Great Business Books for People Who Want to Be Great

If you’re anything like we are, you’ve always had a desire to do something special. You’ve wanted to stand out from the crowd, be different, shun mediocrity, establish more security for yourself and your family, to contribute more to society. You want to be more than just another person with a long list of dreams deferred.

You may have also discovered after lots of trial and error, like we did, that you needed to develop certain skills to become more successful in business.

In that spirit, we have compiled this Guide – Great Business Books for People on a Path to Greatness.

The purpose of this report is to help you identify the common traits of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, people who have achieved great goals and made unforgettable names for themselves.

This guide is organized to provide a short book review describing how we think each book can help you grow as an entrepreneur by actually helping you envision these traits the way they have been lived out in other’s lives.

You benefit from their wisdom and learn from their mistakes and successes. Each person discussed here becomes a personal mentor for your success! After all, as a learning entrepreneur, who better to guide you through the minefields than someone like John C. Maxwell or Mister Get-Things-Done, Harvey Mackay?

Enjoy!

RICH DAD, POOR DAD
Robert Kiyosaki

Young Robert Kiyosaki told his 'poor dad' that he did not want to be poor anymore. His 'poor dad' gave him the simple advice to make some money. Well, Robert took his advice literally and starting "making money" with the help of one of his friends. The problem was that the method he chose usually lands people in prison. After his 'poor dad' explained counterfeiting to him and that it was illegal, he shut down his first business venture, a failure.

However, fortunately for us, this would not be his last attempt at achieving success and accumulating wealth. He has since gone on to launch several successful ventures and has captured many of the lessons that he learned from his 'rich dad' and subsequently practiced in this book, the first of his "Rich Dad" series.

The author explains some of the principles that the rich use to get richer. For example, Kiyosaki offers these challenging ideas:

1. The rich do not work for money
2. Working is not the solution to gaining wealth
3. Your home is not an asset
4. People can't gain wealth when they do not know the language of money

The author teaches readers about these and dozens of other principles of wealth creation. He explains the differences between how the rich and the poor and middle classes view money. He contends that our school systems do not teach our kids how to become financially independent and, therefore, most of us will never learn.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad is Kiyosaki's attempt to help you establish a new paradigm in your life and learn how to 'make money.' You won't learn the secrets of the U.S. Mint, but Kiyosaki, has succeeded in crafting one of the most illuminating books on business and personal finance to come out in several years. I highly recommend it.

THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR: THE SURPRISING SECRETS OF AMERICA'S WEALTHY
Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko

Amazon.com says: "How can you join the ranks of America's wealthy (defined as people whose net worth is over one million dollars)? It's easy, say Stanley and Danko, who have spent the last 20 years interviewing members of this elite club: you just have to follow seven simple rules. The first rule is, always live well below your means. The last rule is, choose your occupation wisely. You'll have to buy the book to find out the other five! It's only fair.

The authors' conclusions are commonsensical. But, as they point out, their prescription often flies in the face of what we think wealthy people should do. We also understand that common sense is not always common practice. There are no pop stars or athletes in this book, but there are plenty of wallboard manufacturers --particularly ones who take cheap, infrequent vacations!

Stanley and Danko mercilessly show how wealth takes sacrifice, discipline, and hard work, qualities that are positively discouraged by our high-consumption society. "You aren't what you drive," admonish the authors. Somewhere, Benjamin Franklin is smiling.

If you follow the advice in this book, you'll be smiling, too. I think that this book should be required reading in schools, in marriage counseling sessions, in the Cub Scouts and Brownie Troops even! It's that good. If you feel like you're not getting ahead financially as fast as you think you ought to be, check out this book. If you have to sell apples on the street corner to afford this book, you can borrow my basket. Just do what you have to do to read and apply these principles. You owe it to yourself and your family.

SWIM WITH THE SHARKS WITHOUT BEING EATEN ALIVE
Harvey Mackay

Do you often wonder how successful business owners got where they are? Do you wish that you knew the strategies that they used to network, build teams, advance their careers, and manage their corporations? If so, this is a book that you MUST read. It's one of my favorites.

This book is a favorite because the author, Harvey Mackay, a successful entrepreneur in his own right, shares from his innermost thoughts. He doesn't just speak to the reader about theories and general business principles. This book is about tactics...what you should do on a day-to-day basis! That is, if you want to taste more success.

I can't find enough words to share my enthusiasm for this author. Mr. Mackay shares his experiences - both successes and failures - in such a way that would qualify him as a mentor to almost every entrepreneur. If you have had a hard time building mentoring relationships with successful business owners, start here.

Finally, I would like to add that this book has been a personal source of encouragement and education for me. I hope that it will become that for you as well.

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