Business books can help you with everything from boosting your creativity to improving your public speaking skills. It doesn’t matter what industry you work in or what position you hold, there is likely a business book out there that will make an impact on your life and career.
Business books provide an incredible opportunity to learn from those who have been successful before us; all we need to do is open ourselves up and take advantage of this amazing resource!
We hope this list inspires you to read more business books, whether it be one of these or any other recommended by your peers, family, and friends. Business books are a great way to learn how to improve business skills such as time management, leadership, sales, and more.
So kick back in your chair, grab a cup of coffee or tea (or some other beverage), and start reading!
The Business Book of the Day is The E Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. In this book, Michael Gerber talks about the common mistake that small businesses make in not looking for a system that will work for them instead of working within their business.
He also talks about how one can avoid these same mistakes and build a Business that Doesn’t Fail. This is a very popular book for small business owners. This book is out of print; however, you can still find copies on Amazon or eBay.
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie is an author and lecturer who prospers with the notion that people can be influenced to change their behavior, and not just educated. In his book How to Win Friends & Influence People, he provides many techniques on how one can be a more effective communicator. He writes about topics like creating enthusiasm in others for projects or ideas, handling objections, and providing people with information so that they are able to make informed decisions.
Carnegie also touches on other areas of leadership such as dealing with anger conflicts and understanding the different types of personalities.
This book is a must-read for anyone in leadership or human resources.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
The author looks at why some companies are able to make the leap and become great while others do not. The book is from the business management genre, but it contains a lot of information for almost every type of business and career.
The author compares his findings with what he calls Good to Great companies. He then analyzes what they have in common that made them different from the rest.
He also offers an idea as to what these characteristics can be seen in other areas, such as public education or government.
This book is also very popular and a great read if you are looking to start your own small business.
The Magic of Thinking Big is a motivational book written by David J. Schwartz for readers who are looking to improve themselves and achieve success.
It begins with the story of Edwin C. Barnes, an extremely average man who was unexpectedly given money by his father, which he used to found the company that later became known as Walmart. The story goes on to show how Barnes achieved his success through persistence and determination – two qualities necessary for achieving anything in life – not just wealth and fame.
Schwartz also writes about various ways people can think bigger, no matter what they need to do or accomplish in life. For example, we often set out with the idea that we have one chance, but this is not necessarily true since there are always other chances to do whatever it is we have to do. If we try again and fail, it is never too late to keep trying. If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again until ultimately success is achieved.
Other methods of thinking big include the idea of making goals realistic rather than setting unattainable ones, instead of saying that something “can’t be done” when in fact it can. It is not the “can’t be done” attitude that holds us back, it is instead of our own personal conviction of what we can and cannot do with our lives. If you have a big enough dream, then going after it won’t seem so impossible, but a challenge worth completing.
Think and Grow Rich! by Napoleon Hill
You’ve just been handed a great idea, something that you know will make you rich. Now what? Napoleon Hill was faced with the same question in 1937 when he was presented with the idea for Think and Grow Rich! This book is as relevant now as it has ever been, and can teach you all about how to think and grow rich.
The book tells the story of two men. One of them, Andrew Carnegie, went from steelworker to billionaire through hard work, dedication, determination, and perseverance. The other man was simply intelligent but lazy; he had all the means necessary to be successful but never reached his potential. Napoleon Hill’s goal for this book is to provide its readers with a proven way to climb out of the rut of mediocrity and into the ranks of successful people.
Hill also spends a great deal of time talking about the power of desire – having goals that are so clear in your mind that it seems as if they were already achieved, which then drives you to take action.
This book is well worth reading for anyone who wants to achieve true success.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey provides a comprehensive guide to help people take control of their lives and become more effective.
The book is divided into seven habits: Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, Put First Things First, Think Win-Win, Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood, Synergize and Sharpen the Saw.
Each of these is explained in detail, and it is made clear how they can be applied to reach success.
Throughout the book, Covey uses various anecdotes from famous historical figures such as Thoreau and George Washington to illustrate his points. He also says that we should think about life as a journey, not a destination; something that many motivational writers have also said, and something that always proves to be an interesting perspective.
Covey shows us how he had achieved success through the 7 Habits and offers his methods for doing so, as well as important advice on achieving success in business and personal life.
Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson
Guerrilla Marketing is a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to market their business. The book provides a variety of different marketing tactics, all of which are easy to implement and offer a lot in return in terms of publicity and success. The entire premise is that people need to get out there and market themselves if they want to become successful – guerrilla marketing is just the way to do that.
Jay Conrad Levinson starts off by talking about how society has gone from being one in which most things were marketed locally to one in which everything is globalized. He goes on to say that there are new rules for marketing today because companies now have more competition than ever before; furthermore, a company’s marketing department can no longer just sell its own product, it has to sell the entire company.
Levinson’s strategies are all based on getting people talking about your business. They include unconventional methods such as creating small events and parties around your business and then using guerrilla tactics to promote yourself. He also discusses other methods such as giving unusual tips in articles for newspapers.
Guerrilla Marketing is a very interesting read that can help anybody become more successful in any area of life, not just business. A must-read for anyone who wishes to market anything.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear shows us how our habits are the key to achieving goals and strategies for building new and more powerful habits. He has a very easy-to-understand writing style and uses many examples from his personal life to illustrate his points.
The book is broken up into three parts: the first explains the science of habit formation, the second discusses why habits do not work in certain situations, and the third goes into detail about how to build the habits which will best help you reach your goals.
Clear’s goal is to provide readers with tools that can be used to improve their lives in every way possible: mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually. And it’s clear that he provides those tools because he starts off by talking about how many people never reach their goals for a variety of different reasons, such as not knowing what those goals are in the first place.
He says that the best way to fix this is by having a vision and making it clear to yourself exactly what you want out of life; if you can do that, then you will be able to figure out the habits that are going to help you get there and succeed in life.
Clear’s message is one of determination. He says that if you believe in yourself, focus on the right things and work hard to achieve your goals then anything can be possible.
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
In The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy provides readers with a series of helpful hints and tips for achieving long-term goals. He says that in order to achieve those goals, readers need to focus on one thing at a time. This allows them to work at something until they reach their desired goal; rather than trying to make many changes all at once, which is an overwhelming task and ultimately won’t be as effective.
This book is written with the businessperson in mind, but it can be applied to many other aspects of life. – such as health or relationships. Hardy starts off by talking about how people who are successful take things step-by-step and concentrate on improving one thing at a time, before tackling another.
He also discusses how small changes can have a big impact over time and why it is important for readers to work on the right things. In addition, Hardy goes into detail about what that one thing should be when people are looking to achieve success – such as concentrating on skills instead of intelligence or focusing on passion instead of talent.
The Compound Effect is a very interesting read that gives readers tips on how to achieve their goals. Hardy has a very easy-to-understand writing style and uses many examples from his life to illustrate his points.
The 4-Hour Workweek Timothy Ferriss
The 4-Hour Workweek is a book about achieving the dream. It teaches people how to generate more money by working less; and asserts that all of us can lead more productive and rewarding lives using the principles of minimalism. Timothy also shares his life experience with readers about how he managed to transform himself from an average employee to a successful entrepreneur in four hours a week.
In The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss shares various techniques for limiting the time spent on certain tasks: for example, one of the most valuable tools is deferring e-mail checking until “time-boxed” periods that last 20 min or less. He also advocates staying focused on one project at a time and minimising the amount of multitasking done. The book encourages readers to spend more time planning their days, and less time executing them.
The 4-Hour Workweek is a great book for anyone who wishes to have more time or would like to start his/her own business. It is full of tips on life organisation and it makes you think about your priorities.
Why should you read all these books plus more?
In order to succeed in life, you need to be well-rounded. Business is no different. And the best way for a new businessperson or entrepreneur to arm themselves with the tools they need for success and have a fulfilling life is through books.
In other words, if you want something done right, do it yourself! Reading Business Books can help you learn from others who have been there before and may hold some of those answers that could make your dreams come true.
About the Author
Ben Fewtrell is a sought-after Business Coach, Keynote Speaker and trainer who has featured in Virgin’s Inflight Magazine and Entertainment Portal, SKY Business and “Secrets of Top Business Builders Exposed”. He is also the host of the popular Business Brain Food Podcast where he interviews leading experts on anything and everything business.
