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Comment by bko | Hacker News Reader

Everything I've read about this book, apart from comments by Bill Gates, prevented me from reading it. Does anyone have any recommendations of better business books?

I was incredibly inspired by Isaacson's Jobs biography. To learn that someone so flawed can achieve such greatness is inspiring. I also read it almost like a mystery novel, trying to decipher what he was actually doing that was creating such value. I've read a number of Isaacson's other books but none were as inspiring. I did enjoy most of them though.

Any other recommendations of business books I should actually read?

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I guess it's a matter of taste as I greatly preferred Business Adventures to the Jobs biography. The Jobs book, while informative, felt like it was missing something. I got a better sense about the guy watching his old NEXT era PBS interviews than I did Isaacson's bio, which too often felt like a recounting of major events shoehorned into what Isaacson decided the theme of Jobs' life was.

I'd still recommend reading BA because the writing style is first rate (and unexpectedly funny). It's also worthwhile for the realization that, due to it's mid century setting, that while the materials and ideas of the business world have changed since the books time, people really haven't, thus business itself really hasn't changed as much as you might otherwise conclude.

If your looking for business entertainement books, check out Michael Lewis (the guy behind money ball). I really like The new new thing, flash boys and boomerang.

Pretty much everything he writes is a good read. He takes his liberties here and there (especially with Flash boys), but he is an intelligent man with a knack for story-telling. Very easy reading.

So add Moneyball, Liar's Poker, The Big Short (good telling of the 2007 financial crisis), Panic (contrasts before and after news articles around financial crises) and The Blind Side to the list.

(Don't let The Blind Side motion picture scare you off. The book has a lot of on-and-off-the field football strategy that I found interesting.)

Some Iconic Business Books I loved and are Worth Reading IMHO.

Use Your Noodle and Get The Boodle (aka Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill - that was his proposed but rejected title), Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini, Be My Guest - Conrad Hilton Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, The Success System That Never Fails - W. Clement Stone, Winning Through Intimidation - Robert Ringer, Scientific Advertising - Claude Hopkins, The Ultimate Marketing Plan - Dan Kennedy, How to Win Friends and influence People - Dale Carnegie, The Psychology of Intelligence - CIA Manual - Richard Heuer https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intellig... ,

There are literally thousands of books worth reading, but the above are the ones I found to be the most enlightening.

> How to Win Friends and influence People - Dale Carnegie

Probably the most helpful book I ever read as a teenager, and I still read it every so often as a reminder. The lessons are simple but effective, not just in business but all relationships. Empathy, listening, and genuine interest will do more to 'win' people than anything else you can do.

'Business' is a large topic - anything in particular? Marketing? Finance? Customer Development? Management? etc?

Books that I'd recommend: Anything by Peter Drucker, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, Made to Stick by the Heath Brothers, Blue Ocean Strategy by Kim and Mauborgne, among others. I'm sure plenty others here will also give you other recommendations that seem more 'start-up' like too.

Have you read Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin biagraphy? I have heard it recommended but not yet read it myself.

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