Tuesday, July 14, 2009

100 Non-Business Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read

What does it take to be a well-rounded entrepreneur? The folks at self-help site http://www.onlineuniversities.com/ have just produced a list of the 100 Non-Business Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read.

The anonymous writers claim that while there are hundreds of business books that can help you become better business people, “some of the most useful ones aren’t obviously meant for business at all. You can build your communications, relationship, and presentation skills, and even set yourself up for success by reading books your professor wouldn’t think of assigning you.”

Frankly, there's a lot of repetition and nonsense on this list. But here are a dozen of the most worthwhile books on the list, specially chosen by me because a) I have read them, or b) I think I should:

1. The Elements of Style: Write and communicate clearly with the help of this book.
2. Difficult Conversations: Thrive in difficult conversations.
3. Getting to Yes: Improve your negotiation skills.
4. If It Is To Be It’s Up To Me: Develop the attitude of a true leader.
5. The Fountainhead: Ayn Rand’s classic novel on individual strength and the temptations of compromise.
6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Improve your personal effectiveness.
7. The Power of Positive Thinking: The power of confidence.
8. What to Say When You Talk to Yourself: How you can become what you tell yourself.
9. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion: This book explains the psychological foundations of influencing people.
10. The Millionaire Mind: Make your mindset more like a millionaire’s.
11. The Now Habit: Create your own program to overcome procrastination.
12. The Art of War: Learn how to gain advantage of your opponents in any situation.

Click here to read the full article and see how many of these 100 books you have read – or ought to.

No comments: