Entreprenurial Advice from the Nice Guys Next Door

Jeff and Rich Sloan, although I've never met them or spoken with them, come across as nice down to earth guys (who just happen to have done some pretty amazing things in the business world). Startup nation is easy to read, offers compelling and unique examples of both their own success and other's to illustrate their points and has a really friendly tone to it. Reading in Australia, there were a few pages that were quite USA-centric that weren't of much relevance to me, but a few out of 275 pages of quality isn't much to worry about. Useful, practical, inspiring and all around great reading for the entrepreneur / inventor or business person inside us all.

Putting The Magic Back Into Business

Let me start this out by saying that I’m biased. I love the Build a Bear concept and have done ever since I saw my first store about 3 years ago. The cool thing about this book though is that you don’t need to have a business similar to Build a Bear, you don’t need to love Build a Bear in fact you don’t need to know anything about Build a Bear to gain some really important business lessons from this highly enjoyable book. From getting your staff to find ways to say yes to the red pencil award Maxine highlights business gems from the minute to the stellar. Un-bearably good reading.

Get Out Your Pencil

I treasure my books and I hate hate hate writing inside them (despite what the authors ask me to do), but I must admit I cracked out the pencil for this one after reading a few chapters and realising that the questions and exercises at the end of the chapters were actually really valuable. I was impressed with the examples the authors offered and there was some really practical stuff in here! Ideal reading for someone who’s not loving their job, maybe has a little bit of a negative attitude or simply wants to have a brighter outlook on life.

Great as a "go to" for a "pick me up"

While I wouldn't recommend sitting down and reading this book from beginning to end as I did - for litle moments of inspiration I think it's a winner. I particularly loved (not surprisingly) Michael Gerber's portion and yet (surprisingly) also loved Erin Brokovitch's. If you can't find something to make you smile or think in this one you're not trying.

Infect Me With The Virus!

Starting my own dot com (reallysold.com) for the first time (as opposed to running traditional bricks and mortar businesses as I’d done in the past) I knew I had to read as much of Seth’s work as I possibly could. Unleashing the Idea Virus was right at the top of my list. Seth yet again spells out simple easy to understand ideas illustrated with fabulous examples. Yes – the book is a little out of date now with its references - but it’s also pretty fun seeing which of Seth’s predictions have come true! I’d recommend the read for any business owner or marketer looking for the answers to the question “how can I get people talking about my business without laying out a mint on traditional interruption advertising”

Caught Me Totally By Surprise

I guess I’d always sort of looked down my nose a bit at Goldie Hawn. From what I could remember from my childhood in the 80’s – wasn’t she always playing the ditzy blonde? So why did I even grab a copy of this book – who knows (I usually only read business books!). I’m so glad I did though. This goofy and effervescent woman charmed me from within every page. I read it over a few days and was sad to put it down each time. Enlightening, funny, warm and enough to really change my mind.

Every new salesperson and those not already in the top 5% of their company should read this book

I’d never heard of Jeffrey J. Fox before picking up this book in a bargain bin at a massive book clearance. But you know what – I bought 10 books there for what I’d usually spend on just one and if the rest of them all tank, the dollars spent will still be a bargain just for this book. Fox illustrates the simple and oh-so-true rainmaker strategies with well thought out examples and stories. The material is accessible and relevant to the person thinking about going into sales right through to the experienced person with 20 years under their belt. And although I’d never heard of the author or of his work prior to reading this title I’m encouraged to definitely read more from him.

Frank, Funny and Charming

Reading Linda’s story I instantly knew I’d want to lend this book to my Mum after I’d finished it. Are high achievers born or made? You won’t find the answer in reading this book, but you’ll see how a determined young woman who had every reason to fail succeeded and raised a champion. More importantly I feel – this story isn’t just about Lance. It’s definitely hers, it’s quirky and charming, easy to read and definitely gives you a feel for her character. I preferred It’s Not About The Bike – but I definitely recommend this as a great follow up read.

In my opinion this is far and away one of Dale’s best Secrets Exposed books. The contributors experience and content varies widely as do their suggestions and tips for new players. Whether you’re in business online now or you’re considering it in the future, if you can’t get value from this read, you’re not trying.

Fun, Fun, Fun

Hughes does a great job of making this book about buzz fun, light and cohesive. It intertwines awesome buzz examples from a multitude of industries, with the authors personal experiences predominantly through some very cool marketing of half.com, while also spelling out Hughes’ rules for buzz (not just examples – so that you can easily translate to your own industry!) The chapter on Britney gave me a giggle in light of current events, but not to worry, this book is so good I’ll definitely be paying it some very positive buzz.

I Wanted More!

I found this book almost like an overview of a much larger book – I wanted more, more information, more tips, more details, more stories. It was a quick read, but I really felt as though I wanted further details and examples or stories to back up what Jean-Pierre was saying. I would definitely buy a larger version though – so it’s got my attention enough to say that!

A simple test offering clarity

I found The Passion Test really elegant in its simplicity and interwoven with a really nice story. The practical part of me enjoyed the nuts and bolts of how to take the test and then the overlay of one of the author’s personal experiences kept my more creative side interested. It’s a simple concept, but one well worth the read.

Lots of Al Gore, very little Gory gossip

I can’t tell you why I bought this book 3 years ago. In fact I didn’t even remember I had it until its dust gathering spine peeked at me about a week ago. Due to my gathering interest in the US presidential primaries I thought – why not. What I found was a compelling read. I must admit I was even a little teary at times. Yes, it’s unashamedly one sided (what with the many references to Republican plots!), no it doesn’t go into anywhere near the type of vicarious gory detail I wanted about the Monika and why she stayed with Bill (but c’mon it’s a serious book not tmz.com!) and yes, I quite enjoyed it.

Full Of Mini Mind Jolts

Argh - 'Why did I get a book just full of blog postings?' I lamented about 20 pages into Small Is The New Big. At 40 pages I realised however that no matter how much of a Seth fan I am (and I'm a big one) it would be unlikely that I would wade through 8 years of blogs postings online to find these gems, And gems many of them were indeed. Read it if you want a book full of mini mind jolts.

Investing In Property In Austrlia?

I would rate this book as highly as I do Jan Somers Building Wealth Through Property for anyone considering property investment in Australia. While the copy I just read was the 2003 edition and as such interest rates and purchase prices are a little low the content is rock solid and an easy read. Margaret lays out the information honestly - without scare mongering and even the experienced investor will get a lot out of it.

Real, Honest & Emotional

I met Shivani some years ago now through the Telstra Business Women's Awards. To say I was impressed with Shivani was an understatement, my lasting memory of her is a friendly, intelligent woman who I was sure could change the world if she set her mind to it. Step #2465 on that journey is her new book which is both as real and honest as it is unashamedly emotional and yet practical! It was a pleasure to read and learn more about Shivani - business butterfly!

Don't you wish you'd thought of it?

Kyle MacDonald is a rock star if you ask me. His savvy and sense of humour make him instantly endearing and this book is aspirational for anyone looking for "a great big adventure". Love the writing style, love the content, love it's simplicity.

A Classic – Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of it’s message

How can a book this simple and quick provide such a beautiful and sophisticated message? I have no idea – but I know I read it in less than an hour and got more from it than many 500 pager’s I’ve read. Read it and get dropping, I sent two before finishing the book!

Consider Reading The Art Of The Deal Instead

On most albums there’s a little bit of joy to be found in one or two songs – even if everything doesn’t appeal to you. For me, most books are like this in that you can pick out one or two great ideas, concepts or stories even if there’s a lot in the book you don’t agree with. Think Big… definitely contains a lot of content that I personally wouldn’t advocate (see the various sections on revenge tactics) but if the book said the same old same old, firstly Trump would get no marketing bonus from the controversy and secondly, it wouldn’t be what I expect from someone who obviously prides himself on doing things differently (c’mon a business book with “ass” in title sure got my attention!) There is joy to be found in this book, but for my liking, there’s too much double up of experiences and deals that Trump mentions in his other books. If you want to read about these get The Art of the Deal by The Donald – one of my personal favourites. My favourite funny in the book - Sergey Brin is noted by the Donald to have founded Yahoo (wow – he sure has been busy what with also starting Google!) In short, if this is the first book you’ve read by Trump – enjoy, there’s lots to digest, but also prepare to go “whoa” in a lot of places! Also – don’t be freaked out by the size of it, double spacing and lots of breaks make it a super quick read. Bill Zanker also has some really innovative ideas that got me thinking in his small portions of the book – his contributions were some of the pages that got me thinking the most.

The Secret To Success – Outsiders Who Trade?

Don’t read this book if you’re looking for a fast-track recipe to becoming a billionaire. Number 1 – of course it doesn’t exist. Number 2 – it would seem, according to this book that much of what set up these 17 profiled self-made billionaires was set in place during their childhood years. And unfortunately this book won’t serve as a parenting manual either as any good parent should be reticent in providing an upbringing that bares a resemblance to those which our 17 billionaires received. Do read this book if you’d like to get a bit more an insight into 17 billionaires including the bits we rarely hear in the media – their childhood and family backgrounds. My favourite profiles were those of Australian Frank Lowy, IKEAs Ingvar Kamprad and Ralph Lifshitz… er Lauren.

Visually appealing, mentally stimulating

I really enjoyed Peter Knight’s “HEMP”. After meeting the author recently I was pleasantly surprised to see that the personality that so amply oozes from him in person is readily apparent in the book as well. It’s quirky, straight to the point and is dotted with fabulous visual examples of all of the concepts Peter discusses. The Redcup examples tie everything together nicely. Perfect for anyone wanting to create a no-nonsense, no-jargon, easy to follow marketing plan.

The message still rings true

I found this book somewhat hard going at times, mostly due to the fact that the way books are written certainly has changed a little from when HTWF was first published in 1936! That aside, even though this wasn’t a quick page turner for me I always found myself compelled to go back and devour just one more chapter. The information in the book is simple (so simple most people don’t do it!) and it is just as relevant and insightful today as it would have been back in the 30’s.

An Oldie But A Goodie

Most of us have heard the name of Ray Kroc, but to get an in depth look at the other key players (like June Martino) in McDonalds history is fabulously entertaining. I found myself quoting McDonalds trivia tit bits obsessively after reading this book. Did you know Ronald is actually Donald McDonald in Japan? Do you know why McDonalds in Germany serve beer? Do you know how much Kroc paid the McDonalds brothers for the operation? If you're a fan of this systems driven organisation and want an in depth year by year breakdown of its history - grab a copy.

Winning = Winner

Not only do I think every person with any form of staff management in their job makeup should read this book… I also think anyone who works with anyone else (yes I mean you & him & all of them) should read the chapter on candor. Brilliant stuff.