Got some spare time after closing a business deal? Have a cup of coffee or tea, or whatever it is you feel like having, sit back and read a good book. Here are a few interesting choices that might give you a few insights as well.
#1 – Trump Never Give Up
There’s no doubt that Donald Trump thinks big. Trump Never Give Up is about some of his biggest successes and most disastrous mistakes. It’s a book about his intriguing career, with inspirational advice and wisdom from the man himself. Here’s a man who had it all, lost it all, and earned everything back again. Learn how he did it.
#2 – Innovator’s Dilemma
The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen is about how established industries can be replaced by newer ones with the advent of new technology. With elaborate examples from cars, processors, and excavators, it provides a detailed look about the dangers of a stagnant industry, and how tried and true practices might not be enough to survive. Encouraging innovation and thinking outside the box, it’s a good read to be reminded of the importance of ingenuity, and listening to your customers.
#3 – Richest Man in Babylon
This book gives business advice creatively presented with parables set in ancient Bablyon. In it, George Samuel Clason encourages readers to save money, invest, spend wisely, avoid taking risks, and save for the future. Richest Man in Babylon is filled with simple life lessons whose relevance has not faded with time.
#4 – Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Robert Kiyosaki, a successful real-estate broker, writes a best-seller mostly based on the story of his upbringing in Hawaii, where he had a highly educated but economically challenged “poor dad”, and a grade school dropout multimillionaire “rich dad”. Highlighting the differences between them, he elaborates on financial lessons that aren’t taught in schools. Written with consultation from CPA Sharon L. Lechter, he encourages the reader to make money work for him, instead of spending his whole life working for money. Many personal finance gurus dispute some of Kiyosaki’s advice, making this book ideal for inspiration only.
#5 – It’s Not the Big That Eat the Small… It’s the Fast That Eat the Slow
It’s Not the Big That Eat the Small… It’s the Fast That Eat the Slow by Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton, international consultants since 1976, provides an interesting view on how to keep your businesses one step ahead of the competition. “Being faster doesn’t mean being out of breath. It means being smarter.” With familiar tips on business improvement, theirs is an outline of best practices and ways to “future-proof” your business.
Originally posted on December 24, 2007 @ 12:00 am