If you know me, then you are aware that I read a lot of books about business, motivation, inspiration, etc.  I call a success hotline for a daily uplifting.  Yeah, its that bad.

Now, I’m not saying that its worth reading tons of books and then just forgeting what is in them.  But I am saying that there are books out there that will definitely help you look at ideas and concepts you may already understand, but from new angles.  And that’s why I read these books.  If you read any of the books below, you may want to take my advice on how to maximize your experience:

1) Aim to collect 2 or 3 key concepts from each title – You can’t remember everything and you may not agree with each author on every topic.  So go in with reasonable expectations!

2) Undoubtedly, you’ll want to refer back to these books later.  So bookmark the individual pages that have content you are interested in and know you will want to revisit.  I use those little post-it note looking tabby things.

3) Doubt the doubters – anyone who thinks these books are stupid obviously can’t get past my next tip…..

4) Embrace new ideas – you are reading these books for a reason, so don’t be afraid to embrace the ideas that are in them!  You’ve got nothing to lose and the chance at a change in direction.

And now, the list.  Yes, these are the books I have within 3 feet of the keyboard right now:

• The Magic of Thinking Big – This is the granddaddy.  I mean, this book is what you need to get right now, before you hit the rest of this list. Even if you only read the first few chapters, you’ll thank me later.  Go get it now.
• How to Negotiate Anything – I learned way too late in life that everything is negotiable.  I believe there are billions lost PER DAY by people who didn’t work their hardest for the best possible deal.  This stuff works – from business to personal.  Trust me.  Also, check out the same author’s book, Negotiate This: By Caring, But Not T-H-A-T Much.  Also a great read.
• The Dip – Seth Godin writes a lot of good books, but this one influenced me the most because his thesis is indeed quite real.  Best explanation is an example: I started home brewing.  I had a minor investment and the beer was good, it was fun.  Then it started getting more involved.  And possibly, less fun.  Then I had a decision to make about how to progress.  This downturn and your resolution to it, is The Dip.  Do you stick through it or quit?  Read the book to develop a strategy.
• The 4-Hour Workweek – I like a lot of Timothy Ferriss’ work.  Hes a new-age polymath (Something I’d love to be!) who believes in development of businesses that are self-running cash-flow creators.  Its kinda Rich Dad, Poor Dad.  I have some instruments running like that and while I went for a different medium, I know its doable.  Tim’s theory: make what you “do” different than what you do to earn money.  I like the idea.  The book is worth it for access to parts of his website as well.  And, his list of resources have streamlined a lot of my life.  Check it out.
• Blink – From the author of The Tipping Point, is a great study of how our instincts affect our decision making ability in the first 2 seconds of an encounter.  He uses examples from a marriage counselor who can determine if a marriage will survive to an art appraiser who can authenticate art in a split second.  This book clarified my own opinion that our best decisions are those made with our subconscious.  My favorite example is a huge war game setup by the military where they placed one low-level marine officer in charge of an insurgent army, which was able to defeat the organized US Forces who were bogged down in analysis, decision making matrices and other red tape information overload.
• Think and Grow Rich & The Secret – OK, so, these are foo-foo and I know The Secret was on Oprah, but as I said, you need to take 2 or 3 concepts from a book and these add real value to your collection.  My lesson from the secret was generosity.  In doing good for some people I’ve felt the good returned to me exponentially.  And in some cases it happened in days.  Now, either I’m lucky (hah, no way) or there is something to this.  Think and Grow Rich is the same philosophy only it’s about 80 years old – totally worth it!
• Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive – This is a must-own business book.  Separated into tiny chapters spanning topics such as sales, leadership and negotiation, this book is a must read.  Be sure to mark down your favorite chapters so you can refer back to them when you need to!  I would give a more in-depth review but my copy is currently on loan!
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad – This book changed the way I thought about investing and developing businesses while reinforcing a lot of ideas I was already thinking about.  Its a bestseller for a reason, so get a copy and refer to it often.  I recommend a lot of Robert Kiyosaki books, check out the Cashflow Quadrant and his Real Estate books.  Remember, you always can change your reality…
• Freakonomics -  This book may have changed my point of view on the legality of abortion (I was adamantly pro-life).  Written by a pair of economists, they have shown us that the study of numbers and trends can yield interesting results.  My two favorites: That the downturn of crime in NYC in the 90’s was related to the legalization of abortion 17 years earlier.  Or, the comparison of how the operation of a Chicago drug gang is parallel to that of a corporation like McDonalds.  Hey, I know that these guys have a liberal viewpoint (read their blog at the NY Times!), but this is interesting stuff.

So, you’re probably now asking… “Does Pete read anything fun!?” – The answer is… Sometimes.  I’m more of a movie guy.  For books, I’m mostly non-fiction…  So I can’t help you with recommendations on that front!

Email me some books you recommend that have changed your point of view…  I’m always curious for new mind-altering reads!