Curator's Reading Room — Ahmet Can Yesildag

Curator's Reading Room

Books That
Govern the Standard

Every recommendation here shaped how I lead, teach, and build — across 30+ years, 5 continents, and three companies.

Curated by Ahmet Can Yesildag CHA · Cornell GMP Skål International President

Wellness · Body Intelligence

Book Rec #001

BREATH

The New Science
of a Lost Art

JAMES NESTOR

★★★★½ 4.7
Audiobook · 7h 55m ✓ Recommended

Wellness · Body Intelligence

Breath

James Nestor · Popular Science

How we breathe shapes our sleep, energy, stress, endurance, and overall health — and most of us have been doing it wrong. Nestor blends science, history, and personal experiment into a genuinely eye-opening read.

Key Lessons

  • 01 Breathe through the nose whenever possible — it filters, warms, and pressurizes air optimally.
  • 02 Slow, deliberate breathing calms the nervous system far more than most people realize.
  • 03 Sleep quality and breathing quality are inseparably linked.
  • 04 Overbreathing is a silent stressor — less can genuinely be more.

Ideal For

Wellness Sleep Stress Mgmt Longevity Leaders

Popular science — treat it as thought-provoking and practical, not a substitute for medical advice. Some claims are broader than the research fully proves.

Buy on Amazon → View in Toolkit
Curated by · Affiliate link CHA · Cornell · Strategic Leadership

#002

Your next recommendation coming soon

Leadership · Hospitality · Mindset · Wellness

Leadership & Strategy

#003

Your next recommendation coming soon

Leadership · Management · Executive Strategy

Hospitality & Excellence

#004

Your next recommendation coming soon

Hospitality · Service Culture · Brand Standards

Ahmet Can Yesildag — Cornell University General Managers Program

Why This Reading Room Exists

Every great GM I know was shaped as much by what they read as by what they built.

Over 30+ years across Swissôtel, Hilton, Radisson, and Marriott — and through the Cornell General Managers Program — I collected not just experience, but a library. These are the books that rewired how I think about leadership, wellness, and the standard of excellence. I share them here with the same discipline I apply to everything: carefully chosen, honest commentary, and no filler.

Cornell GMP · GPA 4.59 CHA Certified Skål International President 30+ Years · 5 Continents