Small Business How-to Seminars, Careers, Jobs, Small Business Seminars
Favorite Business Books Series - Part K (last)
by Helena Escalante, Business Outreach, Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at SNFLOctober 24, 2017
PART K: HONORABLE MENTIONS - OTHER FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOKS (last part)
We have reached the end of our Favorite Business Book Series. Thank you so much for following along. For this last installment we have some great books. Read on to get more ideas and inspiration! (And in case you'd like to revisit the whole series, please scroll to the bottom of this post or any in the series and you will find the links to all parts.)
What to Do When it's Your Turn (and it's Always Your Turn), by Seth Godin
“This is a super quick read (mostly quotes and anecdotes) that simply inspires and reminds you that each of us CAN be creative and contribute in a unique way, if only we'll face our fears and decide to do so. It is very motivational and one I have read many, many times. Every time I start to struggle and consider going back to the 'easier' corporate life, I return to this book, reminded of why I started down this path in the first place.”
"This is my favorite business book because, in contrast to many business books that only give theoretical advice, it gives real-world success stories on businesses, organizations and initiatives. Few books expand your horizons by bringing you many small examples and letting you string them together for yourself. The book contains 20 examples of success taken from around the world. The examples range from the slums of Mumbai to the hallowed halls of Harvard.
The book has inspired both my work as an entrepreneur and editor as it gives though-provoking examples of success that can be applied to many different scenarios. It promotes a way of thinking and seeing the world—rather than an easy formula that you can cut and paste into your business. True genius is found in unexpected places, and the examples in this book demonstrate that sometimes the most counterintuitive ideas can work really well.
Despite being 10 years old, the examples in the book are timeless, as they teach you how to think in a fresh, new way. I have applied many lessons from the book to my career as an award-winning author, editor of a global magazine and entrepreneur:
Understanding that it is human passion that drives innovation, not bland formulas.
Understanding that local markets and how people really think is critical to developing a successful product.
That seemingly crazy ideas can actually work.
I regularly pick this book up and open it randomly. Whatever I happen to find is usually thought-provoking enough to inspire my work and help shake myself out of a ‘status-quo’ way of thinking.”
Your Move: The Underdog’s Guide to Building Your Business, by Ramit Sethi
“The author shared his 10+ years of entrepreneurship experience and wisdom in this book. And it’s written for busy people who already have a business or want to start one.
Filled with a lot of stories and humor and written in straightforward language, this book is an easy, breezy read. However, it's also very sophisticated because every part of it speaks to a strong desire or a deep pain of an entrepreneur in the process of starting a business. It includes finding a profitable business idea, validating this idea, understanding the customers deeply, getting a group of loyal customers, standing out in the crowded market, building relationships with influencers/mentors, and eventually, automating revenue. After providing a clear, realistic roadmap, the author took it to the next level by giving highly-implementable action steps which directly lead to results.
That's my idea of this book on the high level. On the personal level, it has profoundly benefited me too, and here's a quick example: right now, I’m at the stage of developing and selling my first product, and I recently realized that I had paralyzing fear about selling. Coming from the corporate world with no direct sales experience before, I was afraid that people would call me a sellout for selling things I’ve put my heart and soul into developing.
I wasn't sure what I should do, so I talked to my entrepreneur friends about it and was surprised to find that many of them found selling as petrifying as I did! However, this issue (which is so common among entrepreneurs), is rarely discussed by other authors. Ramit stood out by taking a stab at it, writing deeply about it, and providing a healthy way of looking at it, which helped me mute my fear.
Apart from stopping the fear that has been holding me back, I've enjoyed insights and stories shared about other parts of building a business.”
“This is my marketing Bible.
Jay is one of the brightest minds in digital marketing, and his view on ‘help versus hype’ is the most actionable content in the industry.”
- Tim Hickle, Director of Inbound Marketing, Springbuk
We now close this series with topics such as facing our fears, stepping up and shipping, success stories, startups and the many issues that entail building a business, and helping prospects and clients. Before you leave, I would love to hear from you as to what was the most valuable thing that you derived from the whole series. Was it a particular idea? A new list of business books? A new point of view on something? Please let me know in the comments below.
A million thanks for following along!
* * *
P.S. - As a quick reference for you to this series of posts, here’s a guide:
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patron, not necessarily those of The New York Public Library. For more
information see NYPL's Website Terms and Conditions.
Submitted by Helena Escalante on November 6, 2017 - 6:59pm
Hey Valerie, thanks for your comment -- so glad you liked the list! I also added several new titles for my ever-growing list.
Happy reading!
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“This is a super quick read (mostly quotes and anecdotes) that simply inspires and reminds you that each of us CAN be creative and contribute in a unique way, if only we'll face our fears and decide to do so. It is very motivational and one I have read many, many times. Every time I start to struggle and consider going back to the 'easier' corporate life, I return to this book, reminded of why I started down this path in the first place.”
“The author shared his 10+ years of entrepreneurship experience and wisdom in this book. And it’s written for busy people who already have a business or want to start one.
With your library card, it's easier than ever to choose from more than 300,000 e-books on SimplyE, The New York Public Library's free e-reader app. Gain access to digital resources for all ages, including e-books, audiobooks, databases, and more.
Comments
Great List of Biz Books
Submitted by Valerie Gospodarek (not verified) on October 31, 2017 - 6:44pm
Thank you!
Submitted by Helena Escalante on November 6, 2017 - 6:59pm