Every so often I\u2019ll be chatting with someone and mention a book that I loved or that seems appropriate for them. I\u2019m always startled when the response is, \u201cI don\u2019t read much.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
Why would anyone deprive themselves of the pleasure, ideas, information and inspiration that can be found in books?\u00a0<\/p>\n
During a time when I was wondering if I\u2019d ever figure out what to do with my life, it was a book that lit the way. One evening years ago, I read a short newspaper article about two women who had started their own business using their natural talents and imagination to create a successful enterprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next day, I went to the bookstore and found their only copy of Supergirls: The Autobiography of an Outrageous Business<\/em><\/strong> by Claudia Jessup and Genie Chipps. Their story became my handbook.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although I ultimately started a very different business from the one they\u2019d created, I gleaned so many lessons from their story.\u00a0<\/p>\n They started on a shoestring. So did I. They got lots of free publicity. Me too. They evolved into a very different business over time. That\u2019s what happened to me.<\/p>\n I still wonder if I would have found my entrepreneurial spirit without that book to point me in the right direction. What I know for sure is that books have made a continuous contribution to my growth and development as a person and as an entrepreneur.<\/p>\n In Tim Sanders’ \u00a0book Love is the Killer App<\/em><\/strong>, he speaks passionately about the importance of books. Here\u2019s what he has to say:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s another 80\/20 rule: Spend 80 percent of your time on books and 20 percent on articles and newspapers. And by books, I don\u2019t mean just any book. I mean hardcovers. A paperback is made to be read. A hardcover is made to be studied. There\u2019s a huge difference.<\/em><\/p>\n True, hardcovers are more expensive. But I\u2019m talking about your career. If you can afford to party, or to buy new techno-gadgets, or to eat in fancy restaurants, you can afford a few hardcover books. The books you read today will fuel your earning power tomorrow.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0Simply put, hardcover books are the bomb. They are fun to hold. They become personal the first time you mark them up, the first time you bend back the binding. There\u2019s something exciting about writing down the ideas that interest you. Soon your book becomes more than just pages between covers. It becomes your ticket to success.<\/em><\/p>\n The ability to transfer knowledge is a huge advantage for anyone struggling to succeed in the new economy. It\u2019s an easy skill to learn, it\u2019s simple to facilitate, and there are more good books than you will ever be able to use, which means that the resources are unlimited. In fact, it\u2019s so easy that there\u2019s no reason why you shouldn\u2019t start now.<\/em><\/p>\n Buy a book. Carry it with you. Its power is so great that you will feel as though you were carrying plutonium in a briefcase.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0Jim Rohn was a popular speaker who frequently encouraged his audiences to take up reading if they want to succeed. “Skip a meal if you must, but don’t miss a book.”<\/p>\n Why? \u201cThe only thing worse than not reading a book in the last ninety days,\u201d said Rohn, \u201cis not reading a book in the last ninety days and thinking it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every so often I\u2019ll be chatting with someone and mention a book that I loved or that seems appropriate for them. I\u2019m always startled when the response is, \u201cI don\u2019t read much.\u201d \u00a0 Why would anyone deprive themselves of the pleasure, ideas, information and inspiration that can be found in books?\u00a0 During a time when…<\/p>\n