Amazon.com updates its list of the bestselling books every hour. Here is a snapshot of what is hot right now, this Monday morning, October 25, in the “Business Life” section of the “Business and Investing” category.
1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen R. Covey. A new edition of the author’s principles for solving problems.
2. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths
by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? Do you feel that you are both a person who gets things done and someone who offers penetrating analysis? Well, you can discover whether you are truly an “achiever” or an “analytical” by completing the online quiz. Then, the book will give you “ideas for action” and tips for how best you can work with others. More of a patiencetester than Strengthsfinder, the quiz/book is probably best for those who have lots of time on their hands.
3. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
by Timothy Ferriss. Ferriss isn’t shy about tooting his own horn: He says he “speaks six languages, runs a multinational firm from wireless locations worldwide, and has been a world-record holder in tango, a national champion in kickboxing, and an actor in a hit television series in Hong Kong.” Is this the sort of person you really want to be taking advice from? Anyway, Ferris offers recommendations and resources for everything from eliminating wasted time to oursourcing your job and getting cheap airfare.
4. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. The authors of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
contend that our minds are ruled by two different systems — the rational mind and the emotional mind — that compete for control. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort — but if it is overcome, change can come quickly. In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people — employees and managers, parents and nurses — have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results.
5. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
by David Allen. Methods for reducing stress and increasing performance.
6. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
by Adam Smith. A clearly written account of political economy at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution that is widely considered to be the first modern work in the field of economics. The work is also the first comprehensive defense of free market policies.
7. The Art Of Money Getting
by P. T. Barnum. The world’s greatest showman explains how to get rich through rigourous adherence to 21 timeless principles.
8. How to Live on 24 Hours a Day
by Arnold Bennett. The classic that teaches how to truly live rather than just existing from day to day.
9. As a Man Thinketh
by James Allen. Contains practical philosophy for successful living and serves as a course of action for approaching life in a meaningful manner.
10. Rework
by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. Fried and Hansson argue that plans are actually harmful, you don’t need outside investors, and you’re better off ignoring the competition.
