Episode 186: Dr. Jen’s Maui Desktop Landlording Library - what’s in it?
Summary
If you study some of the sports greats, like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, they all say the same thing: do the basics very VERY well. Do them in your sleep. But how? Where do you start? Recently I saw a YouTube that reviewed an experts’ library, his actual booklist, and he went through each book. Wow. The basics. So that’s what we’re doing today. From Napoleon Hill’s “Think & Grow Rich” to Jeffrey Taylor’s “The Landlord’s Kit”, and the 12 or so books in between, sitting on my desk at my Maui office.
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This Week’s Blog Post:
A Peek Into My Daily Workspace
In this episode, I decided to share something a bit different: the library that sits right on my Maui desktop. Michael and I watch a lot of YouTube—what I like to call YouTube University—and after seeing Daniel Pink review 21 of his favorite books, I realized I’ve built quite the library myself. I have multiple offices, one here on Maui and another on the boat, and honestly, the one on the boat is even bigger. But today I wanted to walk you through the books that live literally within arm’s reach. Even if you take away a nugget or two, or recognize something helpful, that makes it worthwhile.
The Books That Shape My Thinking
As I started grabbing books off the shelf, the first one I picked up was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I’ve read it 29 times, and each time I finish it, I write the date inside the back cover. It’s always different, always relevant, and still the number-one book I recommend besides the Bible. I even use a $1 million cash-flow game bill as my bookmark. From there, I moved into titles from several guests I’ve had on the show, like Playing the Wealth Game by Freddy Rapino and From A to Z in Real Estate by Michael Matthew, both filled with strategies and peace-of-mind approaches for Canadian investors looking into U.S. real estate.
Practical Tools and Deep-Dive References
Some books in my library are incredibly practical. The Mindful Landlord by Terri-Ann Shaw is jam-packed with metrics, checklists, and real-world tools. Kevin Kruse’s 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management is another go-to, especially for anyone struggling to organize their days. Sitting here in Hawaii, I also rely heavily on Regulating Paradise by David Callies—a solid baseline resource for understanding zoning laws and how things work in Hawaii. It’s not the end-all-be-all, but it’s a helpful foundation.
Learning From Experts and Their Stories
I’ve added new books to the shelf as I prepare for upcoming guests. Natalie Cloutier’s Build-to-Rent Strategy is one I ordered because she’ll be on the show soon. It fits perfectly into the projects Mike and I are working on both in Canada and here on Maui. Wendy Myers’ Lessons From the Landlady is another favorite—she’s been on the show twice, and her experience renting across the Midwest has given me countless insights. I also keep Brian Hennessy’s Due Diligence Handbook for Commercial Real Estate, a quick but powerful 60-page read covered in my highlights.
The Core Landlording Manuals
Finally, my library includes some foundational landlord resources. Commercial Mortgages 101 and The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings are textbook-thick references for anyone scaling into larger deals or syndications. Brandon and Heather Turner’s Managing Rental Properties is full of standardized forms and practical guidance—especially helpful for scaling. I also treasure A Landlord’s Guide for Cultivating Profitable Tenants from 1988, a reminder that awkward conversations in landlording are nothing new. Landlording on Autopilot offers digital systems, though I still believe landlords must stay engaged. And at the end of the stack sits Geoffrey Taylor’s The Landlord’s Kit—essentially the bible of landlording, full of forms, checklists, and small-print wisdom. I’d love to have him on my show someday.