Time for another summer reading list. My life has been turned upside down in recent months with a move and my reading has suffered. I am planning to catch up on a stack of books that have accumulated lately. Here are a few suggestions from my list.

Hamilton's Blessing by John Steele Gordon

Alexander Hamilton was America's first Secretary of the Treasury. He was the first to use debt as a leverage to expand the young nation's economy. He imagined the national debt as a strategic instrument of national policy to be used to protect and advance the interests of the country. In our day, however, the debt has become a tool to serve political rather than national interests. The debt has ballooned to astronomical proportions and threatens to get completely out of control–if it is not there already. This book is a basic primer on the subject and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting a simple and short read to understand a critical part of the national debate.

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

I have been reading this for a few weeks and decided to buy it in ebook form to finish. Chernow updates the many stories of America's first president and shed light on some of his personal habits that not only made him a great leader but also very human. As I progress through this biography I see some of the iconic aspects of Washington's image being chipped away. What emerges is a far more human figure. Highly readable–highly recommended.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

I am an unabashed Apple user. When this biography came out a few weeks after Jobs' death last fall I immediately downloaded and devoured the book. I want to go back over selected sections this summer just to review some of the creative management philosophy. I am not advocating adoption of Jobs high energy often abusive approach to people. I had to wonder while reading the book how much more the man could have accomplished had he treated associates better. But he did leave a creative technological legacy not likely to be matched for another generation.

The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey

Written by the son of the famous Covey of the Seven Habits this book came recommended to me a few weeks ago by a friend. I picked up a used copy from Amazon and am working through the initial chapters. What I can say so far is I have learned new avenues to understand what trust really is and am picking up a broader vocabulary to discuss the topic with others. Trust is the basis for all our relationships. The more we learn and the more we understand the building blocks of this topic the better we can maintain high deposits of trust. I am finding this book very valuable.

One last item. I recently found a website that lists virtually all sites with book reviews and lists. Real Clear Books is a sub set off of Real Clear Politics which is a go to site for news. Check this site regularly to keep up with the latest published books.