Listmania!
A deserted island, a bottle of wine and this list of books...
By an Amazon.com customer
Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn TrustTrust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust by Chris Brogan
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $14.95
Excellent book on how businesses can take advantage of the power of Social Media to improve the satisfaction of their customers, and add value to how they experience their brands and products. A must read to understand where we are going!
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big DifferenceThe Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
Buy new: $9.11 / Used from: $4.56
Excellent read on what makes a product become epidemic!
Long Tail, The, Revised and Updated Edition: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of MoreLong Tail, The, Revised and Updated Edition: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson
Buy new: $12.76 / Used from: $3.45
If you want to learn about doing business on the Internet, then this is a great starting point.
Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone.Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone. by Mitch Joel
Buy new: $17.81 / Used from: $14.63
Besides his blog posts also being very thought provoking, the writing from Mitch on this book does a great job at making you realize why it is that Social Networks have become so popular today, and how to use that power in business.
Getting Real: The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web ApplicationGetting Real: The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web Application by Jason Fried
Buy used from: $87.57
This is an excellent book to understand the philosophy that has made 37Signals such a successful company, not only for their work, but also for their culture.
The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social WebThe New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web by Tamar Weinberg
Buy new: $16.50 / Used from: $21.68
The Wisdom of CrowdsThe Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki
Buy used from: $13.77
A new way to look at business on the Internet
Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It MeansLinked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi
Buy new: $10.40 / Used from: $4.95
Can you believe we are connected to everything? In the new business world, this is a potent realization. Read this book.
The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our CultureThe Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture by John Battelle
Buy new: $5.98 / Used from: $3.48
The story of Google is very inspiring. This book tells the story from a business standpoint, but without forgetting about the little details that make it so entertaining.
StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your StrengthsStrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths by Tom Rath
Buy new: $13.41 / Used from: $3.58
Find your strengths and work with them to get important things done.
Power of Less, The: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential...in Business and in LifePower of Less, The: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential...in Business and in Life by Leo Babauta
Buy new: $13.56 / Used from: $10.35
So essential and basic, yet so uncommon in our society. In this book the author teaches us how to focuson the essential and eliminate the superfluous.
Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and SchoolBrain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $8.67
I first discovered this author through his Slideshare presentation (go find it!). He teaches us how the brain works and how we can take advantage of this knowledge in business.
How to Win Friends & Influence PeopleHow to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $4.88
I will forever be thankful to my father for giving me this book and simply saying "just read it!" A must read to understand how we can be more helpful in business and in our relationships.
Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and DeliveryPresentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds
Buy new: $23.09 / Used from: $18.00
Excellent book on cutting the clutter in your presentations and delivering better messages.
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others DieMade to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath
Buy new: $17.16 / Used from: $10.96
Ethics for the Real World: Creating a Personal Code to Guide Decisions in Work and LifeEthics for the Real World: Creating a Personal Code to Guide Decisions in Work and Life by Ronald A. Howard
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $12.47
It is important to have a strategy in both our business and personal lives.
Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly))Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly)) by Scott Berkun
Buy new: $34.91 / Used from: $20.99
A must read to learn how to be effective and a great communicator when managing projects of all sizes.
Product Design and DevelopmentProduct Design and Development by Karl T. Ulrich
Buy used from: $57.95
Hard to come by book, but if you find it, it will give you a script for how to develop and present your product to the world.
Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into CustomersPermission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers by Seth Godin
Buy new: $19.00 / Used from: $6.24
Seth Godin is both entertaining and intelligent in his approach. A great book about engaging people in your marketing strategies. He's also an avid writer on his blog, so make sure you check that out as well.
The Unwritten Laws of BusinessThe Unwritten Laws of Business by W. J. King
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $5.48
The idea comes from another great book called "The Unwritten Laws of Engineering." The author teaches you not only how to survive in business, but also how to succeed in it.
12: The Elements of Great Managing12: The Elements of Great Managing by Rodd Wagner
Buy new: $17.13 / Used from: $8.43
Retaining talent and building great relationships with them takes great effort. This books covers it pretty well.
Marketing Metrics: 50+ Metrics Every Executive Should MasterMarketing Metrics: 50+ Metrics Every Executive Should Master by Paul W. Farris
Buy new: $26.39 / Used from: $17.95
Web Analytics: An Hour a DayWeb Analytics: An Hour a Day by Avinash Kaushik
Buy new: $19.79 / Used from: $12.95
Purpose: The Starting Point of Great CompaniesPurpose: The Starting Point of Great Companies by Nikos Mourkogiannis
Buy new: $13.22 / Used from: $6.84
To begin, you must first have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish with your business. Find the purpose.
Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and CompetitorsCompetitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors by Michael E. Porter
Buy new: $26.40 / Used from: $14.74
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition IrrelevantBlue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $10.88
Great book on the importance of having a clear strategy for tackling your market.
The new business road test: What entrepreneurs and executives should do before writing a business plan (2nd Edition)The new business road test: What entrepreneurs and executives should do before writing a business plan (2nd Edition) by John Mullins
Buy new: $19.79 / Used from: $12.60
The author teaches you how to determine the viability of any product or business, before you invest your time, effort and resources.
Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without OrganizationsHere Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky
Buy new: $10.88 / Used from: $8.49
Very easy read with good insights into the power of crowds and community. Highly recommended. Also, look for videos online on the author as he is an excellent speaker as well and communicates his message very well.