There are millions of books out there and an average person would end up reading not more than a few hundred in their lifetime. Out of these few hundred the one’s that touch their hearts can be counted on their fingers. I try to read at least a book a month apart from couple of articles that I ready daily. After years of following this routine I can safely suggest 2 books every professional should read before they start their careers. I wish I had read them before the start of my career but I am happy to pass this incredibly small list to my audience so that they don’t miss out on the incredible teachings captured in them.
This blog is not a book review. It is a simple expression of gratitude towards the books which helped me shape who I am today and who I want to be in future. Put simply I am just trying to share what I liked in them and why they are important to me.
Book to Build and Maintain you Relationships
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This is a book I read around 15 years back and forgot about it. I don’t know why it left absolutely no impact on me. The teachings in this book are so simple they look like moral science lessons. Perhaps that was the reason I never gave a second look at it. To the young all lesson look like sermons. I was no exception and I was convinced that even though the heart of the book was in the right place, it was not a practical book to follow.
Well what did I know then. Nothing. Result, I made hundreds of mistakes, ones I could have avoided had I taken the teachings of this book to my heart and relentlessly practiced them. I could have saved myself and others incredible amounts of heart burn but that was not to be. I am happy I rediscovered this book before it was too late.
The book is as practical as it gets. I was an idiot to think it was preachy but then I was 15 years less experienced than I am today. It gives you lot of dos and donts to follow when interacting with people. Based on psychological studies and real life application, it tells what works and what doesn’t in a real life situation. Overall its divided into 4 sections namely
- Fundamental Techniques of Handling People
- Six ways to make people like you.
- How to win People to your way of thinking.
- Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Offense or Arousing Resentment
The four sections are situations and challenges any professional will repeatedly face both in their professional and personal lives and it is a sin not to implement the simple methods of getting people to like you, get more out of people and ultimately becoming a leader.
Book to Improve your personal Productivity
Eat the Frog by Brian Tracy
Once you have your heart in the right place it is time to get your hands dirty. If you think personal and professional effectiveness is an area you could improve upon, time management is a skill you could do well with or goal setting can do wonders for your career then this is a must read. Like all great books, it is easy to read and understand but it’s success in your life depends on the implementation of it’s teachings.
Of course nobody gets a PhD on the first day of their school, neither did I nor will you. It will take practice and persistence but it is bound to give results. The most simple yet important teaching of taking up the most important task of your job first thing in the morning and doing it for at least a few hours is something missing from most of the professionals’ daily routine. The author calls this task a frog because it is challenging, ugly and usually takes a long time to do. He insists that you eat it first thing in the morning, figuratively.
There are 20 other teachings which will help any professional gain efficiency and proficiency in their field of work. I have loved all the these teachings and hope to implement as many as possible and encourage you all to also start working on them. If we are professionals why not aim to be the best and this books teaches you how to become one.
I would love to know if you have read any, both or none of these books and what you thought about them. Please leave your comments in the Leave A Reply box below.
