Business Book Summaries

  • This work offers a summary of the book «HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE: The All-Time Classic Manual Of People Skills» by Dale Carnegie.
    How to Win Friends and Influence People is a classic, bestselling book that has set the bar for people skills manuals. It should be part of every businessperson's bookshelf, but is also useful for anyone looking to improve relationships.

    Dale Carnegie posits that no matter your occupation, goals, ambitions of position in a company, dealing with people is your biggest challenge. If you learn how to do so effectively, though, you will reap the rewards in profitability, productivity and morale. It's much better to work together with people, rather than against them. Carnegie explains the best way to criticize people, how best to motivate them and how to become a good conversationalist. He urges the reader to be interested in other people, and strive at all times to make a good first impression. Remember people's names, he suggests, and try to avoid arguments at all costs.

    How to Win Friends and Influence People is based on a simple foundation: you cannot change other people, only change the way you relate to them. Dale Carnegie has laid out a watershed blueprint for how to do that.

  • This work offers a summary of the book «AWAKEN THE GIANT WITHIN: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical & Financial Destiny» by Anthony Robbins.

    If you are in search of a motivating, mood enhancing, go-get-'em, the-world-is-your-oyster kind of read, then this is for you. The fundamental maxim of this summary is that by making a few alterations to what we believe, each one of us has the power to take fate into our hands and to get exactly what we want in any area of our lives.

    The summary devotes one page to the subject of identity - how we see ourselves and how others see us. Our personal identity has a huge influence on our future actions, and this too is something that Robbins believes we have the power to choose and self-correct. The final section of the summary is entitled «A lesson in destiny». It invites us to take full advantage of our time on earth, living each day as if it were the last. It may sound cliché, but it's true. Replete with inspiring quotes by famous thinkers - from Marcus Aurelius to Benjamin Disraeli - this is an inspiring read which will empower you with the right attitude and actions to master your destiny.

  • This ebok offers a summary of the book "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries.

    Why do so many startups fail? The business myth says: A lone entrepreneur - beavering away in a lab or a garage somewhere - through hard work, grit and sheer perseverance develops a great product which then becomes a blockbuster hit. That sounds appealing but the reality is most startups tend to burn through their resources and then disappear because they never get around to seeing what their potential customers think of what they're developing. They worry about the product first and assume customer demand will be there automatically.

    To succeed with a startup, you've got to manage it differently. Instead of developing a business plan, find ways to accelerate your learning and validate customers demand. The best way to do this is to build a prototype (with minimal features) and sell it to some early adopters. Then change the product repeatedly - daily if necessary - and keep supplying your customers with the new and improved versions. Listen to their feedback and use those ideas to make a better version and then get more feedback on that. Keep iterating until you get a fully featured product which your customers love.

    In other words, go through the Build-Measure-Learn loop as often as you can. If you make validated learning the real aim of your startup, you stand a better chance of success. Focus on what customers want, utilize an extremely fast cycle time and take a scientific approach to making decisions. That's the essence of the Lean Startup approach.

    ERIC RIES is an entrepreneur and blog author. He is a cofounder and chief technology officer of IMVU, a virtual community developer. He is also a frequent keynote speaker and is currently entrepreneur-in-residence at Harvard Business School. The Lean Startup methodology has been written about in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Harvard Business Review and the Huffington Post.

  • This work offers a summary of the book «THE LONG TAIL: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More» by Chris Anderson.

    Chris Anderson is editor-in-chief of Wired magazine. He previously worked for seven years for The Economist and six years for Nature and Science magazines.
    In The Long Tail, Anderson demonstrates that the real mother lode of commercial success for twenty-first century businesses will be in multiple-niche marketing rather than trying to score a few mass market hits.



  • This ebook offers a summary of the book "THE CHECKLIST MANIFEST - HOW TO GET THINGS RIGHT" by Gawande.

    When solving problems, it's easy to get caught up in the complexities whilst ignoring the obvious, simple solutions. Atul Gawande suggests that every business sector can take some tips from the commercial aviation industry's emphasis on checklists: «Avoidable failures are common and persistent, not to mention demoralizing and frustrating, across many fields. the volume and complexity of what we know has exceeded our individual ability to deliver its benefits correctly, safely, or reliably. Knowledge has both saved us and burdened us. That means we need a different strategy for overcoming failure. And there is such a strategy - though it will seem almost ridiculous in its simplicity. It is a checklist.» Atul Gawande has case studies in both arenas to demonstrate its brilliant commonsense. We have developed such sophisticated, complex systems, that we cannot prevent error by memory alone. Despite the growth of superspecialisation, steps are sometimes missed, which demonstrates that problems often exist not because of a lack of knowledge, but just because routine can create complacency. One especially compelling case is the construction industry, which by using checklists has reduced building failures to 0.00002 percent: given such statistics, why would any business not follow suit?

  • This work is a summary of the book «WINNING» by Jack Welch and Suzy Welch.

    In Winning, J. Welch and S. Welch raise a question: «What does it take to win?» This is the sole question everyone in business should be focused on each day. When your business wins, there are many great flow-on effects and benefits - people have the opportunity to grow, more jobs are created, more taxes are paid, shareholders get a return on their investment and the list goes on and on. Winning companies are literally the engine of a healthy economy, and the pinnacle of the free enterprise system.

    In Winning, the authors encourage the readers to develop a personal business philosophy, and advise them on how to look at their company and their competition and how to build their company.

    Pure and simple companies and people have to find a way to win day-in and day-out. There are no easy formulas that can be used, or any exotic or mysterious shortcuts involved. Winning can be brutally hard to achieve but when everything comes together and you win, great things happen. As Jack Welch puts it: «Business is a game, and winning that game is a total blast».

  • This work offers a summary of the book «THE WORLD IS FLAT: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century» by Thomas L. Friedman.

    Thomas Friedman is the foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times. He has been awarded three Pulitzer Prizes for his articles.

    The availability of cheap, ubiquitous telecommunications in the early 21st century has had the effect of creating a «flat» world. In other words, no matter where a company is physically located, it can now compete for customers who may similarly located anywhere in the world. The driving force and engine room of this flattening process is generally labeled as «globalization». The resulting flattening of the world is making possible all kinds of complex supply chains which are based on value-added services. Products in all industries are becoming increasingly commoditized to take advantage of labor and services provided by emerging economies like China and India.

    According to Thomas Friedman, the great challenge for the business world of the 21st century will be to have sufficient leadership, imagination and flexibility to adapt quickly enough to stay up with the speed of changes as they occur.

    The World is Flat is an accessible explanation of today's world and a must-read for those who will need to live and work in this new global environment.

  • This work offers a summary of the book «THE ART OF THE START: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything» by Guy Kawasaki.

    Guy Kawasaki is the managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm which assists high-technology companies. Previously, he worked for Apple Computer, Inc. as a software evangelist for the Macintosh and later as an Apple Fellow.

    Starting a business is much more of an art than a step-by-step or a thoroughly predictable process. According to Kawasaki, success in taking an idea and building it into a new business is actually the cumulative result of eleven distinct arts such as the Art of Positioning, the Art of Writing a Business Plan and the Art of Rainmaking. As the author argues in The Art of the Start, to succeed in getting a new business off the ground, you'd better be able to bring all these arts to bear or it's going to be an uphill struggle.

    The Art of the Start is a great book about entrepreneurship. Kawasaki reveals everything you need to know about building a meaningful organization.

  • This work offers a summary of the book «HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO DA VINCI: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day» by Michael J. Gelb.

    Leonardo da Vinci was undoubtedly a genius in both the arts and the sciences, achieving feats in both arenas that are still astonishing today. However, by analyzing his life and work it's possible to see that a lot of his accomplishments were the result of practical, day-to-day measures, and the right mindset. The Renaissance was one of the most creative, and technologically exciting in history; the modern era is also characterized with technological breakthroughs and innovation.

    Gelb argues persuasively that, therefore, it is appropriate to look to Da Vinci for hints and clues on how to manage change creatively and productively. He guides the reader through Da Vinci's philosophy on life and work, from Curiosita (The Quest for Continuous Learning), to, amongst others, Sfumato (Be Comfortable With Ambiguity) and Dimostrazione (Test Knowledge through Practical Experience). Gelb takes each idea and explains how to implement them into your business life: for example, set a theme for a day, contemplate and write about that theme to come up with goals. Incorporate the phrase «What if..?» into your business strategy. This book shows compellingly that the combination of logical thought and creativity can be extremely powerful.

  • This ebook offers a summary of the book «EXECUTION - THE DISCIPLINE OF GETTING THINGS DONE» by Bossidy and Charan.

    Execution - or more frequently, the lack of execution - is the biggest issue facing businesses today. Execution is the gap between what a company promises and the results it actually achieves. To be able to execute consistently well, a business needs to have in place three key building blocks: leaders who are hands-on and who understand execution, a corporate culture which values execution highly and the right people in the right places.

    In all, execution never just happens by chance. Unless the right people focus on the right details at the right time, execution just won't happen. Great leaders always know how to execute. They expound a corporate vision which is grounded squarely in reality rather than wishes.

  • Este ebook ofrece el resumen del libro "Steve Jobs: La Biografía" por Walter Isaacson (Debate Editorial).

    Steve Jobs fue un visionario y un genio. Si decidía que algo debía realizarse, entonces luchaba para asegurarse que sucediera.
    Durante toda su carrera, vivió y trabajó constantemente en una intersección entre la tecnología y el arte. Con su ingenio, franqueza y una habilidad única para vender y convencer, llevó a los integrantes de su equipo a superarse a sí mismos. Ellos quizá no se percataron al momento, pero con el tiempo, lo amaron por ello. A través de su persistente intensidad, alcanzó su sueño: cambiar el curso de la historia.

    Él creía que las reglas no le aplicaban pues era especial, pero al final marcó la industria de la computación con su sistema completamente integrado, la industria musical con iTunes y el iPod, los medios de comunicación con el iPad, las películas animadas con Pixar y tres generaciones con su visión del futuro.

    En contraposición a sus rivales, él siempre votó por un sistema integrado todo-en-uno en vez de uno abierto. Él insistió en controlar todo, desde la manufactura hasta las ventas.

    Jobs era obsesivo e un incesante loco del control. A pesar de todo, cuando le solicitó a Walter Isaacson escribir su biografía, fue muy claro en manifestar que no supervisaría o leería siquiera alguna parte antes de que fuera publicada, esto era una paradoja a su personalidad. El explicó de forma conmovedora y fiel a su naturaleza brutalmente honesta, que quería que sus hijos lo conocieran, lo entendieran, aún a través de la parte joven de su juventud en la que él no estuvo presente. Tal vez tomó esta decisión para que él (indirectamente) compartiera con el mundo el por qué de su actuar.

  • Cet ebook propose un résumé du livre "Steve Jobs: La Biographie exclusive" de Walter Isaacson, paru aux éditions JC Lattès.

    Steve Jobs fut un génie et un visionnaire. Quand il décidait de réaliser quelque chose, il ne reculait devant rien pour que cela se fasse.
    Tout au long de sa carrière, son travail se situa à la frontière entre la technologie et l'art. Son esprit, son franc-parler et sa capacité unique de convaincre et de vendre poussaient ses collaborateurs à se dépasser. Même s'ils ne s'en rendaient pas compte à l'époque, les membres de son équipe apprirent à l'apprécier. Sa constante persévérance lui a permis de réaliser son rêve : changer le cours de l'histoire.

    Il croyait que les règles ne s'appliquaient pas à lui parce qu'il était spécial, mais il marqua le monde au fer rouge : l'industrie informatique avec son système complet intégré, l'industrie de la musique avec iTunes et iPod, les médias interactifs avec iPad, les films d'animation avec Pixar et trois générations avec sa vision du futur.
    À l'inverse de ses concurrents, il a toujours préconisé les systèmes complets intégrés au lieu des systèmes ouverts. Il voulait avoir le contrôle sur tout, de la fabrication à la vente.

    C'était un obsessionnel, un maniaque du contrôle permanent. Pourtant, lorsqu'il demanda à Walter Isaacson d'écrire sa biographie, il fut très clair qu'il ne superviserait rien et n'en lirait aucun extrait avant la publication. C'était un paradoxe par rapport à sa personnalité. Il expliqua de manière poignante et fidèle à sa nature foncièrement honnête, qu'il voulait que ses enfants le connaissent et le comprennent malgré qu'il n'ait pas été très présent dans leurs jeunes vies. Peut-être prit-il également cette décision pour expliquer au monde de manière indirecte les raisons qui le firent agir.

  • Dieses E-Book bietet Ihnen eine Zusammenfassung des Buches "Steve Jobs: Die autorisierte Biografie des Apple-Gründers" von Walter Isaacson.

    Steve Jobs war ein Visionär und ein Genie. Wenn er eine Entscheidung traf, setzte er alles daran diese in die Tat umzusetzen.

    Während seiner kompletten Laufbahn arbeitet und lebt er an der Schnittstelle zwischen Technologie und Kunst. Mit seinem Witz, seiner Unverblühmtheit und seiner einzigartigen Fähigkeit zu verkaufen und zu überzeugen, brachte er sein Team dazu, über die eigenen Grenzen hinaus zu gehen. Vielleicht haben wir diese Fähigkeit nicht sofort erkannt, sein Team wird ihn jedoch rechtzeitig dafür zu schätzen wissen. Diese Stärke ermöglichte ihm es seinen Traum zu erfüllen: den Lauf der Geschichte grundsätzlich zu beeinflussen.

    Durch seine Außergewöhnlichkeit glaubte er daran, dass die Spielregeln nicht für Ihn gelten und letztendlich veränderte er die Computer Industrie mit seinen völlig vernetzten Systemen; die Musik Industrie mit iTunes und iPod, die Internet Medien durch das iPad, Animationsfilme durch Pixar sowie drei Generationen mit seinen Visionen für die Zukunft.

    Im Gegensatz zu seinen Konkurrenten präferierte Jobs immer „All-in-one« Système gegenüber offenen Systemen. Dabei bestand er darauf über alles Kontrolle zu bewahren, angefangen von der Herstellung bis zum Verkauf.

    Jobs war ein zwanghafter und beständiger Kontroll-freak. Dennoch war ihm klar, dass er die Arbeit von Walter Isaacson vor der Herausgabe weder beaufsichtigen noch lesen konnte. Dies war in Konflikt zu seinem Charakter. Er erklärte auf beeindruckende Weise und mit seiner grausamen Ehrlichkeit, dass seine Kinder Ihn kennen und verstehen sollen da er in ihren jungen Jahren nicht immer für sie da sein konnte. Vielleicht entschied er sich auch dafür um der Welt auf indirektem Weg seine Entscheidungen zu erklären.

    Authors Rodd Wagner and James K. Harter weave the latest Gallup insights with recent discoveries in the fields of neuroscience, game theory, psychology, sociology, and economics. Written for managers and employees of companies large and small, 12 explains what every company needs to know about creating and sustaining employee engagement

  • How Do Companies Create Blockbusters? Do They Know Secrets That Others Don't?

    Great products are the lifeblood of great companies, yet approximately 60 percent of new products fail in the marketplace, after major investments and huge risks. Why? Gary Lynn and Richard Reilly now offer advice that will radically change the way new products are developed and launched: a plan for companies to survive -- and thrive -- in today's competitive and turbulent times. Blockbusters shares the results of a ten-year research study of more than 700 teams illustrated by the inside stories of nearly fifty of the most successful products ever launched -- true "blockbusters," familiar to consumers everywhere. These include Colgate's Total toothpaste (now the market leader after Crest dominated for thirty years!), the Iomega Zip Drive, the Handspring Visor, the PowerShot staple gun, the Polycom SoundStation conference phone, the Apple IIe computer, and many others.

    Lynn and Reilly reveal and explain in detail the five keys to blockbuster success that companies ignore at their peril: the responsibilities of senior management, a compelling vision of the product, the role of prototyping, the collaboration of people under pressure, and the process of information exchange. In this book, the authors prove that without these crucial elements a blockbuster new product is virtually impossible!

    Blockbusters uses both winning and losing case studies to explode established myths and to chart a course for implementing the surprising strategies of history-making development teams. A must for senior managers, entrepreneurs, and team leaders alike -- and for any reader curious about how great products are created -- this heavily researched and groundbreaking book promises to become a classic in the fields of product development and organizational renewal.

  • "This work offers a summary of the book «10 INSIDER SECRETS TO JOB HUNTING SUCCESS: Everything You Need To Get The Job You Want In 24 Hours - Or Less!» by Todd Bermont.

    Based on the responses of over a million employee interviews, Wagner and Hartner have identified 12 fundamental requirements which make a good manager. The authors are closely associated to The Gallup Organization, which conducted the research that underpins these theories. Stating clear common objectives, providing sufficient training, giving appropriate feedback, encouraging personal development and providing opportunities for growth are just a few of the key elements which motivate employees, and foster a healthy working environment. What's more, if people feel valued and encouraged by their managers, this results in a greater loyalty to the employer and a more ambitious work ethic.

    This summary not only provides 12 key principles of management, it also outlines the benefits of good management on a personal and organisational level. Although some of it may seem intuitive, this succinct guide will be truly valuable in bringing together all the elements in your management toolkit in a coherent and synchronised way."

  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a classic of the business genre, and a worldwide bestseller. It's easy to see why: Stephen R. Covey has written a book which is simple yet persuasive, and demonstrates clearly that it's possible for all of us to become more effective whilst expending less time and energy. He moves the reader from dependence, to independence, then interdependence (when others rely on him or her).

    Covey looks at each of the habits in turn, explaining why they are necessary, and how to develop them. One should always be proactive, for example, keep the end goal in sight, and prioritise. Everyone should begin with private victories, then move on to public ones and then work to synergise all parts of their life to create something that is more than the sum of its parts.
    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is based on a compelling premise: that we will succeed more in life if we decide to effect change first within ourselves, then project that change out, rather than let circumstances control us. Covey encourages the reader to be in charge of his or her own life: a message that's inspiring and motivating.

  • This work offers a summary of the book «THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON: Success Secrets of the Ancients» by George S. Clason.

    The Richest Man in Babylon is composed of a collection of parables all taking place in the ancient city of Babylon. The main message of The Richest Man in Babylon is that ahead of any person lies their future with ambitions and dreams and, to fulfill those ambitions and realize those dreams, people need to learn how to be successful with money. This book gives precious guidance and presents basic principles of effective money management.

    George Clason also tells the story of different characters that need to manage household finance. Through these experiences, the reader can identify himself with the situation. Indeed, even if the story happens in ancient times, it contains wisdom which applies to any time in history.

    The Richest Man in Babylon, described as «the most-inspiring book on wealth ever written», is a valuable book for businesspeople, even more specifically for those willing to learn the basics. But it is also very handy for those seeking to acquire timeless financial principles that can help their business thrive.

  • This work offers a summary of "The e-Myth revisited".

    The entrepreneurial myth is that most small businesses are started by entrepreneurs. Not so, says Michael E. Gerber, most are started by technicians who enjoy hands-on work and making new products. Therefore, they are too focused on issues within the business, rather than the business as a whole. Gerber proposes an ingenious solution to this problem: the owner should look upon the business as a prototype that they want to expand in the future. In this way, the company itself becomes the hands-on product.
    In The E-Myth Revisited, Gerber shows how to implement this process, using examples from successful business leaders. As Thomas Watson says, «[w]e didn't do business at IBM, we built one.'' Gerber explains how to develop a franchise mentality, and how much of your resources should be spent on each sector of your business. He suggests what type of management systems should be put in place as your business grows.

    His argument is a simple one: in order to end as a mature company, you must also begin as one, at least in your thinking. The theories and strategies within The E-Myth Revisited have been proved effective by a number of large, successful businesses.

  • This ebook offers a summary of "Made To Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath.

    «Sticky» ideas are those which are highly memorable and exceptionally long-lasting in their impact: it's the ideas that every business would like to develop. Made to Stick analyses «sticky» ideas, finding that, whilst there are no hard-and-fast formulas for developing a sticky idea, there is a short checklist of six principles which most of the successful sticky ideas of the past have tended to use. Sticky ideas are usually simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional and story-based.

    In practical terms, this means that there must be one, central message. In the 1980s, the US Army developed a concept called «Commander's Intent». This means whenever an order is given, there is a crisp, plain-talk statement included which specifies the order's goal. This has been very effective. Try to think in terms of what you want the customer to ask, rather than what information you want ton convey. Images and «fun facts» will also be more powerful than a regurgitating advertising «message». Make an effort to find ways to make your product emotionally appealing.

    Some of these concepts will doubtless be familiar, but Chip and Dan Heath present them together in a coherent structure, with specific examples and clear recommendations. This is a very useful book.





  • This work offers a summary of the book «THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealth» by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko.
    In The Millionaire Next Door, doctors Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko reveal how to join the ranks of America's wealthy.

    Historically, people have tended to assume the keys to accumulating wealth in the United States were: 1. To inherit it from successful parents or relatives; 2. To earn advanced degrees at the best universities and 3. To be smarter or more intelligent than competitors. However, as Stanley and Danko explain in this book, a 20-year study of a group of more than 1,000 real-world millionaires found the keys to building high net worth in the United States were more likely to be fiscal discipline, sacrifice and solid work. According to Stanldy and Danko, anyone who wants to actually achieve financial independence can use this information to realign their lifestyle to incorporate these same keys.

    The Millionaire Next Door is an entertaining book which changes people's lives and increases their net worth.




  • A wonderful summary of the rags to riches story by Richard Tedlow. The book describes Andy Grove's early childhood in war-torn Hungary, and how his departure along with thousands of other refugees landed him in America. From his humble beginnings his career led him to a central position in silicon valley working at Intel. From a young age Andy understood the value of getting an education and was determined to get one even if he could not afford the fees of more prominent institutions. «In 1998, Andy Grove said that 'a lot of what is good in America I learned at City College. They accepted me with respect, without condescension. They gave me a start, and they gave it in a classy way. It's an institution that is crucial to the working of America, and America should be proud of it. I am.'» We learn about the challenges Andy faced during his time at Intel, and the incredible decisions he made with his colleagues when faced with major competitors like IBM. The summary ends with a few key principles that Grove presented to the board of directors at Intel. They in themselves summarize his winning business strategy, making this an interesting read for directors, managers and technology fans.