30 sensible books on business, self-development and creativity that changed my life

A year and a half ago, I accepted the challenge to read 100 books in a year. The adventure did not fully justify itself, since I reread some of the books, but it definitely turned out to be useful. At the end of the last two years, I made a list of books that somehow influenced my life. I made it for myself, but later decided that it would be useful to you too.

A public promise and a group of like-minded people with whom we shared the results helped me to achieve an ambitious goal. Then we did it on the walls of soc. networks, which was not very convenient. Now all these functions are assumed by the SmartProgress target achievement service.

Communication

Skill like it - it's not about looks. The ability to convince is not about the truth. By cleverly building a dialogue, you can get a promotion, a place in the first class of an airplane, and even save your life.

» Turn on the charm according to the method of the special services - Jack Schafer, Marvin Carlins ( link )
The fascinating story of a former FBI agent who, using examples from professional experience, reveals the secrets of effective communication.
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» Argue it! How to convince anyone of anything - Nikita Nepryakhin ( link )
Practical advice on argumentation and persuasion. It is necessary to read thoughtfully, stopping.

» Secrets of great speakers. Speak like Churchill, hang on like Lincoln - James Hums ( link )
Examples of famous speeches, as well as practical advice on their preparation.

Creation

Creativity is one of the few skills that sets us apart from machines. In the 21st century, you need to create something valuable, otherwise your work will be automated.

» How to come up with an idea if you are not Ogilvy - Alexey Ivanov ( link )
Very interesting immersion in the world of advertising. Alexey gives hundreds of examples of well-known advertising campaigns, and also gives practical advice that advertising agencies of the whole world use.

How to write well. A classic guide to creating non-fiction texts - William Zinser ( link )
Excellent book that is useful not only to writers. We constantly write messages, comments, letters and the one who does it correctly differs from others and achieves great results.

» Steal as an artist - Cleon Austin ( link )
A small but capacious book. In her very simple words Austin Cleon teaches the reader to create.

Great Work. How to find inspiration, love your job and start earning
Great book. The name speaks for itself. ( link )

Success stories

It is difficult to apply someone else's experience. From biographical books one should take something else: the principle of thinking, motivation and belief that everything is possible.

Losing innocence. How I built a business, doing everything in my own way and enjoying life - Richard Branson ( link )
The most fascinating biography I have read. In the life of Richard Branson, you can make an adventure film that does not yield to the Pirates of the Caribbean.

» Corporation geniuses. How to manage a team of creative people - Ed Catmell, Amy Wallace ( link )
The first persons of Pixar talk about creating a corporate culture that promotes creativity and the creation of great products. ( link )

Some more books:

» Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson ( link )
» Ilon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the road to the future - Ashley Vance ( link )
» The Everything Store. Jeff Bezos and the era of the Amazon - Brad Stone ( link )

Motivation and development

These books do not contain many practical advice, but they have greatly influenced my career and life in different periods.

" Number 1. How to become the best in what you do - Igor Mann ( link )
Excellent map for the development of personal and professional skills. Igor does not delve into topics, but gives directions for further development.

Be the best version of yourself. How ordinary people become outstanding - Dan Waldschmidt ( link )
I reread it twice. Motivational charge and a strong history of the author forced to rise and start doing something.

" At the limit. A week without self-pity - Eric Bertrand Larssen ( link )
Exhaustive plan for ruthless verification of their forces.

Control

Even if you are not a leader, the ability to manage people will help you to establish yourself as a leader and achieve great results in your career.

» 45 Manager Tattoos - Maxim Batyrev ( link )
Practical advice from the personal experience of managing one of the best managers in Russia. The book attracts not only high-quality content, but also the applicability in our country.

» Remote. Office is not required - Jason Fried, David Heinmeyer Hansson ( link )
Explanatory practical manual for working with remote employees. A book from the authors of "ReWork".

Deadline. A novel about project management - Tom DeMarco ( link )
A very interesting format: the art history of an IT manager, who will have a chance to test several working methods and determine the most effective one.

Business

Not only entrepreneurs should read these books. Business principles are important for everyone to know, as we all are parts of it. And the better we understand this mechanism, the more useful we become for it.

» Rework. Business without prejudice - Jason Fried, David Heinmeyer Hansson ( link )
Gap business template. The authors question popular opinions about doing business and show, using the example of their company, how to achieve results with lower costs.

» Development of value propositions - Alexander Osterwalder ( link )
Deep dive into the essence of the business. The basis of the book is Alexander Ostervalder's well-known business management scheme.

» Myself an MBA - Josh Kaufman ( link )
A strong summary of everything related to the business. Do not read completely, get tired. Better keep it on the table and periodically re-read the various chapters.

Productivity

How to work, earn and enjoy work.

How to put things in order. The Art of Stress-Free Productivity - David Allen ( link )
The most popular book on the organization of personal work. The emphasis is on managing tasks and freeing the head from unnecessary things. I really helped at the start.

» How to work four hours a week - Timothy Ferris ( link )
The author makes a new look at the work. You will understand how to work less and get more. The founder of Layfhaker left Yandex and started a new project after reading this book.

» Get out of your comfort zone. Change your life - Brian Tracy ( link )
A quick reference to popular productivity improvement techniques.

Marketing

The ability to sell your product is very important for business. The ability to sell yourself is important for everyone.

» More money from your business - Alex Levitas ( link )
Great book. Hundreds of practical tips on marketing and sales.

» Marketing without a budget - Igor Mann ( link )
50 working tools to promote the brand with virtually no financial costs.

» Blue Ocean Strategy - Rene Moborne, Kim Wichang ( link )
How to avoid competition and create a new market.

" Delivering happiness." From zero to billion. The history of the creation of an outstanding company - Tony Shay ( link )
This book could be attributed to biographies. Tony Shay (founder of Zappos) shows that customer focus is profitable.

Some more books:

» Customers for life - Carl Sewell, Paul Brown ( link )
» Advertising. Playing on emotions - Alexey Ivanov ( link )

Thanks for reading! It is interesting to know which books have influenced your life.