Best books on business could change your life

Peoples' lives change in two ways: through the people they meet and the books they read.

The late Charles (Tremendous) Jones, an inspirational and motivational speaker and author, shared that wisdom with me many years ago. I've taken it to heart and passed it on in most of my speeches.

Preaching that philosophy has put me in a dilemma: I'm often asked to list my top 10 favorite business books. But when 11,000 are published in the United States each year, it's tough to find a gem to unlock the solution to your specific business situation.

Happily, I've found a new book that delivers the goods. "The 100 Best Business Books of All Time," by Jack Covert and Todd Sattersten. It highlights the important take-home value of all the business classics and several surprises too. It even features 25 works of fiction, including four parables, two fables, five novels, four children's tales and 10 movies.

Books have been divided into a dozen categories, starting with the most important category of all: you.

What I like best is that this is not a book of lists or numerical ranking. The authors review books they believe contain the best information. A list of related books is at the end of each review.

Of the Dr. Seuss book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go," the authors say: "The book covers the gamut of human experience. Our unnamed young man is told that choice is within his power and that all he has to do is decide."

Harry Beckwith's "Selling the Invisible" is featured in Sales and Marketing. Covert calls Beckwith's delivery refreshing. "Beckwith points out that we Americans have an inflated view of ourselves, and, in turn, our businesses. ... We should assume that our service is poor, which will force us to improve."

Movies include "Death of a Salesman" and "Tin Men," which "capture our attention because they deal with the very real issues of honesty, competition and self-worth prevalent in the sales profession."

You can't have a Management section without featuring Peter Drucker. "The Essential Drucker," the authors say, "is a different kind of experience. His passages require multiple readings, not because the writing is hard to understand, but because every word is chosen with care to optimize the point he wishes to make."

Jeffrey Gitomer's "Little Red Book of Selling" points out that "It's not hard sell, it's heart sell. Good questions get to the heart of the problem/need/situation quickly -- without the buyer feeling like he or she is being pushed."

What's on your reading list?