Every writer has a Behind the Music. This is mine — the books, the films, the shows, and the songs that got in.
People keep asking what’s on the shelves behind me. This is the answer — a living list. What goes in is what comes out on Tuesdays. It changes as I do.
On the desk now
Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia — Michael Korda (in progress)
Atlas Shrugged — Ayn Rand (started — early pages yet, and determined to get through it)
In the on-deck circle
Barbarians at the Gate — Bryan Burrough & John Helyar (on the shelf, waiting its turn)
The books that restarted me
From “I Started Reading Again” — the two rereads that refilled the tank:
Crush It! — Gary Vaynerchuk — “His message and voice from 2011 are as important today as they were then.” (I wrote that in 2022, recommending it to everyone else. In 2026 I needed it myself.)
Fix This Next — Mike Michalowicz
Watching
It’s a Wonderful Life — the deepest film piece I’ve written (Dec 2025): the theme, plus the strange history — a 1946 flop whose copyright lapse put it on every TV in America
Jerry Maguire — the mission-statement night anchors “What Wakes You Up?” (Jan 2026)
The Godfather — opens on “I believe in America” (Dec 2024)
The Flintstones — a whole article framed on Bedrock (Nov 2024)
The Matrix · WarGames · Friends — the Phoebe / Nestlé Toll House episode
Talladega Nights — “If you ain’t first, you’re last” has been quoted in my house more than once · Hoosiers · Sneakers · Mission: Impossible
By character only, films never named: Yoda, Mr. Miyagi, Morpheus — the guides (Oct 2022); Thelma & Louise
The West Wing — never named in the letter, but President Bartlet is: “To borrow a phrase from President Bartlet: ‘What’s next?’”
Listening
In print, music is rare — one true song quotation in four years of this letter. The fuller story is on Spotify: the music doesn’t go into the articles, it goes into playlists — for rooms, and for people.
”You Can’t Always Get What You Want” — The Rolling Stones, the epigraph of “Respect Without Retreat” (Sep 2025): persistence vs. pushiness is that lyric as business counsel
FORE events — I build the music programming for my FORE peer group: FORE Event: Chicago is a full run-of-show in playlist form — cruise, breakfast, kickoff, breaks, lunch, happy hour — opening on classic soul: Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lou Rawls, Chicago, Buddy Guy & Bonnie Raitt. Plus FORE Big Sky — Breaks.
Concert setlist builds — my habit: rebuild the shows I attend as playlists, in set order. Rush: October 25, 2026 — the Sunday Capital One Arena show, the full-2112 night · Iron Maiden: September 11, 2026 — Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow
In the library — 31 Tracks Closer to Me (“For Jill: What I couldn’t say, I chose music, because I couldn’t find the words”), Summer 1998, Key West Rock, Brat Pack 80’s, Depressed Dad Rock. Liked Songs: 450 deep.
The taste underneath it all: vintage soul, R&B and blues at the core, 80s rock around the edges.
The standing shelf — business & operating
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent — Gary Keller (“Gary Keller didn’t write a book. He wrote the blueprint.”)
The ONE Thing — Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
SHIFT — Gary Keller
The Emigrant Edge — Brian Buffini
The Lean Startup — Eric Ries
Deep Work — Cal Newport (a full article’s worth, May 2023)
Start with Why — Simon Sinek
Atomic Habits — James Clear
The Thank You Economy — Gary Vaynerchuk
Hero on a Mission — Donald Miller
Extreme Ownership — Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
Principles: Life and Work — Ray Dalio
The Intelligent Investor — Benjamin Graham
The Warren Buffett Way — Robert Hagstrom
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen R. Covey
Never Eat Alone — Keith Ferrazzi
Exactly What to Say — Phil M. Jones
The standing shelf — history
Leadership manuals in themselves.
Team of Rivals — Doris Kearns Goodwin — Lincoln building a cabinet out of the men who ran against him. Incredibly connecting.
Countdown 1945 — Chris Wallace
With the Old Breed — E. B. Sledge
D-Day — Stephen E. Ambrose
The Greatest Generation — Tom Brokaw
Rise to Rebellion — Jeff Shaara
Faith, family & life
The Living Bible
The Book of Virtues — William J. Bennett
Water for Elephants — Sara Gruen
Peanuts Treasury — Charles M. Schulz
Hockey & Philly
J.R. — Jeremy Roenick
The Broad Street Bullies — Jack Chevalier
The Phillies Reader
This page is a living page — updated as I finish one book and pick up the next. Last updated: November 2026.