Why I Hate Business Books - Read These 12 Books Instead

I was buying maybe eight years old me my dad would bond over playing chess together and in, his eyes there was no such thing as just let the kid win and it'd make matters worse he, never played chess for. Nothing we, always had to wager something. Losing. Is bad losing. And having to do push-ups was even worse. So. I would go to the library took out a bunch of different chess books I started, winning. Omit that moment, I became obsessed with learning, and reading I had. A problem book. Solve that problem. Hey. What's up so today I want to talk about my favorite types of books to read as an entrepreneur, and business owner now, it might not be the type of book you think I would read and, I'll tell you more about that in a second we're actually on the way to the Strand book store which is why we're in Union Square in New York City today but, on the way to the Strand book store we're gonna be walking past the chessboards, and what's, funny about these chessboards, is it, reminds, me of the time that I got obsessed with, reading. In the first place I was about eight years old, and I would play chess with my dad and my dad would just beat me relentlessly, you. Know there's no such thing as just let the kid win in his eyes beating, me was, his way of bonding, now, here's the thing losing stinks. But. We wouldn't play chess for nothing, we always had a wage or something and I was a kid I didn't have any money so, he was in hate me bet push-ups. It. Was horrible, before you know it I would owe him 100 pushups, and he would expect me to give him every single pushup. Before, we ended, the day so, now here's what's interesting about this I hated. Losing and I wanted to figure out a way to to. Fix the problem, so I would go to the library took out a bunch of different chess books and I would read these books to. Get better at chess so I would never lose against, my dad ever again let, me tell you after reading like four books I started, winning and, at that moment I became, obsessed with, learning and reading, outside of, school because I saw the benefit, I had a problem a book, solved that problem. And. That's kind of what I do today I find, I have problems, and I read books to solve those problems I want to tell you what types of books I like to read a second, first we're, in Union Square so let's go play some chess. Sit. Down after losing that game there that, first game I should have won but I haven't played chess in like probably 15 months and it's really annoying when you see the win and you just don't deliver it because I was it's. A time game five minutes five minutes and I only had about a minute left and I. Started to, rush a little bit but he had two and a half minutes left let. Me tell you losing. In chess as an. Adult. Pisses. Me off just, as much as it, did when I was a kid and I'm lean enough to do push-ups right now anyway. We're about to go to strand bookstore pick up a couple of books a lot of people think they need to read business books and, I think business books are one, of the biggest, wastes. Of time probably, on earth because. When. You read a business book if you read like three or four business, books you'll start to see the same things, happen, over and over and over again you got to be a good leader you got to persuade people you got to manage people you got a got. To tell good stories or, whatever and it's just like every business book is always the same advice over and over and over again I haven't read a business book in the last few years I can honestly say, was. Truly, interesting. And taught me something brand-new, or, showed me something that I haven't thought about before. Which. Is why I started reading a different type, of book, to get my inspiration and, want to tell you about that book in just a second so let's go to the Strand bookstore and pick a few up. So. As I was saying my favorite types of books. Are. Not regular. Business books. Their. Biographies. Autobiographies. And memoirs, and the reason why is because most. Business, books, you. Lose context.

What's. Happening, in the story. Where. The biography, you get everything you get their childhood, get their upbringing you got their call to action what makes them important, I. Read. This book a few years ago this. Is the dude that made modern art so expensive. Threshold. Resistance, he, basically taught how. To sell art, as. If it was a business, investment and he took around all these famous paintings, and started selling it to ego-driven, finance ears on Wall Street. Now. That I kind of shook off the agony, of defeat I'm. Ready to get started now, I know I said I basically, avoid almost all business books it's not that I hate business, books is that most new business, books are not. That, great. However. I've, got 12 book recommendations. For you today many of them are biographies, or memoirs, or autobiographies. And I do have a couple of business psychology books interwoven. Into, this mix but, I kind of want to just go through the list cool. Let's, get started the first book is a book written for children and this. Book is making, the list because. This is the book that I wish, I would, have read as a child. And it's, called what. Do you do with an idea, it's. A picture book but. The book essentially. Tells a story about a kid who has an idea and then. Eventually just goes after the idea because ideas have the power to change the world and, I love this book especially for children because, I feel like nowadays. Kids. Need to know that they have options and then and that their thoughts matter and. This. Book is. Exactly. That, so. I actually bought this book read it and I plan on keeping, this, book around for a while and eventually maybe one, day when I have kids I'm gonna read this to them but this is the first book I suggest you get it what do you do with an idea. The second book I want to share with you is the. Book that started, it all as I said earlier and it's this book Buffett. The making, of an American capitalist. When I first got started, in business I got obsessed with big business, owners and I didn't want to read about modern. Businesses, right because even though there were a lot of modern business owners that were doing a great job I felt like their stories, were, still you. Know playing, out so we didn't know what was gonna happen Buffett. On the other hand even though he's still alive when I was reading this book he, was just crushing it for like 30 some odd years and I. Wanted. To see how he did it because I felt like he just did it recently, and. As I said the. One thing I got out of this book I remember was. When, he talked about the. Fact that he read the biographies. From. The. People before him like Rockefeller, Carnegie, and stuff like that and that kind of motivated him to learn more about business and, that's really. Why this book, makes the list because. It inspired, me to start, on my, reading journey and over the last 10 years I probably read a thousand, books or so and this, is really the book that kicked it all off as. I said it's because I've read biographies as, a result now the. Second, book I want to share it's the very net it's it's literally the next. Book I read after. Buffett. The making American capitalist, it's pulled Titan it's. All about john d rockefeller, senior and let me tell you this book is huge, and I never thought I would read a book like this but just just holding, it makes me so excited because. When. I learned his story, I was. Truly, motivated. In a way that I never thought. I could be motivated, before, you. Know I grew up or I came from nothing my dad, was in jail my whole life my mom was on welfare she later went to school and became a nurse and it was great but this, book was the story of john d rockefeller, who started. From nothing and had an absentee. Father so. I kind of like connected, on that leveling, oh he's got an absentee yeah I have one too oh that's interesting, and then he just started hustling, and, he. Started a grocery, business then he got into refinery, he basically, followed. The money. And even, though there's more to life than, making money when. You don't have anything. That's. Really all you can think about and I understand, that so I appreciate how. For, him, business. Wasn't. Just. About the. Type. Of business, he did his business, he went from groceries, to oil, he basically followed, opportunity. To. Him if he. Was alive today, he. Would be like. An Elon Musk type character, going for space or going. For electric, cars or going for what ever had. The biggest opportunity. Or at least I think he would be anyway but, that's. Kind of what he did and he followed the opportunity, for me that was very motivating, because I realized, at this, point I had already started a web business I was already successful, I had quit my first web business I went into corporate America and I kind of like wanted to do the corporate thing but, reading this book Rhian spired me to.

Start Thinking about going back to, being an entrepreneur again. After. I kind of lost my way a little bit the first time in. 2008. Or so so. It kind of hits, home for me in the way that I know it fired me up like no other now, some of the lessons I took from this book a couple of things one of my favorite, lessons is the, fact that he used to read his hate mail at the dinner table and if, you've been watching social, triggers or my videos for any length of time you know that I love to make fun of haters all the time on Facebook Instagram, and videos so, I kind of really appreciated, that about this, book and I kind of still hold it, you, know closely, to me today but, there's a couple of other lessons, like how, we did some business dealings, how he persuaded, people to get on his, side how he actually stood up his his, business, structures and everything like that because he built the first global. Corporation. And that was all super interesting, as well I suggest. You read this book Titan, now, the next book is literally, the book I read, right after Titan right. Buffett, said you have to study the Great's that, came before you so I read Titan, let me read about one of his contemporaries, Carnegie, is the, next book that I read and then, this book called the tycoons, which, was about Carnegie. Rockefeller, Jay Gould of JP, Morgan and like that so. Now these two books I'm holding together for a simple reason I love, Carnegie story because he was an immigrant that came over from Scotland and, he worked his way up he started as Morse code operator, befriended. The right people, got the right opportunities. And really just showed, that he was gonna be the best person at whatever it is he was doing and that's, how he got to the next level so I actually, hold this close to me today because I feel like nowadays, nobody, gives. Anything their, all anymore, they. Kind of half-ass, things and. It's. It's, kind of a bummer they might say like well I'm, not gonna do a good job here because it's not my passion but, that's not, the, case, if you, want to succeed now, or later. You. Need to, put your best foot forward, no. Matter what it is you do it's, important, for building the habit, of excellence, and I. Feel like nowadays people just call it in they. Don't give their, all to, something. As. Monotonous. As answering, email as an example but, he started, as a Morse code operator, gave her his all worked his way up I love that story, now the reason why I grouped this with. The Carnegie book is because in the tycoon's, there's one story about Carnegie, that.

Changed, The way I. Think. About. The world and, it, was as simple as this Carnegie. Got a call on the Morse code operator, basically, two on, the Western Union line or whatever it was and they basically said hey the train fell. Off the tracks the Train fell off the tracks what do you want us to do and he thought quick Tom, Scott who was his boss was away on business so he wasn't there to make a decision so Carnegie crunched some numbers and fired back a Morse code, burn. The train. Think. About this this kid at the time is like 16 17 years, old he's telling people to burn the Train Tom, Scott comes back would you do you burn my train I can't believe it he was like well here's my here's my rationale, and he, just worked out old numbers and he showed. Them burning. The train was, actually, better financially. Than, trying to fix the train and what, was interesting was that created the. New way they dealt with broken-down, trains, when the train would break down they would burn the Train all because this punk, kid realized, it was better to do that it's one of the reasons why I like the Coco Chanel book that I told you about the other day remember she had a sweater and she even liked that, the sweater you know was too tight around her head when she pulled her head through it so she cut it down and invented the cardigan, essentially. The, thing that great people, all share in common whether it's a business, owner like Carnegie or a fashion, designer like Chanel they see what, they want they, take their emotions, and bias out of the picture, and just get. To what they're trying to get to so that's why this book goes hand in hand with Kearney because that told, that story but that wasn't, in the Carnegie biography, so I loved it now the next book is. Commodore. Vanderbilt, now, this book is written by a guy Edward rena han jr. there's, been some, talk. That, edward. Rena Han may have, forged. Some quotes made. Up some stories. I, don't. Know if that's true or not but this book is about a person that lived 150 years ago and for me whether it's. An accurate, depiction is. Important. But. I was still inspired, by it even if it was inaccurate, and the reason why I love Commodore, Vanderbilt, because actually, you know my favorite thing about the Vanderbilt was and I gotta say. He. Built Grand Central Station and he erected a bronze statue of himself that cost like seven hundred thousand, dollars back ten dollars, or. Something maybe he was instead. Of hundred thousand of today's dollars, if. He built the statue of himself in, Grand. Central Station, that. To me is, very. Funny, and kind, of interesting, because here's. This guy that became you know started from nothing in boating then, transitioned, to railroads, and steel and or whatever and eventually became one of the richest people in the world and. He. Was so narcissistic that. He felt the need to build a statue of himself that would last for centuries, it's. Kind of interesting and I like, that story but the thing I like most about Vanderbilt. Is he was uneducated and there's a quote where, one of the reporters, asked him he's like hey you, know varible you don't know how to read and he just responded with you know if I spent my life learning how to read I wouldn't, be good at making money or making business or something like that that might be a forged quote but based, on what I learned about Vanderbilt, I wouldn't be surprised, if that was true because he had that no-nonsense, attitude, he, would run this huge business, by day didn't.

We Go drink by night and then if someone tried to offend, him he'd get into a fistfight at the bar like, this guy was really like, just a rough and tough dude. That just got it done at all costs, and while. I don't think his personality would, be good in today's, standards. I appreciated, for how he approached, problems, back then given, the the time period and I always liked that he had the whole, all-or-nothing. Mindset, like he was gonna get it done or he wasn't and it, was. Just great to see that, type of passion, so this is the other book Commodore, the life of Cornelius, Vanderbilt, now. Keeping. In this I want to share one, of my. Favorite books that's not business-related like I said, a few biographies, and I shared that children's, book but. This book is a book I think every, marketer, writer, anyone, who's in the business of selling if you're trying to persuade, people to do anything you have to read this book and it's called age of propaganda. By. Anthony, Pratt Kanas and Eliot arenson, now, if you don't know Eliot. Arenson is probably, one of the the. Modern fathers, of writing, of persuasion. And psychology, he's the guy that, I don't. Want to say invented. It although, some may say that he did but this idea of behavior psychology and stuff like that he's one of the original writers and psychologists, that talked about this stuff and this book just kind of goes into all this different detail, on persuasion. And propaganda, whether you want to use it for good or for bad really, one. Of the examples. That I recall out of this book that really. Is interesting, to me is. They. Had this example, where they were trying to persuade, housewives, to eat meat, that they wouldn't usually eat during the Depression. You. Know the other organs, and stuff like that the stuff that people didn't want and, they. Wanted. To see what was more persuasive, if they had a professional. Speaker get on stage and talk. To them about, why. They, should eat this meat and they would explain the nutrients, all this stuff all the logic behind why they should eat this meat that they would usually throw away in. The other group they got together you, know they broke up groups and they basically elected. Team leader and it, was up to the group to decide. Why, they should eat it and essentially. All that really, changed. Was, instead of hearing some guy on a stage lecture, about why they should eat it they. Basically put these people at a table and told them hey, you. Tell us why you should eat it whether you agree or not and. What was interesting is just the mere fact of making them. Promote. Eating it whether they believed or not made, them more likely to want to eat this stuff all right this next book. Like, I said shared a lot of biographies I shared one of my favorite psychology, books now I want to share one of the best business books probably ever written and it's. By Jay Abraham getting. Everything you can out of all that you've got this, is one of those books that you. Can read a hundred times and every time you read it you'll. Pull out a new idea let, me give an example I read. This book probably once or twice and. You, know I have, my my, stuff like I have this things that I learned from my night things that I liked on a third reading I randomly. Spotted. Like, a two, paragraph. Description, of where, he said one of the best things you can do is create a database of your happy customers I was. Like wait what a database. Like a testimonial. Database. It, was like two sentences and I just looked at that one day and I was like, testimonial. Database. And. At that moment I just started, having my team every time someone, would say something nice about us we would take a screenshot put, it in it. In an Evernote take. A screenshot Evernote, screenshot, Evernote screenshot, Evernote, someone, say something nice hey could you share more Evernote, and it's, interesting because people only.

Think, About. Harvesting. Testimonials. Of happy customers when they need it they're like oh my okay I have this big launch coming up oh wait I should I need some testimonials, and then they try to figure out how to get the testimonials, but in this book there was that one two sentence, comment, about creating, a testimonial, database, and it just became a habit in our company to take these screenshots and, what's great about that is then, when I went to launch some products, I didn't have to try to find testimonials. I would have them already so, this one of those books like I said you read it once twice three four times you'll keep finding new ideas. To make your business better out of this book which is why I'm recommending it, they, don't really make books like this anymore not business books anyway or at least I haven't read one but, this is a great business book now, back into the image on, roof biographies, this. Is probably, my favorite. Autobiography. As I, see it by Jay paul Getty I didn't, know about Jay paul Getty until a few years ago but, what. Was really interesting about Jay paul Getty is that, and. I think 1955. Fortune. Said, he was the richest person in the world and some people believe he stayed that way for about 20 years and what. Was interesting about this he did it in an industry, that. Was already alive and well he, made, his money in oil Getty oil as you probably know and, what's. Interesting is when he started, it. Rockefeller. Was already, at the top of the oil business so. He was able to make a name for himself in amateur business, actually, when he started getting going in oil was like 1910, or so and oil. Was already a thing for like you know 60, years so, he went into an old business and still made a name for himself and that to me was always exciting, because how many people do you know think. About a business and they're like oh there's way too many people in the world already doing it there's no way I can do it right, anyone. Can do it the next thing I like about Jay, paul Getty is that he, started to share some of his advice later in life and a. Lot of the advice in this book is great I recommend, you read this book it's a fast read but. One of the things I like most is he did a column, for Playboy magazine in, early 1960s. It seems weird why would the one of most successful business people in the world do a column in Playboy magazine and when, they, asked him he actually had a very simple answer he said look I'm writing, these articles because, I want the youth and young people of today to be inspired, to, do something great in their life and right. Now the youth is reading. Playboy, magazine. That's. An interesting insight, because. All. He's really saying, is it doesn't matter where, your people are you, need to go where they are and. Get their attention where, they're at a lot. Of people try to create. The attention. By. Getting people to come and that's a great way to do it right but like you, could also just go where the attention, already is and, get. Their attention that way so this is one of the reasons, actually why I'm doubling, down on YouTube. Is because. Right now YouTube, tends to skew a little bit younger and, social. Triggers if you look at my age demographics. That social triggers we, tend to hit that 25, to 55, market, we don't have very many young people I don't have those, early, 20 year-olds on my email list I don't have early, 20 year-old people or even late teens and, what's interesting is it's like I wish I, have someone like me giving, me advice when I was 17, years old I got, started early mind you I got started in, 2005. Right. Before, my 21st birthday so I start when I was 20, so I got started in business you know pretty early in my life but I wish, I got started five years earlier, and that's. Why, we're. On YouTube there again to reach the people that we want to reach the younger people great, book. Now. This next book is the. Spielberg, biography. This. Biography, is fantastic. Mainly. Because it's. The story of the guy who became one of the world's greatest directors, but, what I loved about his story and I've talked about this before maybe, you might remember it but I love this story because he always wanted to be a director ever since he was a kid and he there's, a there's a comment in here where he tells his dad that he wants to be the director and his dad's like alright well you got to get a job you got to work your way up you got to fetch the coffee and, he tells his dad he goes no the first movie I work for I'm gonna be a director, or in other words he didn't want to work his way up he's wanted to cut the line now I don't believe, that you should be.

Egotistical. Enough. To believe that, you're able to cut the line but, he didn't really cut the line he just said that he wants, to be a director, and that's exactly, what he did he. Didn't wait for permission from. Anyone, he just started directing, his own movies, as a child he started getting the experience, when he was young making home movies and stuff when he was 10 11 years old so, he just started directing, for himself, that, by the time he applied for a director's, position he. Already had experience. But. The point is is that if you want to be some. The point is if you want to be someone. There's. A proven, path to get there right to work your way up path but. You also could just go be that person, and start, right now you're, not gonna be very good and, that's fine but. Just start doing it and get better it's, kind of again look at this look, what you're watching right now look. At my first or second vlog from, January, 1st January, 2nd 2018, wasn't, that good we're, getting better because. I wanted a vlog and the best way to get better is to keep doing it over and over again and that's what we're doing it's why I love this Spielberg biography, this next book is, a. Book called made, in America by Sam Walton now if you don't know who Sam Walton is I'd be surprised but he's the guy who created Walmart, now, I know Walmart has a bad rap nowadays, but you can't deny. How. Fantastic. Sam, Walton was as a businessman, because he essentially, created. The, big box store, as we know it and there's. A lot of awesome lessons, in this book I could, literally talk about this book probably for an hour but I want to pull out just one lesson he. Wanted to create a big box store that sold everything at low prices the, way he got started, he went, to underdeveloped, communities, and, created. The stores there he. Actually had a plane that he would fly himself to, these underserved. Communities, just, to scout locations to, build these stores now this is important because a lot of people believe they need to go where the people are and you do right, but it's more, expensive to start a store in New York City as an, example so he didn't go to city centers he.

Went To. Underserved, communities as a way to get a strut a stranglehold, on the rest of America and it. Was a really, fantastic strategy. And, that's. Probably the number one strategy I could share from this book is you, should go where the competition, doesn't. Necessarily, have the. Biggest. Stronghold. And then. Kind of work your way in this, next book is called fooling, Houdini by. Alex stone now. You may recognize this, book because when I get a podcast, back in 2012, I had Alex stone on my podcast I love. This book for one reason this, is a memoir or a story about how Alex stone wanted to become, and, he kind of talks about you, know his troubles. And tribulations on, trying to learn magic but. That's not why I love this story I love. This story for one reason. In. This story I learned, about a magician, who. Created a trick that was so unbelievable. That. He got disqualified. From. The magic Olympics, for. Cheating. Think. About this the, judges basically, said if you don't tell us how this trick is done we're. Gonna disqualify, you he didn't want to reveal it they disqualified, him and they, took his title from him now. This is. Infuriating. On so many levels because, he was shamed in the magic community for cheating a few. Years later he finally revealed this how, he did the trick and it was clear that he didn't cheat but, the reason why I like this story is because. Sometimes. You're gonna approach something in life and you're gonna do something so good that, people around you were gonna think you're lying. That's. Not on you that's. On them, and. Sometimes. We feel the need to justify, ourselves to those people and, you know what, I'm. Surprised, that he didn't considering his reputation got, put through the wringer, but. I also appreciate the fact that he didn't because. In the end your. Self-worth can't, come from the validation, of other people it should come from yourself, and that's, what he did he made himself very happy by not revealing the secret later down the line he did reveal it I appreciate, the fact that he was willing to just keep it inside and, not, reveal the secret for so long so, those, are my 12 favorite. Business. Books biographies and other books that I've read and I. Wanted, to share them with you today because people. Know that. I'm an avid, reader but, and they're always asking for book recommendations but I don't really make book recommendations. I mean not until now anyway the, reason why I don't make book recommendations. Is because for, the most part I read. So much I can recommend a book every single day of the week right but. The big problem with book recommendations. Is this people. Always ask me for book recommendations, but. They. Don't really want them they just want to see what I'm reading. Right, and then what I love is when people say hey Derrick can, you recommend a book for me and it's like well I've, read so many books where do I start. What. Problem, are you having do, you want inspiration, do you want business advice do you want a specific, skill do, you want no skill at all you want to be entertained like there's so many reasons, to have books and when. People ask you for a book recommendation it's, like I don't know where to begin, however. I wanted to change it up today because. A lot, of people saw my Coco Chanel video, the other day and said and they said they really liked it so, I wanted to take a second to share some of the other books that really changed my life now, here's what I want you to do if. There's a book that changed your, life I want, to hear about that. Book in the comment section below do it right now then like the video and of course if you like these daily, vlogs that I'm doing do me a favor subscribe. To my channel and hit, that notification, bell, and I'll see you in the next video. You.

2018-01-24 17:55

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