Best Booklist Podcasts (2026)

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Episode 46: Editors' Choice 2025 41:19

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15d ago41:19

41:19

It’s bigger than Santa, it’s bigger than the Super Bowl…it’s Editors’ Choice! The full list is a highlight of our December issue, but every winter, Booklist editors gather ‘round the podcast mic and share some of their favorites from the list. Prepare your TBR piles, because we’ve got a little something for every reader. Here’s what we talked about…

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Episode 45: Once Upon a Fairy Tale Retelling 56:34

2M ago56:34

56:34

Fairy tale retelling are having a moment, a moment that has extended for, like, millennia, but now the trend feels particularly hot. Host Susan Maguire sat down with librarian and Booklist reviewer Lucy Lockley about what’s behind the fanfare and some titles and authors you should know. Then Audio Editor Heather Booth spoke to an art educator Heath…

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Gimme a Crisis With Howard Green 1:03:08

2M ago1:03:08

1:03:08

He helped to navigate a violent and catastrophic economic crisis in Argentina. He helped shape the playbook for a Dominican Republic bank bailout, which nearly brought the country to its knees, and he was at the helm of this international bank during the financial crisis, which made money during that time period. Howard Green's book, Gimme A Crisis…

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The Bottomless Cup With Kevin Boehm 1:04:20

2M ago1:04:20

1:04:20

Over the past thirty years, Kevin Boehm has opened forty restaurants, been awarded the highest honor in his profession, and served everyone from Mick Jagger to President Obama. Kevin's new book is a memoir entitled The Bottomless Cup. During this conversation, we hear how Kevin endured a chaotic relationship with his surrogate father and what it wa…

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Superperformance with George Pesansky 1:06:39

3M ago1:06:39

1:06:39

If you like the topics of organizational performance, personal and professional excellence, and thought-provoking mental models, then Superperformance by George Pesanky is worth reading. In this conversation, we'll learn about The Golden Hour, Root Cause Success, the Thomas-Kilman Conflict Model, the Prison of Expectations, and the Kano Model.…

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The Business of Stock Exchange Memorabilia 42:25

3M ago42:25

42:25

I am a customer of Bull Market Gifts, and when I spend time on their website, I'm hooked and have a difficult time leaving. Last year, I purchased some vintage annual reports, and I bought another before I interviewed the co-founder and owner of this niche retailer. Their product offering also includes old stock certificates and a deep assortment o…

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Episode 44: A Tale of Two Sara(h)s 36:56

3M ago36:56

36:56

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire sits down with two of our favorite Sara(h)s. First, librarian and Booklister Sara Martínez talks about REFORMA’s National Book Award winner and tips for Spanish-language collection development. Then, Sarah Hunter, Editor, Books for Youth and Graphic Novels, drops some book suggestions p…

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A Case Study in Corporate Fear with Taras Wayner 47:59

4M ago47:59

47:59

When I began studying the root causes of business failure early in my career, I believed that faulty cognitive limitations and weaknesses were the primary drivers of poor decisions, ultimately leading to business failure. Taras Wayner is the producer and host of a new podcast called A Case Study in Corporate Fear, where he addresses one of the cent…

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Revisiting a Good to Great CEO: Nucor's Ken Iverson 54:05

4M ago54:05

54:05

I'm calling Ken Iverson the Alan Mulally of CEOs in the 1980s and 1990s. "Plain Talk" by Ken Iverson is one of my favorite business books, despite its lack of self-congratulation and the absence of so-called transformational management concepts. Instead, this is a book about how people were treated, the concept of decentralization, bonus structures…

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A Short Booklist of Personal Finance Fiction 31:56

5M ago31:56

31:56

Can you name a work of fiction that centered around a stock picker? Alternatively, can you provide three fictional titles related to personal finance? If both answers are no, this episode provides a brief synopsis of four works of fiction revolving around personal finance and investing. One of the titles is new. Three have been written in the past …

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The Art of Creating Glossy Annual Reports 45:59

5M ago45:59

45:59

Many in the magazine industry will tell you on the mountaintops that print is not dead. Try telling that to the writers who used to produce those beautiful glossy annual reports that are now published in the form of PDF documents. Robert Roth is making his first-ever appearance on a podcast to discuss how an annual report writer secures gigs, the t…

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Valuation 8.0 57:08

5M ago57:08

57:08

Every financial executive should either have the book Valuation or have it on their physical or digital copy in their antilibrary. CFO Bookshelf is thrilled and honored to have the lead author of all eight editions of this foundational book on valuation, which is used in many financial curricula around the nation on college campuses. In this conver…

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Lead by Greatness 54:28

5M ago54:28

54:28

In CFO Bookshelf's 250th episode, we feature a book that embodies the heart and soul of what this show stands for. The book is Lead by Greatness by our guest, David Lapin. During this conversation, David addresses eight vital leadership traits, defining a spiritual fingerprint and why it matters, the reason the Siberian prisoner perished and what i…

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Episode 43: Live from ALA! 36:10

6M ago36:10

36:10

In this episode of Booklist’s Shelf Care: The Podcast, we’re coming to you live from ALA’s Annual Conference in Philadelphia. Audio Editor Heather Booth chats with three authors who were excited to share insight into their forthcoming books and what libraries mean to them: Victor Piñeiro (The Island of Forgotten Gods, August 2025, Sourcebooks Young…

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You Are an IP Company 1:00:27

6M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

Why has Taylor Swift trademarked her and her cats' names? And how does she protect the approximately three hundred trademarks she owns? As Kary Oberbrunner tells us, we're just like Taylor in that we're all IP companies. In this engaging conversation about IP, we learn about Instant IPᴵᴾ, the role blockchain plays in IP, the reason good fences make…

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It's Not About the Coffee 53:56

6M ago53:56

53:56

We have read many stories about the magical growth of Starbucks. However, did you know that one of its first presidents had a background in furniture sales and did not hold a college degree? Our guest is the author of It's Not About the Coffee, and Howard Behar saw store units grow from a small handful to more than 15,000 during his two stints as o…

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Episode 42: Why I Love Horror 1:09:06

8M ago1:09:06

1:09:06

Episode 42 Show NotesIn this episode of Booklist’s Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire talks to librarian and horror expert Becky Spratford about the forthcoming collection of essays she edited, Why I Love Horror, what Mary Shelley might think about the current trend of monster romance, and, of course, why she loves horror. Then Booklist’s …

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What Are Visual Thinking Tools? 46:41

9M ago46:41

46:41

As my consulting practice started taking off about twenty years ago, I started reading everything I could by Fred Nickols, who blogged regularly for the software vendor, SmartDraw. Fred's articles were short, to the point, and always included a simple visual framework that was easy to comprehend. I ultimately read every post on that blog. Fred is a…

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Beyond the Boxes and Lines with a Chief People Officer 41:41

9M ago41:41

41:41

We live in a small business world where the Chief Fractional Officer is becoming indispensable. Before even considering hiring the Fractional Sales Manager, the Fractional Marketing Officer, or even the Fractional CFO, I'd start one hundred percent of the time with the Fractional Chief People Officer. Susannah Robinson has worked in big-company HR …

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My Favorite John Wooden Coaching Basketball Story 9:08

10M ago9:08

9:08

I'm betting that over half the CFO Bookshelf listenership participate in an NCAA tournament basketball pool at the office. Accordingly, I thought I'd share a story from a basketball legend I don't think I've ever heard retold from a leadership expert during a speaking event. I end this special episode on my three favorite basketball movies. What ar…

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Warren Buffett's Early Investments 40:33

10M ago40:33

40:33

Before I start reading a book on Warren Buffett, and there are many, I want to know if this book has been written before—the ones where the narratives essentially state the same thing about Buffett's investing style. In the case of Brett Gardner's new book on Buffett, he checks all the boxes of a fascinating investment book. It's informative, inspi…

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A Pragmatic Approach to Sensemaking 46:50

10M ago46:50

46:50

When I first experienced the Cynefin Framework in an HBR article many years ago, I never tried to adapt it to my work until I interviewed Bryce Hoffman, author of American Icon and Red Teaming, a few years ago. While Bryce made the Cynefin Framework seem more understandable and accessible, Kevin Eikenberry has gone further to show leaders how to ac…

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Episode 41: Summer Scares 2025 1:14:25

10M ago1:14:25

1:14:25

It’s time for Summer Scares, and the popular horror-reading program is in fine form again. Shelf Care host Susan Maguire spoke to librarian Becky Spratford, author Kendare Blake, and Booklist’s Julia Smith about this year’s selections for adult, teen, and middle-grade readers; transgressive horror; and Hellmouth Pokémon, as you do. She also spoke t…

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The Rise and Fall of the Match King 56:38

10M ago56:38

56:38

CFO Bookshelf had never heard of Ivar Kreuger until the former Managing Director of CFO.com suggested we discuss the book, The Match King. Andy Burt joins Mark Gandy to explain why Ivar Kreuger is a financial mastermind worthy of studying and what led to his downfall. At one time, Kreuger was worth billions in today's dollars, but his empire, built…

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The World's First Stock Exchange 47:17

10M ago47:17

47:17

I recently came across a book that's been out for over 10 years by an exceptional and tenacious researcher and an engaging writer, Lodewijk Petram. His book, The World's First Stock Exchange, might be the first to explore how early investors first bought and traded shares of the VOC of this next stock exchange. The founding of the Dutch East India …

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The Making of Modern Corporate Finance 51:41

11M ago51:41

51:41

When I think of the CFO's role, a few questions emerge: What will we invest in and reinvest in? How will we finance those investments? What about risk management? And what is the role of corporate governance in these activities? Not only does Don Chew answer those questions in his new book, but he also gives a name to all of his answers - corporate…

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It's Time to Start Loving Mondays Again 39:51

11M ago39:51

39:51

A financial executive no longer loved Mondays until a health scare changed his mindset a few years ago. Ron Monteiro is a financial expert who coaches other leaders. His book is Love Mondays: A Proven Process to Bring Joy Back into Your Work Week and Life. Ron teaches us four simple steps to becoming Monday Mavericks. He then outlines seven clever …

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The Pig, The Lipstick & the Playbook of Champions 50:44

11M ago50:44

50:44

When John Rossman is not busy delivering keynote addresses to large audiences or consulting with brands we recognize, he still finds time to write. John is making his third appearance on the show after our conversations about two of his other books: The Amazon Way and Big Bet Leadership. John's newest project is a 54-page manifesto entitled The Pig…

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More Than a SoftBank Money Trap 1:04:44

11M ago1:04:44

1:04:44

One book critic has asked readers of The Money Trap to imagine Michael Lewis as the President of a multinational investment holding company. Instead, Alok Sama is that person after working for Morgan Stanley for sixteen years. In this sometimes lighthearted but philosophical tome, occasionally sprinkled with dark humor and cleverness, Alok shares h…

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Practice Makes Profit 48:28

12M ago48:28

48:28

David is a dermatologist whose practice can't seemingly make the money it should be. David meets a great accountant named Graham. Graham is a TOC bottleneck specialist for all types of businesses, not just manufacturing. He speaks and teaches his clients in a way that is easy to understand and can quickly implement the ideas. That's the storyline o…

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Episode 40: It’s Not New (But It Sucks): Dealing with Book Bans from the Frontlines 54:27

12M ago54:27

54:27

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire talks to Katie Clausen, a Chicagoland children’s librarian, about what it’s like to be on the front lines of a book banning, who offers some tips and suggested language for dealing with a challenge. Then, on a lighter note, Susan talks to Audio Editor Heather Booth about what she’s been…

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Mythbusting Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman and Other Financial Gurus with David McKnight 43:24

1y ago43:24

43:24

When I think of Dave Ramsey, the elimination of debt and whole life insurance policies quickly spring to mind. In addition to his demonization of universal policies, were you aware of his 8-12 rule for retirement? David McKnight joins the show to discuss the 4 percent rule for retirement, annuities, and cash-basis insurance plans based on math, pra…

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The Bottleneck Detective 57:50

1y ago57:50

57:50

What would happen if a business-minded Encylopedia Brown entered the busy line of movie patrons waiting impatiently for soda and popcorn? This perspective guided Clarke Ching in writing his latest book, The Bottleneck Detective. It offers a straightforward and enjoyable reading experience, focusing on identifying bottlenecks and understanding their…

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Pause to Think 58:06

1y ago58:06

58:06

Are you fan of Daniel Kahneman, Dan Ariely, or Richard Thaler? Have you enjoyed books like Fooled by Randomness, Factfulness, or Thinking in Bets? If so, you may want to read Jaime Lester's new book, Pause to Think, about cognitive biases. Jaime's concise book is engaging, memorable, and accessible. It features over thirty mental and conceptual mod…

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AI Mastery Simplified for Finance Professionals 48:52

1y ago48:52

48:52

Glenn Hopper's newest book is AI Mastery for Finance Professionals, but the content is also for CEOs, board members, and all other organizational leaders. We keep the topics pragmatic, applicable, and example-centric in this conversation. We'll also discover what Glenn means by saying, "AI will not replace people. People who use AI will replace tho…

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Episode 39: Editors' Choice 2024 46:11

1y ago46:11

46:11

It’s that time of the year again, when the Booklist editors gather ‘round the proverbial fire and share some of their favorite reads of the year. Covering everything from our Top of the List titles to personal faves, this episode has a little something for every reader. Here’s what we talked about:Donna:We Loved It All: A Memory of Life. By Lydia M…

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The Three Domains of Leadership with Willie Pietersen 58:58

1y ago58:58

58:58

One of the best books I've read on leadership in several years is by a former big-company CEO who is now a professor. Willie Pietersen's third book is Leadership - The Inside Story. In this fast-moving conversation, we hear about how Nelson Mandela learned, unlearned, and relearned the central tenets of philosophy and leadership well before his vis…

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The HP Way 54:32

1y ago54:32

54:32

When I think of HP, three things quickly emerge in my mind: Deskjet and laser printers, the 12C calculator, and David Packard's The HP Way. The HP Way is one of my top 25 books written by CEOs. In this conversation, we're rolling with a book club format with a special guest who writes book summaries on his blog. Dan Lebrero is a software engineer b…

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Episode 38: With a Little Help from Our Friends 41:24

1y ago41:24

41:24

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire talks to two of her Friends, the co-chairs of the annual book sale at her local branch library. They talk about being picky about donations, pricing, layout, and the treasures they found at the sale. Then, Susan chats with new Books for Youth Associate Editor Kelly Ferreira about what t…

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Better Tech and Communication Strategies for Zoom Calls with Cat Mulvihill 43:36

1y ago43:36

43:36

Cat Mulvihill is becoming a rising YouTube star with her video content focused on communication and presentation skills, including technology, Zoom, and personal knowledge management systems. This conversation teaches us what sets the best professionals apart from the rest on their Zoom calls. We gain insights on the best mics, videocams, and other…

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One Day I'll Work for Myself 48:04

1y ago48:04

48:04

If you work for yourself or would like to, have you ever thought about whose shoulders you are standing on, especially if you decide to have no employees? Ben Waterhouse is a professor and faculty director at the University of North Carolina. His research interests include deciphering how self-employment became a key to personal fulfillment, a cent…

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Competing on Customer Personalization 59:59

1y ago59:59

59:59

Have you ever wondered how Amazon, Netflix, and Starbucks started their customer personalization programs? What was the starting point? What were the costs? Who was involved? The co-authors answer these questions in the very readable Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. Mark Abraham and David Edelman explain that personalization is not…

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The Shelf Care Interview: Carole Boston Weatherford 17:16

1+ y ago17:16

17:16

Welcome to another installment of the Shelf Care interview, an occasional podcast series in which Booklist editors talk to book people. This Shelf Care interview is sponsored by Lerner Publishing Group.In this episode of Shelf Care Interview, Sarah Hunter talked to Carole Boston Weatherford about her forthcoming picture book, The Doll Test: Choosin…

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The Private Equity Playbook Keeps Getting Better 46:22

1+ y ago46:22

46:22

If you were to ask me about my favorite book on private equity, I would say The Private Equity Playbook by Adam Coffey. The book is easy to read, the math is simple and impactful, and the stories are based on a former CEO who understands the intricacies behind private equity. Adam has released the second edition of this book, which is about 20 perc…

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Episode 37: Book-Clubbable 1:17:48

1+ y ago1:17:48

1:17:48

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire spoke to Allison Escoto of the Center for Fiction about book groups, being a solo librarian, and getting the opportunity to read nonfiction for the Carnegie Awards. Then, Audio Editor Heather Booth chats with librarian and author Van Hoang about the walking audiobook club she runs at he…

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Project Management Offices 58:32

1+ y ago58:32

58:32

As a financial leader, I want to know every aspect of business. While quarterbacking my share of ERP implementations, I had only once heard the term PMO (short for Project Management Office). Accordingly, I wanted to learn more. After reading Laura Barnard's new book on PMOs, I quickly realized she is probably the global thought leader on this subj…

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A Deep Dive on Portfolio CFOs 1:02:44

1+ y ago1:02:44

1:02:44

Numerous financial blog articles and LinkedIn posts highlight the benefits of a small business owner hiring a portfolio CFO. However, I do not recall these writers commenting on why financial professionals step away from the W-2 world to serve multiple owners as clients instead of sticking to a steady paycheck. Sara Daw may be the first author to a…

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A Wonderful Career in Crime 34:34

1+ y ago34:34

34:34

How did Charles Cowlam resort to a lifelong career in crime during the Gilded Age? During this fascinating interview, the author of A Wonderful Career Crime accidentally uncovers several fascinating nuggets of U.S. history that would otherwise remain undetected by well-known historians. Frank Garmon shares his favorite stories of Cowlam's life as a…

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Strategy for Real Estate Companies 46:58

1+ y ago46:58

46:58

Strategic planning and real estate companies are not word pairings we are used to hearing. However, Charlie Hewlett is changing that mindset. Charlie is the managing director at RCLCO, a company based in the Washington, D.C., metro area. He co-authored Strategy for Real Estate Companies. Our topics include the definition of a real estate company, a…

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Episode 36: So. Many. Book. Suggestions. 53:32

1+ y ago53:32

53:32

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, we’ve got lots and lots of reading suggestions. First, host Susan Maguire is joined by Rebecca Vnuk, Executive Director, LibraryReads, for a mini-Read ‘n’ Rave, a version of the hit program that Booklist and LibraryReads host at ALA Annual. Then, Audio Editor Heather Booth talks to her daughter Julia abou…