As the saying goes — and it still holds true — the best physician leaders are readers.

By Editor-in-Chief, Concierge Medicine Today

My wife has a standing joke in our home: I rarely read just one book at a time.
She’s not wrong.

At any given moment, there’s usually a small stack within arm’s reach — one on the nightstand, one on a digital reader, and another playing through the car speakers while I’m driving or attempting to convince myself that walking on a treadmill counts as exercise. If you use a Kindle or an audiobook app, you’ve probably done the same thing: jumping between titles depending on your mood, your schedule, or how much mental bandwidth you have left after a long clinic day.

There’s something refreshing about that rhythm.

I’ve found that moving between a few thoughtful books and conversations keeps learning enjoyable instead of feeling like one more task on an already full checklist. A chapter here and there, a podcast during a commute, a few pages before bed — over time it adds up. And for many physicians, finding that balance between learning and enjoyment matters more than we sometimes admit.

Reading this way also keeps things interesting. If a chapter feels slow, overly academic, or starts sounding like it was written by someone who has never actually met a patient, I’ve learned it’s perfectly acceptable to skip ahead or switch books entirely. Life is busy. Attention spans are real. And there are simply too many good ideas in the world to push through a book that feels like chewing cardboard.

Think of it like clinical decision-making for your bookshelf:
if the current approach isn’t working… adjust the plan.

Over the past two decades at Concierge Medicine Today, we’ve had the privilege of asking physicians, practice leaders, and innovators a simple question: What are you reading? The answers have been thoughtful and wide-ranging. Some books focus on leadership and communication. Others explore mindset, personal development, practice design, or the patient experience. Many have been recommended during interviews for our publication, at the Concierge Medicine Forum, or on The DocPreneur Leadership Podcast — often in those hallway conversations that happen between sessions when someone says, “You need to read this.”

What follows is a curated list of titles that have surfaced repeatedly in conversations with physicians and care teams who care deeply about building meaningful, sustainable practices — and lives. Some are personal favorites. Others were recommended by colleagues across the field. All have offered useful perspective in one way or another.

If you’re specifically looking for books related to concierge or membership-based care, we’ve included a few recommendations toward the end as well.

As the saying goes — and it still holds true — the best physician leaders are readers.
Even if they occasionally fall asleep with a book on their chest after a long day and wake up two chapters later wondering what they missed.

1. Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection” by Charles Duhigg”
2. “Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity” Hardcover – Big Book, October 1, 2019 by Kim Scott
3. “No More Waiting Rooms: A Customer Service Road Map to Help Remarkable Medical Offices Navigate Their Way Towards an Irresistible Practice Where Gratitude Is on Repeat!” by Michael Tetreault
4. “Counterclockwise: Using Peptides to Renew, Rejuvenate, and Rediscover” by Dr. Suzanne J Ferree
5. “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” Paperback – December 29, 2020 by Greg McKeown (Author)
6. “Designing for Health: The Human-Centered Approach” Hardcover – November 13, 2023 by Craig Joseph (Author), Jerome Pagani (Author)
7. “Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It” Hardcover – February 13, 2024 by Jennie Allen (Author)
8. “Unstoppable Brain: The New Neuroscience that Frees Us from Failure, Eases Our Stress, and Creates Lasting Change” Hardcover – April 30, 2024 by Kyra Bobinet (Author)
9. “Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow’s Success” by John C. Maxwell (Author)
10. “The Beauty of Everyday Things” (Penguin Classics) Translation Edition by Soetsu Yanagi (Author)
11. “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection” by Charles Duhigg
12. “The Blood Pressure BluePrint: The Holistic Guide to Defeating Hypertension” by Dr. Ellie Campbell
13. “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” by Chris Voss (Author), Tahl Raz (Author)
14. “Power of Moments” by Dan and Chip Heath
15. “The Simple Truths of Service” by Ken Blanchard and Barbara Glanz
16. “The Power of Customer Experience: 5 Elements to Make An Impact” by Elizabeth Dixon
17. “Find Your Yellow Tux: How to be Successful by Standing Out” by Jesse Cole
18. “Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise” by Horst Schulze, Dean Merrill, et al.
19. “The Comeback Effect” by Jason Young
20. “The Other Side of Illness: Unexpected Blessings” by Dr. Robin Hall
21. “The Forgotten Power of Bathing: How a Daily Bath Can Improve Your Health and Happiness” by Élaine Drolet and Dr. Ken Redcross MD
22. “Well Designed Life: 10 Lessons in Brain Science & Design Thinking for a Mindful, Healthy, & Purposeful Life” Paperback – September 12, 2015 by Kyra Bobinet MD MPH (Author)
23. “The EntreMD Method: A Proven Roadmap for Doctors Who Want to Live Life and Practice Medicine on Their Terms” by Nneka Unachukwu
24. “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara

25. “Breathing Room: A 28-Day Devotional for Women” by Sandra Stanley

26. “The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life” by Steven Bartlett
27. “Trillion Dollar Coach” by Eric Schmidt (Author), Jonathan Rosenberg (Author), Alan Eagle (Author)
28. “Necessary Endings” by Henry Cloud

29. “How Teens Win: The Student’s Guide to Accomplishing Big Goals” by Jon Acuff

30. “Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future” by Cameron Herold
31. “Hospitable Healthcare: Just What the Patient Ordered!” by Stowe Shoemaker, Ph.D. (Author) & Peter Yesawich, Ph.D. (Author)
32. “Outlive” by Peter Attia MD and Bill Gifford
33. “DISMISSED: Tackling the Biases That Undermine our Health Care” by Angela Marshall, M.D.
34. “Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook: Lighten Up!” by Susan Greeley (Author)
35. “Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100” by Dr. Dr. Maoshing Ni
36. “When the Heavens Went On Sale” by Ashlee Vance
37. “Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence That Caring Makes a Difference” by Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli
38. “KING. A life.” by Jonathan Eig
39. “Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs Who Live Life and Practice Medicine on Their Own Terms” by Dr. Nneka Unachukwu
40. “What To Do Next: Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain” by Jeff Henderson (Author)
41. “The Doctor’s Guide to Concierge Medicine” by Concierge Medicine Today (Author)
42. “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World” by Adam Grant and Sheryl Sandberg
43. “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” by Adam Grant
44. “Leading with Dignity: How to create a culture that brings out the best in people” by Donna Hicks
45. “Winning the War in your Mind” by Craig Groeschel
46. “Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life” by Tish Harrison Warren
47. “Rebel Ideas: The Power of Thinking Differently“by Matthew Syed
48. “The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication” by John Maxwell
49. “The Visibility Formula: Taking Your Business From Best Kept Secret To Household Name” by Dr. Nneka Unachukwu (Author)
50. “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” by Simon Sinek

We want to hear from you: what other books or resources would you add to this list? Email us at editor@conciergemedicinetoday.org.

Books Specific to Physicians Wishing to Learn About Concierge Medicine or Peer Recommended That Concierge Medicine Physicians Have Read Specific To Filling a Knowledge Gap About Business During Their Transition Into Concierge Medicine

1. “The EntreMD Method: A Proven Roadmap for Doctors Who Want to Live Life and Practice Medicine on Their Terms” by Nneka Unachukwu
2. “The Power of Customer Experience: 5 Elements to Make An Impact” by Elizabeth Dixon
3. “What To Do Next: Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain” by Jeff Henderson (Author)
4. “The Doctor’s Guide to Concierge Medicine” by Concierge Medicine Today (Author)
5. “The Other Side of Illness: Unexpected Blessings” by Dr. Robin Hall
6. “Hospitable Healthcare: Just What the Patient Ordered!” by Stowe Shoemaker, Ph.D. (Author) & Peter Yesawich, Ph.D. (Author)
7. “No More Waiting Rooms: A Customer Service Road Map to Help Remarkable Medical Offices Navigate Their Way Towards an Irresistible Practice Where Gratitude Is on Repeat!” by Michael Tetreault
8. “The Ultimate Private Practice Playbook: Step-by-Step Strategies for Building a Practice That’s Uniquely Yours” Paperback – Released: January 1, 2025 by Dr. Brook Choulet M.D.
9. “Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise” by Horst Schulze, Dean Merrill, et al.
10. “The Comeback Effect” by Jason Young

Bonus!

1. “Necessary Endings” by Henry Cloud
2. “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara