6 not-so-obvious books every business owner & entrepreneur should read

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Page 1: 6 Not-So-Obvious Books Every Business Owner & Entrepreneur Should Read

8/14/2019 6 Not-So-Obvious Books Every Business Owner & Entrepreneur Should Read

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6 Not-So-Obvious Books Every Business Owner Should ReadSome Of The Best Business Advice Can Often Be Found In Books You’d Least Expect

Eager entrepreneurs hoping to harness the secrets of success fervently perusepages and pore over paragraphs in books from “The Art of War” to “The Art of theDeal”. Seeking sage advice from gurus like Sun Tzu and Donald Trump might help youconnect with your inner Machiavelli, but some of the most useful and inspiringwisdom for business owners is often found between the lines in less likely

sources.

Put down your highlighter and that dog-eared copy of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, andfret not if you lack one or two of the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.Instead, I offer you this eclectic list of books that at first glance may seem abit offbeat for the subject at hand. You won’t find them among the heralded how-totomes lining the business section of the local Barnes & Noble, but each providesunexpected insight for anyone seeking to prosper as a business owner.

The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss

“He was shortish. And oldish. And brownish. And mossy. And he spoke with a voicethat was sharpish and bossy. Mister! he said with a sawdusty sneeze, I am the

Lorax. I speak for the trees.” And, the mossy-bossy Lorax was speaking for thetrees decades before the snorey-borey Al Gore gave voice to “An InconvenientTruth”. Business owners are in a privileged position to set an example for, andhave a far-reaching impact on, environmental stewardship and responsibility. Seussrhymes right to the heart of the matter with clarity and ease by spinning the taleof the “Truffula Trees”.

Lincoln At Gettysburg, by Gary Wills

In our culture of information overload and short attention spans, your brand’sability to communicate can be the difference between success and failure. Take alesson from Lincoln. The power of communication has rarely been given a morecompelling demonstration than in his dedication of the Soldiers’ Cemetery at

Gettysburg. Exploring the historical context of the man, the moment, and themessage - and how all merged brilliantly into 272 words that launched anintellectual revolution - can assist you in communicating your brand message withclarity.

Design, Form & Chaos, by Paul Rand

Rand was the doyen of modern graphic design and corporate branding. To any learnedpractitioner of the art of visual communication, his books are sacred texts.Understanding the language of designers - and the profound impact their art canhave on the success of your business - can only improve your results whencollaborating with them. There is no one more fitting to guide you through thelooking-glass than Paul Rand.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

What can an 18th Century French epistolary novel about the intrigues and sexualdalliances of Frances Ancien Régime aristocrats teach us about succeeding inmodern business? Well, the characters gossip, scheme, collude, connive, lie, andbackstab - or naively fall victim to gossiping, scheming, collusion, conniving,lying and backstabbing. In the end, nobody wins (And, somebody even loses an eye.Sacré bleu!).

The Art of Looking Sideways, by Alan Fletcher

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Imagination and creativity are the best means of gaining an unfair advantage overyour competition. Very often, these are sparked not bywhat you see, but rather byhow you see. This book is an entertaining romp in visual calisthenics designed tohelp you open your eyes to the extra in the ordinary. Whereas business booksattempt to passively disseminate the author’s knowledge, this whimsical art bookseeks to actively foster imagination. As Einstein quipped, “Knowledge is power,but imagination is more powerful.”

The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr., and E.B. White

Somewhere between the abbreviated phonetic frenzy of text messaging and thebloated verbosity of grandiloquence lies an English language that, when properlypracticed, is perhaps the most effective business tool at your disposal. MarkTwain summed it up; “The difference between the right word and the almost rightword is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

Have you read any books that – in the spirit of this list – unexpectedly providedyou with valuable insight that changed the way you do business? If so, I inviteyou to respond to this article and help build a catalog.

© Ken Peters. All rights reserved.

Ken Peters is the owner and Creative Director of nationally acclaimed NocturnalGraphic Design Studio LLC, a Phoenix-based strategic branding firm specializing inbrand development for companies of all sizes in all industries worldwide.www.nocturnaldesign.com.