If you really want to get ahead in life, you need to pursue continued self-improvement. One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to develop the habit of reading at least 30 minutes every day.

The following is a recommended reading list. (This is simply a "starter list": these books will get you started.) These selections deal with business and with life in general, but there are excellent books on nearly every subject of interest; all you have to do is look for them.

If you haven't been to this page in a while, I've added new listings at the top of each section. Check them out; you might find something valuable.

Want more suggestions than the ones below? Check my reviews on Amazon.com for other selections that may interest you. I write new reviews each month, so it's a good source of fresh titles -- and I discuss them in much more detail than I have room to post here.

        - John Chancellor
 

Ecological Intelligence, Prof. Daniel Goleman Ph.D.

The purpose of Ecological Intelligence is to make us aware of all the things that are going on in our environment that have the potential to do long term damage to the sustainability of life as we know it. There is no question that we have been very poor caretakers of the earth's resources.

While there is a lot of talk about global warming and its dire consequences, Goleman points out that global warming is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to threats to the environment. The dangers from the pollution to our water system from agricultural chemicals to the toxins that are improperly disposed of all pose a real threat to our limited water supply.

This review is of the audio version of the book. Goleman is a very through author and does a great job of fully exploring the subject. The book is well researched and presented in a very logical, interesting and straightforward manner. It is much easier to listen to the book than it would be to read it.

Reading or listening to Goleman's books will give you a much broader understanding of the world we live in. I think we all need to improve our Ecological Intelligence and listening to this audio book is one of the best ways I know how to do it.

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Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, Greg Mortenson

Three Cups of Tea is very heart warming, informative and enlightening. The book traces the mission of Greg Mortenson to help educate the children of remote Pakistan and later Afghanistan.

This should be a lesson for our government on what works and what does not work. Mortenson started as a one man movement to bring education to some of the most remote and poverty stricken areas of the world.

This book will change the way you look at that area of the world. You will come to realize why we are failing there and what we need to do to bring peace to the area. It will not happen overnight, but as Greg has learned, by one school at a time.

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How to Get Rich: One of the World's Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets, Felix Dennis

If you are looking for the get rich fad of the month, look elsewhere. This is one of the more honest, truthful books about obtaining (and keeping) wealth you will find. The information is presented in a lively, entertaining manner.

However you will quickly find that Felix offers no shortcuts. Nor does he lead you to believe that it is easy to get rich or that anyone can in fact get rich. Actually on more than one occasion, he advises that getting rich is not all that it is cracked up to be. And before you make all the sacrifices you should do some real soul searching about the cost and the benefits.

You will get to know a lot about the man by reading this book. He freely admits to making many mistakes. But he also learned from them.

There is so much wisdom about life and business in the book. Perhaps by reading it, you will gain a short cut to wisdom about what is important in life.

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The Truth About You: Your Secret to Success, Marcus Buckingham

I really a big fan of Marcus Buckingham and have highly recommended his other books.

The major point of the book is that we will always do better when we are working toward our strengths. Trying to work on our weaknesses or to strengthen our weaknesses will not prove to be the best use of our time and energy.

I found a lot of information in this book was also his book, Go Put Your Strengths To Work. So if you have read that book, you may find that there is not that much new in this work. If you have not read it, then this book is much shorter and to the point.

If you are an employee or a manager, you would do well to read this book. Marcus has made it his life's mission to study why people are successful at work. You can certainly learn some very valuable lessons about yourself from this book.

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Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love, Jonathan Fields

There are three major benefits that you will gain from reading this book. First, it will serve as a motivation to all who want to give up the rut we all call a job and move out on their own. The second benefit is really a step by step guide about how to move out on your own. Not only does Jonathan tell you how, he gives links to hundreds of resources to help you accomplish what you want. The third valuable benefit is the wisdom that Jonathan shares from his own experiences.

The book is well written and easy to read. If you really wish to change your life, to take charge and put your future in your own hands, this is a great place to start.

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Leading the Charge: Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield to the Boardroom, Tony Zinni and Tony Koltz

Tony Zinni has written a very important and timely book. It seems that leadership is missing at all levels of business and government. And the results of the lack of leadership are evident each and every day. The failures of so many large businesses and the deep recession that was brought on by the sub-prime mortgage mess all speak to the lack of leadership that is rampant today.

The book could be used as a textbook for teaching leadership at the highest academic level. The lessons are extremely valuable, well presented and backed up with real life examples.

This book is very important for those concerned about the future of our way of life. We cannot sustain our way of life without leaders capable of leading.

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The Richest Man in Babylon, George S. Clason

A classic. Read and follow this book and, assuming you start early enough, you will retire rich. There is no budget to follow, just the simple rule of "pay yourself first."

As explained in the book, accumulating wealth is not a secret.

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As a Man Thinketh, James Allen

For those of you who love short books, this is one of the best - only 28 pages. But those pages are full of great wisdom. The book is based on the very simple premise that as a man thinketh, he is. All of your circumstances are a direct result of the way you think. And it follows if you want to change your life, you must change your thinking. The book is small but so profound it should be read often.

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The Joy of Living, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche  

This book really does a great job of explaining how the mind works and how to make the mind work for you and what you want. There are basically two concepts that cause the majority of our problems: attachment and aversion. We become attached to the way we want things to be and have an aversion to change.

Do not expect to read this book once and become enlightened. There are many concepts that will take time to sink in and become part of your way of thinking.

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Why We Do What We Do, Edward L. Deci, Richard Flaste

If you are a teacher, parent or manager, this book has extremely valuable information that will help you make improvements in the manner you relate to your students, children or employees.

The book is well written, easy to read, with examples of case studies a layman can easily understand. It was written by a professional but specifically written for the average reader.

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Stoic Philosophy of Seneca Essays and Letters, Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Even though this book was written over two thousand years ago, there is so much wisdom that is appropriate today. While our problems are different in name, the underlying principles for dealing with them have not changed.

I must be honest and tell you that it is not an easy read. Writers of that age did not believe in simple sentence structure. And unless you are a student of ancient history, there are lots of references whom you will not know. However, the value is so great that I recommend you spend the time and effort and learn from a great thinker.

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A Manual for Living (A Little Book of Wisdom), Epictetus

If you want all the wisdom without an excessive amount of reading, this book is for you. It is short enough you can read it weekly and let the concepts sink into your subconscious mind where they can lead you to the life you were designed to live.

It is really amazing that so many of the truths of living a purposeful life filled with happiness have been around for so long. We struggle with day to day problems because we fail to seek the answers contained in this book.

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Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck

Unless you are a hermit, you can definitely benefit from this book. For those interested in improving their lives, their parenting skills, their leadership skills, their teaching skills and their relationship skills, this is a must-read.

Dweck shows us how we develop fixed mindset attitudes in many areas of our lives and the damage our attitude inflicts on us and on those we interact with. And Dweck tells how we can develop a growth mindset and improve our lives and the lives of those around us.

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The Power of Focus, Jack Canfield, Les Hewitt, Mark Victor Hanson

No matter what you want to achieve in business or in life, you must focus your efforts. This is a "how-to" book about determining what you want and then directing your efforts to obtain your goals. You really can achieve great things if you simply focus. (This book can be a little difficult to read, but the lessons are really worthwhile.)

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Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham, Donald O. Clifton

Most of us have been taught to identify our weaknesses and work to improve them. This book takes a totally different approach. It advises you to find your strengths and focus there instead. We all have natural tendencies towards certain areas; to succeed we should concentrate our efforts on what we like to do and are naturally good at. (If you buy the book, there is a code for taking an online test that will help you identify your strengths.)

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My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising (Advertising Age Classics Library), Claude Hopkins

There are two very valuable books here. These books were first published over 80 years ago. But that does not in any way mean they are less important today than they were when first written. The fact that they have withstood the test of time and are still considered highly valuable works today validates the importance of the message.

Both books contain very valuable lessons learned by Claude Hopkins during his amazing career in advertising. He gives a very solid philosophy of advertising and then backs it with many actual examples of advertising in action.

If your business conducts any form of advertising, you would do well to read these two books. As Hopkins points out, "The only purpose of advertising is to make sales. Treat it as a salesman. Force it to justify itself."

It is easy to say that times have changed and what worked in the early 1900's will not work today. There is no doubt that a lot has changed. But not basic human behavior. So the principles are still the same. Your job is to learn the principles and figure out how to apply them to your product or service.

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Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results, Travis Bradberry

Squawk gives you three simple and easy to implement steps to becoming a more effective manager. The book presents these steps in a very engaging story form.

Travis Bradberry uses the seagull as a symbol for today's manager. All too often today's manager swoops in, fails to get complete details of what is happening, squawks up a storm, deposits/dumps on the workers and leaves a mess for others to clean up.

This is a delightful little book. It can be read in a couple of hours, but the lessons, if implemented, will last a lifetime. It is very simple and straightforward. Anyone can understand and implement the principles.

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Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You--At Work And In Life, Spencer Johnson

Peaks and Valleys is a delightful short story that packs a lot of valuable information about "making good and bad times work for you".

The book is very short and well written. It can be read in one sitting. But it contains many very valuable lessons. There is also a card suitable for folding and carrying in your purse or wallet that summarizes the major concepts in the book.

I would recommend that the book be read often. The book has lots of little one liners that contain very valuable lessons. Don't just read the book, study it and internalize the concepts. You will change your peaks and valleys.

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Reward Systems: Does Yours Measure Up? (Memo to the CEO), Steve Kerr

This is a very short, compact book that is packed full of insights into what makes a good reward system. Kerr points out that many companies devise employee reward systems (often unknowingly) that discourage the behaviors they want and reward the very actions they do not want. For example, most companies want long-term growth but tend to reward employees that achieve quarterly goals thus creating an environment where the focus is on short-term performance.

If you are in any way involved in compensation plans for your company, it is worth reading. It only takes a couple of hours to read but you will get a lot of insight.

Kerr has worked for large companies, GE and Goldman Sachs, and in universities. So most of the material will be of greater benefit to those involved in larger companies. However there are still some great gems for the small business owner.

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Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

This is a classic and should be on the reading list of any person who truly wishes to improve him- or herself. Napoleon Hill made a 20 year study of success and captured the principles in this well-written book. The most famous line from the book is, "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." A real "how-to" book, it should be first on your list for reading.

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You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself, Harry Beckwith, Christine Clifford Beckwith

You, Inc. is extremely easy to read. You simply fly through the book. Which is good and bad. The lessons are so short and there are so many of them, it makes it difficult to absorb and remember all the great information.

But it is a book that you can pick up anytime and start reading anywhere in the book and find something valuable. All the lessons stand on their own. Harry presents over 150 ideas and lessons about how to make your business and/or yourself better. Well worth reading.

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Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing, Harry Beckwith

This is a wonderful book for anyone in any service business. Since over 80% of our economy is now service based, everyone can benefit from reading the book.

It is actually a huge collection of essays on marketing. They are short, well written and very insightful. It would be difficult not to pick up 10 to 15 things that you could do immediately to improve your marketing.

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All Marketers Are Liars, Seth Godin

Godin is very preceptive in explaining the changing consumer's drivers. We have gradually moved from a "need based" society to a "want based" society of consumers. Because we no longer buy based on need, our buying triggers have changed.

The title was choosen as an example of framing a story. It is not really about false advertising. It is about telling an authentic story that your consumer will believe.

The book is well written, easy to read and humorous. If you are serious about developing an effective marketing strategy, you would do well to understand the concepts in this book.

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The Science of Influence: How to Get Anyone to Say "Yes" in 8 Minutes or Less!, Kevin Hogan

"Most people are like sheep waiting for the shepherds." and Hogan teaches you how to be the shepherd. The book is filled with so much valuable information. Hogan takes the theories from a wide array of studies and translates them into everyday language. He tells you the insights you need to communicate effectively and sell your point. No matter what field you are in, follow the advice and widsom in this book and you will multiply your success tenfold.

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Good to Great, Jim Collins

This book compares "sets" of companies and examines why one company in each group went on to become great. The author gives a lot of insight into what makes a great company. There were two elements that really stood out in the successful companies: their philosophy and their people. A company will never be great unless it is in business for the right reasons and has the right people running the company. With the right person at the top, they will attract and keep exceptional employees.

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Dr. Deming, Rafael Aguayo

For a long time Edward Deming was more famous in Japan than he was in his native America. At the end of WWII, Deming went to Japan to help get the country moving again. He is given much credit for the industrial advances Japan made and the philosophy he instilled there. His methods are relatively simple: make constant but steady improvements and focus on quality control. Well worth reading.

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The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko

This book presents an informative look at millionaires in America based on a study done by the authors. Most of the people interviewed didn't fit the common vision of a typical millionaire. Instead, they were more like our next-door neighbors. In the authors' interviewing process, they held a cocktail party and served expensive wine and cheese. After the party they were amazed at how much wine was left. At the next cocktail party they offered beer. When they asked one guest what brand of beer he drank, he replied, "Bud, or free." These findings will open your eyes about what makes a millionaire.

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One Minute Manager, Kenneth Blanchard, Spencer Johnson

Another great little book. Very easy to read but with a very important lesson on how to manage people.

If you are charged with managing employees, then by all means, read this book.

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The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork
Leadership 101
Thinking for a Change
Today Matters
Failing Forward

All of these were written by John Maxwell and are all worth reading. You will learn something new from each book. If you are in a position of leadership (or aspire to achieve one), then read several of his books.

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All text copyright © John Chancellor, 2009. Mountain image copyright © Cheryl A. Chancellor, 2007. Site design and coding by Copper Moon Creative.