A little light reading

January is great time for browsing any books you might have received in your Christmas stocking. I love picking them up, reading the reviews, the forwards, dipping in a bit and then choosing which one to look at first. I always put a few business books on my Christmas list. That is very sad I know but I genuinely enjoy reading them so it works for me. Over the last few years I must have read at least 100 business books. Most are on my shelves in my office. A few duds do not make the shelves and have been recycled at the nearest charity shop. My wife can't understand how, if I have read all these books and accumulated  all this knowledge, why I am not a multi-millionaire by now. I tell her I am working on it and she needs to be patient.

The kind of books I like are by people who have 'been there and done it' and are writing based on their own experience. The books I like least are the ones where the writer's main purpose seems to be to write books to sell to gullible people (like me) about getting rich by the power of thought or by doing things that the author has never put into practice themselves. In my personal opinion (and I think I'm in a minority here), one of the worst business books I (almost) read (and I say 'almost' because I packed it in about half way through) is 'Think and grow rich' by Napoleon Hill. It is apparently one of the best selling business books of all time. It has the advantage of having been written a very long time ago (allowing for more time for more people to buy it) but it has been relegated to my bottom shelf. This shelf contains books which I may just want to look at again to check something over but I would be very unlikely to re-read from cover to cover again.

Some books I do read again and these are destined for my top shelf where they have pride of place. These are the ones I recommend to my business clients and I refer to often as being useful, practical guides. My 'Top 3' in descending order are:

1, How to get rich by Felix Dennis

A bit of a naff title but a truly fantastic book. Brilliantly written and full of frank, honest view about how to set up and run successful businesses and create wealth. 

2. The eMyth revisited by Michael Gerber

All about setting up the structures and processes necessary to develop and grow a small business. Easy to read and great, practical advice

3. The Richer Way by Julian Richer

Once you have created your small business Julian Richer has some great ideas for recruiting, rewarding and retaining the best employees. It is based on his experience running Hi-Fi chain, 'Richer Sounds'.

Even if a book is not one of the best, almost every one I read is stimulating in some way or other. Reading regularly helps me to challenge my thinking and approach and keep things fresh. So I'll be ploughing into this little lot in the photo over the next few weeks. You never know, maybe one of them will make it onto my top shelf?

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