As the summer market heats up, it’s important to stay informed and inspired. Whether you’re running from one job to the next, taking a well-deserved break, or simply looking to expand your industry knowledge, a great book can be your perfect companion. Our 2024 Summer Reading List is packed with insightful and motivational reads to help you thrive in your field. So, grab a cold drink, find a shady spot, and get ready to elevate your appraisal game with our top picks for this summer.
Shelter from the Storm: How a COVID Mortgage Meltdown Was Averted
Author: Mark Calabria
Amazon Rating: 4.6 stars
Released: March 14, 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic not only disrupted our daily life, but it also posed an unprecedented threat to the economy, particularly in the mortgage and housing markets. While the federal response primarily focused on public health, significant efforts were made to keep families in their homes. Despite reforms after the 2008 financial crisis, the markets were unprepared for March 2020. Calls for bailouts reemerged, and some aimed to avoid past mistakes. In this book, Mark Calabria, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), details how millions received mortgage and rental assistance, maintaining financial stability while avoiding significant taxpayer cost and minimizing bailouts and subsidies. Through his own experience leading the charge, Calabria provides an inside look at government crisis management.
The Generative Shift: Preparing Appraisers for Artificial Intelligence Models Like ChatGPT
Author: Jim Amorin
Amazon Rating: 4.7 stars
Released: February 10, 2024
Ready to leverage AI tools effectively in your business? This book addresses common challenges and provides over 400 creative prompts to inspire the most productive use of these tools. Jim Amorin details the evolution and practical applications of AI, focusing on models like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and Microsoft CoPilot. He includes real-world case studies demonstrating AI’s transformative potential in appraisal, explores ethical concerns, and introduces you to advanced tools like ChatGPT-4 Vision and DALL-E. Concluding with a forward-looking perspective on AI’s future, “The Generative Shift” is an essential resource for both seasoned appraisers and newcomers to the field.
Author: Jason Feifer
Amazon Rating: 4.7 stars
Released: September 6, 2022
This book is designed to help you accelerate the process of change by managing panic, adapting quickly, and defining your new normal, so you can ultimately thrive in your life and work. In the aftermath of the pandemic, which forced collective change and ongoing adjustments to our lives, careers, and families, many of us are finding new paths. Jason Feifer, Entrepreneur magazine’s editor-in-chief, offers stories, lessons, and exercises from the world’s most successful changemakers (including global celebrities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, innovative CEOs, and Main Street heroes). He also illustrates how we can look back at the world’s most dramatic historical shifts to learn how to embrace change proactively.
Power and Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, Avi Goldfarb
Amazon Rating: 4.3 stars
Released: November 15, 2022
As we all know, artificial intelligence has revolutionized a wide range of industries over the past few years. In this book, economists Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb dive deep into how AI shifts strategic predictions from humans to machines, increasing decision speed and accuracy while relieving cognitive load. However, this shift can also lead to global disruptions. As AI redesigns systems, power dynamics in industries and societies change. This book provides illuminating insights, real-world examples, and practical advice on leveraging these AI disruptions to your advantage, making Power and Prediction an essential read for business leaders everywhere.
Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest
Author: William Vanderbloemen
Amazon Rating: 4.5 stars
Released: November 14, 2023
In a crowded workforce and an unstable job landscape, standing out is more important now than ever before. Over the course of 15 years, William Vanderbloemen has explored this trait while running a major executive search firm. His research involves over 30,000 top leaders, as well as extensive data on the subject. Through this research, Vanderbloemen has identified 12 key habits that set the best apart. In “Be the Unicorn”, each habit is detailed with hard data, first-hand accounts from high-achieving professionals, and practical tips for daily use. Discover the soft skills of some of the world’s most successful leaders, develop these skills for yourself, and apply them to your interpersonal relationships and work environments – and see where this takes you!
Two of these authors – Jason Feifer and Mark Calabria – will be joining us at Valuation Expo this year, where valuation professionals from across the nation converge to network, grab some appraisal CE, and stay at the forefront of industry advancements. Held at the iconic Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from August 19-21, this conference promises to be a groundbreaking event. You can learn more or register here.
So, have you read any of these titles yet? Are any of them on your TBR (to-be-read) shelf now? Let us know in the comments, and we hope you have a fantastic summer!
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Written by : Aaliyah Terrell
Aaliyah is a young professional and self-published author with a love for that space where art and business meet. As Storyboard’s marketing manager, she gets to have her hands in a wide range of creative endeavors. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, writing, and reading books on anything and everything.