In today’s fast-paced world, Private Service Professionals are expected to be experts in a multitude of areas, from etiquette and event planning to household management and personal shopping. With so many responsibilities on their plates, it’s no wonder that even the most seasoned professionals can occasionally find themselves stumped by a question or problem they haven’t encountered before. That’s where having a well-stocked reference library comes in handy.
For your perusing pleasure, we’ve collected an assortment of books that we find useful or that others have recommended. This list started out with my own library and grew after our conversation with Latricia Friend on ClubHouse. Then it expanded once again when I started searching for topics I feel are applicable to our industry.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have not read all of the books on this list. Make sure to do your research and read the reviews to ensure that they will answer your questions. The books framed in gold are the ones on my shelf.
Send an email to Resources@HNWSolutions.com if you have a title you think we should add!
**Occasionally, the Amazon images don’t load properly and show as broken links, this issue typically resolves itself if you refresh the page. But just in case, we’ve included the names below the books so you can search for them.
Soft Skills | Leadership | Administration
Bonnie Low-Kramen - Staff Matters
Kimberly Burton Allen & Christopher Allen - A Butler’s Life
Esther Jacob - The Power Of A Forward-Thinking Mindset
Scott Rouse - Understanding Body Language
Jay Sullivan - Simply Said
Henry Cloud, John Townsend - Boundaries
Gill Hasson - How to Deal With Difficult People
Jeffrey Robinson - THE HOTEL
Monica Worline, Jane E. Dutton, Raj Sisodia - Awakening Compassion at Work
Lee Cockerell - Creating Magic
Joe Navarro - The Dictionary of Body Language
Beverly D. Flaxington - Understanding Other People
Diane Arthur - Recruiting, Interviewing, Selecting & Orienting New Employees
David Gonzalez - The Insiders Guide to Household Staffing, 2nd ed.
Danny Meyer - Setting the Table
Bigrocks Thinking - Critical thinking, Logic & Problem Solving
Simon Wootton, Terry Horne - Strategic Thinking
Steven Varnell - Behavior Analysis and Interviewing Techniques (BAIT)
Hard Skills | Service Delivery | Reference
Cheryl Mendelson - Home Comforts
Steven Ferry - Butlers & Household Managers - 21st Century Professionals
The Joy of Cooking
Tad Gage - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cigars, 2nd Edition
Margaret Visser - The Rituals of Dinner
Cheryl Mendelson - Laundry
Robert Roberts - The House Servants Directory
Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher - The Art of Eating
Jaclyn Stuart, Jeanette Hurt - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine and Food Pairing
Carl David, Richard J. Boyle - Collecting and Care of Fine Art
Charles MacPherson - The Butler Speaks
Stanley Ager, Fiona St. Aubyn - The Butler's Guide
Karen MacNeil - The Wine Bible
Jaclyn Stuart, Jeanette Hurt - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine and Food Pairing
Mittie Hellmich - The Ultimate Bar Book
Emily Post's Etiquette
Robert Hickey, Pamela Eyring - Honor & Respect
Karen MacNeil - The Wine Bible
Jaclyn Stuart, Jeanette Hurt - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine and Food Pairing
Old Farmer's Almanac - The 2023 Old Farmer's Almanac
James E. Brumbaugh - Audel HVAC Fundamentals, Volume 1
Kent Lester, Dave McGuerty - The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home
James E. Brumbaugh - Audel HVAC Fundamentals, Volume 3
David Squire - Houseplant Handbook
Home Improvement - Ultimate Guide: Plumbing, Updated 5th Edition
Teri Dunn Chace, National Gardening Association, Philip Giroux, Bob Beckstrom, Lance Walheim - Landscaping For Dummies
Charles Byers - Ultimate Guide Wiring, Updated 9th Edition (Ultimate Guides)
Tiffany Weber - The Vegetable Gardener's Bible: 3 books in 1
Books for which we could not get preview links.
Vickie Sokol Evans – 100 Life-Changing Tips Using Microsoft Office for Windows
National Trust Manual of Housekeeping – (England)
Household Chemicals
Marth Stewart’s book on cleaning
Flower Arrangements
Household Plant Care
Farmers Almanac Gardening
Encyclopedia of Landscape Design: Planning, Building, and Planting Your Perfect Outdoor Space
The Art Of Serving Food Attractively
Napkin Wizard – Jimmy Ng
Dinner Is Served
Crane’s Blue Book of Stationery: The Styles and Etiquette of Letters, Notes, and Invitations
The gastronomical me – MFK Fisher
The Theory of Catering – Kinton & Ceserani
If you’ve ever wondered where we get all of our insightful and useful information on our blog? Well, we have a secret weapon: our Thursday evening ClubHouse conversations!
Every Thursday evening, we join Latricia Friend on ClubHouse to discuss a variety of topics related to our industry. We invite experts, thought leaders, and other professionals to join us and share their insights, experiences, and knowledge.
Our ClubHouse sessions are always lively, engaging, and informative. We discuss everything from the latest trends and developments to the best practices and strategies for success. We also take questions from our followers and listeners, giving everyone a chance to participate and learn.