By: Napoleon Hill
Pages: 290
Business, Self Help
My recommendation: 10 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: This book is about 'what you want and how to get it'. It will change the way you think. Napoleon Hill did decades of research and obtained information about hundreds of successful people in a wide array of disciplines, including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, John D Rockefeller and others. This became the source for writing this book. He suggests that 'desire' is the starting point of all achievement. He developed a simple but powerful 13-step formula to achieve success. It has been a best seller for over 80 years now. If you are keen to know the secrets of success in personal and professional life, you must read this book.
By: Jim Collins
Pages: 300
Business
My recommendation: 10 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: The basic idea behind this book is 'Why some companies make the leap while others don't.' Jim and his team of researchers spent years and countess number of hours to crunch quantitative as well as qualitative data stretching over decades to identify what it takes to achieve enduring success. Some of the companies covered in the analysis were Coca-Cola, Intel, General Electric, and Merck. These were compared with an equally good peer group comparison company which failed the test of endurance over long period. What I liked best about this book is the simplicity in which it explains the findings of years of research. A must read.
By: Edward de Bono
Pages: 229
Business, Sales
My recommendation: 9 / 10
Date read: Before 2013
Brief review: It's a brilliant book. It talks about moving beyond competition. That's sur/petition. The message in the book is loud and clear - move out of arrogance, complacency and 'I know it all' attitude, focus on innovation and creativity and think differently. Edward is my favorite author. He gives excellent examples and rationale of differential thinking. Though it was first published in 1992, the principals told in the still holds good. I will strongly recommend this book to all (specially business people and professionals).
