If You Are Going to Read One Business Book This Year


There is a great scene in the movie Good Will Hunting when Will (Matt Damon) asks Sean (Robin Williams) if he has read all the books in his office. It goes like this:

Will, pointing at the one shelf: “Did you read these?”.
Sean: “Yes.”
Will: “What about these?”
Sean: “Yes.”
Will: “These up here?”
Sean: “Yes, I had to. Do you like books, Will?”
Will: “That’s one thing that always baffles me about you people (referring to counselors, professors, intellectuals). You surround yourself with all these books and they’re the wrong … books.”

Great movie.

I find this to be the case with most business books. Walk into any bookstore and go to the business section. Ninety-five percent of the books provide little value, including many of the so-called best sellers. They teach you very little about business and are typically written by academics or consultants who have never started, built or run a business let alone work at one.

So if you are going to read just one business book this year...well, don't. Save yourself the time and just read this article in the latest Fortune Magazine titled What Makes Apple Golden and the accompanying 15 slide interview with Steve Jobs where in just a few hundred words, Mr. Jobs gives pearls of wisdom on strategy, product development, marketing and management. It's really an amazing read from the founder and CEO of America's Most Admired Company - Apple.

Related Posts:
- Bill Gates and Steve Jobs on Building a Business

Posted By: Mark Willaman

Labels: , ,