What they’re reading now

Where do you look for insight and inspiration? To find out, The Real Deal asks leaders in the industry what they’re reading.

Brad Siderow
Founder and CEO of Siderow Residential Group

What are you reading right now or what did you finish most recently?

“How To Run A Country: An Ancient Guide for Modern Leaders” by Marcus Tullius Cicero

What spurred you to read this book?

I have always had a fascination with Ancient Rome and its leaders.

Has anything stuck with you? Would you recommend it to others? 

Yes, that the world’s superpower of 2,000 years ago dealt with the same issues that the U.S. deals with today in many areas like immigration, military, war, money and power. Yes, I would recommend it.

Roy Kim
Head of New Development, Compass

What are you reading right now or what did you finish most recently?

I love books that are set in New York: “Rules of Civility,” by Amor Towles; “Another Country,” by James Baldwin; “Here is New York,” by E.B. White.

What spurred you to read these books?

Living in New York is like living in a bunch of different worlds at once, but I really appreciate getting insights into what the city was like in previous eras.

Has anything stuck with you? Would you recommend them to others? 

Each book has an equally vivid description of the city.  In “The Rules of Civility,” there is a scene set on the ground floor of a diner, looking at Trinity Church. I can almost picture it nestled in the building south of the church, beside the old-school men’s shoe store that is there now. In “Another Country,” you can almost hear the footsteps of the main character as he marches up Times Square, and feel the grittiness of the city back then.

Scott Walsh
Vice president of  Commercial and Residential Development,
Forest City Ratner Companies

What are you reading right now or what did you finish most recently?

I’m always reading more than one book at a time. Right now, the five books on my nightstand are “Building Seagram” by Phyllis Lambert; “The Culture Map” by Erin Meyer; “Paradise Planned” by Robert Stern, David Fishman & Jacob Tilove; “Greek Revival America” by John Hall et al, and “The Bucolic Plague” by Josh Kilmer Purcell.

What spurred you to read these books?

As an architect by training, I have a deep interest in building and planning. I’m most enjoying “Building Seagram,” a fascinating personal history on the building, a modern icon in New York. Having traveled and studied development all over the world, I’m refreshing my knowledge as well as creating a new list of places to visit by reading “Paradise Planned.” On the business side, I’m reading “The Culture Map,” which deals with successfully navigating cultural difference in the workplace.

The last two books are connected to my personal life. During my college years in Ithaca, I grew to love the Greek Revival farm houses that dot the Finger Lakes landscape.  This year, my partner and I searched many towns and villages to find a wonderful well-preserved house.  This journey has led us to Schoharie County, on the west side of the Hudson. “The Bucolic Plague” resonates with the desires driving this search, and takes place in Schoharie County, a hidden gem in our great state.

Has anything stuck with you? Would you recommend them to others? 

The architectural books reinforce permanence in building, and [those] projects represent powerful moments and great minds in their time. I would recommend them all, and as I’m curating the library at our New York by Gehry tower at 8 Spruce Street, I’ve added most to our design-focused collection.