**June 6th Update. New Business Book Added**
This section is dedicated to reviews of the business books that are out there, and that have been out there. Having read so many, I find myself in the unique position of being able to recommend the very best, most useful business books. It's true that I can find business knowledge in almost any book - but these business books do an especially good job.
This first book you've possibly heard of, The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss.
[Story Continues...]
What's great about this book is threefold: Pacing. Style. Energy.
First the Pacing. Right from the start you're off and running learning about the author's story and from there you jump right into his principles of a "successful worker". The great part about his definition of a "successful worker" (my phrase, not his) is that YOU define it. A lot of his premise is: Do you what you want, but don't let IT DO YOU. Run your job, don't let it run you. I think it's a great message that he drives home creatively throughout the book.
Style: Style is really important to me, especially on business matters. I have no patience for academics trying to impress each other with their business-speak. It's not complex, it just reeks of ostentatiousness. Have you ever noticed that in corporate America, the employees speak one way, the managers speak in a more..."elevated" way (in their minds) and district managers try to speak better, and then regional managers, and even some executives...but the boss. The founder. He or she usually communicates their ideas in a clear, plain, simple fashion. To me it's just more effective and this book is just like that. Simple, yet clever with just the right amount of humor.
Energy: You'll learn a bunch of stories about what other people did in certain situations to succeed or what they could have done. Something about the way it is all described makes you feel exactly the way things should be, and are with the right attitude: simple. He does a great job getting you juiced and ready to go.
The Con:
The only thing I might say against this book is that he didn't spend much time talking about how people moved from A to B to C in those examples. Maybe that's why it seemed so easy - but when you have a great idea and a great creative solution, the minutiae of each step might be unnecessary.
Overall it's a great read with a great message: Be more efficient. Have more fun. Can't argue with those sentiments. If you haven't already - I suggest you add The 4-Hour Workweek to your Business Library.
New Book Added June 6th
This is one of the extremely few business books I would ever recommend buying with the word "marketing" in its title. To me it's a boring word that I avoid whenever possible. That said - this book is nothing like you would expect. You can tell the writer has real-world experience, that he hasn't spent his days with his head buried in some cubicle or face glued to a spreadsheet. It's a very easy read. Style is important because even the best ideas will be missed if it's too drab, and too boring. No worries there.
The phrase "guerrilla marketing" has almost become commonplace to mean "shoestring, creative marketing", and that is because this book is so popular.
Levinson goes through small business and big business examples of creative marketing ideas. The entire message of the book is: "Don't use more money, use more brains." You'll want to have a notepad handy during this read because you'll get as many new ideas as you read.
Especially today with so many marketing options - creativity is what will differentiate you and this book will kick-start the ideas. To me this is an absolutely timeless, invaluable purchase.
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