1- The Richest Man in Babylon
George Samuel Clason supposedly began writing The Richest Man in Babylon in 1926 as a series of financial advice pamphlets distributed at banks. The most popular of these pamphlets ultimately were compiled into the book, which explains the somewhat lose relationship between each of the chapters which are more or less laid out as a series of short stories, or parables.
This book may not be for everyone. The writing is almost in a biblical “King James” syntax and as such could get quite old very quickly for some people. However, I do find it refreshing to read a book that dispenses practical information with fictional stories.
Each of the stories that Clason shares try to divulge a handful of key points. Namely, from each of your paycheques, pay your expenses, put some money towards savings and debt and finally pay yourself. He also urges making wise investments and working hard.
It’s fundamental stuff for sure, but it contains some entertaining stories and some of the footnotes are incredibly interesting. At one point Classon discusses debt and slavery in a historical perspective and how “slavery” was initially a form of debt repayment. The one parable, “The Luckiest Man in Babylon,” is written from the perspective of a character who works himself out of slavery and becomes a very successful man. If nothing else, this one chapter alone is worth a read.
2 - Think and Grow Rich
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill was first published in 1937 but since then has had many new editions – reprinting, abridged and revised editions … The version I read was the 2004 revised and expanded edition that includes an incredible amount of extra “21st century” commentary from Dr. Arthur R. Pell. Scouring the reviews over at Amazon, there seems to be a lot of negative feedback regarding Pell’s editorial comments, but I quite enjoyed them.
In this book, Napoleaon Hill discusses the result of hundreds of interviews he conducted with wealthy, successful people, in an attempt to determine the factors (personal attributes and habits) that lead these individuals to the success they ultimately find. The successful individuals whom he interviews include the likes of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, John D. Rockefeller, George Eastman, William Wrigley Jr. and Charles M. Schwab. The epic investment of time and effort that Hill undertakes in order to determine the successful characteristics of these people is the result of a task asked of him by Andrew Carnegie. One thing that I didn’t care too much for was Hill’s constant reference to what he called, “the secret”. Presumably there is no such “secret” but instead is drive, determination and the combination of the key success factors that the book describes. Hill never really specifies.
Overall, all of Hills comments about various individuals are not only fascinating but are exceptionally motivating and despite having been (mostly) written years ago, are absolutely still applicable to today. As I mentioned, in the revised edition, the editor takes great care in adding more relevant commentary. I strongly urge that if you read this book, pick up the latest revised edition that has these additional comments.
Note that the original book is in public domain and the full text can be found online. Here is one resource.
3 - Jonathan Livingston Seagull
I have read this book many times. Many, many times… In fact, it’s practically a yearly occurrence. The first time I read Jonathan Livingston Seagull was in grade 12. I remember a teacher handing me the hundred-odd page book and suggesting that I might enjoy it. It was the end of first period at that point. I decided to read the first couple of pages and I was instantly hooked. I simply couldn’t put it down. I actually brought the book to my next class that day and to my teachers’ dismay, read throughout the lecture. Being such a short book, I was done by the end of that class, but my mind certainly hadn’t finished processing the whole thing.
To this day it remains my favourite story. Jonathan Seagull (who is a seagull) gets tired of the day in day out life that seagulls live and is constantly exploring the boundaries of his capabilities, incessantly wondering why the other seagulls in his group are so content with their simple lives. The story unravels through Jonathan’s attempts to overcome criticism, rejection, defeat and pushing himself past impossibilities, constantly attempting to push and reach his goals.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull is one of several Richard Bach books that are absolutely fantastic (Illusions is another) and if you haven’t read his work yet, trust me when I say that Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a must read.
4 – Unlimited Power
I picked this book up on a recommendation from a friend. I honestly didn’t know much about Anthony Robbins before getting this book, but it didn’t take long before my wife began criticizing me for quoting him and his methods far too often. The thing that separates this book from any other self-help book that I’ve read is Robbins’ uncanny ability to put basic psychological principles to use and make them seem incredibly applicable.
Ultimately he discusses techniques to “reprogram” the brain in order to be successful. This involves things such as visualization and modeling after others. Robbins also discusses principles of influence and how to successfully work with others. In fact, Unlimited Power provides a wealth of information to give the reader just that – unlimited power to overcome obstacles, attain goals and gain the upper hand in relationships with others. The book is loaded with great stuff. Definitely a recommended read.
5 - Influence – the Psychology of Persuasion
This is likely the most fascinating book that I’ve read in a long time. “Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini is an amazingly well written book about influence. Cialdini, a porfessory of psychology, delves into the key principles of what causes people to be influenced into beliefs or action and supplements everything with super interesting anecdotes from the three years he spent “undercover” observing real life situations of persuasion.
Each chapter covers one of six key principles or rules of persuasion – reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity. I constantly found myself picking up on each of these practically as soon as I read about them. Perhaps it was because I was on vacation down south at the time I read this, but I almost found it absurd how often I could identify someone else attempting to apply some influence techniques on me.
Definitely because of it’s fascinating stories and studies and because Cialdini writes so that his ideas and research are incredibly easy to understand, “Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion” is a must read for anyone interested in the subject and a book that I would highly suggest to anyone who uses influence techniques for work.
