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Really good (but obscure) business books?

Dan_Cardone

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I read around 40 - 60 business and business rated books a year. In fact, on amazon now almost all the suggested books are books I have already read.

What are some lesser know business books that are worth a read?

I know its a bit vague but just throw some suggestions out there.

Thanks!
 
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G. Wellthy

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Moreso on wealth than business but:

Every Family’s Business by Thomas Deans

The premise is that every family business must be built to be sold. And if, IF, transitioned to the next generation, it should be sold to them.

Family Wealth by James Hughes redirected my career.

A super famous book here on Canada The Wealthy Barber probably isn’t going to add any value to you. And may have already made your hit list.

The Goal is an operations focussed business fable that I’m sure made your hit list.
 

csalvato

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"do the work" by steven pressfield

It sounds like you desperately need it , the CEO of a fortune 500 company wouldn't be able to utilize 40 to 60 business books a year. Thats action faking to the max.



The average CEO reads 60 books a year or 5 a month...
 

MHP368

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Yeh ok , and how many corporations are you guys the executive officer of?

None? Maybe instead of reading about business you should engage in it. Thats all i'm saying.

Read "do the work" pretty short , doesn't pull punches , for some people the resistance is something obvious like too many video games. For plenty of folks its piddling around on entrepreneur forums and reading books about systematizing and outsourcing and all that.

Get a business that makes money and then read a book neccesary to solve a problem , I guarantee if you have a break through and make a solid company 95% of all that reading wont have applied.

Heres a little reality check , without opening the book can you summarize the...lets say 3rd to last book you read? What did you read in june and how did that apply to your journey? What about may 2018?

Your keeping notes right? Maybe flashcards?

No? , My thats a lot of wasted time.

Whats thats saying? "If more information was the answer we'd all be billionaires with six pack abs"
 
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G. Wellthy

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Yeh ok , and how many corporations are you guys the executive officer of?

None? Maybe instead of reading about business you should engage in it. Thats all i'm saying.

Read "do the work" pretty short , doesn't pull punches , for some people the resistance is something obvious like too many video games. For plenty of folks its piddling around on entrepreneur forums and reading books about systematizing and outsourcing and all that.

Get a business that makes money and then read a book neccesary to solve a problem , I guarantee if you have a break through and make a solid company 95% of all that reading wont have applied.

Heres a little reality check , without opening the book can you summarize the...lets say 3rd to last book you read? What did you read in june and how did that apply to your journey? What about may 2018?

Your keeping notes right? Maybe flashcards?

No? , My thats a lot of wasted time.

Whats thats saying? "If more information was the answer we'd all be billionaires with six pack abs"

I’m surprised you naturally lean/assume failure in your fellow fastlaner... that doesn’t seem necessary or even productive.

Agree we all need to push harder at times, I’m just surprised by the tone.
 

MHP368

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I’m surprised you naturally lean/assume failure in your fellow fastlaner... that doesn’t seem necessary or even productive.

Agree we all need to push harder at times, I’m just surprised by the tone.

He's a platinum contributor , probably doing better than me at business. Doesn't make it any less true, he also quotes an inc magazine article that advertises some guys speed reading course , not that id trust self reported reading habits to not fudge the numbers anyway.

40 to 60 books a year even speed reading (which last I checked doesnt do much for recall or actual learning according to science) is literally weeks of full-time work. Just seemed kind of helpful to point out that maybe a little reflection and insight would be in order for OP.
 

ChrisV

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I have bit of a meta-answer: have you considered rating books on Goodreads? then it uses an algorithm to pick out books you might like, which is more book-centric than Amazon's
 
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ChrisV

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"do the work" by steven pressfield

It sounds like you desperately need it , the CEO of a fortune 500 company wouldn't be able to utilize 40 to 60 business books a year. Thats action faking to the max.
You realize a lot of us use Audiobooks right? We have to drive somewhere and just put on an audiobook. There's a false dichotomy here: either read, or work on your business. In reality you can easily do both.
 

RazorCut

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Great thread. We usually get the same books quoted over and over.

A couple of short ones with very strong messages:


For the short of time CEO's out there that want a visual condensed version (warning it's a little cheesy):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOUeHPS8A8g&t=4s


I can't find the second one (it's rather obscure) so I'll add it when find as short on time this morning.
 

Dan_Cardone

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"do the work" by steven pressfield

It sounds like you desperately need it , the CEO of a fortune 500 company wouldn't be able to utilize 40 to 60 business books a year. Thats action faking to the max.
I'm sorry you lack the necessary time management and/or reading speed to both read books and work on your business.

30 minutes a day can easily add up to one book a week. Little less netflix, little more reading.
 
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broswoodwork

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I read around 40 - 60 business and business rated books a year. In fact, on amazon now almost all the suggested books are books I have already read.

What are some lesser know business books that are worth a read?

I know its a bit vague but just throw some suggestions out there.

Thanks!
I was an avid reader of western lit before I piled myself in work, and when I started running low on classics for the wishlist, I began exploring Indian, Middle Eastern, and Chinese literature.

Maybe there are some international titles that are huge with business men in other parts of the world that are obscure here? What's the Japanese equivalent to E-Myth, or the Indian Scientific Advertising?

Just a thought, because I know I'm not going to have any western titles you haven't read with numbers like that.
 

csalvato

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Yeh ok , and how many corporations are you guys the executive officer of?

None? Maybe instead of reading about business you should engage in it. Thats all i'm saying.

Read "do the work" pretty short , doesn't pull punches , for some people the resistance is something obvious like too many video games. For plenty of folks its piddling around on entrepreneur forums and reading books about systematizing and outsourcing and all that.

Get a business that makes money and then read a book neccesary to solve a problem , I guarantee if you have a break through and make a solid company 95% of all that reading wont have applied.

Heres a little reality check , without opening the book can you summarize the...lets say 3rd to last book you read? What did you read in june and how did that apply to your journey? What about may 2018?

Your keeping notes right? Maybe flashcards?

No? , My thats a lot of wasted time.

Whats thats saying? "If more information was the answer we'd all be billionaires with six pack abs"

your attitude is shit. You will never be able to lead a team effectively if this is how you handle being confronted with a fact that proves you incorrect.
 

MTF

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For the short of time CEO's out there that want a visual condensed version (warning it's a little cheesy):

39qmbc.jpg


Here are some great, obscure or just not as recognized as they should be, titles:
  • anything by Jay Abraham (most notably Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got and The Sticking Point Solution) - he's by far the best business strategy expert out there,
  • Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia - many interesting thoughts on how to do business in a different, more ethical and thought-out way,
  • anything by Richard Koch about the 80/20 principle - he's not that obscure, but I think that his books other than The 80/20 Principle are not getting enough recognition and they provide some additional interesting insights,
  • 80/20 Sales and Marketing by Perry Marshall - similar topic as Richard Koch, but a different take on it,
  • How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis - I guess some might argue it's not obscure, but I think that because he was a UK businessman, his book isn't really that known in the US while it's a great, honest perspective on business and philosophy with some very valuable lessons.
 
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babyballer

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I read around 40 - 60 business and business rated books a year. In fact, on amazon now almost all the suggested books are books I have already read.

What are some lesser know business books that are worth a read?

I know its a bit vague but just throw some suggestions out there.

Thanks!

Anything by Dan Kennedy.
 

GoodluckChuck

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Data Driven Marketing

This book gives you the building blocks of any modern sales and marketing system.

It's like learning a programming language for business.
 
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Kevin88660

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Yeh ok , and how many corporations are you guys the executive officer of?

None? Maybe instead of reading about business you should engage in it. Thats all i'm saying.

Read "do the work" pretty short , doesn't pull punches , for some people the resistance is something obvious like too many video games. For plenty of folks its piddling around on entrepreneur forums and reading books about systematizing and outsourcing and all that.

Get a business that makes money and then read a book neccesary to solve a problem , I guarantee if you have a break through and make a solid company 95% of all that reading wont have applied.

Heres a little reality check , without opening the book can you summarize the...lets say 3rd to last book you read? What did you read in june and how did that apply to your journey? What about may 2018?

Your keeping notes right? Maybe flashcards?

No? , My thats a lot of wasted time.

Whats thats saying? "If more information was the answer we'd all be billionaires with six pack abs"

I agree and disagree. You cannot prescribe the medicine without knowing the patient. Let us say someone is reading too much and have not taken much action then your advice will be right on spot.

I am a big believer in execution though. But let us say without business knowledge and reading MFL or related books, they are so many young people stuck in MLM business that they have no control and they put themselves in a business with low entry barrier.

Most smart business people operate today with an exact and realistic goal in mind. What is the need? Is there a successful model in another industry or in a foreign country that they can bring or copy over? What are the testing locations for the need? Once the testing is successful Where do I find investors to burn money for initial customer acquisition? What are the financial requirements for future IPO?

There is so much information and methodology these days that a lot of smart business starters, at least the bit boys for sure are operating like using a “textbook method”.
 

Kevin88660

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To reply the OP I would recommend “Lean Start-up”. It is not really obscure. But I think it is really a worth mentioning book that give you a step by step process on how you should approach your business.

No smoke and mirror.
 

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broswoodwork

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That gave me an idea. The Military Maxims of Napoleon Bonaparte, Infantry Attacks by Irwin Rommel, and A Book of Five Rings by Miyamato Musashi.
 
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ChrisV

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Jay Abraham was the first author that came to mind and was glad to see him suggested here. It's the type of stuff that you need to go back and read over more than once. The ideas are more abstract than your average business book, but also packed with excellent examples. Granted I've only read one of his books, forget which one.
 

MoneyHacker

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That gave me an idea. The Military Maxims of Napoleon Bonaparte, Infantry Attacks by Irwin Rommel, and A Book of Five Rings by Miyamato Musashi.
A Book of Five Rings is awesome. You remind me of the time reading it along with The Prince and The Art Of War.
 
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Dan670

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Double your profits in 6 months or less by bob fifer.

Sounds corny and some may disagree with a few of the principals. But I liked it.
 

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