Looking for book recommendations

[MarkDillon]

As I prepare for 2013 I want a list of management, self help, business books to read over the year. Do you have a recent favorite?

 

[Oogiem]

As I prepare for 2013 I want a list of management, self help, business books to read over the year. Do you have a recent favorite?

Here are ones I read in 2012 that I really liked:

Power of Habit Charles Duhigg
The Millionaire Next Door Thomas J. Tanley
Paperless David Sparks
Hacker Crackdown Bruce Sterling
The First 20 Minutes Gretchen Reynolds

There were others that are business for me but probably not for you

Kick the Hay Habit Jim Gerrish
Writing a Novel in Scrivener David Hewson
Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius
Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft patterns Carol Strickler

I finished 92 books last year, a new record for me.

 

[MarkDillon]

I finished 92 books last year, a new record for me.

Thank you for the recommendations. Wow...92 books...I can't imagine reading that much. You've inspired me.

 

[CJSullivan]

An Oldie but a Goodie

Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie. Still one of my all-time favourite "corporate culture" books.

 

[vbampton]

I'd second Oogie's The Power of Habit recommendation.

I rather like The Now Habit, although it's not recent.

I liked Switch as well.

And now for something completely different - Alan Sugar's biography.

 

[Vickie]

The 4 Hour Chef

I'm in the process of reading the 4 hour Chef by Tim Ferris. Love this guy! While the book does have some cooking in there, it's not only about that. It's more about his rapid learning techniques. One of the examples provided in the book was around shooting better baskets in basketball. In fairness, I'm already a decent play but after reviewing his 2-3 page breakdown of what makes a good shot, I hit 19/20 free throws in a row! Even at my peak, I don't think I ever did that.

I also loved the Power of Habit and anything by Marshall Goldsmith is also great.

Hope this helps.

 

[Barb]

4 Hour Chef

I'm in the process of reading the 4 hour Chef by Tim Ferris. Love this guy! While the book does have some cooking in there, it's not only about that. It's more about his rapid learning techniques. One of the examples provided in the book was around shooting better baskets in basketball. In fairness, I'm already a decent play but after reviewing his 2-3 page breakdown of what makes a good shot, I hit 19/20 free throws in a row! Even at my peak, I don't think I ever did that.

I also loved the Power of Habit and anything by Marshall Goldsmith is also great.

Hope this helps.

Funny, as I was just looking at a sample of this on my Kindle. The table of contents is VERY strange! Are you far enough along to recommend it?

 

[Oogiem]

I can't imagine reading that much.

I try to read for half an hour every night. Consistency means the books just fly by.

 

[Tado]

Past books i've recently read that i recommend:

5 Dsyfuntions of a Team
The Lean Startup
Built to Last
Good to Great
The Goal: Theory of constraints
Everything from Tony Buzan - He's the mind mapping expert
What Got You Here Won't Get You There - Goldsmith
Back of the Napkin - its a 'good' book, if you dont already draw out your ideas visually.

 

[DenaDahilig]

Oh, thank you thank you!

Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie. Still one of my all-time favourite "corporate culture" books.

I LOVED this book all three times I read it. He's on my list of people I wish I'd had the privilege of working with... it's a fairly short list.

You have excellent taste.

Dena

 

[H@ns]

Not linked to GTD but valuable on different levels:
"Antifragile, Things that gain from disorder" from Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Black Swan)

 

[TesTeq]

Clutterfree book about making your life clutterfree.

Clutterfree [Kindle Edition] by Courtney Carver & Leo Babauta

Clutterfree book about making your life clutterfree.

 

[Vickie]

Funny, as I was just looking at a sample of this on my Kindle. The table of contents is VERY strange! Are you far enough along to recommend it?

You are so right! It is strange but it is a great book. I'm far enough into it to recommend it but also to say that I think his Four Hour Work week is still my favorite of his three. I wasn't crazy about The Four Hour Body.

 

[Vickie]

Not linked to GTD but valuable on different levels:
"Antifragile, Things that gain from disorder" from Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Black Swan)

I just saw this one on the Times bestsellers list. I wrote it down to check it out. Thanks!

 

[John Forrister]

Not linked to GTD but valuable on different levels:
"Antifragile, Things that gain from disorder" from Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Black Swan)

Someone I passed in the park had "Antifragile," and I almost stopped to ask what it was about. Intriguing title. H@ns and vicve, please let us know what you think.

 

[MarkDillon]

These are terrific...thanks. My original plan was to read just one book a month...I may need to increase that a bit!

 

[CJSullivan]

I LOVED this book all three times I read it. He's on my list of people I wish I'd had the privilege of working with... it's a fairly short list.

You have excellent taste.

Dena

Why, thank you! And I agree - I would have loved to work with him. I was working at Polaroid, in a group of "change agents," and I really found myself envying Hallmark for having someone like him!!

 

[S-Tolland]

A few years old now, but I really enjoyed Small Giants: Companies That Choose to be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlingham. Definitely highly recommended.

 

[cwoodgold]

Not linked to GTD but valuable on different levels:
"Antifragile, Things that gain from disorder" from Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Black Swan)

Thanks, I'll have to read that!

I liked "A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder - How Crammed Closets, Cluttered Offices, and on-the-Fly Planning Make the World a Better Place" by Eric Abrahamson. He comes up with all sorts of examples where a certain amount of disorder is actually preferable to order: for example, what's the first thing you do when you pick up a deck of cards that are all in order? You shuffle them, because they're more useful in a random order. He admits that order is also useful; he's just pointing out that in many situations, the optimal amount of order or disorder is something other than perfect order.

 

[Tado]

Not to hi-jack this thread, but does any know of any other business books written similarly to "The Goal" or "The 5 dysfunctions of a Team" ? Case studies written like a novel.