10 Great Reads to Help Grow Your Business
NAHB’s Young Professionals (YP) compiled a list of books that have helped inspire their careers and grow their businesses. These 10 books make great gifts for the upcoming holiday season, or purchases for yourself to get ahead of the competition.
The list features books on various topics, such as culture-setting reads like “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara.
“This topic is very related to home building,” said YP Committee Chair Robert Carroll. “We can excel by recognizing our role in creating experiences around our very emotional and personal transactions. This book creates cultural language to move your sales process from transactional to relational.”
Also featured is “Behind Your Back” by Bradley Hartmann, a book about what purchasing managers say when you leave the room.
“Hartmann is a former area purchasing manager for Pulte Homes, and provides insight to how purchasing managers approach their jobs and how they handle relationships with colleagues,” said Wes Robbins, vice president and partner at W Robbins & Company, LLC. Robbins found the book valuable to those looking for insider knowledge on selling to large-volume builders, especially to learn what is and is not important.
Additionally, NAHB’s Young Professionals are celebrating their end-of-year virtual happy hour on Friday, Dec. 13, at 4 p.m. ET. Members are invited to discuss their favorite books from the year, play games and meet fellow YPs. Holiday attire is welcome. Register now.
Latest from NAHBNow
Jun 05, 2026
NAHB Completes Fall Prevention Training Pilot Program at 20 HBAs Across U.S.NAHB, the Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI), and the National Housing Endowment (NHE) are proud to announce the successful completion of the Fall Prevention Training Pilot Program.
Jun 04, 2026
U.S. House Price Appreciation Slows from Rapid Pandemic-era PaceHigher mortgage rates, persistent affordability challenges and softer demand weighed on price growth nationally. Local market conditions varied, with some states and metro areas seeing solid gains while others saw declining or flattening house prices.
Latest Economic News
Jun 05, 2026
U.S. Labor Market Remains Resilient in MayDespite rising inflation and ongoing economic uncertainty, the U.S. labor market remained resilient in May. Nonfarm payrolls increased for the third consecutive month, and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%.
Jun 04, 2026
Mortgage Rates Increase Further as Inflation Remains ElevatedMortgage rates continued to increase in May as inflation accelerated. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.41% in May, up 7 basis points (bps) over April.
Jun 04, 2026
Highest Paid Occupations in Construction in 2025The median wage of payroll workers in construction was $61,370 in 2025, with the top 25% earning at least $83,480. In comparison, the U.S. median annual wage was $50,980, while workers in the top quartile (the highest paid 25%) earned at least $80,520.