapters, moving beyond traditional business categories to address both professional and personal challenges leaders face. He explains why growth comes from believing change is possible and how daily effort accumulates into meaningful progress.
Todd discusses the shift from data-heavy business books toward more introspective, permission-giving literature that acknowledges the chaotic nature of modern leadership. Todd discusses the difficulty of finding quality fiction with positive leadership examples and his preference for books that help readers ask different questions rather than provide step-by-step formulas.
Todd concludes by stressing the importance of reading with intention, distinguishing between reading for entertainment versus insight, and building sustainable reading habits that focus on addressing real challenges rather than collecting impressive quotes.
Listen to discover how to navigate information overload, identify truly transformative books, and develop the reading habits that separate effective leaders from those who simply accumulate knowledge.
You can find episode 482 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Watch this Episode on YouTube | Todd Sattersten on The 100 Best Books for Work and Life
Key Takeaways
[03:42] Todd explains his selection process started with 60-70 known books, then Todd describes how the 25 topics emerged naturally from the books themselves - goal setting, habits, leadership, relationships, motivation.
[06:48] Todd identifies two key patterns to accumulate people's consistent actions: "growth comes from the belief that change is possible" and "daily effort matters."
[13:28] Todd explains that great books redefine problems to create different solutions, citing examples like focusing on better customers rather than better products.
[16:02] Todd reveals he's nervous about trendy books, especially about companies or leaders that don't hold up over time.
[20:51] Todd believes people recognize tremendous value in listening to work others have already done, whether from Stoics, Buddhists, or other traditions.
[23:50] Todd emphasizes reading requires choosing between entertainment versus insight, asking "how will I act differently after reading this."
[27:03] Todd explains the data-heavy book trend came from 30 years of neuroscience research but now sees a shift toward permission-giving books.
[31:50] Todd identifies "Your Brain at Work" by David Rock as his top pick for explaining brain function limitations.
[35:40] Todd describes "Reboot" by Jerry Colonna as transformative for connecting personal stories to leadership effectiveness.
[39:17] Todd concludes by encouraging leaders to "build a habit of reading" since most successful leaders are readers.
[40:09] And remember…"The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who will get me a book I ain't read." - Abraham Lincoln.
Quotable Quotes
"Growth comes from the belief that change is possible."
"Daily effort matters."
"A different way to define the problem creates a different way to solve the problem."
"If you don't understand the stories that you have about yourself, then you can't possibly be the best possible leader."
"Fiction can provide a really great perspective."
"The work is internal most of the time. It's not, hey, I need to go fix some business thing."
"Leadership is a journey of growth."
"A book still does something that almost every other art form doesn't do."
"The people who understand the value of books understand there's a tremendous value in listening to the work others have already done."
"Identifying a set of effective solutions… that's what leaders need."
"Please build a habit of reading. I can't think of a b
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