What is Your Favorite Business Book Contest
As a company, we are all voracious readers and always on the look out for great books. We believe that the books you read have a tremendous impact on your attitude, success and quality of your life.
So, for this month’s contest, we want to know:
What is your favorite business book AND what is one thing you learned from it?
To enter, post your answer as a comment below. Feel free to enter as many books/insights as you would like.
Winners will be based on the quality of the insights they learned from the book.
If you want to learn how to read more effectively, I suggest you learn more about our Reading Smart Workshop. This workshop is truly amazing. I have more than doubled my reading speed plus it comes with some outstanding guarantees. You will:
1. Double your reading speed
2. Increase your comprehension
3. Learn 15 proven strategies for reading more effectively
4. Get through your existing reading workload in a 1/3 of the time
If you are interested in a complimentary “Start Reading Smart” meeting at your office, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page and a speaker will get in touch with you.
Back to the contest – here are the prizes.
Prizes:
Grand Prize – “Expect Success” Book
Second Place – Freedom Personal Development Water Bottle
Third Place – Freedom Personal Development Calculator
All winners will also get a “Be Free” Sticker and a Personal Development Blue Light-up Pen!
Members of the Freedom team and I will be selecting the winners. The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 29, 2009. Winners will be emailed and announced on our blog Monday, June 1, 2009.
When this contest is over you will have a great list of books, complied by a great group of business professionals, to read that will help you reach new heights in your business.
As Abraham Lincoln said, “The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I [haven't] read.”
So thank you all for sharing you favorite business books.
Be Free!
Tom Weber
VP of Sales (and speed reader)
Who Moved My Cheese is my all time favorite book. It is short & simple but has a powerful message. I read this anytime I feel a little down and need a pick me up.
Comment by Hiedi Wallis — May 7, 2009 @ 11:28 am
Eat That Frog -
Comment by Leon — May 7, 2009 @ 11:30 am
Fish! It is simple, fast, and entertaining. Boost the morale and improve results in any environment.
Comment by David Hamill — May 7, 2009 @ 11:49 am
My favorite business book is “Sacred Hoops” by Phil Jackson. This book is very cerebral in terms of philosophy. As a long term hiring manager, it taught me the importance of developing every single member of the team. His description of running 3 rotating shifts on the floor like a hockey team prevents the development of prima dons or prima donnas. Instead the entire team is developed and learns to work together.
Great stuff and worth reading again and again.
Comment by Kay Eilers — May 7, 2009 @ 11:53 am
So far one of the best short read book sI have had he pleasure of reading is “Raving Fans” published byt the Ken Blanchard group. Great stories about effective customer service – the kind of anecdotal information that gives you a good strong kick in the butt about getting excited about customer servvice again! I first heard of this book when I was chatting with a sales associate at Jordan’s Furniture one evening while checking out their newest venue in Reading, MA. The associate began to share with me the proccess Jordan’s has for training new sales associates (3 weeks) and that the core of the training program is this book.
I have been an adjunct college professor for over 10 years and this is one of the first books I always recommend to my students in Management, Finance and Marketing. Well worth the few dollars to acquire.
Comment by Gary Miller — May 7, 2009 @ 12:05 pm
“The One Minute Manager”, mostly for the way it breaks down the complex day to day issues faced by a business person. Quick easy read.
Comment by Bill Loden — May 7, 2009 @ 12:06 pm
NakedMarketing- the Bare Essentials, by Rob Grede is my most recent “read.” Grede cuts to the chase. His perspective is clear and clean…very little clutter, making this and his other book (Five Kick Ass Strategies) easy to read, understand and implement. I’m in the process of building (and rebuilding) several businesses. Rob’s books at first seemed so elemental that I was tempted to dismiss them – until I realized (a I wasn’t putting them down, and b) they made so much sense! What I learned? Focus! Be Clear and Concise. Take advantage of the obvious. Don’t fall asleep at the switch. Billboards make more sense than novels. Young people don’t read much but they text a lot!
I cannot win this because my son Eric owns your company- but you might want to engage Rob Grede in some way.
Comment by Thomas Plantenberg — May 7, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
Raving Fans
At one point I gave every employee a day off to read it and write a book report. Many were frustraited with the idea of a book report, but everyone liked reading the book. A few (who ultimately ended up getting promoted) took time and put thought into the reports.
I try to read it every year.
Comment by Curtis Aimonetto — May 7, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
The Goal.
The book teaches you the importance of identifying a bottleneck in your process and how to work with the limitations to maximize the end results.
Comment by Sriram — May 7, 2009 @ 12:39 pm
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
Though published in 1957 and fictional, it is a perfect allegory to our current domestic economy and developing social structure. John Galt’s diatribe delivered to the people who have been beaten down by the “destroyers” denounces those mystics whose policies rely on “God as the highest moral authority”, and by the socialists, who claim one’s neighbors as the highest moral authority. He leads a strike of the world’s independent thinkers, against an economy in which people are paid based only on their proclaimed needs, and where those who work hardest are required to support those who do not. When the government enlists on a plan of massive redistribution of wealth (“stimulus plan”) and implies immoral behavior on the part of bondholders who fail to defer to a plan in which they give up senior position so that common shareholders are not wiped out (Chrysler), we are marching toward the cataclysm of Atlas Shrugged proportions.
Comment by Robin Williams — May 7, 2009 @ 12:44 pm
Endless Referrals by Bob Burg
This is a simple, practical way to generate sales opportunities by building relationships through daily contacts.
Comment by Micki Kann — May 7, 2009 @ 2:33 pm
Love Is the Killer App – Tim Sanders. The premise is give first. Promote others, share knowledge, share network.
Comment by Betsy — May 7, 2009 @ 2:37 pm
Book is The Game Plan For Success by Lou Holtz
The Power of Positive Attitude and to ask Why before moving forward.
Comment by George Schwabe — May 7, 2009 @ 3:20 pm
The Black Swan by Nassim N. Taleb – Fantastic book that makes the case that our modern world is susceptible to events known as Black Swans. The key components of a Black Swan are 1)they are unpredictable 2)they have a huge impact 3)people engage in a form of Monday morning quarterbacking to try to explain why we should have seen it coming (to make it seem somewhat predictable). I learned from this book that history leaps forward (or backward it seems) and doesn’t move incrementally. We have been taught from various business and statistics courses that certain events are unlikely to happen (very remote odds) but after reading The Black Swan you will come away with the realization that much of what we thought we knew about statistics/probability are deeply flawed leading us to underestimate the risks that we take.
Comment by Chris Melton — May 7, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
If I Knew Then What I Know Now: Ceos and Other Smart Executives Share Wisdom They Wish They’d Been Told 25 Years Ago
Comment by Iftikhar Ahmed — May 7, 2009 @ 5:39 pm
How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie.
The one thing I use in my daily life as well as business is to ask questions about the person you are with.
With that person doing the talking makes you an expert conversationalist.
Comment by Daniel Helke — May 7, 2009 @ 5:41 pm
Focal Point by Brian Tracy. The book is an easy read, and it keeps things simple. Brian Tracy explains that in order to improve your business and make your life more enjoyable, you simply need to do one of four things. You can either 1.) START doing things that you want to be doing and that will provide value, 2.) DO MORE of things that you’re already doing that are providing value and that you enjoy, 3.) DO LESS of the things that you don’t enjoy or that aren’t providing as much value (i.e. delegate, become more efficient at the task, outsource, manage the task but don’t do it yourself, etc), or 4.) STOP doing things that you don’t like to do. Brian Tracy takes you through exercises that help you evaluate your life and help you place an “X” on the one thing that will improve each area of your life. Enjoy the book!
Comment by David — May 7, 2009 @ 6:45 pm
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson.
Consistent daily efforts create who we are. It’s just as easy to do or not to do the things that propel you on the upswing of life or the downturn. Choose wisely every day…we all live on the “slight edge” of greatness.
Comment by Gayle Zientek — May 7, 2009 @ 10:31 pm
The Power of Intention, Dr. Wayne Dyer is the book that brought everything together for me. I’ve learned lots and am an avid book reader, but of all the power of focus, law of attraction, personal development, quashing limiting beliefs, affirmations, meditation, etc. that I’ve done and read, this particular book brought all the terminology together for me and also brought me to my next level of confidence in knowing that as long as I am consistent with my intentions that I can relax and let it happen.
Comment by Janet — May 8, 2009 @ 7:51 am
The Power of Your Sub-Conscious Mind
Accomplish anything you want in business and life!
Comment by Dianne Park — May 8, 2009 @ 8:51 am
“Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton Ph.D.
is my favorite business book. And the most important thing I learned from that book is to not focus on your weaknesses, however focus on your strengths. All our lives we focus on trying to “fix” our weaknesses. After reading this book, I have started thinking completely different. It is a positive way of developing oneself, it is very uplifting.
Comment by Eve Tovar-Karoses — May 8, 2009 @ 8:54 am
Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, and The E Myth Revisited
Comment by Debra Klein — May 8, 2009 @ 9:23 am
My favorite business book of all time is Dale Carnegie’s “how to win friend and influence people”. What I learned from that book that I apply everyday of my life, in all aspects of my life, is that life and business are all about people and both “go better” when you know how to get along with others as opposed to trying to “get over” others. There are too many wonderful and applicable lessons in that book to focus on any one, but I believe the principles in that book make for a solid foundation for a successful and happy life.
Comment by steven post — May 8, 2009 @ 3:51 pm
I loved the book “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t ” by Jim Collins. Here are 2 ideas that seem like common sense – but for some reason got forgotten along the way. 1. A great leader makes decisions based on the future good and longevity of the company vs giving the stockholder a dividend today. This leaders legacy will also outlive them and doesn’t depend on their presence. Yes Yes Yes – too many people are getting paid big bucks to go and dismantle or move a company in desperation that with good leadership could have been saved. 2. When someone isn’t a good fit for a job – do everyone a favor and give them the respect of kindly helping them realize this and find a better fit for both parties. When someones strengths do not fit the job description, they won’t live up to their full potential and will not be happy as well as everyone around them will have problems also. This book is full of down to earth principles that I think everyone is meant to relearn and could greatly profit from in the current economic upheaval that we created for ourselves today. There were quite a few ‘human’ values that we used to have and profit and greed clouded our vision. This book gets us back on track while remembering that we’re dealing with fellow human beings in the process. BRAVO!
Comment by Lori Sherman — May 8, 2009 @ 8:37 pm
I vote for “No Excuses: A Business Process Approach to Managing Operational Risk”
While the title is a mouthful, the book is easy to read and easy to understand. The authors take a subject that I had previously known very little about and made it enjoyable to learn that managing risk is an essential part of managing business.
I now know why and how to include risk management issues when I am faced with choices at work. I actually sound smarter to my upper management as a result of this book!
Comment by Reed Lavey — May 8, 2009 @ 8:42 pm
One of my favorite books is “Managing Management Time” by William Oncken.
The best lesson I learned was the lesson to delegate. Oncken illustrates this by explaining that if you the manager do not complete a task, you are procrastinating. If, however, you had given the task to someone who works for you and they don’t complete it, it is insubordination. He explains this in a humorous way and it makes perfect sense.
Comment by Tom Wiers — May 9, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
Another of my favorites is “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.
In my opinion, the greatest habit is Habit 5: Seek first to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Whatever your responsibilities in life, this habit should be a cornerstone of your thinking. Think about your various roles in life … parent, sibling, salesperson, manager, coach, friend … I challenge you to tell me where this habit would not be beneficial in any situation.
All the “habits” are extremely helpful but Habit 5 is essential!
Comment by Tom Wiers — May 9, 2009 @ 1:53 pm
“Who” Solve Your #1 Problem by Geoff Smart and Randy Street Gives you the tools and questions to hire for a better fit.
Comment by Colleen Cole — May 9, 2009 @ 2:39 pm
Good to Great.
I love it and reference it often!
Comment by DeDe Heid — May 10, 2009 @ 10:23 pm
Effort Less Marketing by Steve Moeller
This really brings it home in 5 steps to a super-profitable business – it all boils down to relationship based niche marketing and how to better serve your clients. This will apply to anyone’s business.
Dee Treece
Comment by Dee Treece — May 11, 2009 @ 1:31 pm
My favorite book is “How Full is Your Bucket” by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton. This book is all about having a good attitude in every situation and how we can “fill each other’s buckets”. It gives simple, straightforward examples and things you can do to increase morale, productivity, camaraderie, and efficiency. It can also be applied to your personal life and helps achieve success in relationships with your family and friends.
You can read this book in about 2 hours cover to cover and then go online and take a “bucket test” to see where you are. It also gives you practical things you can do at work and home to start filling buckets.
Comment by Jeff Johnson — May 13, 2009 @ 6:36 am
The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell
Product success can be a matter of some not so obvious points.
Comment by Geoff Veit — May 13, 2009 @ 8:52 am
Thinking Inside the Box by Kirk Cheyfitz
Ageless wisdom on what you need to know to run a business. It’s a relatively quick read with lots of anecdotal information for quick understanding. We held a 13 week session of Monday morning meetings to go over every chapter of this book with our key staff. Even for those without a general business background, by the end of the sessions they all had a good idea of everything we needed to do to be successful Every chapter has a summary. I’ve put the summaries on a five page document that everyone has at their desks for reference. Before you start thinking outside the box, you need to know what’s going on inside the box.
Comment by Val Zanchuk — May 13, 2009 @ 1:16 pm
Ziglers book states, “If you don’t circulate you won’t perkulate” He also talks about a big bear in a tree and all the people in the town and firemen were trying to get the bear out of the tree. The bear fell to the ground and it was not a bear it was a bag of trash. Moral make sure you are not chasing trash.
Comment by Valerie Roman — May 14, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
One of my favorite book is “Eat that Frog” by Brian Tracy.
It is so very basic and I have given it to all the agents in my office, my husband and all my family members.
It falls in line with getting organized and time management and I find it so helpful in every aspect of my life.
Everytime I extremely busy, I make sure to “eat my frogs daily”
Comment by Geny Hawkins — May 17, 2009 @ 11:15 am
The Book is “Now Discover Your Strenghts” by Marcus Buckingham. It taught me a key lesson – that you must work on making your strengths and unique abilities better ( which we all have) rather than wasting time on trying to make weaknesses better. This is a powerful concept!
Comment by Kevin Green — May 20, 2009 @ 12:44 pm
A colleague caught my attention by saying “If Madoff’s investors had read this book first they may not have lost all that money.” He was referring to “No Excuses: A Business Process Approach to Managing Operational Risk”. It’s likely that it’s the first of the many books on risk and process management that isn’t highly technical or theoretical.
For example, it explains how events such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Enron’s corporate fraud became “famous for the wrong reasons.” And I readily saw parallels between recommendations from the book and various recent events, such as the landing of US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River. When that plane’s engines failed the pilot’s situational awareness, technical expertise and strong decision-making skills aligned with effective communication between all crew members and properly executed emergency procedures. Such high-quality performance requires prior planning and practice.
“No Excuses” shows how to manage and mitigate operational risk through establishing key processes and controls, and defining clear lines of responsibility and accountability.
Comment by Dorothy O'Beirne — May 29, 2009 @ 10:31 am
I think one of my favorite business books of all time is: Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard. After all, that is the bottom line. If your clients are raving fans you do not need to ask for more. They just give it to you.
Comment by Melanie Karnavas — May 29, 2009 @ 3:42 pm