By: George Beahm
Pages: 138
Biography, Business
My recommendation: 7 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: It's a short book which gives account of Steve Jobs life and progress. It covers hundreds of quotes and statements made by Steve Jobs over the course of his journey from being a college student to becoming one of the most admired person in the world. It also details major milestones of Steve job in a chronological order. It's an inspiring book.
By: Hugh Prather
Pages: 159
Non Fiction
My recommendation: 8 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: It's a book on self exploration. After failing to successfully write a book, the author composed a book on his random thoughts on and off which he recorded in his diary. It became 'Notes to Myself' and went on the become an international best seller. You will find it silly, interesting, truth, contradicting and introspecting.
By: Brian Tracy
Pages: 126
Self Help
My recommendation: 9 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: It's a short and crisp book on time management. Most people struggle with time and this book can help. The message is simple, clear and workable. The key message is to focus most of your time on the most important work. I would strongly recommend this book to everyone.
By: Sudha Murthy
Pages: 220
Non Fiction
My recommendation: 8 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: The book captures the essence of human nature through 51 short stories (based on real events). It covers the most generous to somewhat cruel display of human behavior and action by men and women of everyday life and makes us introspect our own self. From humor to sarcasm and from empathy to avoidance, it has everything. These stories will surely touch your heart and mind. Read it and also ask your kids to read it.
By: Jim Collins
Pages: 328
Business
My recommendation: 10 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: This book is a result of six years of extensive research into what makes enduring great companies. Published in year 1994, the book discusses the underlying habits and characteristics of visionary companies who made it big over time. Some of the companies in the research included Merck, Ford, Philip Morris, Wal-Mart, HP, Boeing, Citicorp, General Electric and others. Collins calls these companies as visionary and compared them with equally good but which couldn't qualify as 'built to last', like Pfizer, Texas Instruments, General Motors, Colgate and others. The authors did a great job by compressing huge amount of research and data into a relatively small book but meaningful information. If you have interest in business and corporate success, this book is for you.
By: Rhonda Byrne
Pages: 198
Self Help
My recommendation: 6 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: The singular message in the book is about the 'law of attraction' which means that our thoughts drive actions which produces results. Therefore, we should harness positive feelings and thoughts inside us which will help us improve the quality of our lives and achieve success. The message in the book is carried through several leading personalities of the world and their own personal experiences. The book has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. When I first read it several years ago, I dumped it as I did not like the format of the book (not user friendly). When I read it again after a few years, I still could not resonate with the book fully, though I could finish reading it. Somehow, the book could not establish a connect with me. I guess there are better books and better ways to understand the law of attraction.
By: W Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne
Pages: 216
Business
My recommendation: 10 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: If you are looking for a book on strategy and marketing, this one is a must read. The book is written after extensive research of hundreds of strategies used by several companies over the last 100 years. It concludes that rather than fighting in a competitive world (red ocean), one should aim to create uncontested market place called the 'blue ocean'. Your perception of competition can change into opportunity. Rather than having a 'killing the competition attitude', this book makes a compelling case for 'applying creativity and focusing on value innovation'. Giving examples from a diverse set of industries including computers, automobiles, watches, wine, cement and many more; the book will make your see opportunities more clearly than competition. The analogy of Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean is so compelling, refreshing and opportunistic. It has changed my perception and way of looking at competition and I am sure it will do the same to you.
By: James Allen
Pages: 82
Self Help
My recommendation: 8 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: James suggests that the mind is the key to unlock all your dreams and achieve them. Truth can eventually free us from our limitations and irrespective of our sex, age, race, education and beliefs; we can make our lives worthwhile by applying the universal principals. It reminds us that our thoughts have tremendous power and what we achieve in life is a direct result of our thinking. A very small book that could be read in one hour. Do read this one.
By: Richard Bach
Pages: 284
Fiction
My recommendation: 6 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: In this book Richard takes you to the world of fantasy which looks real. It's a book on exploration, imagination and self discovery. A good one time read for fans of Richard Bach.
By: Ram Charan
Pages: 269
Business
My recommendation: 7 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: There is a gap between planning and results. It's called execution. People and corporations succeed and fail primarily because of how good or bad are they in executing their ideas and decisions. While the ideas in the book are great but I somehow felt dryness in the content. The first half of the book was interesting but it required effort to finish the book. The book is written mostly from the perspective of global companies and may not resonate with small business owners of professionals.
