At imaginePR, we are always looking for new books to keep our perspectives fresh, our skills finely tuned, and our knowledge base ever-expanding. It doesn’t matter whether the books are intended for business application or not, because we know that some of the best business insight can come from the least likely sources. We have gathered a list of our favorite go-to books that have helped us shape our careers, not only in business, but also as human beings. If you need a good book for your days at the beach, or a rainy day, be sure to check these out.
The Small Time Operator by Bernard Kamoroff – “Small Time Operator is the most popular business start-up guide ever. Written for small businesses, self-employed individuals, independent contractors, home businesses, and Internet businesses. In clear, easy-to-understand language, the author covers getting permits and licenses; how to finance a business; finding the right business location; creating and using a business plan, an much, much more.”
Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday – “A new generation of megabrands like Facebook, Dropbox, Airbnb, and Twitter haven’t spent a dime on traditional marketing. No press releases, no TV commercials, no billboards. Instead, they rely on a new strategy—growth hacking—to reach many more people despite modest marketing budgets.”
Purple Cow by Seth Godin – “Cows, after you’ve seen one, or two, or ten, are boring. A Purple Cow, though…now that would be something. Purple Cow describes something phenomenal, something counterintuitive and exciting and flat out unbelievable. Every day, consumers come face to face with a lot of boring stuff-a lot of brown cows-but you can bet they won’t forget a Purple Cow. And it’s not a marketing function that you can slap on to your product or service. Purple Cow is inherent. It’s built right in, or it’s not there. Period.”
The E Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber – “In this first new and totally revised edition of the 150,000-copy underground bestseller, The E-Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a business from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed. “
The Alchemist by Paul Coelho – This book is not specifically about business, but tells a great story that parallels the journey of entrepreneurs. “Santiago a Andalusian shepherd boy, travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. During his journey he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within.”
The Gospel of Wealth by Andrew Carnegie – “This book contains several articles and speeches by Andrew Carnegie, one of the most important industrialists of the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century in the United States; the man who would later inspire Napoleon Hill to write “Think and Grow Rich”. His ideas inspired generations. In his philanthropic work, he created and funded a network of public libraries in the United States, and funded places for culture as the Carnegie Hall in New York. A great man, with timeless ideas and wisdom that we can now enjoy.”