THE MORE uncertain and volatile the economy and the business world, the better business books sell. That's why publishing houses have come up with an even more extensive list of new business books during 2009.
Not that the best-sellers of the previous three or four years have disappeared from the list of most popular books, says Jocelyn Hers of Exclusive Books in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, the branch that sells the most business books in SA. "You still get the stalwarts, but this year several books trying to explain the economic downturn and those with survival guides and money-making tips have made it to the top of the list."
Hers says it's also interesting how many business or management books are nowadays written in a humorous and very creative style. "They offer easy reading but are still packed with business tips. Just to mention one: The 50th Law, co-written by Robert Greene and the rap singer 50 Cent and published by Profile Books."
Finweek spent the best part of a day scanning through a whole bunch of new business books and compiling a list of nine that could light up any day on the beach during the summer holidays. If you have time for three, don't look further than the following:
CASH IN A FLASH (Fast Money in Slow Times)
by Mark Victor Hensen and Robert G Allen (Harmony Books)
The two US entrepreneurs share their recipe for wealth - no matter what the current circumstances or economic climate. They tell you to tap into the skills, resources and know-how you already have to start generating money immediately.
The book concentrates on the development of a passionate conviction necessary to accomplish any objective and gives three key ingredients to financial success.
THE ART OF THE IDEA AND HOW IT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE by John Hunt (Zebra Press)
Excellent and entertaining. But let's use business guru Tom Peters's comment to stress the pure joy of this book: "Buy a copy of John Hunt's book to put within reach on the bedside table. Buy a copy to keep next to the tub in the bathroom - permanently. And one on the stove. And one in your car. And a bedroom extra to keep one under your pillow as a talisman. It really is that good-gorgeous-useful-inspiring-profound."
Hunt builds this wonderful book on 20 observations he has made over the years. For example, No 1 (You get sunrise or sunset people), No 4 (We are all equal before the idea), No 7 (Trust your instincts, or they will go away), No 8 (Incremental change is fine if you're a glacier), No 10 (Embrace diversity, it'll hug you back) and No 19 (Ideas don't travel well through a bureaucracy).
Hunt himself writes this about the idea: "Sometimes it just suddenly appears and sometimes it has to be coaxed with a long line of bread crumbs. But that's the charm and the challenge of the original thought - you start out with no certainty of where you're going to end up. Essentially you're in the pursuit of unexpected relevance."
About bureaucrats: "The high mortality rate of ideas has less to do with their quality and more to do with their mode of transport. Bureaucrats take special delight in torturing anything new."
On page 131: "It's a pity, and counterproductive, that being playful is corporately frowned upon and not seen as appropriate in the business environment. Initially, more than anything, ideas need to be surrounded by a lightness and a little childlike wonder. Having a sense of humour shouldn't be a punishable offence."
WARREN BUFFETT'S MANAGEMENT SECRETS
by Mary Buffett and David Clark (Simon & Schuster)
Through close examination of Buffett's life and career from his earliest days to now, the authors shed light on his decision-making processes and reveal his strategies for keeping on track and maintaining focus. They also give an insider's view into Buffett's management techniques and illustrate how and why success in business and life usually go hand in hand.
Some of the strategies are very basic, like (on page 123): "Remember: Borrowing more and saving less leads to wild times and bread lines." And to top management, some Buffett philosophy: "We all crave praise. Nothing makes us feel better about ourselves and inspires us more to do better."
The book, a mere 140 pages, is an easily digestible, yet informative read.
6 others to read
1. What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell (author of Blink and Outliers)
2. The 50th Law, co-written by 50 Cent and Robert Greene
3. How the Mighty Fall (And Why Some Companies Never Give in), by Jim Collins
4. Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire, by Mireille Guiliano
5. Second is Nothing (Creating a Multi-billion Rand Cellular Industry), by Alan Knott-Craig and Eunice Afonso
6. Futuretainment (Yesterday the World Changed Now it's Your Turn), by Mike Walsh