Business Advice Library

From the start of the "Kiss too" blog I've published many book-reviews on business advice books and created an own category for them: "Business Books and Novels".
The list of titles is still growing and I thought the time ripe to create a 'fixed' page on this blog.
Voilà, here it is, all complying with my personal definition of "proper business advice books" and grouped together in my own favourite distinguishing two categories:

Foundation Blocks: "those essential blocks (i.e. knowledge, facts, principles, attitudes) in starting, growing any business you can’t go without (or end up on that big pile where 4 out of 5 start-ups find themselves within the first 5 years of trading)"

Good to Great by Jim Collins and co (still my number one!)

Beyond Entrepreneurship: Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company Also by Jim Collins (9 years before Good to Great was published - gives you a foretaste of things to come)

The Jelly Effect: How to Make Your Communication Stick by Andy Bounds (My latest discovery, and it comes with my highest recommendations!)

Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence-based Management by Jeffrey Pfeffer & Robert I. Sutton

First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman (my first encounter with many, part foundation - part building blocks, publications from the Gallup Organisation)

Knowing-Doing Gap, The: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action by Jeffrey Pfeffer & Robert I. Sutton.

Kick-Start Your Business by Robert Craven (Director of The Directors Centre)

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt (My first encounter with the phenomenon Business Novels, which principle I duly followed when writing my own 'business novel' - The Kiss Business

Building Blocks: "those ideas, principles that once your foundation is firm helps you to grow your business in this modern time with its modern marketing facts and new media."

The Long Tail by Chris Anderson

Citizen Marketers: When People Are the Message by Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba (and I have to 1% "Outlaw of Culture" patch to prove it!)

The Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing by George Silverman (a combination between "The Goal" and Permission Marketing")

Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers by Seth Godin (a perfect read after "The Long Tail")

Now, Discover Your Strengths: How to Develop Your Talents and Those of the People You Manage by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton (a logical follow-up on "First, break all the rules")

Go, Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham ("Walk the Talk" after you've discovered your strengths - highly recommend you read it together with "The Brag Book", see below)

Brag!: The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It by Peggy Klaus (as mentioned before - if you combine it with "Go Put your Strengths to Work" you'll get a double whammy out of it, honestly!

(updated continuously, because I presumable never stop reading. It's in 'the blood')

Comments

[firewheels]

i am very much intrusted in online business if there is any book explaining this thing please do mail me thank you. Very nice site

[Karin H.]

Hi Firewheels

Try 1 Plus 1 Makes 3 - another dynamic and interactive site from my hand - which covers more articles (and free tips when you subscribe to that list) on online businesses, how to get the most out of various available online software etc.

[Lee]

I believe the secret to online conversion is to build trust. So secure payment, full contact details, freephone, 100% risk guarantee etc.

[Karin H.]

Hi Lee

I would agree in most circumstances. Contact details yes - the about page should tell you always enough and so many bloggers and website owners forget about that - phone number yes, free phone number is not a necessity in most cases - secure payment yes, only in those cases where you have something on offer or know for sure that affiliate links end up on sites with secure payments in place.
100% risk guarantee: you are guaranteed of quality online conversations when more than the above items are in place: respect for your readers and the comment box ;-)

Karin H