Books are one of the great ways to learn, inspire yourself and grow. In the business world, this is just as true. Seeing where people went wrong and what they did right, are just some of the many ways in which books can help deliver value.
Here we make five recommendations that can really help push you and your business forward.
Purchasing digital copies of these books and sharing them across your area network might be a great step forward too. That way everyone in your business can get fired up by these classics.
Richard Branson – Losing My Virginity
Richard Branson has seemingly done it all in both business and life. This book, an autobiographical account of how he started out as a high-school drop-out, charts his success through the many business ventures of Virgin and recounts some of the many milestones from his personal life along the way. A book that teaches that you only need dare to dream and have the confidence to take some ballsy risks in order to reap huge reward.
Jim Collins – Good to Great
Jim Collins’ is a business researcher who spends years recounting data, pouring over facts and drawing conclusions. In this classic, Collins’ is at his best again, going deep into the reasons for the success of many business and the source of their greatness. The many lessons presented in this book are often surprising and counterintuitive but nonetheless well worth absorbing. Especially those that discuss the personality traits of the most successful CEO’s.
Walter Isaacson – Steve Jobs
When Apple Founder Steve Jobs asked former Time Magazine Editor Walter Isaacson to profile him in a book people were wondering just what exactly to expect. The result is one of the best business books of recent times, but also one of deep personal analysis full of tragedy and dizzying highs and lows. Isaacson leaves no stone unturned in his portrayal of Jobs’ life, uncovering many of the recipes for success he employed in order to make Apple one of the world’s largest and best-known businesses in history.
Eric Ries – The Lean Startup
A firm startup favourite, Eric Ries’ book takes into account all the factors that work in favour of success in a realm where the odds are very much stacked against. Bringing to the fore concepts like ‘validated learning’, an approach which involves making many quick experiments, as well as fundamentals like approaching customers to better understand how to serve them, this book is a must-read for all members of a tightly bootstrapped startup.
Seth Godin – The Dip
Marketing guru and prolific publisher Seth Godin is a veritable fountain of wisdom and knowledge when it comes to making large strides in the business world. In The Dip, one of his best books, Godin discusses what it’s like when the chips are down and how to push out of the quagmire and keep your head held high. Or, of course, when it isn’t. Which is also really important to know in order to not sink deeper into a dead business.
These business classics, all well worth reading more than once, are brimming with key lessons and anecdotes. Pick them up today and let them inspire you.
