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The Governor’s & Lt. Governor’s Book List

The Books Behind Our Leadership

We believe great leadership starts with great learning. Books shaped who we are today — as educators, service-minded leaders, and lifelong students of history, culture, and human resilience.

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As Governor and Lt. Governor, we will maintain a Governor’s Book List Program:

  • Any high school class, public or homeschool, that chooses to read a book from our lists will have the book purchased for them — funded entirely from our own salaries, NOT taxpayer dollars.

  • Whenever possible, we will personally visit classrooms to lead book discussions and connect with students.

 

“Friends don’t let friends read junk.” — Scott Morris

Gov Morris' Book List ​

  • Madonna Swan — St. Pierre

  • George Washington Carver: A Life — Christina Vella

  • True Benjamin Franklin — Sydney George Fisher

  • Education of a Wandering Man — Louis L’Amour

  • Sapiens — Yuval Noah Harari

  • Range — David Epstein

  • Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World — Jack Weatherford

  • In Harm’s Way — Doug Stanton

  • River of the Gods — Candice Millard

  • Empire of the Summer Moon — S.C. Gwynne

Lt. Gov. Flanigan’s Book List

  • Drive — Daniel H. Pink

  • The Infinite Game — Simon Sinek

  • The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living — Joseph M. Marshall III

  • Do Hard Things — Steve Magness

  • Dare to Serve — Cheryl Bachelder

Leadership is learned.
Character is learned.
And learning begins with reading.

Through this program, we hope to inspire the next generation of South Dakotans — one book, one classroom, one conversation at a time.

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