10 books that will change your (business) life

Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba from Church of the Customer blog list their top ten books that “provide a foundational understanding of grassroots marketing, word of mouth and customer evangelism“. I liked this idea, but have widened my criteria to match their blog title of “10 books that will change your (business) life”.

This was a lot harder than it looks. Here’s mine (in no particular order):

1. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig (Harper Perennial; Reprint 2000)
There are not too many books that I have read more than once, but I have read this one cover-to-cover twice and often pick it up to read sections. A challenging read, but well worth the effort.

2.The Cluetrain Manifesto by Christopher Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, David Weinberger (Perseus; 2001)
An epiphany occurred to me when I read this book. Its main thesis is that “markets are conversations” among humans who use language that is “natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking” and above all “unmistakably genuine”.

3.The Cathedral & the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond (O’Reilly; 2001)
Eye-opening stuff. A discourse on the philosophy and mechanics of “Open-Source” software.

4. A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age by Daniel Pink (Riverhead; 2005)
“Abundance, Asia, and automation.” If you don’t take these three words into serious consideration, there is a good chance that sooner or later your career will suffer because of one of those forces.

5.Sleepers, Wake! by Barry O. Jones (Oxford; 1991)
I credit my passion for technology to this book, which I read in my first year at Uni. In Sleepers, Wake! Jones looks at the impact and future implications of Information technology on the labour market and society in general.

6.Mind Maps at Work by Tony Buzan (HarperCollins; 2004)
The title says it all. Unleash your creativity and get things done with Mind Maps.

7.The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by Dalai Lama, Howard C. Cutler (Riverhead; 1998)
This book provokes thought and causes you to challenge your thinking. Based on Buddhist teachings, outlines how to defeat day-to-day depression, anxiety, anger, and jealousy.

8.Emotional Intelligence : Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman (Bantam; 1997)
Our emotions play a much greater role in thought, decision making and individual success than does IQ.

9.The Seven-Day Weekend : A Better Way to Work in the 21st Century by Ricardo Semler (Gardners; 2004)
Semler’s manifesto of work/life balance and strategies for achieving it.

10.The Circle of Innovation by Tom Peters (Vintage; 1999)
There is one line from this book that is indelibly etched into my brain …”All Value Comes from the Professional Services”. A must read for any white-collar professional or consultant.

What are your top ten?

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