It's now fall, and I know we are all looking for good business oriented books to read during those rainy Sundays when the NFL game is a blowout. I thought I'd take the time to rummage through my Kindle library for a list of books that I thought would help you get both focused and strategic but also thoroughly entertained. As it is with business software choices, the number of business books available is overwhelming, and I found six that I think should be on everyone's list.
i'm not suggesting that you'll get through them by December, but I really do think by reading them, you'll see improvements for and in your business. See if you can get through them by the end of the year.
Why I Left Goldman Sachs: A Wall Street Story
by Greg Smith
A very easy and entertaining read, which clearly shows that the author's real calling is writing itself. The book came to be as a result of an "op-ed" in the NYTimesin 2012, which is where this book leaves off. Greg experienced Goldman during the most interesting and tumultuous period of its existence, and gives great insight into the financial world that is truly American. My # 1 MUST READ.
Nail It then Scale It: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation
by Nathan Furr
A professor at Stanford, Nathan is an academic, who studies the science of entrepreneurship. The discipline he outlines in this book applies to every business in existence big or small. A very important read as it explains a discipline that, in today's changing business environment, all small business owners must first understand, then instill into their way of doing things. Make the time to read this.
Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film
by Peter Biskind
This book, while a bit dated, is an entertaining read about a very unique industry being the movies. It tells the story behind the Weinstein brothers, and while doing this providing incredible insight into how the movie industry works, how independant film came to be, and the role that the Sundance Film Festival had to play in all of it.
Choose Yourself!
by James Altucher
This book has just been released and is by my favourite Blogger James Altucher. In addition to reading this book, I also recommend that you follow James on Twitter (@jaltucher). He's insightful, been there, succeeded, failed, and generally experienced life as an entrepreneur. His outlook on society in general is refreshing, and each time makes me smile.
What's the Future of Business: Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences
by Brian Solis
I am
just starting to read this book myself, having picked it up off a list from one of my other favorite reviewers Ivana Taylor. Anything she likes, I like. Ivana tells me in her best summer read article that it's "a book loaded with big thoughts for small business". It's right on the topic that I think should be in the forefront of every small business owner's thoughts, because we're in the midst of a material shift of how we do things and need to pay attention. Here's a way to do that.
The Good Fail: Entrepreneurial Lessons from the Rise and Fall of Microworkz
by Richard Keith Latman
I believe that we learn twice as much when we fail at something than when we don't. The authoer Keith Latman provides a well written account that helps us learn through him, experience the fail, and learn important lessons that we can then apply in running our own small businesses.
Enjoy! And please, do let me know your thoughts.