There are over a million business books listed on Amazon.com and a few of them are actually worth reading! Among those few are 30 books that build the foundation for success, whether you're working for yourself or somebody else.
Note: After much thought, I excluded the following three genres from this list:
- Biographies. Delving into the personal lives of celebrated businessfolk (e.g., Steve Jobs) is usually just gossip writ large.
- Case Studies. Books that spotlight individual companies (e.g., Jack Welch and the G.E. Way) are so specific that not much useful can be gleaned from them.
- Business Strategy. Unless you're planning to run a Fortune 500 company by the time you're 30, such books (e.g., Good to Great) are a waste of your time.
Regular readers of this column will see many books below that I've recommended in the past. That's because I truly believe that they're fundamental to success. So with no further ado, here are the must-reads:
PERSONAL GROWTH
The most important person in your business life is yourself. These books teach you how to manage your thoughts and emotions to create the potential for success.
Recommended For You
Author: James Allen
Why it's a must-read: Destroys any thoughts you might harbor about being helpless and puts you in control of your destiny.
Quick Quote: "The dreamers are the saviors of the world. As the visible world is sustained by the invisible, so men, through all their trials and sins and sordid vocations, are nourished by the beautiful visions of their solitary dreamers."
Author: Tony Robbins
Why it's a must-read: Most personal development books deal with your thoughts and emotions. This one brings in your body and its relationship with both. (BTW, this book was directly responsible for me leaving my corporate job and starting my own business.)
Quick Quote: "If you can't, you must. If you must, you can."
Author: Daniel H. Pink
Why it's a must-read: Explains that motivation comes not from reward and punishment but from your own inner sense of your purpose in life.
Quick Quote: "For artists, scientists, inventors, schoolchildren, and the rest of us, intrinsic motivation–the drive to do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing–is essential for high levels of creativity."
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