Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past two years, you should already realize that we are still in the middle of the Covid pandemic. No country can say with certainty that it has reached the endemic stage. So, watching live shows and making Tiktok videos doesn’t have to be our only hobby. I feel like every entrepreneur should read at least one business book a week to recharge their business intelligence and keep up with world-class business insights. Sometimes the benefits of a well-structured business reading program will outweigh attending a graduate program. Here are some tips on how to buy a business book and see how you can maximize its value.
Bibliography
This is the first place (if any) that I will scan even before opening the book in the bookstore. The reason is that I want to understand how thorough and serious the author is in preparing the content of the book. Just by looking at the reference sources, I can see if your book is based on a “Google inspired” search. I also want to see if your information is up to date as well.
Skilled
Next, I will read the author’s biography and discover his strengths and experience. I can even email you to request more details.
Investigate
Some business books are the culmination of years of research on a specific topic. The book is crucial as it summarizes the findings and saves readers countless hours analyzing the research. Therefore, the reader will feel that the book is money well spent because all the research work can be quite expensive to buy.
Excuse me
I always make sure to contact the author to get permission to use certain parts of their writing for my public presentation or PowerPoint slides. I feel like this not only gives me more corporate credibility, but it also lets you know more about my own business.
Networking opportunities
When relevant, it is very important to find networking opportunities with these business writers. I feel like the fastest way to get your response is to read your book in its entirety and provide constructive feedback on possible improvements. Every good business writer loves comments because you can collect them and maybe even use them as material for your next book.
Book Review
You can create a book review for him. Even if you don’t use it, you can collect these book reviews as a reference form for your own talks.
Editor
If you want to be an aspiring business writer, you can approach your editor with a book idea. You can use your book as a starting point (not as a template) to attract the attention of your publisher.
Your business trip
Lastly, I believe that buying a printed book is a tangible way to build your own library of knowledge as you mature. There is a form of respect you give to the author, and the many underlined and crooked pages are a testament to how this book impacted him at different stages of his entrepreneurial journey.
So, go ahead now and read a business book!