Everything about books

If you're planning to start your own business, you are about to enter a whole new world full of highs, lows and numerous challenges at every corner.

You could do with all the help you can to figure out how to get to the heart of the matter, clear obstacles, build relationships and push your start-up to success.

Here are seven books, we believe, every aspiring entrepreneur should read before starting up.

1. Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin

You're either a Purple Cow or you're not. You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice, Seth Godin writes.

The checklist of tired 'P's marketers have used for decades to get their product noticed -- Pricing, Promotion, Publicity, to name a few -- aren't working any more.

There's an exceptionally important 'P' that has to be added to the list. It's Purple Cow.

Cows, after you've seen one, or two, or ten, are boring.

A Purple Cow, though…would be something. Purple Cow describes something phenomenal, something counter-intuitive and exciting and flat out unbelievable.

Every day, consumers come face to face with a lot of boring stuff -- a lot of brown cows-but you can bet they won't forget a Purple Cow. And it's not a marketing function that you can slap on to your product or service.

Purple Cow is inherent. It's built right in, or it's not there. Period. In Purple Cow, Seth Godin urges you to put a Purple Cow into everything you build, and everything you do, to create something truly noticeable. It's a manifesto for marketers who want to help create products that are worth marketing in the first place.

2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R Covey

Even after decades since it was published, this book is full of wisdom and ideas that every entrepreneur could do with.

This book has been a top-seller for the simple reason that it ignores trends and pop psychology for proven principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity.

Celebrating its fifteenth year of helping people solve personal and professional problems, this special anniversary edition includes a new foreword and afterword written by Covey exploring the question of whether the 7 Habits are still relevant and answering some of the most common questions he has received over the past 15 years.

The book first introduces the concept of Paradigm Shift and prepares the reader for a change in mindset.

It helps the reader understand that a different perspective exists, a viewpoint that may be different from his or her own, and asserts that two people can see the same thing and yet differ with each other.

Once the reader is prepared for this, it introduces the seven habits.

Covey presents an approach to being effective in attaining goals by aligning oneself to what he calls "true north" principles of a character ethic that he presents as universal and timeless.

Former US President Bill Clinton read the book and invited to counsel him on how to integrate the book into his presidency.

3. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B Cialdini, PhD

People skills are very important for an entrepreneur to succeed. For that he needs to master persuasion.

Getting people to say yes is one of the most challenging tasks an entrepreneur has to undergo.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion explains the entire psychology behind why people say yes and how to make them say it.

Dr Robert Cialdini presents us with his experience of 35 years of research and the three years of extensive study on this subject where the author applied for jobs at various organisations to get a first-hand experience of real-life situations involving persuasion.

The six universal principles which are the key to master the skill of persuasion are explained in detail.

It also provides the reader tips and tricks to defend oneself against a persuader.

These principles are designed in such a way that it can be used by people in all professions and also their personal lives.

This book also serves as a guide to people for bringing about personal changes in themselves and behavioural changes in those who need it the most.

4. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

It is hard to believe that a self-help book written close to 100 years ago can still be relevant today.

Since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 15 million copies.

It is packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

In it, he shares valuable insights about how to read, charm and influence people and couples them with historical anecdotes.

Thought leaders like Warren Buffet called it a life-changing read.

Warren Buffett took the Dale Carnegie course 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' when he was 20 years old, and to this day has the diploma in his office.

It's been reported that Charles Manson used what he learned from the book in prison to manipulate women into killing on his behalf.

5. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

This is one of the best books that will help you assess your aspirations and strategise.

In Outliers, Gladwell examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success.

To support his thesis, he examines the causes of why the majority of Canadian ice hockey players are born in the first few months of the calendar year, how Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates achieved his extreme wealth, how The Beatles became one of the most successful musical acts in human history, how Joseph Flom built Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom into one of the most successful law firms in the world.

Gladwell also explores how cultural differences play a large part in perceived intelligence and rational decision making, and how two people with exceptional intelligence, Christopher Langan and J. Robert Oppenheimer, end up with such vastly different fortunes.

Throughout the publication, Gladwell repeatedly mentions the "10,000-Hour Rule", claiming that the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours.

6. Rework by Jason Fried and David Hansson

Rework shows you a better, faster, easier way to succeed in business.

Read it and you’ll know why plans are actually harmful, why you don’t need outside investors, and why you're better off ignoring the competition.

The truth is, you need less than you think.

You don't need to be a workaholic. You don't need to staff up. You don't need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don't even need an office.

Those are all just excuses.

What you really need to do is stop talking and start working. This book shows you the way.

You'll learn how to be more productive, how to get exposure without breaking the bank, and tons more counter-intuitive ideas that will inspire and provoke you.

With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who's ever dreamed of doing it on their own.

Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs they hate, victims of downsizing, and artists who don't want to starve any more will all find valuable guidance in these pages.

Author Seth Godin endorses it as one of his favourite books.

7. The Start-Up Playbook by David S Kidder

In this, Kidder interviews hundreds of glorified founders asking them about their path to success and how they managed to build their multi-million (or billion) dollar enterprises.

Going insider to insider with unprecedented access, Kidder, shares the hard-hitting experiences of some of the world's most influential entrepreneurs and CEOs, revealing their most closely held advice.

Face-to-face interviews with 40 founders give readers key insights into what it took to build PayPal, LinkedIn, AOL, TED, Flickr, and many others into household names.

Special sections include topics ranging from how to select the right idea to pursue to finding funding and overcoming inevitable obstacles.

In an economy demanding change, The Startup Playbook is the go-to book for entrepreneurs big and small.

The book is divided into mini chapters and offers invaluable advice on how to avoid pitfalls, scale responsibly, develop quality products, find innovative solutions and target the right audience.

All these seven books have powerful entrepreneurial know-how that has worked for countless entrepreneurs. Try them and tell us what you think.

What Young India Wants, the latest book by Chetan Bhagat, may not be very precise for many of the older generation, but the author definitely seems to know what young readers of India would be thrilled reading. There are several books, articles and even tweets by Bhagat, which have touched the hearts of people. No wonder, most of these are bestsellers and many of them have been made into blockbuster Bollywood movies. The author has received much appreciation and his books have been read both by avid readers and also by people who typically don’t pick up a book to read.

Top 5 Must-Read Books By Chetan Bhagat

Three Mistakes of My Life – This story is based on friendship and has been made into the movie Kai Po Che. However, it is a totally different experience reading the book, which described locations, feelings and mental turmoil in great detail. Three mistakes of my life is all about coming-of-age of three friends who have big dreams. Of course, the mistakes come too, with great elaboration that can be related to by a lot of men today and maybe for generations to come. It does relate to all the challenges that a person in India faces. The characters Ish, Omi and Govind come to life in Chetan Bhagat’s casual narrative.

Five Point Someone – This is the book that started it all. It is the story of three friends who have always thought of themselves as being academically at the top all their lives. But when they end up in the engineering institute of their dreams, they find themselves being only the average among the best. One is never prepared for life at the IITs. Five point someone is the story of the survival of the fittest, with some hiccups and survival strategies explained to the youth. The story is based on college life and is an interesting read. Even if you’ve watched Three Idiots, you would not have gained the insight that this book would give you.

2 States – India is a mix of different cultures that somehow manage to coexist. This is a book that describes the contrasts in cultures and how people who are in love are able to overcome cultural differences. 2 States is funny and the writing style makes it a pleasurable read. Many couples who have had mixed marriages would be able to relate to this book. 2 States was made into a movie by the same name in 2014. People have enjoyed the book even after watching the movie.

One Night at the Call Center – If you believe in spirituality as well as the hectic lifestyle of today, you would not be disappointed with this book. Do not judge the book by the movie, which is unable to convey the essence of the story. One Night at call center is a story of employees at a call center and how they confront their shadows and get a call from God. There have been books where the devil has tried to teach a lesson as an avatar. However, God taking the shape of a caller at a call center was unheard off. This is one of the strong points of the story.

Revolution 2020 – It is a beautiful take on corruption, with a youthful angle. This is one of Chetan Bhagat’s serious works. You might find it running a little low on the fun factor but it has its moments. The story of Gopal, Ragav and Aarthi narrated by the protagonist sounds realistic. The best part about the Revolution 2020 is the confrontation with the thin line between what is good for everyone and what is good for one. Everyday youngsters deal with this dilemma and sometimes a book like this just might be able to make them realize it.

Hello Readers, I have found an amazing slideshare which I think everybody should have  look at it. It is about 7 Books you must read before you turn 21!

1) Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

What is that one thing which makes a particular thing valuable? May be it’s the effort put in to gain that thing which makes it so valuable in an individual life. Veronika Decides to Die is story of one such woman who gets everything in life easily and so bored about it that she decides to die. But still survives.. After which how she learns to appreciate smaller things in life instead of achieving  those big things.

2) Who Moved My Cheese... by Spencer Johnson

Adaptability is one of the prime components to be a successful  person. Who Moved my Cheese  is a story of 4 characters i.e sniff , scurry, hem and haw basically struggling to make sure they never run out of their commodities for which they have to think and act fast.

3) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Agoraphobia is most common problem people face. Charlie, the protagonist suffers with the same and The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story which explains the importance of participating in life rather than being a bystander.  

4)  Stardust by Neil Gaiman

 Stardust by Neil Gaiman is story of fairy girl who is trapped in a bird’s body with thin chains of gold fastened to her ankles, a gypsy witch, a princess, and a magical land.

 5) The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh

The Calcutta Chromosome is story of reincarnations, demi Gods and eternal life, The main plot of the story runs through India and New york and becomes more interesting with every page

6) Toba Tek Singh: Stories by Saadat Hasan Manto

Toba Tek Singh: Stories by SaadatHasanManto is book about 10 different stories of lost identities, careless killing, rape, separations of families, compromises in love, and the repercussions of the general unrest among people are hard to read without shedding a tear.

7) Bossypants by Tina Fey

Bossypants is an autobiography of Tina Fey who is hollywood comedian/writer taking you through her experiences about what it takes to be most hilarious woman in hollywood.

The first book of the Shiva Trilogy series by Amish Tripathi, Immortals of Meluha, has received a broadly positive response not only from readers but also from critics. This work of mytho-fiction uses fictional settings and incidences to bring to us a new perspective of the revered Lord Shiva. Shiva is probably the most fascinating among the Indian gods, loved as much as feared by his devotees. Meluha is among the most probable names used in ancient times for the Indus Valley Civilisation.

 

About Immortals of Meluha

Set in 1900 BC, the book revolves around the people of Meluha, who do not age with time and live for hundreds of years. Immortals of Meluha chronicles the rise of Shiva, who transforms from a Tibetan tribal leader to the Guardian Angel of the Suryavanshis. On realizing that his empire is under great threat from the  Chandravanshis, the king of Meluha calls upon a Tibetan tribe to help fight the enemies. The tribe, lead by the fearless warrior Shiva, has to confront the Nagas, a group of heinous and deformed people who are masters at martial arts. The people of Meluha have great hopes from Shiva and come to believe that he is Lord Shiva.

 

Shiva, the fearsome warrior and consummate dancer, becomes the fabled Neelkanth saviourof the Suryavanshi way of life. In the quest to fulfil his destiny, Shiva makes friends, falls in love and antagonizes people by his unconventional outlook and methods. Read about how he is helped and guided by mysterious figures in the intriguing book Immortals of Meluha.

 

About Amish Tripathi, the Author of Immortals of Meluha

Born in 1974, Amish Tripathi is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata (IIM-K) and has 14 years of experience in the financial services industry. According to Amish, he was a bored banker. He soon took the spiritual route and read extensively on Indian mythology, different societies and philosophies. Amish Tripathi was intrigued by what is considered evil and the presence of this within every man. For instance, the word ‘Devas’ is used by the people of Turkey to refer evil, whereas in India this word symbolises god. Similar was the case with the word Asuras. Amish Tripathi found his calling in writing and decided to write about evil. He realized, however, that such writing may not be popular, and consequently turned to the destroyers of evil in Indian mythology. In this realm, who best to write about than Lord Shiva? In Amish’s view, the gods of Indian mythology are not figments of rich imagination, but were humans who did larger-than-life acts.

 

Amish authored two more books in the same series - The Secret of the Nagas and Oath of the Vayuputras. These books, along with Immortals of Meluha form the Shiva Trilogy. Amish married to Preeti Vyas and has a son named Neel Tripathi.

 

Popularity of Immortals of Meluha

Seeing the huge commercial success of Immortals of Meluha, it seems difficult to believe that almost 40 publication houses rejected the manuscript. Finally, the book was published in February 2010; and in less than six months it had sold around 45,000 copies across India. By October 2013, more than two million copies were sold of the Shiva Trilogy, which became the fastest selling book series in the history of Indian publishing.

 

Immortals of Meluha is definitely a page turner and a must read. The book has a little bit of history, fantasy and mythology, all written in a very easy style. People have found the book to be captivating and have found it difficult to put it down once they start reading.