by 3 people |
Books have inspired many entrepreneurs into action. It is true that a book cannot teach you all that you need to know to create a successful business but their influence is imeasurable. A single quote or passage can change they way you look at business forever.
Some of the books that have been selected are not business books but will certainly provide a perspective on business you may not have read before.
I would also invite you to contact me and suggest your favorite books for startups and entrepreneurs.
"Big Picture" books
General advice on good business practice
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
This book is a must read for ANY business, big or small. Five years ago, Jim Collins asked the question, "Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?" In Good to Great Collins, the author of Built to Last, concludes that it is possible, but finds there are no silver bullets. Collins and his team of researchers began their quest by sorting through a list of 1,435 companies, looking for those that made substantial improvements in their performance over time. They finally settled on 11--including Fannie Mae, Gillette, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo--and discovered common traits that challenged many of the conventional notions of corporate success.
Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 11/30/2009) 
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
The premise of this facile piece of pop sociology has built-in appeal: little changes can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, changing the world. Gladwell's thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do" remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of "word-of-mouth epidemics" triggered with the help of three pivotal types. These are Connectors, sociable personalities who bring people together; Mavens, who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen, adept at persuading the unenlightened.
Amazon Price: $8.97 (as of 11/30/2009)
The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable
Godin derived the title for this engaging anthology of business homiletics from his marketing manifesto Purple Cow, which extolled the importance of garish new products that grab customers' attention. Phrased as a feel-good kindergarten platitude ("you are not ordinary/In fact, you're remarkable"), the principle seems a harmless nod to fancy-free individualism. But set in an adult business context of constant "change" and cutthroat price competition, where "winning the game has absolutely nothing to do with hard work and paying your dues" and "a constant stream of industry-busting insights and remarkable innovations" is the only guarantee of survival, the exhortation to uniqueness becomes terrifying and demoralizing.
Amazon Price: $14.93 (as of 11/30/2009)
Marketing Books
How to get your message through the noise
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
The world is changing ever more rapidly, and the rules of marketing are no different, writes Godin, the field's reigning guru. The old ways-run-of-the-mill TV commercials, ads in the Wall Street Journal and so on-don't work like they used to, because such messages are so plentiful that consumers have tuned them out. This means you have to toss out everything you know and do something "remarkable" (the way a purple cow in a field of Guernseys would be remarkable) to have any effect at all, writes Godin.
Amazon Price: $13.62 (as of 11/30/2009)
Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands
Sellout "Brand" or just plain "Bland"? In Lovemarks, advertising giant Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts delves deep into what mysteries lie behind the long-term success and unwavering customer loyalty for a can of Coke or a pair of Levi's, ultimately concluding that Love is the answer, and without some emotional connection to a product, it will dry up like a generic raisin in the sun. Enter Lovemarks, the new marketing buzzword, which will likely be bandied about at board meetings as vigorously as The Tipping Point.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/30/2009)
Unleashing the Ideavirus
The Internet industry has been enamored of buzz-based marketing ever since venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson coined the phrase "viral marketing" in 1997 to describe Hotmail's strategy of tagging every e-mail message with a promotion for its service. The self-replicating promotion helped the company achieve an epidemic growth rate of zero to 12 million users in a mere 18 months. Since then, viral marketing has propelled everything from Napster to The Blair Witch Project to legendary success.
Amazon Price: $14.00 (as of 11/30/2009)
Secrets of Successful Companies
A collection of books that cover a broad range of success stories and advice
Beyond Code: Learn to Distinguish Yourself in 9 Simple Steps!
Through his work with hundreds of technology professionals, Rajesh Setty has had a bird's eye view of careers that soared and careers that stalled. In the IT arena, Setty noted that while some people succeeded beyond imagination, most people seemed to get stuck about ten or fifteen years into their careers. After careful observation, interviews and insights, Setty realized that the top performers in the IT services industry definitely had a different set of standard practices for distinguishing themselves. To share their secrets, Setty created Beyond Code
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 11/30/2009)
Advice for Startup Entrepreneurs
StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $13.41 (as of 11/30/2009)
List Price: $22.95
Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion
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Amazon Price: $10.00 (as of 11/30/2009)
List Price: $19.99
How to Win Friends & Influence People
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Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 11/30/2009)
List Price: $15.00
by RichBanfield
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