Summer Reading: Oldies But Goodies

By Rosalind Resnick

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Despitethe potshots I often take at self-help business books, the truth is that Imyself am a business book junkie and have been for as long as I can remember.If I've got 15 minutes in the airport between planes, you can probably find me in the airport book store looking for the next hot read.

Hereare three of my all-time favorites:

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber

According to Gerber, the reason most small businesses fail (or fail to grow) isbecause most business owners are technicians, not CEOs. In other words, theycan bake a cake but they can't run a bakery. Gerber's solution is to teachentrepreneurs how to be managers--that is, to set goals and delegate work so they can build sustainable and scalable businesses. A great book forbusiness owners who find themselves trapped on the treadmill!

The7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

First published in 1990, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.Leadership expert Stephen Covey believes that true success comes from balancingpersonal and professional effectiveness and teaches his readers how to takethese success strategies and turn them into everyday habits. The keys tosuccess: Time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactivemuscles" (taking the initiative rather than reacting) and more. If you'vedecided it's time to shift your paradigm, this book's for you!

TheAlchemistby Paolo Coelho

Not really a business book (but one of my favorite inspirationalstories), The Alchemist tells the tale of a young Spanish shepherd who journeysthrough North Africa in search of a treasure and discovers the Personal Legendthat will change his life. Why is it that the treasure we seek is always back where we started? Toss this book in your bag before you head out to the beach!

Rosalind Resnick is a New York-based freelance writer, entrepreneur, investor and author of The Vest Pocket Consultant's Secrets of Small Business Success.

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