I was on the Patagonia website (http://www.patagonia.com) this morning and noticed they have a Recommended Reading section. Knowing what Patagonia is all about, I didn’t find this all that surprising. I did, however, find it inspiring.

While Pro-Tech and Patagonia are two very different companies, they do share some things in common – like strong cultures, a commitment to the human element and a belief that quality touches more than just their products. Quality is the fabric that weaves all departments and operations together. It is the force behind delivering more than is expected and exactly what is needed. It is simply the way we do business.

It is the cornerstone of our Proven Value equation of Availability, Price and Quality.

But back to Patagonia … that they have a recommended reading page just reinforces what they stand for. It is branding done in a way that is genuine and authentic. And as a person who loves books, who loves to read – I’m surprised more companies don’t follow Patagonia’s lead.

A good book recommendation is a priceless gift. As Tom Peters says, “If I read a book that cost me $20 and I get one good idea, I've gotten one of the greatest bargains of all time.”

There aren’t that many books covering the Snow & Ice Management business, but the ones that are out there can be found in seconds with a quick Amazon or Google search. I’ll leave those for you to find, if you haven’t already.

What I’d like to do is share with you my own Recommended Reading list, or at least a partial one. The books I’ll list today here apply (directly or indirectly) to business and leadership.

1.  “Good to Great” by Jim Collins:  This book is a roadmap for success (or failure) depending on how you look at it. When I first interviewed with Pro-Tech’s president and saw this book on his bookshelf, I knew, at the very least, we would have something to talk about. Little did I know it paralleled his own commitment to Pro-Tech’s greatness.

2.  “Let My People Go Surfing” by Yvon Chouinard:  Yvon is the founder of Patagonia, and once I started learning about the man and his mission, I decided to pick up his book. It is a remarkable testament to understanding the WHY behind running a business.

3.  “It’s Your Ship” by Michael Abrashoff:  Former Navy Captain, Abrashoff took one of worst ships in the entire fleet and turned it into the best. One of the greatest practical leadership guides you will ever come across.

4.  “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch:  Randy, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, touched millions of viewers when his final lecture was videotaped and placed online. If you give up one hour of television this week, and watch the lecture, you’ll know why this book is on this list. It’s not a business book, but most lessons that apply to life apply equally as well to business.

5.  “The Starbucks Experience” by Joseph Michelli:  The five principles in this book can be applied to almost any business to raise the bar of excellence.

6.  “Undaunted Courage” by Stephen Ambrose:  This book chronicles the Louis & Clark expedition, and in doing so provides timeless lessons in leadership.

7.  “Crush It” by Gary Vaynerchuk:  This little book has one clear, underlying message: hard work and hustle are the number one keys to success. It also lays out a very clear path to using social media as a way to build your business.

8.  “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh:  Tony is the CEO of Zappos, a company that recently sold to Amazon for over one billion dollars. Tony took what many thought to be one of the worst business models of all time (selling shoes online) and explains how company culture (mainly a ridiculous commitment to customer service) can make a monumental difference in your success.

9.  “Behind the Cloud” by Marc Benioff:  Mr. Benioff started Salesforce.com and like Tony Hsieh, turned it from a garage operation into a billion dollar company. Marc gives away his own roadmap on how to get it done.

10.  “Shift” by Peter Arnell:  As a marketer (everyone needs to be a marketer these days) I found the insights he sprinkled in about his marketing work worth the price of admission.