Category: 3. SHELF it

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Sales

BR 18: Advanced Selling Strategies – Brian Tracy

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: Brian Tracy’s books promise you a clear narrative, lots of tips and tricks and clear structure and clarity. This book rates very high on the impact front with very clear tips that I still use today. For example – he gives a very simple tip when making a cold call – ‘Start by asking for a minute of the other person’s time’.  Other small tips such as starting the day by reading 30 mins a day have all made a difference.

What to expect: A full on sales book whose impact is best felt if it is ‘studied’ rather than read. If you have never read a sales book, it could possibly be a tad boring as the book is full of step by step processes from the beginning to the end of the sale with a focus on personal development at certain points.

Add on Mar 16, 2016: Sales was part of the job at the start-up I worked for during my undergrad years. As a result, you see many a sales book making an appearance. :)

3. SHELF it · Bio/Autobiographies · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Management

BR 16: Iacocca – An autobiography by Lee Iacocca

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: Nice book without being great. Iacocca tells us his life story and keeps us engaged.

What to expect: Iacocca did very well at Ford, rising up the ranks till he had an ego battle with the owner Henry Ford II and that obviously ended only 1 way. Iacocca then joined Chrysler and CEO and turned the company around in remarkable circumstances. Story of a very popular Italian American CEO.

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Psychology · Self Improvement · Skills

BR 12: Goals by Brian Tracy

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: Good book on impact! Tracy spells out many simple and oft-heard of ways to make sure we integrate goal setting into our lives. After years, we tend to remember very little from books we read but that’s where this book scores even if the content may seem cliche. I found it scoring well on the impact it’s had on my way of thought..

What to expect: Tracy’s your quintessential sales guru who likes spelling out things to make them simple and easy to follow. So, while a lot of the book may seem simple and elementary, it is not reading it that matters, like any other self-help group, it’s the execution on it that makes a difference!

ADD on Mar 16 2016: I don’t think I agree with the thesis of this book now. I’ve come to learn that we ought to focus on systems vs. goals.

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Fiction

BR 11: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: Edit on Mar 16, 2016 – A book I thought was incredibly cool when I was young. I think it must be a teenager thing – the philosophy is all about “objectivism” – about a misunderstood genius who is a bit of an asshole. Not sure if I’d like it as much today.

What to expect: A story of an architect by name Howard Roark . This is a book that is recommended by Deans of Civil Engineering schools because it takes the perception of science of architecture to a whole new level. In very simple words, it is the story of a man with extreme self confidence,  stubborn adherence to his principles, who sees no other option but to stick with his beliefs and ideas.. and the story of the clash of his ideals against the world’s. Great men are first ridiculed, etc.

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Business · Leadership · Management

BR 10: The Book of Leadership Wisdom

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: I liked this book. It was full of stories about leaders from HP, Ben & Jerry’s, Microsoft, GE etc. – Bill Gates, Jack Welch and co. sharing stories and learnings from their times as leaders.

What to expect: Just life stories – for those interested in exploring topics of management and leadership, this is the kind of book that makes for very nice reading. Very low on theory and facts and high on experiences.

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Business · Psychology · Skills

BR 9: Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce Patton

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: A negotiations classic. My rating is biased because I didn’t find the audio book great as the reader was rather monotonous. I think the paperback would definitely have more impact.

What to expect: A technical look into the conversion of the ‘art’ of negotiation into a science. It introduces the reader to very basic negotiation primers and I remember the book reinforcing many simple concepts like BATNA, looking for a creative win-win solution etc.

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Entrepreneurship

BR 7: You Need To Be a Little Crazy by Barry J Moltz

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: This book is a fund read for to be entrepreneurs. For others, a good read as it does tend to broaden understanding about going into business alone, the pros and cons. (Add on Mar 16, 2016 – However, I think there have been better entrepreneurship books written since)

What to expect: An entrepreneur’s life story… I found the book to be more focussed on all the cons and struggles of being an entrepreneur but Barry J Moltz insists that it is the point – if, after hearing all his struggles and concerns, you still believe in your idea and believe entrepreneurship is your thing, then that’s great! An interesting approach at any rate. If you are going to invest in the audio book, you will feel the sincerity in the author’s voice when he talks about his work, and life..

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Money · Self Improvement

BR 6: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: A book that attempts to dumb the concept if  ‘investment’ down and inculcate some very basic financial lessons. The best concept I took away from the book was the importance of ‘not working for money’.

What to expect: For all those who haven’t had basic financial education as kids, this book attempts to bring some very basic concepts to life and banish some commonly held myths about investing and financial management.

3. SHELF it · Bio/Autobiographies · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Leadership · Management

BR 5: Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: This was, in many ways, my first business book and I enjoyed reading it. Jack Welch as an energetic, all action approach to story telling and it does describe his way up the corporate ladder all the way to becoming one of the greatest CEO’s ever during 20 years at General Electric.

What to expect: An insight into Jack Welch’s personality. As a reader, you can feel the strength of his persona all through the book, especially when he talks about pet topics like differentiation, implementing six sigma, training GE leaders, empowering people etc.  The book is very interesting for the most part though it does tend to drag in some parts when he begins describing some mergers and acquisitions in unnecessary detail.