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
May 21, 2026
Housing Affordability Edges Up in First Quarter but Challenges PersistWhile housing affordability remains out of reach for millions of Americans, particularly first-time and entry-level buyers, conditions have improved modestly in the last year, according to the latest data from the NAHB/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI). The CHI results from the first quarter of 2026 show that a family earning the nation’s median income of $106,800 needed 32% of its income to cover the mortgage payment on a median-priced new home.
May 21, 2026
Single-Family Starts Fall Amid Economic Uncertainty and Affordability PressuresOverall housing starts decreased 2.8% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.47 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Latest Economic News
May 21, 2026
Single-Family Starts Fall Amid Economic Uncertainty and Affordability PressuresSingle-family housing starts declined in April as builders faced continued economic uncertainty and affordability challenges, including higher construction costs, ongoing labor shortages and elevated financing expenses. The latest housing starts and permits data suggest that the overall construction pipeline remains uneven across regions and property types.
May 21, 2026
Housing Affordability Edges Up in First Quarter but Challenges PersistWhile housing affordability remains out of reach for millions of Americans, particularly first-time and entry-level buyers, conditions have improved modestly in the last year, according to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI).
May 20, 2026
What It Takes to Leave Parental HomeAs of 2024, one in five adults aged 25-34 lives with parents or in-laws. NAHB’s analysis of the latest American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) evaluates a wide range of socioeconomic and demographic factors that shape young adults’ path to independence.