Bookstores and libraries around the world supply excellent instructional materials. Riding in the car or traveling on airplane, you can learn from experts. The bestseller lists at Amazon are fantastic resources. The lists are updated regularly with current insight about the best books on the market. The following five books are a just a few that every business owner should have in his Kindle library.
The Millionaire Next Door
Thomas J. Stanley, PhD, first published The Millionaire Next Door in 1996. The book currently remains at the top of the Amazon bestseller list. Stanley debunks the myth that most millionaires drive luxury cars and live in classy neighborhoods. He says look around, and you will find rich people are conscientious, hard working people who live ordinary lives. They carefully manage their money and budget thoughtfully. Rich people do not live beyond their means. According to Stanley, most rich people did not inherit a fortune or win the lottery.
An Invisible Thread
In An Invisible Thread, Laura Schroff tells her true story of a wonderful friendship developed between a hard-working sales executive and a homeless boy. On a busy New York City corner, the author swept by a young panhandler but suddenly felt the urge to go back. She took the boy to lunch at a nearby McDonald’s. Schroff returned to visit the boy for the following four years as both their lives changed substantially. The young boy found success and lived to help other children living in poverty.
Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work: Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles of RESPECT
Dr. Paul Marciano shares his wisdom on motivating employees in his book first published in 2010. Organisational leaders, trainers and human resource professionals will find seven drivers for employee engagement according to Marciano. He provides specific methods for assessing, troubleshooting and improving employee performance. The author recommends a respectful engagement of employees through coaching and mentoring to improve their performances. The author maintains that employees set up to succeed will work up to the high expectations set by their leaders.
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
On September 16, 2014, Peter Thiel and Blake Masters published Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future. Thiel, a professor at Stanford, founded PayPal. Masters was his student who kept copious notes while attending his lectures. According to the authors, a bright future depends on asking questions that lead to find treasure in unpredictable spots. Although reporters publish news of spectacular technological innovations, the authors maintain that the world is stagnant. The authors note that a brighter future depends on innovators who uncover special secrets. Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jeff Immelt wrote positive reviews of Zero to One.
StrengthsFinder 2.0
The Gallup Organization with author Tom Rath published StrengthsFinder 2.0 in 2007 to help individuals discover their natural talents. According to Rath, people do not have the opportunity to excel daily, for they concentrate on their weaknesses rather than developing their strengths. The book includes an assessment tool that readers use to determine and build on their five most important talents.
Business leaders continue to develop skills throughout their careers, and the bestsellers provide wonderful resources to “sharpen the saw” as Covey advised in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Great books filled with invaluable advice arrive regularly in bookstores and libraries, and the bestseller list often points the way to great reads filled with solid advice.
