By Timothy Ferriss The chances are good that if you haven't read this book, you've at least heard of it. The life blueprint it provides is legendary: earn six figures a year by working less (way less) instead of more, and spend the rest of your time traveling and doing the things you really want to do. Sound like a pipe dream? Perhaps, but here's the thing: people have done it, meaning that it's possible. And if something is possible, then it ...continue

By: Martha Shirk & Anna S. Wadia This is a book about the experiences of eleven low-income women entrepreneurs who strove to make better lives for themselves and their families by starting small businesses of their own. The book was written nearly a decade ago, but is still an inspiring and interesting read. Meant to stand as a testament to the wisdom of microlending, the book makes a strong case for the practice of giving people in poverty lo ...continue

By: Steven S. Little Imagine this scenario from The Milkshake Moment by Steven S. Little: You are traveling on business and your iPod Shuffle breaks. You go to the nearest Apple Store, walk past shelves full of iPod Shuffles, and are told that your Shuffle is unfixable, but that since they are out of “replacement Shuffles,” you will have to wait days to get a new one. The iPods on the shelf don’t count because, even though they are the e ...continue

By: Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D. Depending on which side of the fence you come down on when it comes to self-help books and techniques, you will either approach this book with enthusiasm or skepticism. Taking the 'power of positive thinking' one step further, this book is all about the importance of positive and motivating "self-talk" in your life, and how it can help you achieve your goals and basically change everything. This book is based on the ...continue

By: Seth Godin This book is only a couple of years old, and already it is a modern-day marketing classic. Highly-readable and oddly-titled, this book will change the way you think about marketing. The title refers to traditional companies (=the meatballs) that attempt to cash in on this new-fangled Internet thing (=sundae toppings) without changing anything else about their business. The result? You got it, a meatball sundae, something that mi ...continue

By: Mark Hughes This book takes the holy grail of any marketer -- generating buzz for their product, business, or personality -- and breaks it down into a formula that anyone (in theory) can follow. Author Hughes reveals six secrets to generating buzz: 1. Push the Six Buttons of Buzz 2. Capture Media 3. Advertise for Attention 4. Climb Buzz Everest 5. Discover Creativity 6. Police Your Product The secret behind the secrets is having ...continue

By: Chip Heath & Dan Heath We all know that, as the title of this book states, change is hard. But why is it so hard? Through numerous interviews with individuals who have been successful agents of change as well as by looking at various studies and research, the Heath brothers have compiled a body of evidence that would seem to answer that question, thereby clearing the way for others to change whatever needs changing in their lives or organi ...continue

by: Robin Jay It is no secret that good relationships are the key to success in business. But in our increasingly online and virtual world, where relationships are more often than not conducted on Facebook and Twitter, it can be easy to forget the power inherent in a well-conducted business lunch. Author Robin Jay does a great job of reminding us what an important business and relationship tool a professional lunch can be in this sincere an ...continue

Chances are really good that you spend way too much time in front of your computer. Social networking is great, of course, and an effective business-builder, but really nothing beats getting out there in the real world to meet people and learn new things. Here is a selection of upcoming conferences that you might want to consider attending. The You Conference Los Angeles, CA May 22-23, 2010 Learn how to build your very own personal brand a ...continue

This is a great book, composed of 52 rules that author Alan Webber, cofounding editor of Fast Company magazine, collected over forty years on three by five note cards that he carried around in his back pocket. The highlights of Mr. Webber's CV are working with the forward-thinking mayor of Portland, OR, who was responsible for laying the groundwork for what that city is today, working on the Harvard Business Review, starting Fast Company, and wor ...continue