A few reading recommendations March 11, 2008

If you want to be successful, you’ve got to read.  Period.  It’s been said that you can judge a man’s wealth and success by the size of his library.  Dan Miller notes that in wealthy households, there are shelves of books, where in poor households there are simply large TVs.   Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, author of Life is Tremendous, says that “You’ll be the same person five years from now except for the people you meet and the books you read”.  Notice he didn’t include “the shows you watch” in that.

Reading is one of the best way to expand your mind and challenge yourself.  Without challenging and changing yourself, you’ll continue to get the same results you are getting today.  Since most of us want to get more successful and continue growing, reading is necessary.

Think of it this way: by reading a book, you can bring some of the most influential, successful and thought-provoking individuals straight into your living room and listen to them as they literally spell out for you the tenets of success.  If that’s not an awesome thought, I don’t know what is.

So, here are a few books I’ve read recently that I think are very valuable.  I’m a continuous reader, so more will pop up here from time to time.  Until then, this list should get you started.  These books are valuable for anyone going into business for themselves, or who simply want to be more successful (which should be everybody!).

48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller – while not completely about self-employment, Dan spells out a great system for finding your passion and developing a plan to move into that work.  Also very valuable for those of you who may be seeking the traditional job.

No More Mondays by Dan Miller – great book on unconventional employment and “Revolutionary” ways of thinking regarding business.  Awesome case studies and insight here, very inspiring.  If you’re looking to move into a nontraditional work model (which almost half of the workforce will be in within 5-10 years), this book is invaluable.  A must have.

Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Daniel Lapin – in this book, Rabbi Lapin talks about what characteristics of Jewish indidivuduals make them more prone to success and wealth.  While not focused solely on a religious slant, it gives incredible insight into the “10 Commandments for Making Money” that every person who wants to be successful should understand.  One of my favorities is the notion that wanting to be successful, and wealthy, is not a primarily selfish motive – instead, the amount of one’s success and wealth is a direct reflection on the amount of people who they have served – a pretty powerful notion.  I’m only partially through this book, so more may come out here later.

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey – while not totally a book about business finance, this book is an absolute must read for anyone – period.  Not a “get rich quick” type of book, Dave brings common sense back to “your dollars and cents” with basic money management principles that your grandmother would be proud of.   The biggest underlying thread in the book – no debt is good debt.  Get out of debt and you’re well on your way to financial freedom.  This book has had the most impact on me of anything yet – truly, honestly changed my life.  If you haven’t read this, stop reading this blog right now, go buy a few thousand copies, read one and give the rest away.  Now!

The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss – this is great.  A book on how to work less and gain more through clever outsourcing and what Tim calls “lifestyle design”.  Awesome stuff.  This book dispels the myth (as do many of these others) that more time = more money.  Instead, it espouses the notion of working smarter, not harder.  Not a book about how to be lazy, this is a serious book about how to reorient your life and goals to achieve a better work-life balance and create a lifestyle that is ideal for you.

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – this one goes without saying I think.  For entrepreneurs, this is a great book.  This is another that I’m just partially through, but should have done by the end of the week.  Gerber sheds awesome insight on why small businesses fail and articulates these problems so well it’s scary.  After just reading through about 60 pages last night, I can’t understand how I couldn’t read this book.  This will save many of you from a bunch of headache, and heartache, later down the road.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – a classic book about dealing with people and how to be a more persuasive and influential speaker.  I think almost every millionare in the world has probably read this book, and for good reason – it’s insight is unreal.  A must have.

Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill – another classic, and an awesome study on how mental behavoir affects outcomes.  The key to becoming rich is mostly having your mind set right, and Hill explores this deeply in this book.  Some of the most valuable moments in this book are those that examine the mental state and behavoirs of some of the most successful people in the world – ala the Vanderbilts and Carnegies.  It’s an older book, but certainly very, very valuable.

More recommended books will come later as I read through some more.  Keep checking back, and in the meantime, read all of these books – yearly.