Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Gosh, I don`t know where to begin with favorite business books.

• On Strategy. Michael Porter.
• Strategy & Tactics of Pricing. Thomas Nagle. Reed Holden.
• Convertible Arbitrage. Nick Calamos.
• 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. Al & Laura Ries.
• Dangerous Company. James O`Shea. Charles Madigan.
• Strategic Brand Management. Jean-Noel Kapferer.
• Influence. Robert B. Cialdini.
• Tipping Point. Malcolm Gladwell.
• The Art of the Start. Guy Kawasaki.
• Wealth of Nations. Adam Smith.

 

• Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal -- Ayn Rand
  

The Innovator`s Solution by Clayton M. Christensen is probably the best one I`ve read.  A brilliant look at strategy.

The Startup Company Bible for Entrepreneurs by Stathis is a somewhat hard-to-find book but has become an invaluable resource for me.  It`s a very in-depth crash course in business for people who never studied business but are getting into it anyway.  It is expensive but worth every penny.

I wouldnt count this among typical business books, nevertheless an extremely engaging and soul searching book about modern corporatocracy . In plain language - and providing sufficient historical background - we are shown how First Word countries have used "economic hit men," institutions like the World Bank and IMF, coercion and even outright strong-arm tactics to steal from the developing countries - often in collusion with the elites of those countries who are happy to hide their ill-gotten gain in offshore accounts.

Special attention to the chapter about the "Human cost of Cheap cell phones".

For all the cell phones, laptops and playstations sold, thousands of people have lost their lives.

I rank this among the best books in recent times. I hope that all of you take the time to read this book and share it with your friends and family.

Lets make this world a better place.

Regards

I believe the word to describe the topic FxTrader is listing is "hegemony" (heuh-JEM-uh`nee). Back in the 60s there were a number of books about the US hegemony. 

Those are certainly a great group of books. I especially like Malcolm Gladwell`s books.

I recently finished The Entrepreneurial Imperative: How America`s Economic Miracle Will Reshape the World (and change your life) by Carl J. Schramm. His point of view: jobs can go overseas, technology and industry can be done cheaper and maybe even better elsewhere, but what will save America is the freedom and opportunity ingrained in us our economic model. Americans see risk and they take it! The continuous stream of new immigrants reveals a desire for life in America and the manifold opportunities not available in any other country in the world.

This was a great book for reinforcing the basics of how entrepreneurism has shaped the American psyche.

Another very helpful book is: Internet Riches by Scott Fox. The Internet is the new frontier and this book is a down-to-earth primer on its exploration. Packed with real life examples of web success stories and strategies, I used it to build my web site and it answered all the questions. The best part is the careful strategic thinking the author encourages you to do to find your niche and his demonstration of the wide variety of people who have started businesses with just an idea for: disseminating ideas, reviewing books, gathering news, providing baby sitters, t-shirt design, etc.

If you are interested in starting an Internet business this is a helpful read.

"Getting Everything You Can Out Of All That You`ve Got" - Jay Abraham

"Capitalism And Freedom" - Milton Friedman

And although not a book, when your entrepreneurial spirit needs a little pick-me-up, read the Declaration of Independence. Read it as if it were written by an employee prepared to jettison a dead-end job and start his own venture.

Wow, what a great thread!

CM - Love your list.

Thanks Nikole - Don`t forget to add your own books! 

I wish I could say that I have read much of anything lately. But I can`t. 

And, by lately, I mean the last 5 years.