The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

In this brilliant book, Josh Waitzkin provides tremendous insights into what it takes to be successful in the world of intense competition as well as in life in general.  Waitzkin started playing chess at the age of 6 and by the age of 9 had already won a National Championship title.  By the age of 16 he had won several National Championships and had become an International Chess Master.  Waitzkin then transitioned his passion to Push Hands, the martial form of Tai Chi, and by age 27 had won two World Championship Titles.  The Art of Learning shows you step by step all the inspirational insights that Josh gained as he went through the learning process both as a child prodigy developing his chess skills and as an adult starting on a brand new discipline.  For a more detailed review of this excellent book, please see the articles The Art of Learning and Success Insights from a World Champion: Josh Waitzkin.

Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

If you ever dreamt of becoming your own boss and starting your own business but you have always wondered what it is really like to start a company, this is the book for you.  Jessica Livingston interviews some of the most important entrepreneurs in the technology business and reveals the initial start-up phase of companies like Adobe, Apple, Hotmail, Lotus, Paypal, Six Apart, Yahoo, and many more.  What you get is a direct account of what it takes to start a company: the triumphs and the challenges, the lucky breaks and the frustrations, the successes and the failures.  This is not a theoretical or academic book about how to be an entrepreneur.  This is a taste of reality coming from the very people that lived taking a company from conception to full operation.  There are many interesting lessons in this book, many of which challenge conventional wisdom about business plans, venture capitalists, how business ideas are developed, etc.  If you are planning on becoming an entrepreneur this is a must read.

Wikinomics – How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything by Don Tapscott  RECOMMENDED

Dap Tapscott has done a great job capturing how key social, technological and economic trends are shaping the beginning of the 21st century.  Global mass collaboration is changing the way goods and services are being produced using the input from hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of contributors from around the world.  This allows companies to tap the best brains in the world using an efficient model based on technological advances made possible by the internet and the most recent web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs and social networks.  Understanding these important trends is paramount to your success in your career or business.  For more information see the articles Wikinomics and Global Mass Collaboration – The Next Frontier.

Sly Moves by Sylvester Stallone  RECOMMENDED

Do you ever wonder how Sylvester Stallone stays in such great shape and overcomes the fitness challenges that come with age?  In Sly Moves – My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power and Live your Dream, Stallone describes every detail of his workout routine and nutritional program.  Stallone learned the secrets of staying in great shape the hard way, so he can tell you what works and what does not work based on his own experience.  He achieved great success in preparing for the demanding roles of Rocky and Rambo, but he is the first to admit that sometimes he went overboard to get the right look for those roles.  If you want to know how he achieved the Rocky / Rambo physique you will learn it in the book.  But this is not a book for bodybuilders.  This is a book for everyday guys and gals that just want to stay in shape and live a healthy life.  Like his character Rocky Balboa, Stallone is a great inspiration to those that want to learn how to overcome setbacks and live their dreams.  By the way, if you are a Rocky fan, check out the article Ten Success Lessons from a Champion, Rocky Balboa.

The Psychology of Winning by Dennis Waitley  RECOMMENDED

The Psychology of Winning is a great little book covering the 10 qualities of winners.  This is the type of book that you will want to read not just once, but several times, reviewing the concepts and applying them to your day to day life.  It is particularly a good book to review when you have a disappointment and need some encouragement. The most important message in the book is that what matters is not what happens to you in life, but how you react to what happens to you.  You can’t control the cards that you are dealt, but you can control your attitude and your willingness to make the best play you can possibly make with those cards.

The Richest Man in Babylon  by George S. Clason RECOMMENDED

This little treasure is a classic book on wealth building, full of wisdom that you can read very quickly.  The book’s story is set in ancient times, and the secrets of the richest man in Babylon are revealed.  It is amazing how the basic concepts of wealth building can stand the test of time.  Secrets that worked thousands of years ago can still be applied today.  The book teaches you about the importance of paying yourself first.  It teaches you that every dollar saved is like having a person working for you (or slaves in those days).  It also teaches about learning a trade and leveraging that as the starting point for building wealth. All the fundamentals of personal financial planning, including having a budget, investing, reducing risk, buying a home, saving for retirement, and increasing you earnings ability, are as good financial advices today as they were in ancient times.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill    RECOMMENDED

Great books tend to stand the test of time.  This is another one of those books.  This book was originally written in the early 1900’s during the depression, but what was valid then is still valid today.  Napoleon Hill does a great job describing important concepts that you should learn in order to not only become rich, but also to be successful in whatever endeavor you choose to pursue in life.  It teaches that desire is the very first step to riches, and to achieving anything of value.  It emphasizes the power of the mind, and how ideas can be transformed into wealth.  It also teaches the importance of faith, auto-suggestion, and persistence.  This is a classic personal development book that should be studied by anyone who is serious about becoming sucessful.  If you enjoy this book you will also enjoy its companion eBook The Hidden Secret in Think and Grow Rich.

How to Think Like a CEO by D.A. Dalton   RECOMMENDED

If you want to reach the top job in the corporate world, you need to learn from the people that have already reached that level.  Dalton did extensive research and interviews with many CEOs and describes the 22 vital traits that helped them reach the top, so that you can benefit from their wisdom and experience.  The same qualities that you need to become a CEO can be applied to many other jobs and other pursuits in life.  This book is more than just how to think like a CEO, it is a book on how to be successful in your career.  For a more detailed discussion on this subject and a list of the 22 vital traits  required to be the person at the top see the article Corporate Career Success – How to Become CEO.