Wednesday, November 09, 2005

The Three Best Business Books


If you’re an avid reader like I am, it’s difficult to recommend just a few books about business and making money. Think and Grow Rich is definitely an all-time business classic. How To Win Friends and Influence People is another one. If you don’t have definite, clear-cut goals, along with good people skills, it’s very difficult to succeed in life.

Lately, I’ve narrowed it down to three books that I believe are ‘must-reads’ for anyone who wants solid, usable, real-world advice on how to succeed in today’s Business Jungle.

1. To Be Or Not To Be Intimated by Robert Ringer.
There are so many good lessons and theories (that work in the real world) that it’s hard to narrow them down. The basic premise of the book is that the less intimidated you are in business and personal situations, the higher level of success you’ll have. The author does not advocate trying to intimidate or bully anyone. He gives you solid, real-world theories and strategies of business self-defense.

2. NO BS Sales Success by Dan Kennedy
. Another excellent real-world guide about selling yourself and your services. One skill I wish I would have learned earlier in my career is the ability to sell. It’s priceless – not just in business, but in your personal life too. Dan Kennedy, in my opinion, is THE best guy to learn sales and marketing from.

3. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert
Kiyosaki. A great story about the author’s life, the lessons he learned from his real dad (who he calls his poor dad), and his best friend’s father – his ‘rich dad.’ It’s an easy book to read – even if you have little to no business background.

If you have kids 6th grade or older, they should absolutely read this book. Why? Because job security is an oxymoron or myth nowadays. Schools don’t teach kids how to be self-employed or to make money. They educate (or indoctrinate) kids on how to be a good Dilbert drone – also known as an employee. Nothing wrong being a good employee.

However, I feel schools are doing today’s students a disservice. Especially with how much they gouge – er, I mean charge - students for tuition and books. These institutions of higher learning aren’t really preparing them for the realities of life in the 21st Century.

This book is also a good place to start for anyone who wants to make the transition from employee to entrepreneur. Rich Dad, Poor Dad won’t tell you exactly how to get out of the Rat Race, since everyone has different and unique skills. The book will show you the attitudes, mindsets, and ideas that can help you find your own path to financial independence.

I’d recommend you go to Amazon.com or your local bookstore and purchase all three of these books – or at least borrow them from your local library. You may think that you don’t have time to read, or that reading isn’t that important in being successful.

I’ve read literally dozens of business books, and haven’t watched TV programs in my residence in the last three years. Sounds pretty radical, I know. Over that time span my thinking has gotten so much sharper and clearer, and I’m a better businessman, communicator and leader because of this. Turn off your TV, and get turned on to reading. It’s one of the best decisions you can ever make.

If you don’t believe me, I’ll end this post with a quote from Dan Kennedy:

“Rich people have large libraries, poor people have large TVs.”

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