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

Safety

Dec 12, 2025

Preventing Cold, Flu and COVID Illnesses on Jobsites Starts with a Plan

In the construction industry, working outdoors may appear to create less risk for catching a cold, flu, and COVID-19, but it’s crucial to understand that these illnesses can still spread while working in close proximity in any conditions.

Housing Finance

Dec 11, 2025

FHA Announces Forward Mortgage Loan Limits for 2026

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced its 2026 Nationwide Forward Mortgage Loan Limits, which provides the maximum mortgage loan limits for single-family homes that are insured by the FHA.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Dec 11, 2025

Homeownership Rate Inches Up to 65.3%

The latest homeownership rate rose to 65.3% in the third quarter of 2025, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS).

Economics

Dec 10, 2025

No Risk-Free Path: Fed Eases Monetary Policy

The central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut rates a third and final time in 2025, reducing the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a 3.5% to 3.75% range. This reduction will help reduce financing costs of builder and developer loans.

Economics

Dec 09, 2025

Construction Labor Market Stable

The count of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry was relatively unchanged in October, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level of open jobs is down measurably from two years ago due to declines in construction activity, particularly in housing.