10 Great Reads to Help Grow Your Business

Young Professionals Committee
Published
Contact: Rachel Mackenzie
[email protected]
Director, Membership
(202)266-8639

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.

Read the full list of books.

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.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Membership | Leadership Meetings

Jan 14, 2026

Applications for 2026 Leadership Grants and Scholarships Now Open

NAHB is invested in professional development opportunities for its members and providing exposure to NAHB leadership meetings to help foster future leaders for the home building industry. Applications are now open for select leadership grants and scholarships for qualified members to capitalize on these opportunities.

Advocacy | Economics | IBS

Jan 13, 2026

Podcast: Home Builders and Buyers Unsettled as 2026 Begins

On the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez kick off the first podcast of 2026 looking at the state of housing, the political environment heading into a midterm year, and how builders and buyers are attempting to navigate the current market.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jan 14, 2026

Building Material Price Growth Remains Elevated in November

Residential building material prices continued to experience elevated growth, according to the latest Producer Price Index release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Price growth has been above 3.0% since June this year, despite continued weakness in the new residential construction market.

Economics

Jan 13, 2026

New Home Sales Rise Year-Over-Year as Prices Stabilize

The new home sector has played an increasingly important role in meeting housing demand as resale inventory remains constrained in many regions. The latest data released today (and delayed because of the government shutdown in fall of 2025) indicate that new single-family home sales continue to reflect a stabilizing market after a period of heightened volatility.

Economics

Jan 13, 2026

Inflation Steady in December

Inflation held steady in December, matching November’s reading, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest report. This December report was the first report to include a month-to-month figure since the government shutdown.