I’m Bananas for this Book about Mark Twain

I've always liked Mark Twain—who doesn't? But author Ron Chernow digs into the man behind the mustache in a new way. Mark Twain isn't just a great biography—it’s one of the best books I’ve read in the last few years. It’s sharp, packed with fascinating details, and laugh-out-loud funny. And in a world that can feel pretty heavy some days, it really cheered me up.

June 25, 2025

Code, Courage, and Grit: Why Gates’ Memoir Hit Home

That’s why “Source Code: My Beginnings” by Bill Gates struck such a chord with me.

April 23, 2025

Great Books That Inspire Leadership, Innovation, and Reflection

Exploring the wisdom of great thinkers, pioneers, and visionaries through their writings offers invaluable lessons for professionals, leaders, and anyone seeking personal growth.

January 27, 2025

Oldies But Goodies about Business Titans

You are never too old to keep learning! Working decades in the construction industry, I have gained my own perspectives, wisdom, and understanding of how our world works.

October 30, 2024

Celebrating National Read a Book Day

National Read a Book Day is celebrated annually on September 6th and encourages people to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasure of reading – something everyone needs to do more often!

September 6, 2024

The Whole Story, Adventures in Love, Life and Capitalism

Mackey’s terrific book “The Whole Story, Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism” is a description of the retail, cultural, and dietary revolution sparked by the company that has permanently transformed the industry—and our eating habits.

June 21, 2024

The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World

Dive into the world of Alexander von Humboldt, a courageous explorer and the most influential scientist of his time. Andrea Wulf’s book, “The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World,” is an incredible story of insatiable curiosity.

June 13, 2024

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

The customer is ALWAYS right. This is a phrase that anyone working in hospitality, B2C, or even B2B has ingrained in their minds. Our Clayco team is extremely dedicated to solving our customers' problems.

April 3, 2024

Brainiac Business Books for Deeper Studying

I love when Co-Founder Larry Page was asked how he learned to run Google. He said, “I read a lot of books.” He then jokes: “[When renaming Alphabet] I read like three books on naming—which is more than anyone else had read. So I decided I was the expert… and actually that was useful. I recommend reading things.” I dropped out of college after just 5 weeks, but I read a lot. Everything. I’ve compiled a list of some “oldies but goodies” (and a few modern) reading options that I found difficult but useful, helpful, or even disagreeable – and that’s okay, too!

January 17, 2024

Thomas Heatherwick Book Launch & Discussion

World-renowned English architect, designer, and founder of Heatherwick studio, Thomas Heatherwick, is coming to Chicago! The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) is hosting a panel discussion for the U.S. launch of Thomas’ book “Humanize: A Maker’s Guide to Designing Cities” on November 8th. It will be an insightful conversation about contemporary building design and how the spaces we develop can spark inspiration or leave us devoid of it – which I am happy to be a part of!

October 24, 2023

Medicine 3.0: how to live a long, strong and happy life

How to live longer and healthier is a topic that’s currently drawing a lot of attention. I recently read Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Canadian physician Peter Attia, co-authored by Bill Gifford. The book highlights the significant health problems humans face and compares our current reactive approach to a proactive method that promotes longevity. Luckily, I already practice much of what’s in the book – but there is always room for improvement! Trained as an oncological surgeon, Attia’s take on longevity is fascinating. He talks about the 'Four Horsemen' – diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease – and how they’re all connected. He believes that if you have diabetes, for example, you might be at risk for heart disease or cancer.

October 5, 2023

a book cover of a person smoking a cigarette

American Prometheus unveils the complexity of an enigmatic genius

While I was serving as U.S. Commissioner General at Expo 2020 Dubai, I read a remarkable book that is back in the spotlight. American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, was the inspiration for the current box office hit Oppenheimer. This 721-page-long book is tough to read at times, and incredibly captivating. Twenty-five years in the making and exhaustively researched, the biography won the Pulitzer Prize in 2006. It’s a captivating portrait of a brilliant, complex, and flawed figure who played a critical role in shaping the course of 20th-century history.

August 22, 2023

Life 3.0 explores the exhilarating future of AI and humanity

I recently read the exhilarating (and terrifying) book Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (2017) by the Swedish American Max Tegmark, a professor of physics at MIT and president of the Future of Life Institute. The book explores the impact of artificial intelligence on our future, and questions whether AI is the best or worst thing that is happening to humanity and life itself. WARNING: it can be depressing.

July 21, 2023

The Legacies of Two Great American Heroes

I recently read two truly inspiring biographies on American heroes, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle, by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham and King: A Life, by Jonathan Eig. Reading these acclaimed authors' latest books back to back is the way to go. They do a great job of storytelling in a way where the audience can grasp the reality of the moment and the greatness of both of these men – even though, at the time, they were in constant doubt about their impact. Meacham’s book examines how and why Lincoln refused to accept secession, attacks on democracy, and the tragedy of slavery in order to bring about his vision for America. He starts with Lincoln’s journey from his early years as a farm boy in Kentucky. He goes on to describe his move from law to politics and then to the presidency and his assassination in 1865. Meacham pays close attention to the influences on Lincoln's ideas and values and how he aligned his views with the emerging Republican Party, an administration that at the time brought welfare to a persecuted and disadvantaged minority.

July 7, 2023

Crash Landing: The Inside Story of How the World's Biggest Companies Survived an Economy COVID Crisis

I recently read “Crash Landing: The Inside Story of How the World's Biggest Companies Survived an Economy on the Brink” by award-winning business journalist Liz Hoffman. It was an interesting exposé about how the world's most powerful CEOs built the US economy only to watch it fall before their eyes – and never saw it coming. The book does a great job of putting the reader in the middle of the CEO experience, from the realization of how deep the pandemic crisis would be, to the strategies they were working on to save their companies. Clayco and our team had these same stories. From helping the White House and CDC navigate how to work safely to keep our job sites going, to responding to the drastic growth of E-Commerce, we responded to the same circumstances.

May 5, 2023

Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II

This is great storytelling about winning WWII, American ingenuity, innovation, and how many of the great engineering and construction firms grew into the powerhouses they still are today. I wish this book would have been around when I started Clayco. “Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II” is written by author and history connoisseur (with a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins and five other historical works to his credit) Arthur Herman. This book is insightful in covering the history of the United States’ industrial mobilization for World War II.

March 15, 2023

2022 Reading List

I always enjoy using my downtime or travel time to immerse myself in a good book. It’s important for me to stay current with ongoing affairs, whether that’s related to politics, business, or interesting historical stories. Take a look at my 2022 reading list here:

December 21, 2022

Book Review: URGING endless United States support to see Ukraine purge Putin from the West

The Splendid and the Vile Book Review There are few things more terrifying than watching history repeat itself – especially when that history is rooted in death, war, and xenophobia. After reading “The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson, I couldn’t help but make connections between the conflicts and turmoil experienced across Europe in the past and how it is happening before our eyes again today.

September 12, 2022

A Riveting Read – “Boundless: The Rise, Fall, and Escape of Carlos Ghosn”

I recently read the fantastic book “Boundless: The Rise, Fall, and Escape of Carlos Ghosn,” by two Wall Street Journal reporters Nick Kostov and Sean McLain. It was a riveting read about the success and alleged crimes of business executive Carlos Ghosn who made his career at Michelin in Brazil, Renault in France, and Nissan in Japan. You will have a hard time putting this book about the CEO-turned-fugitive down – it’s entertaining, fun, and to the point! Ghosn had many global ties and a unique experience as he was born in the Amazon, raised in Beirut, and educated in Paris. He gained prominence through executive positions in multinational companies, earning nicknames like the Le Cost Killer for his business savvy skills and Mr. 7-Eleven for his tireless dedication to his work. People admired Ghosn and believed him to be the leading innovator of his generation. However, once the fame and glory went to his head, he became greedier and began down the path to disgrace.

August 15, 2022

Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West

I recently read Christopher Knowlton’s book “Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West” and it gave great insight into the open range cattle era and how it changed America forever. The US has consistently proven that it can withstand repeated boom-and-bust eras within our civilization. From the Great Depression to the housing bubble of the early 2000s, to an unprecedented global pandemic and everything in between, perseverance and adaptation are key parts of who we are as a nation. After the Civil War ended, the cattle age brought about the greatest boom-and-bust cycle until the Great Depression, the invention of the assembly line, and the beginning of the conservation movement. Knowlton gives a new view of the Old West and how its movements and cowboys achieved incredible goals, rose, fell, and left a lasting impact on society.

July 29, 2022

Two books to Read on Philanthropy in the Modern World

Two thought-provoking books I recently read on achieving a world that’s more equitable are The Business of Changing the World: How Billionaires, Tech Disrupters, and Social Entrepreneurs Are Transforming the Global Aid Industry by Raj Kumar and The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck Feeney Made and Gave Away a Fortune Without Anyone Knowing by Conor O’Clery. These books are helpful for anyone thinking about how to make a lasting impact. As Raj Kumar explains in The Business of Changing the World, the foreign aid industry, in the United States and elsewhere, is undergoing a vast transformation. Governments and aid agencies are no longer pouring large sums of money into international development projects. Instead, today’s demand is for evidence-based solutions that could more realistically put an end to extreme poverty, and that is very good news.

July 18, 2022

Two Cautionary Tales About General Electric for Our Times

I have had tons of experiences working with Fortune 100 companies over the years. On capital projects ranging from $50 to $500 million, we are usually collaborating with the C-suite team members. Looking back over 35 years of doing business, I found that I could tell from these encounters, or should’ve been able to, whether a company was going to excel or deteriorate. Some of the great companies I worked with include Centene, Express Scripts, Microsoft, and Amazon. The planning, the energy, and the professionalism were evident throughout our exchanges and collaborations. A couple of companies I worked with that didn’t do so well were Venture and a large brewer, and you could see the handwriting on the wall.

June 9, 2022

How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil

We know climate change is altering our planet. How the World Really Works is a much-needed reality check reminding us that before we can tackle problems effectively, we must understand the facts. This is a thought-provoking book I recently read that looks at the importance of energy for humanity. Written by Canadian energy expert Professor Vaclav Smil, the book explains the fundamental realities governing our survival and prosperity. These include fossil fuels and food production, globalization, and the future of the environment.

June 6, 2022

The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir

If it wasn’t so scary, the book The Room Where it Happened: A White House Memoir would be a good read as a novel about what leads the world into chaos and even the darkest of war scenarios. It’s an authentic memoir, not a novel. This is an intriguing book I recently read that offered exclusive insights into the workings of the White House. Written by former President Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton, his integral title related to U.S. safety gave him insider information and access to the Administration’s affairs. He spent many of his 453 days working right in the room where everything happened (and the facts speak for themselves). Die-hard fans of Bolton’s former boss quickly try to ignore or discredit him, as Fox News seems to forget that he was a daring foreign policy hawk for a long time before his tenure with the former president.

May 23, 2022

Keeping it Current – Book Reviews

It’s important for me to keep up-to-date and informed regarding current affairs – not only global politics, but also looking at the world’s business leaders and what has fueled their success. I also get a lot from reading the history of specific issues and events.

March 30, 2022

My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future

A great book I read recently is Indra Nooyi’s new memoir My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future. Nooyi, the former chair and CEO of PepsiCo, is one of the only women to run a Fortune 50 company and among the most strategic thinkers of our time. In the memoir, she describes the events that shaped her life as a woman of color and an immigrant, from her childhood and early education in 1960s India to the Yale School of Management to her rise as a corporate consultant and strategist who was appointed to one of the most senior executive ranks in business.

February 19, 2022

Memoirs to Read for Holocaust Remembrance Day

In light of Holocaust Remembrance Day, it seems like a powerful moment to recommend these three books to read in succession. I’m hoping no one in the world will experience the horror, participate in, or be the victim of these types of atrocities fueled by racism and divisive, egotistical goals again. All The Frequent Troubles of Our Days by Rebecca Donner is the true story of an American woman in the German resistance in Nazi-ruled Germany. Mildred Harnack was 26 when her PhD studies took her to Berlin. From 1932, a small band of activists started holding secret meetings in her apartment.

January 28, 2022

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel

Although I generally don’t agree with this author on many things, including his politics, I believe this book is required reading for entrepreneurs and investors … Zero to One: Notes on Startups, Or How to Build the Future. Written by Peter Thiel, one of the founders of PayPal, the book is assembled from some of the class notes that were taken from his lectures held at Stanford University in 2012. It is very insightful, and I agree with a lot of the main points Thiel makes, especially when it comes to thinking outside the box and innovation. The book starts off with the premise that even though it might not seem like it, we’re currently living in an age of what Thiel calls ‘technological stagnation.’ He basically means that instead of people building new companies or products to solve problems that no one else has thought of, we’re mainly doing much of the same thing that other established companies are already developing. Using examples like the rapid advancements in information technology and companies in Silicon Valley, he illustrates how imitating or copying what another business is already doing isn’t really moving us forward.

January 20, 2022

Books I Read in 2021

This was a big year for reading for me as I embraced audiobooks and can listen during all my down or travel time. I read a very human story with lots of familiar political friends and relationships Both/And by Huma Abedin and The World As It Is by Ben Rhodes. Both of these books are definitely worth reading.

January 3, 2022

Two Great History Books to Read Together: Sapiens and A Short History of Humanity

Two great history books that I’ve read and that I recommend reading together are Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and A Short History of Humanity: A New History of Old Europe. Sapiens, written by the historian Yuval Noah Harari, does an excellent job of tracing the great story of the rise of our own species and documents humanity’s creation and evolution throughout the ages. Looking into the intersections of biology and history, Dr. Harari takes his narrative all the way back to 70,000 years ago, when the first beginnings of modern cognition began to take place in homo sapiens. He then goes on to trace the start of the agricultural revolution, the scientific revolution, the industrial revolution, the information revolution, and all the way up to where we were in 2014: the biotechnological revolution.

December 8, 2021

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

One of the recent books that captured my attention was Shoe Dog, and if you’re also interested in reading memoirs that you just can’t put down, then look no further. Written by Phil Knight, the creator of Nike, it traces the story behind the iconic brand that has impacted our culture in countless ways, and I found it to be a powerful account of the triumphs and pitfalls that can come with building your own business from the ground up.

July 10, 2021

Earth Day Book Review

On Earth Day, when Shawn was about 7 years old, I was working from home for some reason (very rare) and Shawn ran by me and I noticed he had a shirt on with an animated cartoon of the Earth. I beckoned him over so I could get a better view and was horrified to see that he had a t-shirt on that read “SAVE THE TREES” on the front in bold letters. My immediate reaction was to tell him to get rid of that shirt because we (Clayco) are who the trees are being saved from. That was true then and it’s still true now. My company probably cuts down more trees that are “in the way” at our projects than any other building company in America. Although we now work hard to mitigate our footprint, we have a long way to go. Now we try to not just understand our footprint and completely mitigate it, but also take into account the BIG picture and work towards helping our clients achieve their ambitious plans in this same regard. Like SAFETY, these types of initiatives require a top-down/bottom-up strategy within a business. The first step to that is “The Greening of Bob Clark”. It’s a journey, and I can promise my company and I are on the right path.

April 22, 2021

Some Of My Favorite Books

I was recently asked to create a list of my top 5 books of all time. It’s difficult to narrow down my top 5, or even my top 50 books of all time. If you ask me in 6 months, my answer may even be different. However, here are some that come to mind.

March 4, 2021

The Books That Inspire Me to Think Big

Recently I decided to read, in quick succession, an assortment of books about phenomenal business and tech leaders. I’ve found that reading related books one after the other usually leads to new insights that come from seeing the similarities and the differences.

February 14, 2021

Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella

I recently reacquainted myself with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s book Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone. It is required reading for my senior team. Nadella sums up the book perfectly when he writes: “This is a book about transformation.” It is about the transformation that Microsoft is undergoing with Nadella at the helm, but it is also about how Nadella himself has been transformed in the process, and his philosophy that one of the most important human qualities is empathy. Empathy, Nadella insists, is at the heart of how companies, society, and individuals must transform. The book is written in three main sections: his early life and journey to Microsoft, the story of Microsoft’s transformation-in-progress, and his views on technology and the future. One thing I appreciate is that Nadella wanted to write the book now, while everything is happening, so that the reader can share in the story alongside him, rather than looking back in retrospect. He wants it to be a picture of the mess, not the final product. This is the reality of having a significant leadership role in a company — it is always a work in progress with many obstacles to overcome and things to improve. Nadella shows this magnificently. It’s also written in a way that is really simple to digest and tames the complexity of subjects like the cloud and artificial intelligence for the average person.

December 17, 2020

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The writer, James Clear, and I both had traumatic and life-changing experiences in our formative years. And, for both of us, these experiences changed us into who we are today. Clear’s life-changing injury occurred when a baseball bat hit him in the face on the last day of sophomore year in high school. It easily could’ve killed him and definitely could’ve held him back from the amazing success he’s had since. When I was 14, I was in a shooting accident. I was in the hospital for months and had over 15 procedures and surgeries. In addition to losing my right eye, I basically lost an entire year of my life and, by the time I was 15 years old, I considered myself a grown-up. I learned many things I was glad to know, and many things I didn’t want to know, but nonetheless, all those things influenced my later successes.

October 19, 2020

Unvarnished by Eric Alperin and Deborah Stoll

This book is an interesting behind-the-scenes look at bartending, but also gives great recipes and methodologies to please even the most sophisticated drinkers. I’ve often fantasized or thought that if I wasn’t one of North America’s largest builders, I would’ve been a bartender. Anthony Bourdain sidetracked me for a short bit, thinking I might become a famous chef, but I was too loose with a knife and figured I would cut my fingers off eventually.

September 29, 2020

Mindset by Carol Dweck

You can have the most sophisticated strategy in life or in business, but if you don’t have the right mindset and positive attitude, you can still prevent yourself from achieving to the height of your potential. Dweck details the difference between those with a fixed mindset, and those with a growth mindset, demonstrating how having a growth mindset can dramatically enhance your talents and success in all facets of life.

September 11, 2020

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Until reading this book, I was unaware of how truly critical sleep is, not only for the basic health of our bodies, but also for our problem solving, creativity, learning, memory, logic, and inspiration. Essentially, sleep is one of our greatest allies in reaching our goals in our personal lives and in our businesses. A must-read, especially for us workaholics that may be convinced sleep is a waste of time.

September 11, 2020

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Effective communication is everything. In times of crisis, in everyday relationships, and especially as a business leader. Rosenberg’s revolutionary text is one of the most insightful books of our times, offering stories, information, and exercises to change your approach to communication and help you get what you need in a peaceful way.

September 11, 2020

The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells

Written as a portrayal of the future of humanity that is coping with the devastating effects of global warming, this book doles out a large dose of reality by describing our possible future in terms of what our daily lives might look like. While guiding us through how we might make sense of such a crisis, Wallace-Wells ends the book by suggesting we find empowerment in our ability to contemplate and act upon what might otherwise be the demise of our existence.

September 7, 2020

Death of a Riverguide by Richard Flanagan

I rarely dabble in fiction, but this book is beautiful and well-written. I really loved it. Through the death of the main character, Aljaz, the reader is taken through a journey of his ancestors, his life, and most of all—his resiliency and ability to push through despair and start over. Other important themes touch on immigration, culture, and imperialism.

September 3, 2020

Book Club

I’m Bananas for this Book about Mark Twain

Code, Courage, and Grit: Why Gates’ Memoir Hit Home

Great Books That Inspire Leadership, Innovation, and Reflection

Oldies But Goodies about Business Titans

Celebrating National Read a Book Day

The Whole Story, Adventures in Love, Life and Capitalism

The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

Brainiac Business Books for Deeper Studying

Thomas Heatherwick Book Launch & Discussion

Medicine 3.0: how to live a long, strong and happy life

American Prometheus unveils the complexity of an enigmatic genius

Life 3.0 explores the exhilarating future of AI and humanity

The Legacies of Two Great American Heroes

Crash Landing: The Inside Story of How the World's Biggest Companies Survived an Economy COVID Crisis

Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II

2022 Reading List

Book Review: URGING endless United States support to see Ukraine purge Putin from the West

A Riveting Read – “Boundless: The Rise, Fall, and Escape of Carlos Ghosn”

Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West

Two books to Read on Philanthropy in the Modern World

Two Cautionary Tales About General Electric for Our Times

How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil

The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir

Keeping it Current – Book Reviews

My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future

Memoirs to Read for Holocaust Remembrance Day

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel

Books I Read in 2021

Two Great History Books to Read Together: Sapiens and A Short History of Humanity

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Earth Day Book Review

Some Of My Favorite Books

The Books That Inspire Me to Think Big

Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Unvarnished by Eric Alperin and Deborah Stoll

Mindset by Carol Dweck

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg

The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells

Death of a Riverguide by Richard Flanagan

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