I love that feeling you get when you pick up a new book that you’re just dying to read. There’s a certain excitement & energy that comes from reading something that you’re really passionate about. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, romance or thriller, business or cooking, books take us into a world that other forms of media cannot.
A lot of the books I enjoy are focused around personal development, business & communication. Here I’ve compiled the top four books that I’ve read in 2018. Let’s see if any of them have made your list!
Don’t Bullshit Yourself! – Jon Taffer
If you’ve ever seen the TV show Bar Rescue, you know that Jon Taffer doesn’t have time for anyone’s bullshit. I’ve always been a huge fan of Bar Rescue since I was in high school, not just because of my fascination with how the restaurant/bar business works, but because of how straightforward Jon Taffer is with crushing excuses & creating solutions. So when I heard earlier this year that he had written a book on just that, I knew I had to get a copy.
The book Don’t Bullshit Yourself! focuses on six major excuses that we use regularly to hold ourselves back – fear, knowledge, time, circumstances, ego & scarcity. Not only does Jon Taffer bring his authentic, no-excuses personality to this book, he also provides real world examples of other people who are overcoming these excuses with innovative solutions.
If you have excuses that are holding you back, I would definitely recommend giving this book a read!
So What? – Mark Magnacca
I actually received this book during my first semester of college in freshman year. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon it again earlier this year that I decided to give it a full read – and I’m glad I did!
A fairly light book, So What? guides you through communicating what really matters to your audience, whether that be in your professional or personal life. Author Mark Magnacca centers the book around the “so what” question that needs to be answered when communicating with other people. Essentially, if your audience can’t understand how what you’re offering is important to them, you are wasting your time.
Filled with real world examples & common sense tips, this book will really change your perspective on how to communicate with others!
Crushing It! – Gary Vaynerchuck
My mom actually bought this book for me earlier this year because she thought the front cover, which talks about building business & influence, would be interesting to me. Not only was she right, but this book goes much deeper than just a typical business book.
Crushing It! is really about growing a personal brand through the use of social media & how that can turn into a lifestyle that makes you money. Written by social media expert Gary Vaynerchuk, the book is broken into two parts. The first part really hypes you up with all the opportunities that are available in social media, which is still a fairly new & relatively misjudged way of building a business. The second part focuses on various social media platforms that you can use to build your brand. Some are staples like Facebook, Instagram & Twitter, while others are fairly new forms like Amazon Skills & Musical.ly. The book also provides real world examples of other people who turned their dull or ordinary lives into something extraordinary by building a personal brand.
This book is without a doubt my biggest inspiration for building a personal brand. Social media & personal branding is one of the greatest business opportunities of our time, yet so many people don’t even realize it. A must read for our generation!
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
First published during the Great Depression, Think and Grow Rich chronicles 13 steps to achieving riches. Written by Napoleon Hill, who draws heavily from American business magnates like Andrew Carnegie & Henry Ford, the book’s practical advice is still relevant today.
The book focuses on the idea of becoming rich; however, most of the principles & ideas really center around developing a mindset that will make you successful in any area of life. The focus on how our minds control our reality is fascinating & something that anyone can benefit from.
Even though the book was written close to 80 years ago, you can find copies that are revised with modern day excerpts & examples that make the book more relevant, especially in the age of the internet. Regardless of which copy you choose, this bestseller will truly change how you view the power of your own mind!
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Have you read any of these books? What are some of your favorite books? Was this article helpful? Comment below & let me know what you think!
Andrew Kissling 