Good educational reading

[Guest]

Hello,

Thought it might be an interesting thread to start up

My suggestions are (very very easy to read):

Pour Your Heart Into It
- Author: Howard Schultz
- Summary: philosophy and biography of the giant conglomerate Starbucks

E-Myth
- Author: Michael E. Gerber

Richest Man in Babylon
- Author: George Samuel Clason

I've read a few of the richard branson books as well and I didn't find them too insightful or interesting to read.

Would be great if anyone had some suggestions for some easy to read books, ideally focusing on business strategy, business lifecycles/development or finance

[alee228]

Jason,

Nice topic!

Of the 3 books you suggest, I've only read the Richest Man in Babylon. The book is based on a very simple principle, which is very difficult to apply in practice. Easily one of the best books I've read!

I've read at least 2 Richard Branson books and have to admit I'm a massive fan.

Other educational books which I've read and recommend:

1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
2. First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham
3. The Art of War by Sun Tsu (see blog post)
4. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
5. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
6. The Art of Happiness based on interviews with the Dalai Lama
7. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

[Guest]

Of the 3 books you suggest, I've only read the Richest Man in Babylon. The book is based on a very simple principle, which is very difficult to apply in practice. Easily one of the best books I've read!

I tend to agree and disagree with your statement.

From a personal perspective I agree there are better ways to utilise your money but the basic concepts from the book are great for someone that aren't attuned to the basic concepts of money, investment and saving.

From a business perspective I found that it fits in quite well in that if a company were to distribute 100% dividends (e.g. spend all their earnings) they would effectively be digging their own grave unless they have a very strong source of income.

Other ideas it explores are also a necessity for running a business. Such as the idea of getting an expert, the example used in the book where an unwise investor hires a bricklayer travelling overseas to purchase gems instead of getting a professional i.e. a gemologist. The bricklayer, naive yet in good faith, purchased worthless glass instead.

Placing this into our modern scenario, if you don't know how to grow your business, obviously hire an expert i.e. a consultant

[alee228]

Actually, I can't remember the exact use to which money was put in the book.

The priciple that I remember drawing from the book was the following:

1. save 10% of your money each and every month,
2. don't spend your saved money,
3. look for an opportunity to invest your money,
4. be careful about where you invest your money,
5. reinvest the proceeds of your investments,
6. wash, rinse, and repeat

[Guest]

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
I Will Teach You To be Rich
Blink
The Tipping Point
The World Is Flat
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution
Making Ideas Happen (Scott Belsky)

Are we also welcoming good educational RSS feeds?

[alee228]

Yes, Victor, of course, please share any good educational RSS feeds you have tucked under your sleeve.

Although, given the large number of good book suggestions above, I think I have my reading cut out for me.

Referencing your quote about the "Fear Tax" in the other thread, I would have to say that Seth Godin is an amazing blogger. Probably the only blog that I read religiously.

What other blogs are we reading?

[Guest]

View the following recommendations (not directly related to consulting)at your own risk:

http://leverageacademy.com/blog/
http://jasonlbaptiste.com/
http://mixergy.com/
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com
http://trudalane.net/

I'm shamelessly promoting a few bloggers that I actually know personally. Anyone want to give a guess which ones?

[alee228]

Victor,

I have no clue which ones your friends write.

That said, thanks for sharing Jason Baptiste's blog. I like the layout, I like the content. Nice one!

[Guest]

Hey Tom,

I would like to know your thoughts regarding the blue ocean startegy book...

Thanks

[alee228]

Margueritta,

Good question.

Blue Ocean Strategy is one of the books that I am planning to read, but haven't read yet.

As you might guess, the book is all about Blue Ocean Strategy.

The top review on Amazon provides the following insight:

What is a BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY? The authors explain it by comparing it to a red ocean strategy (traditional strategic thinking):
1. DO NOT compete in existing market space. INSTEAD you should create uncontested market space.
2. DO NOT beat the competition. INSTEAD you should make the competition irrelevant.
3. DO NOT exploit existing demand. INSTEAD you should create and capture new demand.
4. DO NOT make the value/cost trade-off. INSTEAD you should break the value/cost trade-off.
5. DO NOT align the whole system of a company's activities with its strategic choice of differentiation or low cost. INSTEAD you should align the whole system of a company's activities in pursuit of both differentiation and low cost.

A red ocean strategy is based on traditional strategic thinking - e.g. Harvard's strategy guru Michael Porter.

[Guest]

Hello

Can anyone suggest a book or anything they may have come across that will help structure thoughts in a presentable manner?

I find that I have the right frame and mind and ideas but are unable to express them clearly and in a logical pattern on paper which is frustrating to no end.

Example: I'm able to teach and mentor people to get better marks than I can during exams :evil:

Any suggestions would be valuable

[alee228]

Jason,

I would consider buying the Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto.

It’s a book that describes an approach to communicating complex ideas in easy to understand ways. It is based on the MECE Principle.