Author: Beau Kelly
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The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency
The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency is the best book I’ve read this year. Chris Whipple gives an inside view of American history through the lens of White House Chiefs of Staff, and sources include interviews with some great stories as well as notes from internal meetings. Before each…
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2023 Power Rankings
5 Stars-I would recommend these to anyone. Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon Wright Thompson masterfully tells the story of bourbon and deep family connection. Thompson weaves the legacy of Julian Van Winkle and Pappy Van Winkle bourbon with the story of his own family and father. The Van Winkles lost their generational family…
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Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
I will buy every book Michael Lewis writes. He is an incredible storyteller, and I enjoyed his latest work on Sam Bankman-Fried. Going Infinite tells about the wild rise of Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange and the company’s collapse. Lewis gives clear context and insight into the crypto currency industry while detailing Bankman-Fried’s unlikely ascension. Lewis’ access…
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Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes
Morgan Housel is one of my favorite authors. I loved his first book, Psychology of Money, and I bought Same As Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes as soon as it was released. Housel writes an awesome blog, and he also has a podcast with short episodes that I listen to regularly. I enjoy…
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Buying Disney’s World: The Story of How Florida Swampland Became Walt Disney World
I have never been to Disney World, and I have not thought about the infrastructure required to build an amusement park of its scale. Aaron Goldberg’s Buying Disney’s World: The Story of How Florida Swampland Became Walt Disney World tells the behind-the-scenes story of Disney’s massive operation to buy and build Disney World. I appreciated the…
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Life Sentence: The Brief and Tragic Career of Baltimore’s Deadliest Gang Leader
In Life Sentence: The Brief and Tragic Career of Baltimore’s Deadliest Gang Leader, Mark Bowden tells the story of Baltimore’s gang violence through the lens of failed public policy. He shows the impact of urban planning at the individual level by looking at the massive disparity between gentrified areas designed, developed, and patronized by white…
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Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command
My sister, Sierra (the first BK Reads subscriber!) recommended this book. Sierra flies C-17s in the Special Operations Low Level (SOLL) program in Charleston, and this book tells the story of her unit and areas she supports. Relentless Strike is pretty dense, but the stories of active firefights and rescues are awesome. The book details…
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Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last
In Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last, Wright Thompson masterfully tells the story of bourbon and deep family connection. Thompson weaves the legacy of Julian Van Winkle and Pappy Van Winkle bourbon with the story of his own family and father. The Van Winkles lost their generational family business…
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Made From Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse
In Made From Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse, Kent Taylor tells his life story including the founding of Texas Roadhouse. He ran cross country at the University of North Carolina, operated night clubs, managed Bennigan’s and a handful of other restaurants before finding funding to start Texas Roadhouse. I appreciated Kent’s story,…
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