Print Books That You REALLY Need To Read?

80 replies
Hi all

I'm a big believer in continuous and never ending education, and I'm looking to top up my library.

Can I ask which print books you personally recommend as a way of expanding your marketing and business knowledge?

One book that really helped me get started online was "Web Copy That Sells" by Marie Veloso. It's a great introduction to the art of copywriting.

Another book that has had a huge impact on my business is "Top Grading" by Brad Smart. I'm currently aggressively growing my business, and the interview techniques he shares as a way of finding "A-Players" are very valuable indeed.

So what else should I be reading right now? I've got my credit card in hand and Amazon fired up. If you could share you best tips it would be appreciated...

Cheers

Lee McIntyre
#books #print #read
  • Profile picture of the author Alan Petersen
    I also have Mary Veloso's copywriting book and I agree it's awesome. I keep it handy when I'm writing copy. I also like The Copywriter's Handbook by Robert W. Bly.

    I also enjoy books from direct response marketing icons:

    "Tested Advertising Methods" by John Caples, Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy, and My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins.

    I also keep a copy of The Elements of Style by William Strunk. Anyone who wants to be a better writer should own that book.
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  • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
    I'm always reading something business related because I have to wait at least 20 minutes each day for my daughter to get out of school.

    Your right. Education should be a continuous and ongoing process.

    Lee, have you read The Irresistible Offer by Mark Joyner??

    Hope This Helps!!

    TL
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    "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. -- Mark Twain

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  • Profile picture of the author Mike McBride
    Lee,

    First off, I enjoy your work, and have picked up some great ideas from you. Thanks.

    I highly recommend this book by Kevin Hogan (an occasional Warrior), Dave Lakhani and others - Selling: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success. It contains some amazing information and insights that are easily translated into online sales, and is a goldmine for anyone looking to expand into offline sales.
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  • Profile picture of the author jlandells
    Lee,

    I've just read "Hypnotic Writing" by Joe Vitale and it's excellent! You already do much of what he suggest, but I believe this could take you from great to outstanding!

    -John.
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  • Profile picture of the author Louis Raven
    Lee, Dragons Den "Dragons" biographies are great especially Duncans (he started with nothing and has been in prison).

    OK so most aren't Internet millionaires but all show how to think and turn anything profitable which of course could be made into an online venture.

    Louis
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    • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
      1. The Ultimate Marketing Plan -- Dan Kennedy

      2. The Ultimate Sales Letter -- Dan Kennedy (This is a blueprint for writing ANY ad -- sales letter, print ad, infomercial, etc. It's a pretty small book -- tight, concise and I don't think it can really be improved upon.)

      3. No B.S. Marketing for NON-Direct Marketing Businesses -- Dan Kennedy

      4. No B.S. Sales Success -- Dan Kennedy

      5. No B.S. Business Success -- Dan Kennedy

      6. No B.S. Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs -- Dan Kennedy

      7. 101 Ways to Promote Yourself -- Raleigh Pinskey

      8. Get Slightly Famous -- Steve Van Yoder

      9. The Self-Publishing Manual -- Dan Poynter (If you have any aspirations towards being a published author, read this book, even if you don't intend to self-publish. It's very enlightening.)

      10. If you like that, then go for 1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer.

      11. Poor Richard's Web Site Marketing Makeover -- Marcia Yudkin

      12. The Richest Man in Babylon -- George S. Clayson

      13. Debt-Proof Living -- Mary Hunt (This is an OUTSTANDING book!)

      14. You Have More Than You Think -- The Brothers Gardner -- The Motley Fool series

      ...And I can't think of anything more right now. (I've been up all night and my eyes are scratchy.)

      I personally own and have read all of these books. You'll notice only one is about Internet marketing. I think people on the Warrior forum forget there is a great big world outside of the Internet and it would be a good thing to explore it once in a while. These books are all OUTSTANDING.

      We get so focused on making money that we forget that upping our income is only half of the equation of wealth. The other half is KEEPING it and MAKING IT GROW. It's about EQUITY. Dan Kennedy's No B.S. books are great little books -- different from a lot of other business and marketing books out there, which isn't easy to do. In his Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs he addresses this and some key concepts like mindset and attitude. (And no, it's not rah rah positive attitude stuff -- which I hate.)

      Mary Hunt was in $100,000 of credit card debt, paid it off and lived to tell about it. Her story is very inspiring and her Rapid Debt Repayment Plan helped me get out of debt in record time several years ago. She teaches a very workable, realistic -- and absolutely miraculous -- system for getting out of debt and STAYING out of debt. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

      The Richest Man in Babylon. The original and still the best little book on becoming wealthy.

      Anything by the Motley Fool boys is good. I love the fact that they're English majors teaching finance and not finance majors. Their books are very down to earth and humorous, yet very intelligent.

      And I feel Dan Poynter is THE authority on self-publishing. 'Nuff said.

      These are just a portion of the books I've read and own. As a writer turned copywriter turned Internet marketer, I love technology and the Internet. I'd probably sooner part with my firstborn (if I had one) than part with the Internet and my computer. But more than that, I'm absolutely IN LOVE WTH BOOKS. I love books! The information they contain, the weight and feel of them, the smell of the pages.... Everything about them. There's just something about a real book that no e-book can ever match.

      I hope this list is useful to you.

      Michelle
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  • Profile picture of the author Lee McIntyre
    Thanks everyone for the excellent tips. I've just ordered many of the books on this list and am looking forward to getting stuck in.

    I personally find reading to be a brilliant way to relax, and I just love the fact that there's so much amazing information out there that I've yet to discover. So much to learn and so little time!

    Now I just need to figure out a way to read business books while listening to to my Ipod marketing collection, while also making content for my mastermind group at the same time and I'll be all set!

    Please keep your tips coming...

    Cheers

    Lee McIntyre
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark McWilliams
      Sadly I can't point you in the direction of any, as if I'm being honest, I've never read any books on the subject. I'd like to, but I can't seem to sit long enough and read words out of a book, although I read the newspaper and other sorts of news on the net.

      You never know, maybe I'll receive some for my birthday?! (Just over 5 months people! HEHE)

      Originally Posted by Lee McIntyre View Post

      Now I just need to figure out a way to read business books while listening to to my Ipod marketing collection, while also making content for my mastermind group at the same time and I'll be all set!
      When you find that out Lee, give me a shout!

      Thanks
      Mark
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      On mark.mcwilliams.me or @markmcwilliams you'll find me!
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Hancox
    Hi Lee

    Books you really *must* read or else ...

    Influence: Science and Practice, Robert B. Cialdini
    One of the best books on the science of influence, which is important for sales and marketing.

    The Science Of Influence, Kevin Hogan
    Similar to "Influence" but with a different 'spin'... very enlightening. Plus, I think Kevin is a great marketer... you want to see his upsell!

    Mind Lines, L. Michael Hall, Bobby G. Bodenhamer
    A bit NLP technical, but man if you ever need to change yours or anyone else's beliefs, the techniques in this book should do it!

    Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert T. Kiyosaki
    Having money is one thing, understanding it is another. Robert does a great job of exploding some myths about money, and opening eyes about other money-related things.

    These should keep you going for a few days... but they should be read at least once a year
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    PresellContent.com - How to sell without "selling"
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  • Profile picture of the author NashRyker
    A couple of my favorite books (not really business specific, but more of general success principles) are "Think and Grow Rich" & "As A Man Thinketh".

    Classics, but are some of the best books I've ever read!
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  • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
    Oh yeah... I KNEW I was forgetting a book:

    Banker To The Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunus

    I was cruising my local Books-A-Million one day and stumbled across this jammed in between some other books. It immediately captured my interest since I have a deep interest in all things personal finance. (I'm also majoring in marketing and would like to get my master's degree in economics.) I'm absolutely captivated and am a huge fan of the microfiance concept -- especially what it can do after reading this book!

    Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize for his microfinance work in his home country of Bangladesh.

    Another excellent book on the subject is A Billion Bootstraps: Microcredit, Barefoot Banking, and The Business Solution for Ending Poverty which I also have.

    Dad was always preaching to us: "The Bible says if you don't work, you don't eat." He lives it and believes it and indoctrinated us with it. I also have some physical limitations and he pointed out that it was important for ANYONE with physical problems to be able to do SOME type of work. He always said: "You don't take away someone's dignity." referring to taking handouts from someone else instead of doing for yourself.

    I agree with that. Something about taking a handout if you can do for yourself robs you of self-dignity.

    Microfinance does this AND gives a business-like framework to helping those less fortunate. It gives them the joy, dignity and pride of pulling themselves up and out. It gives donors and philanthropists very valuable accountability. And the wealth continues to multiply and spread. (Read The Richest Man in Babylon if you don't understand the concept that money never disappears. It merely transfers to someone else.)

    In doing a seach online after reading these books, I came across Social Edge.org -- By Social Entrepreneurs, For Social Entrepreneurs — Social Edge -- which was founded by the Skoll Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs -- Connecting and Celebrating Social Entrepreneurs | Skoll Foundation

    Just like the "green movement" -- for environmental responsiblility -- continues to grow and gain momentum, so "social responsibility" is growing and gaining momentum. Social businesses are businesses whose primary goal is to benefit those less fortunate, usually those in poverty. Profit is truly secondary.

    The really cool thing about microfinance as a solution to poverty is that it is self-sustaining. Though a microfinance program may need donations in the beginning, once it's up and running, the profits should sustain the effort, eliminating the need for further donations.

    It's a very direct-marketing type model. There's tons of accountability and a very real expected result for expended effort. To me, donating to a microfinance program which will help lift someone out of poverty NOW and PERMANENTLY -- and will make a very real and measurable difference in not only that person's life but their entire family's lives -- makes a lot more sense than donating to the cure for cancer which will take only who knows how long (if ever) and only a portion of the funds raised goes to the actual research. I'm not saying it's not worthwhile, but microfinance is a lot more satisfying because I get to see real results NOW.

    Guess I went off on a tangent there...

    I was hugely impressed with these two books and with the whole concept. Once I make a success of my IM business, I fully intend on moving into the microfinance arena. Even if you don't think you'd ever get involved in microfinance, I HIGHLY recommend reading them. They will enrich you personally and professionally.

    Michelle
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  • Profile picture of the author gdavis01
    I really liked "How I raised myself from failure to success in selling" by Frank Bedger, this was recommended by Gary Bencivenga (the best copywriter on the planet), plus anything by Brian Tracy is golden.
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    • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
      If you write seriously and want to be better:

      - Stephen King "On Writing"

      - Paul Myers's stuff for the internet too

      Business mind:

      - Jay Abraham "Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You'e Got"

      also read the copywriting classics and some good books on salesmanship
      and persuasion. I read many books more than once. I would recommend
      really digging into a few good ones over skimming all the titles
      out there on these subjects. Business and marketing advice is
      often repetitive and at a certain point you'll "get it" with what a lot
      of these books are saying... but the real challenge comes in internalizing
      and applything the stuff. It's easier to write about how to be successful
      in business than to do it and sweat the details.
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      • Profile picture of the author Elliott Bean
        Hello Lee

        I've just finished "Influence: Psychology of Persuasion" by Cialdini

        A definate must for any business
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    • Profile picture of the author damienb
      PsychoCybernetics by Maxwell Maltz is a great one.

      Also, anything that Michael Masterson, from Early To Rise, puts out, like
      Ready, Fire, Aim or Changing the Channel.

      Especially useful books if you're trying to grow your business to the next level.

      Damien
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  • Profile picture of the author Clayton
    Lee,

    I am a fan of your work and have purchased a few of your products.

    I would recommend

    The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies by Chet Holmes.

    I bought this book as I thought it would help my selling techniques (both on an off line) but it is so much more. It has helped me a great deal and is constantly on loan to friends.

    (link below - no affiliate code here!)

    The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your...The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your...
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    Get more from excel - Learn Quickly with easy to following video Tutorials - www.the-tutorial-library.com

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  • Profile picture of the author Tenzo
    I'll second "Banker to the Poor". Yunnus has become a hero to me after reading it. After reading it I came across kiva.org, which I am a huge fan of as well.

    Regards,
    Kevin
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    Roses are planted where thorns grow,
    And on the barren heath
    Sing the honey bees.
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  • Profile picture of the author Memo
    The Secret of Selling Anything by Harry Browne. A must have for all marketers IMO. I don't think you can get it at amazon but look here harrybrowne.org
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  • Profile picture of the author coco28
    Get to the Top on Google... by David Viney is a good read!

    Amazon.com: Get to the Top on Google: Tips and...Amazon.com: Get to the Top on Google: Tips and...
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  • Profile picture of the author JamesPenn
    I'm reading Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion at the moment and it's great.

    It's not related directly to internet marketing but many of the influence principles can be implemented into your marketing efforts.

    James
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  • Profile picture of the author theviralguy
    Rich Dad, Poor Dad was a great read!
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  • Profile picture of the author NashRyker
    LOL, I think you're going to have your hands full with all these books!
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  • Profile picture of the author united99
    Hi Lee, you're not far from me if you're in Manchester. United fan I hope
    Anything by Jay Abraham, like Getting Everything You Can etc.
    I also like Michael Dell's book about how he started the company.
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  • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
    Hey Lee,

    If it's to improve your copywriting - I recommend you read everything Gary Halbert recommends on this page:
    The Gary Halbert Letter

    I went through 3 of them so far and definitely notice a difference in my copy.

    If you want business related stuff, Good To Great by Jim Collins is also killer.

    I actually never read the book, but listen to the audio version while I drive.

    Anything by Brian Tracy is also stellar.

    He's the one that told me to make my car a rolling university on wheels.

    Hope this helps
    Jason
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    "Human thoughts have the tendency to transform themselves into their physical equivalent." Earl Nightingale

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  • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
    Nightengale - The Richest Man In Babyon was one of my favorites and easiest reads.

    Also, anything by Og Mandino. I couldn't put his books down when I started reading them.

    How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a classic.

    I've got more, but don't want to repeat any or steal anyone else's thunder

    Jason
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    "Human thoughts have the tendency to transform themselves into their physical equivalent." Earl Nightingale

    Super Affiliates Hang Out Here

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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Viner
    4 Hour Work Week - Tim Ferris

    I couldn't put it down. Some really useful stuff there
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    • Profile picture of the author Andry Salim
      Originally Posted by paul1978 View Post

      4 Hour Work Week - Tim Ferris

      I couldn't put it down. Some really useful stuff there
      Ditto. This book is very useful for everyone who seems so busy and never had a time to do anything..

      Another book I liked to read is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
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      • Profile picture of the author Hesaidblissfully
        Oh and another one I forgot was Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. A great book on networking and building business/personal relationships.

        Amazon.com: Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time: Keith Ferrazzi, Tahl Raz: Books

        From Booklist:

        "Ferrazzi grew up in rural Pennsylvania, the son of a steelworker and a cleaning lady, yet his ability to connect with others led to a scholarship at Yale, a Harvard MBA, and a prestigious partnership at Deloitte Consulting. His skills at creating and maintaining a network of contacts are nothing short of those of a serious presidential contender. All business hopefuls seek to enter a sphere of players more powerful than themselves, and Ferrazzi says that sometimes all it takes is asking. The book is dense with suggestions. Seek out mentors to guide you and introduce you to the people you need to know and then become a mentor yourself. Use your initial conversation to show the other person what you have to offer them, and never keep score. Make others feel important by remembering their names and birthdays. And don't be afraid to open up and show vulnerability--it's a great icebreaker. Ferrazzi presents a whirlwind of ideas to widen your circle of contacts that goes way beyond the usual stale concepts of "networking."" David Siegfried
        Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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  • Profile picture of the author windfall_results
    Anything wriiten by Joe Sugarman has helped me tremendously.
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  • Profile picture of the author wealthwarrior
    The Journey to Greatness: And How to Get There! by Noah benShea
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  • Profile picture of the author John M Kane
    Understanding people is Job One. Then apply where you wish.
    a few worth spending time with...
    David Sandler "You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar"

    Milton William(Bill) Cooper "Behold a Pale Horse"

    Dr Nick Begich "Angels Don't Play This Haarp"

    Robert O Becker "The Body Electric"

    Castenada

    Milton Erickson

    Ingo Swan

    Mark Furman "The Neurophysics of Human Behavior"

    Robert Dilts

    Stephen King

    Larry the Cable Guy
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  • Profile picture of the author daddyg
    Hi Lee,

    Another vote here for Tim Ferriss' 4 hour work-week. A great read and a real eye-opener about what's possible with the right planning and strategic thinking.

    Apart from Web Copy that Sells, I've read Robert Bly and Joseph Sugarman for copywriting and both are excellent.

    Cheers...Graham
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  • Profile picture of the author Reg
    I'm a voracious reader and have read most of the books mentioned thus far. Here are some marketing books that haven't been mentioned that I think are well worth reading.

    Although some might not consider all of these to be marketing books I do because I believe to be successful marketers (in the fullest sense), whether online & offline one has to consider the root definition of marketing.

    The word marketing comes from the Latin root "mercatus" which means to trade or share, in other words to create a transaction within a community.

    The Bible -
    The Nature of Marketing - Chuck Brymer
    Twitter Revolution - Deborah Micek & Warren Whitlock
    CauseWired- Tom Watson
    Reimagine - Tom Peters
    Into The Spotlight - Tsufit
    Can We Do That? - Peter Shankman
    Crowdsourcing - Jeff Howe
    Here Comes Everybody - Clay Shirky
    Influencer - multiple contributors
    Everything Is Miscellaneous - David Weinberger
    The New Radicals - Julia Moulden
    The Wisdom Of Crowds - James Surowiecki
    Who's Your City? - Richard Florida
    Community - Peter Block
    The Endless City - Phaidon Press
    Advertising Is Dead - Long Live Advertising - Thames & Hudson
    etc., etc.....

    Read On!
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Steinitz
    Being Direct by Lester Wunderman, self-proclaimed 'father of direct marketing'.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lee McIntyre
    Wow, thanks everyone for the recommendations.

    Next time someone is unsure of what to buy me at Christmas I'll just direct them to this thread

    I've read a lot of the books on this list, some I've never heard of, and some I've been meaning to read for a while.

    Thanks for the insights and tips. It looks like I'm going to be very busy for a while!

    Cheers

    Lee McIntyre
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    • Profile picture of the author BillyBee
      Lee, I have sent you a PM you might want to check out. Thanks.
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    • Profile picture of the author curt
      I also recommend Robert Cialdini's books. I've read Influence and Yes! Both are excellent. Everything starts with influence/persuasion, whether you're persuading people in person or over the Internet. He's the master, because all of his "theories" are backed up by scientific experiments.

      I also second Harry Browne's stuff. You can buy his selling book here. I also learned a lot by listening to his radio show, and just listening to how he deals with people. You can find his radio archives at his website: Harry Browne: libertarian politics, articles, books, speeches, and investments Very, very persuasive guy.

      I've read lots of other great stuff... Gary Halbert, Joe Sugarman, Eugene Schwartz... and learned from all of them, but Cialdini and Browne's work is my foundation, so to speak.

      Curt.
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  • Profile picture of the author loktakwah
    It's not very related to internet marketing, but...

    Poor Charlie's Almanack

    Poor Charlie's Almanack - The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

    That's been a life-changing book for me. Charlie Munger is Warren Buffet's partner. The book offers a lot of his wisdom on how to be successful in life, how to think about and solve problems, etc... Very good book.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnB23
      Originally Posted by loktakwah View Post

      It's not very related to internet marketing, but...

      Poor Charlie's Almanack

      Poor Charlie's Almanack - The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

      That's been a life-changing book for me. Charlie Munger is Warren Buffet's partner. The book offers a lot of his wisdom on how to be successful in life, how to think about and solve problems, etc... Very good book.
      Awesome. Someone who's read Poor Charlies Almanack. I also highly recommend it, best book I've read in the last 2 years.

      Munger draws from very powerful thinkers....einstein, richard feynman, robert cialdini, darwin, it runs the list. He also has a great reading list in the back of the book, his top 20 or 25 books...I've read maybe 8 of them.

      Cialdini's Influence.
      How the Scots invented the modern world.
      Guns, Germs and Steel.
      Living Within Limits
      Wealth and Poverty of Nations.

      And a couple other ones. But it's a pretty powerful reading list.

      One of the best investing books I've read is Money Game by Adam Smith. About the market of the 60's. Definitely saved me money. Information you won't hear on CNBC Changed my thinking on technical analysis and other things.

      And Jim Rogers is a real powerful thinker on investing. Saved me money, made me look at it in a new light.
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  • Profile picture of the author wclements
    Lee,

    I read this post yesterday and wanted to
    give you just a single book that I think
    made a huge difference in my mindset,
    so it took me awhile to narrow down to
    just a single book...

    How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis

    Felix is a publishing mogul worth $800
    million or so and wrote this book more
    for his own amusement than to profit.
    (Which means it's really a great read
    and he talks as he would to a friend.)

    Definitely get a copy of that book and
    put it on your short list.

    -William Clements
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  • Profile picture of the author Kevin Marshall
    I saw someone mention this author in an earlier post, but you need to read Moonlighting on the Internet by Yanik Silver. I credit this book with motivating me to get started in Internet Marketing. Before I read this book, I saw the ads online, but I didn't believe it was easy to make money online. After I found this printed book at the bookstore, I was a believer in Internet Marketing!
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  • Profile picture of the author Duff
    Although i don't read many books (i just download them from itunes and listen to them on my ipod) i have just finished a good one called

    The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

    It certainly was a good one to kickstart the year thats for sure, highly recommended!

    The next couple that i will read/listen to will be these two

    'Freakonomics'
    'your broke because you want to be'

    If anyone has read these two last ones, let me know what you thought. I heard they are very good.
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  • Profile picture of the author knmrwarrior
    Don't Make Me Think - Krug
    Competitive Advantage - Porter
    Web Design for ROI - Loveday / Niehaus
    Letting Go of the Words - Redish
    Call To Action - Eisenberg
    Advanced Web Metrics - Clifton
    Wikinomics - Tapscott & Williams
    Obscene Profits - Lane
    Copy This - Orfalea
    Internet Riches - Fox
    Free Agent Nation - Pink
    4 Hour Work Week - Ferriss

    Der
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  • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
    positioning or anything by Al Ries and Jack Trout
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    "I Pay Less Attention to What Men Say. I Just Watch What They Do."
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  • Profile picture of the author Noah Fleming
    Here are a few of the top of my head...

    Tribes by Seth Godin ( ideal for an understanding of the Internet in 2009 - so many marketers could benefit from this book )
    Anything by Dan Kennedy
    Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got by Jay Abraham
    4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
    Influence & Yes - Cialdini
    Anyone Can Do It - Duncan Bannatyne
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    • Profile picture of the author Heather Bestel
      Lee

      Some brilliant books here already.

      Has anyone mentioned Richard Bandler?

      Anthony Robbins, of course

      E-Myth by Micher Gerber

      Rich Dad, Poor Dad has been mentioned and well worth another. Also The Richest Man in Babylon has to be the original and best.

      And for when we might have a day when we start to doubt ourselves:

      Positive Thinking by Vera Peiffer is a classic. Fits in well with your message of self belief (loved the video).

      Best wishes
      Heather
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    • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
      I think How To Win Friends And Influence People is still the most important book for anyone involved in marketing to read.

      Ultimately all marketing is still about persuading people in one way or another and there has never been a better book that explains the principles of human nature and persuasion.

      Kindest regards,
      Andrew Cavanagh
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      • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
        Originally Posted by AndrewCavanagh View Post

        I think How To Win Friends And Influence People

        there has never been a better book that explains the principles of human nature and persuasion.
        I found it pretty basic...nothing extraordinary

        Still a good read though
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  • Profile picture of the author Kim Roach
    Wow! What a great list of books. I'm writing these down as "must reads"!

    Thanks Everyone.
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  • Profile picture of the author Eric Stanley
    Permission Marketing - Seth Godin

    Well, for that matter, any and all Seth Godin books.
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  • Profile picture of the author K. Rondo
    Any work by American writer Robert Greene:

    1) 48 Laws of Power

    2) The Art of Seduction

    3) The 33 Strategies of War

    These books are not directly related to business; however,
    the concepts learned can be greatly beneficial in any arena.
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  • Profile picture of the author doylesoft
    The Secret.

    and One Fifth Avenue because I am an incurable Sex and the City fan.
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    Brandon Doyle
    http://doylesoft.com Simple, effective, and affordable software. Knowledge Base software.

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  • Profile picture of the author wclements
    Here's another vote for:

    The 48 Laws of Power
    by Robert Greene

    That's one awesome book and a fun read.
    (It's huge, though. Get the audiobook.)

    -William Clements
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    • Profile picture of the author Howard
      Many great books listed here....

      Just a few that I don´t think anyone has mentioned - and that may be a great source of inspiration no matter what you are doing:

      Getting Real by 37 signals

      Story by robert mckee

      PresentationZen by reynolds

      The Undiscovered Self by c g jung


      enjoy
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  • Profile picture of the author Josef Kane
    For an excellant read and it is amazing since it was written way back in 1911 but could have been written last year is "The ragged trousered philanthropists", changed my life that book has.

    Also Lee, given your one major weakness, "The history of Arsenal FC" would be good reading for you.

    Lastly Psycho Cybernetics is a very good read.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ram
      Here's one no one has mentioned yet ...

      "7 Steps to Freedom II" by Benjamin Suarez. This is the second edition, expanded.

      Suarez is a controversial, but very successful direct marketer. He was Gary Halbert's partner at one time. He was Kevin Trudeau's mentor. The book is a complete direct mail business course with some mention of the great potential of email marketing, though it was published back in the mid 90s.

      There is also some stuff that ventures into the conspiracy realm. Suarez does not like government agencies, regulation or taxes, etc.

      The book is quite long and includes a lot of business essentials in addition to marketing info.

      I guarantee most every seven-figure direct marketer has read this one.
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert_Rand
    Personally, I think the best print books are written by the best Entrepreneurs - not necessarily the best "Gurus" - although I love those two. Have you read Trump's books? or even Grind it Out by Ray Kroch. There's something about an Author who teaches with personal examples and stories... It's usually a lot more entertaining and effortless to read.
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  • Profile picture of the author mikemcmillan
    Og Mandino - The Greatest Salesman In The World (motivational)

    W. Clement Stone - The Success System That Never Fails
    There is one quote, which he paraphrased from an ancient Hindu proverb in this book . . .

    Set Up: When the gods wanted to bestow their greatest gifts upon man they thought long and hard about where to hide them so they would not be stolen. In a valley, on a mountain, under the sea? They finally decided.

    "The greatest gifts to man are hidden in the hearts and minds of men."
    I love that passage!

    Finally, and I am taking some liberty here, but in light of our present economic crisis and our government's attempts to resolve it - - I highly recommend Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The best book I have ever read in my life! It's a novel, written in 1957, but read it and your eyes will be opened to the fundamental cause of our present economic woes. Ragnar Danneskjold is my hero. John Galt is my idol. Dagny Taggart: I wonder if she was a babe?

    It is a timeless book commenting on the moralism of capitalism.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnB23
      I'll add...

      -Old seminars and seemingly "out of date" books. Books or seminars that other people arent reading and getting ideas from. Why only learn what everyone else is learning.

      I'm a big fan of Jay Abraham, marketing author. He did dozens of seminars in the 90's, a lot you can't find anymore on ebay or online.

      One of his entry level seminars was the UK Advanced eX! Factor, in the late 90's. Maybe 200 or 500 tapes were made and sold. I bet very few people listened to it more than once or twice. There's an edge.

      Most of it was dry and boring (if you're familar with his work). Although tape 28 is about creating ideas, that was a new take on the subject. This idea that everything can be broken down to core principles. "Principles and methods are everything". That was pretty powerful to me, and I've gone through alot of his work.

      There are nuggets in any book that you don't see right away. It might take 5, 10, 15 times going through to understand it. There were these great quotes...."to some people, each fact is a seperate bit of information. To others, its a link in a chain of knowledge". Stuff like that is powerful, thats how gurus get to be gurus.

      -Also, more advanced is what books/works influenced the gurus. These guys weren't always brilliant, people forget what inspired them. There's another edge.

      -And for the advanced reader/student, you start seeing links among many books. Say, Charlie Munger and Jay. Seems like they wouldn't have much in common. Yet they do. Similar quotes and ideas in certain places.
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  • Profile picture of the author yuyuan
    1) E Myth Revisited - Michael Gerber

    2) Warren Buffet and The Business of Life - Alice Schroeder

    3) Unlimited Power - Anthony Robbins

    4) Write to Sell - Andy Malsen

    5) Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords - Perry Marshall

    6) Search Engine Optimization Inc - Bill Hunt

    7) The Richest Man in Babylon - George Clason

    8) The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
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    • Profile picture of the author cougarstylie
      I've read a lot of good books but there's one that I can say I DON'T recommend..."The E Code" was completely disappointing.

      I think more books written about online marketing are bad than are useful.
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  • Profile picture of the author tmltml
    From Good to Great, Getting everything you can out of everything youve got. 2 Good ones IMHO
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