Reading list for Aug-2011

Need to utilize the remaining few days to complete the following two books:


Enchantment: The Art of Changing Heart, Minds and Actions
I love Guy Kawasaki. His insights on several facets of the industry conveyed through his popular blog and through a series of books have been very very useful for me in my professional era. I used to think that his Art of The Start is his best book. But Enchantment beats it.  

How do companies such as Apple create such enchanting products? And how do some people always seem to enchant others? According to Guy, anyone can learn the art of enchantment.  It transforms situations and relationships, turns cynics into believers and changes hearts and minds. This book explains all the tactics you need to enchant. Kawasaki's lessons are drawn from his tenure at Apple, as well as his decades of experience as an entrepreneur. Few people in the world are more qualified to teach you how to enchant.

If you are too busy to read this wonderful book, please find time to see Guy's lecture in Stanford on this very subject. 

Anything You Want

Best known for creating CD Baby, the most popular music site for independent artists, founder Derek Sivers chronicles his “accidental” success and failures into this concise and inspiring book on how to create a multi-million dollar company by following your passion. In Anything You Want, Sivers details his journey and the lessons learned along the way of creating CD Baby and building a business close to his heart. “[Sivers is] one of the last music-business folk heroes,” says Esquire magazine. His less-scripted approach to business is refreshing and will educate readers to feel empowered to follow their own dreams. Aspiring entrepreneurs and others trying to make their own way will be particularly comforted by Sivers straight talk and transparency -a reminder that anything you want is within your reach.

Reading list for July-2011

I took life easy in June and July, being in the maintenance mode and doing only the bare minimum things just to sustain. Which meant, even my favorite pastime, reading, also came to a stand still. I just managed to read the following books (and even forgot to update the reading list, the only thing in this blog lately). Things are changing, though.



The Power of Full Engagement - Managing Energy, Not Time, Is The Key To High Performance and Personal Renewal - Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
This book has practical advise on managing energy for superior performance. The methodology is grounded in author's experience of working with great athletes (likes of Pete Sampras) for 25 years in helping achieve top notch performance under extreme pressures. This book talks of the following things:
· Mobilize four key sources of energy(physical, emotional, mental and spiritual)
· Balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal
· Expand capacity in the same systematic way that elite athletes do
· Create highly specific, positive energy management rituals
It proved to be an interesting read and with immediate applications. 





Believe in Yourself - Joseph Murphy

Dr. Joseph Murphy was the author of The Power of your Subconscious Mind. In Believe in Yourself, Dr. Murphy shows you how the power of believing in yourself will help you achieve your dreams. He illustrates his points with wonderful stories about how inventors, writers, artists, and entrepreneurs have used this power to reach the highest of heights. Though interesting and useful, its a tough read compared to his celebrated book The Power of your Subconscious Mind. It would need another read to understanding deeply so that the principles can be put to use.