Post: #1

I read a lot of business books, good and bad. So hopefully I can save someone some time by going straight for the good ones.

Please add your own suggestions, I am always looking for new books to read.

In no particular order:

How to get rich - Felix Dennis
Read it a while ago, I think it was mostly about the mindset of how to get rich. Definitely a must read.

The cold hard truth - Kevin O'leary
Quite a few business books paint the picture too bright. I read this one after watching Shark Tank, shows you the grind and harsh reality of making money. Good book.

One simple idea - Stephen Key
If you have an idea that could be licensed, this is a must read.

Rework - Jason Fried
Read this one a while ago, will have to read it again soon. Changed how I look at business and I took a lot out of it (Scratch your own itch etc...). A good read even if you are not involved in IT.

Influence - Robert Cialdini
Read this book. I put it off for too long and regret that I didn't read it earlier.

Ca$hvertising - Drew Eric Whitman
The advertising bible. Summing up everything from all the direct marketing classics. This is always on my desk when I write a landing page.

Running Lean - Ash Maurya
Not a fan of the whole book, but I like his Lean Canvas idea. If you are thinking about writing a business plan, read this book first.

The Millionare Fastlane - MJ DeMarco
Not a fan of everything, but this book made me think big. This book made me take business seriously and think of it as something real. It made me become comfortable with big numbers. Read it if you haven't yet.

The 4-hour Workweek - Tim Ferris
I am not a big fan of Tim, but this book made me change my life and start traveling. Anyone thinking a business can be set up with 4 hours a week needs a reality check though. But you can run it on 4 hours, I take that. The marketing turns a lot of people off, but the book is actually quite good. But I guess everyone did read this one anyway.

Work the System - Sam Carpenter
It's a little like E-Myth, working on the business compared to in the business. Good read.

The E-Myth - Michael Gerber
How to run a business properly without spending every waking hour working like a slave.

I will add some more later, especially about Economics and Mindset/Life in general that I think are important too for running a business.

Post: #2

Love Kevin O'Leary, and the book. He's a guy I trust to be honest in his assessments every single time; that's a hard find in the era of the feminized PC male, or shysters looking to inflate various prospects.

You should check out "Dragon's Den", the Canadian pre-cursor to "Shark Tank", where O'Leary got his start on TV. Here's a great clip from season 1, where an arrogant academic (apologies for redundancy) carpet bombs a business deal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16fkk_nklfY

Post: #3

(05-30-2012 08:58 AM)Candide Wrote:  Love Kevin O'Leary, and the book. He's a guy I trust to be honest in his assessments every single time; that's a hard find in the era of the feminized PC male, or shysters looking to inflate various prospects.

You should check out "Dragon's Den", the Canadian pre-cursor to "Shark Tank", where O'Leary got his start on TV. Here's a great clip from season 1, where an arrogant academic (apologies for redundancy) carpet bombs a business deal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16fkk_nklfY

Watched both shows. Could even be added to the list, some good lessons in there.

Post: #4

The Success Principles - Jack Canfield
Gives the reader tools on how to develop a success oriented state of mind.

Eat that Frog - Brian Tracy
Gives different tips on how to organize and prioritize goals.

Post: #5

The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg
Just picked up a hard copy of this one to borrow it to friends. This book is a game changer. Forget those Tony Robbins and co habit change programs. This book explains how habits work and how to change them. Also how to use the same techniques for advertising. Great read too.

Post: #6

How to win friends and influence people - Dale Carnegie
Quite mainstream book I guess. But it is mainstream for a reason, it really gives some good advice on how to deal with all kinds of people. Advice that can be used for both business and personal life.

Crush it! - Gary Vaynerchuk
Some of this advice kind of crashes with what MJ Demarco says in The Millionaire Fastlane, and I mostly agree with Demarco. Gary advices people to follow their passion and create a business around that. The shear passion should dissect you from competitors and therefore cut your way into the market. This may be true in some way, but the competition will most likely be fierce, and your earnings are likely to reflect that. But whether this matters, of course depends on whether you are aiming for millionaire status or only to create a living from your passion.

Post: #7

The Kingdom of Moltz - Irwin Schiff
How An Economy Grows And Why It Crashes - Peter Schiff
I put the together because they are quite similar. They both use story telling and lots of pictures to teach the basics of Austrian economics. Should be a must read before anyone is allowed to handle money.

Economics In One Lesson - Henry Hazlitt
This is an older book, I think it might even be in the public domain so maybe you can find it somewhere online. Teaches the basics of Austrian economy (more detail than the two books above but it's not as fun to read). Gives a good basic understanding that should suffice for running a business and handling money. But if you plan to invest, I would go deeper.

Post: #8

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Post: #9

You have to look at Kevin O'Leary's wealth with a grain of salt. Like a lot of other rich people (ex. Mark Cuban), his wealth primarily comes from selling his company at the very top of the dot-com bubble. The assets that they built (Broadcast.com and Softkey) quickly became worthless after all the internet-bubble hype had ended.

These were not amazing businessmen who built up a company that actually served the needs of society like Microsoft, IBM, or Berkshire Hathaway. These guys built up businesses and then sold them with incredibly lucky timing at the very top of a bubble. This is why most of them have been unable to recreate their stunning success in the following 15 years. Their stunning wealth is due primarily to luck, not skill.

Post: #10

(06-05-2012 11:27 PM)cycliss Wrote:  You have to look at Kevin O'Leary's wealth with a grain of salt. Like a lot of other rich people (ex. Mark Cuban), his wealth primarily comes from selling his company at the very top of the dot-com bubble. The assets that they built (Broadcast.com and Softkey) quickly became worthless after all the internet-bubble hype had ended.

These were not amazing businessmen who built up a company that actually served the needs of society like Microsoft, IBM, or Berkshire Hathaway. These guys built up businesses and then sold them with incredibly lucky timing at the very top of a bubble. This is why most of them have been unable to recreate their stunning success in the following 15 years. Their stunning wealth is due primarily to luck, not skill.

Did you read the book? He talks about it. You don't get filthy rich just by being lucky.

Post: #11

Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff.

It seriously is an amazing read. I can't wait to apply it. Its game principles in a business form. I loved it because I hate sales but the way he does things makes sense and is more appealing to me.

Post: #12

(06-01-2012 03:40 PM)FitAsFuck Wrote:  How to win friends and influence people - Dale Carnegie
Quite mainstream book I guess. But it is mainstream for a reason, it really gives some good advice on how to deal with all kinds of people. Advice that can be used for both business and personal life.

out of curiosity, why would you recommend this book? i read the first chapter of it and fucking HATED the direction it was going in. it seemed to me to be a book on how to be a doormat; or how to be passive aggressive (and by that i don't mean passive aggressive in a cunning/Machiavellian type of way, i mean in a way that makes you seem like a bitch).

Post: #13

(07-09-2012 04:37 PM)the chef Wrote:  

(06-01-2012 03:40 PM)FitAsFuck Wrote:  How to win friends and influence people - Dale Carnegie
Quite mainstream book I guess. But it is mainstream for a reason, it really gives some good advice on how to deal with all kinds of people. Advice that can be used for both business and personal life.

out of curiosity, why would you recommend this book? i read the first chapter of it and fucking HATED the direction it was going in. it seemed to me to be a book on how to be a doormat; or how to be passive aggressive (and by that i don't mean passive aggressive in a cunning/Machiavellian type of way, i mean in a way that makes you seem like a bitch).

Which edition did you read? The latest ones have been badly butchered by Carnegie's daughter.

Ideally, you need to read the 1930's version. The 1960's version is still good despite Carnegie's wife having her way with it, she seemed to respect the man's vision far more than his daughter does.

Post: #14

I will suggest this book, I read it for one of my university courses and I found it interesting and enlightening.

The Ascent of Money:
http://www.amazon.com/Ascent-Money-Finan...1410415333

Post: #15

Anything by Milton Friedman.

Post: #16

(07-10-2012 11:22 PM)alphaspiraton Wrote:  Anything by Milton Friedman.

No thanks...

Anything by Rothbard, Hazlitt and Mises for economy.