Michael Schein’s Hype Book List

His 5 Best Books of 2023

It's official.

2023 is 97% complete

And I (Michael Schein) have read precisely 71 books.

Some were better than others. And like everyone else who writes about books, it's time for me to present my favorites of the year.

The books I've included are not necessarily those I liked most. While each of these certainly delivered an enjoyable reading experience, others I read this year ( i.e  The Ferryman by Justin Cronin and Trust by Hernan Diaz) were simply more thrilling or fascinating to me.

Every book on this end-of-year list was chosen because I felt reading them will bring you even closer to achieving your most audacious goals.

So, in no particular order, let's dive into the Hype Book List's 5 Best Books of 2023.

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

Rick Rubin is the master turning creative inspiration into money. His book The Creative Act provides a robust explanation of how he is able to consistently make this happen. Rubin lays out a set of guidelines that allows him to predictably capture inspiration when it occurs and transform it into a phenomenal product. Along with coming away with a set of ideas you'll be able to apply to your own work, this book will also convince you that the best way to make money from your ideas is to stop worrying so much about which ideas will make you money.

Finding Oz: How L. Frank Baum Discovered the Great American Story by Evan I. Schwartz

This biography of Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum reminded me why we should never count out late bloomers. Over the course of Baum's lifetime, he was a theatrical producer, oil salesman, retailer, printer, and newspaper journalist--and he failed at all of it. Then, in his forties, he came up with a cockamamie idea for the first all-American fairytale. The rest is history. Whenever I'm feeling discouraged about a wrong turn or about an experiment that didn't pan out the way I hoped it would, I now think about L

Frank Baum's winding road to immortality.

Happiness Become You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good by Tina Turner

Tina Turner was a dedicated follower to the Nichiren school of Buddhism. She credits it for rescuing her

from a life characterized by abuse, low self-esteem, and hopelessness. Happiness Becomes You is the story of her growth through her spirituality, told in her own words. It is not the kind of book I normally read. Yet, somehow it was exactly what I needed. Like everything Tina does, she delivers this at the highest level. Whether you share Tina Turner's specific spirituality, her guidance on taking control of one's own life is…simply the best (Sorry, I couldn't help it).

At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails by Sarah Bakewell

I am fascinated by cultural movements. What makes a certain group of people come together at a certain

time and place to change the way we see things forever after? At its root, that's what At the Existentialist Café is all about. When I read about how kids immediately after the Second World War showing up to the

Existentialist bars being admitted or turned away based on what book they were carrying, it reminded me

of the punk scene that so attracted me as a kid (albeit quite a bit brainier). So much marketing advice today is based on "starting a community" or "building a tribe." However, when you scratch the surface, what you usually get is advice on how to start a Facebook community page. Marketers should read this book instead

Lincoln by Gore Vidal

I don't know if Abraham Lincoln really was like Gore Vidal's version. If he wasn't, he should have been. I fell in love with this seemingly insecure, vacillating, error-prone, humorous man, underestimated by everyone….. but who ultimately ended up rescuing the United States of America from collapse. This historical novel provides a masterclass on leadership, persuasion, and, above all, resilience. It should be taught in every business school and literature class alike.

There are a lot of great books here, but we know what the real best book of 2023…and every other year.is, don't we? 

That's right. It's The Hype Handbook. If you haven't read it yet (or want to buy one for a friend), you can do so right HERE.

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Michael Schein is the author of The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers (McGraw Hill, January 12, 2021). 

His articles have appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Huffington Post, and Psychology Today. He speaks to international audiences spanning from the northeastern United States to the southeastern coast of China. 

As founder and president of marketing agency MicroFame Media, he has launched campaigns and created content for companies including eBay, Magento, The Medici Group, University of Pennsylvania, Gordon College, University of California Irvine, United Methodist Publishing House, Ricoh, LinkedIn, and Citrix. 

He has also recently begun practicing the martial art Wing Chun, giving him yet another similarity with Robert Downey, Jr.

The best hype artists never stop learning. Neither should you.

If you would like Michael F. Schein’s recommendations of additional books about propaganda, cult tactics, blatant self-promotion, and various other forms of mischief making, visit hypereads.com/list.

http://hypereads.com/list