Profiting from Business Books: How to Read Books About Business
If you’ve been to a bookstore or library lately, you’re quite aware that there’s no shortage of business books. However, you probably have a shortage of time for reading them. As an avid reader and freelancer, I’m going to give you some tips on how to read books about business — everything from small business books to advice from Fortune 500 CEOs.
1. My first tip will probably seem like it’s brain-dead obvious, but here it is: Be Selective. There aren’t enough years in your career for reading all of the “important” business books. So, be ruthless about what you add to your shopping basket at the bookstore or online, or even as you browse through the shelves at your local library.
In addition to being ruthless, decide if you want to be a generalist or a specialist in your reading. You may decide, like I just did, that you need to get up to speed on finance in a hurry. Time to become a specialist.
However, this doesn’t rule out becoming a generalist at a later date. After all, there are only so many worthwhile books on any business topic.
2. Keep your book recommendation radar in top condition. One of the best things about the Internet is that it’s a hotbed of readers. That’s right, readers.
If you were around for the early years of the commercial Internet, there was great fear that the rise of the ‘Net would lead to the demise of reading in general and the book in particular. Didn’t happen. Turns out that one of the biggest online successes is Amazon.com, which started out as an online bookstore, but has since morphed into a company that sells just about everything.
It’s no secret that Amazon.com isn’t just a store – it’s a great place to find out if that hot new business book is really worth your time. Just read the customer reviews – I do! If the book seems interesting, I’ll head over to my local library’s site to see if they have it. If, after borrowing the book, I decide that it’s a worthy addition to my collection, then I’ll buy it. (Yes, I’m pretty fussy about the books I buy.)
In addition to Amazon.com, there a myriad other places where you can find book reviews online. For starters, direct your radar to the blog posts, book reviews, and discussion groups right here at Freelance Switch.
3. If you’ve snagged an interesting-looking business book from the store or your library, don’t just plop down on the couch and start marching your eyes through it. Instead, use this three-part approach:
a. Getting Acquainted. This is where you decide if you really can sit through the entire book. I like to use the 20-Page Rule: If the book hasn’t captured my attention in the first 20 pages, it’s going back to the library. If it has, then I just cruise on until I reach the end.
b. Noting the Key Points. Okay, cruise time’s over. Now it’s time to get down to business. This reading goes a lot more slowly than the first because I’m taking notes. These notes summarize the author’s best ideas – and how I plan to implement them in my freelancing practice. By the end of this reading, the book usually bristles with sticky notes full of ideas.
c. Planning Time! This is where those sticky notes get turned into a formal plan. I’ve found that organizing my plan in the order of how the author’s best ideas were introduced works best. For a book that I just finished reading, I created a 12-part action plan that followed the book’s dozen chapters. I’ll explore that plan in-depth in a future post. You could also develop a plan based on the key themes of the book, which may not follow a chapter order. Whatever works for you.
The goal of this three-part approach is to turn your reading from a passive exercise into one that will actually benefit your business. Which leads me to my final point: Don’t let your action plan turn into a doorstop. Implement it!
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I personally really enjoy programming books.
I’m a bookworm, too, but, like you mentioned in your post, I don’t have enough hours in the day. With a full-time company job, a part-time freelancing gig, and 3 small kids, I really don’t have enough hours in the day. My secret: I’m an AUDIOBOOK junkie. Sadly, the public library hasn’t quite caught up with the growing demand for this market, but it’s still not a bad place to look either. Also, audible.com is a great resource and frequently gives away free audiobooks.
Also, I like to mix it up with one fiction and then one nonfiction. The fiction keeps my creative gears turning, but I’m an absolute business book nut, too.
Martha, I’m curious to know: do you have any recent dead-on recommendations? Or can you say?
I agree, I love audiobooks. I also subscribe to various podcasts (including freelance radio). Even if I’m not actively listening, it helps keep me motivated in some way.
@Bryan Thompson: Thanks for your question. I’m going to be offering a dead-on recommendation in the second article of this two-part series.
i try to read as much as possible but it is really hard to find the time!
@Michael Saathoff, I hear you on the finding time to read problem. However, it is possible to find the time if you try one or more of the following:
1. Avoid watching television. I’ve never owned one, and, oh, has that freed up a lot of time for reading.
2. When the workday’s done, shut off the computer. And turn off any sort of mobile device that might distract you. Reading requires concentration, so create an environment in which you can do so.
3. Have children in the house? Teach them that when Mommy and Daddy are reading, they need to leave them in peace. This was the house rule I was raised with, and, guess what? I learned to find other things to do when the folks had their noses in books. And one of those “other things” is reading.
4. Surround yourself with other readers. It’s sort of like having a support group except that you’re not trying to break a negative habit.
good advice! i dont have kids, am newly-wed and work a full-time job and then freelance about 25-35 hours nights/weekends (my wife can vouch for this haha), i have been reading over my lunch hour at work and trying to read a chapter or so at night so i guess i am finding the time but not as much as i would like too
This is really good advice! Everyone is given the opportunity to read actually. It’s up to them to actually take that opportunity and spend it on the books that they love or are interested in. I’m currently working for 5-7 hours a day freelancing so I make sure to finish work during the daytime so that once evening comes, I spend it on my favorite books, some of which are about freelance writing.
I tried to read Seth Godins “Purple Cow” but it bored me to tears because he kept repeating the same thing over and over, preaching that “TRADITIONAL MARKETING DOESNT WORK” all the while using the traditional marketing technique of “repetition” to drive his points home.
The only thing I remember from the book was “Free Prize” only because he repeated it 400 times.
I’ve tried and failed on many occasions when it comes to reading business books. there are real gems like Forget the Elephants. Watch Out for the Small Stuff by Justin Herald which i really liked but for the most part i’ve found business books can be really hit and miis. I therefore think your first tip, be selective, is of paramount importance.
At the moment I am reading Toyota Kata by Mike Rother. Not bad, but not much new information. If you want to know more about the Toyota production system and business model I would recommend it.
Me again. Here’s another house rule from my growing-up years: Don’t bother Daddy when he’s thinking.
He was — and still is — fond of sitting in his favorite chair and thinking deep thoughts. He has dozens of patents to his name, so when he’s thinking, we know that, later on, those thoughts could be of benefit to the family.
To this day, if I see him sitting in that chair with a faraway look, I know that it’s time to turn right around and get the heck out of the living room.
I encourage my fellow freelancers to adopt a similar policy.
Thanks for this informative direction. I hope this will help to others. There are lots of books to read for acquire various knowledge. So people should read more books. There are lots of site where people can find lots of interesting books.
The best business book I’ve read is the recent REWORK by 37signals. It’s designed to be short, concise and read quickly. If you’re not a fan of big business culture and like to hear about people doing things differently then I would definitely recommend it.
Thanks for sharing. With books, i’d also add that you buy used books and take a course in speed reading.
And then of course apply the methods suggested.
Kene
Lately, I’ve been using ReadFeeder (www.thereadfeeder.com) to find new business books to read. It recommends books based on how many expert bloggers mention or review a particular book – the more bloggers mention a book, the higher it ranks. They cover categories like marketing, tech startups, productivity, etc.