Books
You’re welcome!
No, really… Once you read one of the books below you’re going to be endlessly grateful to me for the recommendation.
I know that, because among my friends I’m the guy who reads the most and filters the books worth reading for others.
And to be completely honest with you – I love it!
I love to be the guy who helps others to enlarge their worlds, learn new things and generate new ideas. So please, don’t hesitate to say “thank you” if you enjoyed reading the book I’ve recommended :)
Books That Help You Grow As A Marketer
Actually many of the books I’ve listed don’t speak directly about marketing or psychology or advertising, yet they really help you to understand people in general and each person individually.
What I mean… If you’re not a marketer, I still encourage you to read at least one book from my list. And I bet you’ll eventually read all of them :)
Let’s go!..
1. Malcolm Gladwell – “Outliers: The Story of Success”
Have you already heard about the “rule of 10.000 hours”? It says that you have to spend 10.000 hours mastering a specific skill to become a genius.
Do you know what made The Beatles the greatest rock band ever? Or why Bill Gates is so successful?
Well in this very book Malcolm Gladwell poses quite a provocative question: why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential?
I love to think that this book changed my life… for better. Hope it’ll change yours too!
2. Malcolm Gladwell – “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking”
In case you’ve read any book by Malcolm Gladwell I don’t have to pitch you any other to make you read it. I will just name it and this will be enough for you to start reading it the same day. Because this guy is amazing!
What this book is about? As for me, it explains the nature of our intuition. You will learn WHY your very first decisions that happen in a blink of an eye are quite often better than those you spend hours to think about.
The lesson I’ve learned? Always be consuming new information, develop new skills and work hard. This trains your subconscious mind and when you need a “blink” decision and it should be the right one – your subconscious mind will give it to you.
3. Malcolm Gladwell – “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference”
The line at the top of the cover says “national bestseller”, in case you didn’t notice. This book is really about as good as the previous two.
I really loved the concept of three categories of people: Connectors, Mavens and Salespeople. Connectors are people who are obsessed with making friends and acquaintances. Mavens are people who mostly accumulate knowledge and you know you can always ask them for a valuable advice. Salesmen are those who can easily persuade us, they are just too good at it.
So you want to know which roles these people play in making a simple idea spread like wildfire? Read the book! :)
4. Malcolm Gladwell – “What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures”
Ok, now I think I’ve listed all of the books Malcolm Gladwell has written to this day. I give you my word every single one of them is worth every second of your time.
Speaking of this specific book – it’s more of a collection of his best articles written for The New Yorker.
You will learn the story of the inventor of the birth control pil, meet the king of the rotisserie ovens Ron Popeil and uncover the secrets of Cesar Millan, the “dog whisperer” who can calm savage animals with the touch of his hand.
Actually I love the fact that this book is just a collection of short stories. That’s because I love stories. We all love them!
5. Harry Beckwith – “Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing”
Because in case you do – this book is an absolute mustread! But actually, even if you sell tangible products this book will make you rethink your approach to product development and marketing and sales.
There are tons of smart ideas on Naming/Branding, Pricing, Nurturing Your Prospects, Communicating And Selling, etc.
I have 5 pages full of tips I’ve picked from this brilliant book!
6. Harry Beckwith – “Unthinking: The Surprising Forces Behind What We Buy”
This book is so great that I’ve already referenced in a blog post.
This book is all about Americans, how they think and what are their desires. But actually I’d like to point out that people outside US think and act pretty much the same way.
Thus if you think that you won’t ever operate on US markets – I still encourage you to read the book.
Who needs a $260k ring? Why The Bible is full of stories? Why we associate everything big with evil? Why Ford Mustang is so damn epic? :)
You’ll find the answers in this brilliant book!
Upcoming Reviews:
7. Martin Lindstrom – “Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy”
8. Robert B. Cialdini – “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”
9. Tony Hsieh – “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose”
10. Barry Schwartz – “The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less”
11. Dale Carnegie – “How To Win Friends and Influence People”
For the present moment this is the full list of books I’d like to share with you. Not too many, as you can see. That’s because I only share the books that truly inspired me, not just every bestseller out there.
By the way, I’d love to see your recommendations! Please share your favorite business/marketing/psychology books in the comments section below.
Thank you Tim for suggestions and thank you a bunch for Gladwell books I’ve read! Currently I’m reading “Blink” and I like it a lot! Gladwell helps me to look at the world from the other side.
You’re really a guy who reads the most and filters the books worth reading for others ;)
I’ll follow your blog to do not miss any new good piece of advice regarding interesting books :)
yes, Tim, I can’t deny that – a couple of books that I have read thanks to your reviews really changed my way of thinking. I haven’t read anything by Gladwell yet, but I guess I’d better start as soon as possible )
What the Dog Saw is just amazing, I love how it’s simple and says so much same time. Also it’s perfect for people with not much time for reading, as stories are short and interesting.