Books for Business Inspiration

Over the holidays, I caught up on some much needed rest, relaxation, and reading (love my Kindle!) I was looking for inspiration and found it in two books which are now among my personal favorites. I share them with you for encouragement as you begin the New Year and New Decade.

Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod of Gaping Void

Although this book was released a few years ago, I finally got around to reading it and consider the advice timeless. It is worth every bit of positive press it has gotten for MacLeod’s irreverent way of inspiring creativity using his own story of success and art created on the back of business cards. Hugh’s wisdom will kick you in the pants and inspire your imagination. Here are a few gems from the book:

“The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be yours.”

“Good ideas have lonely childhoods.”

“Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on earth to climb.”

“Merit can be bought. Passion can’t.”

“The best way to get approval is not to need it.”

Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change by Jeremy Gutsche of Trend Hunter
Believe everything you have read about this book – it is simply amazing! Some of the 150 points of wisdom were so inspirational; I found myself putting the book down just to absorb the meaning and consider applying the ideas in my business. Best of all, the points were presented with concrete suggestions for spotting trends and applying them with the Trend Hunter Adaptive Innovation Framework. A few of my favorites:

“Don’t become a boiled frog.”

“Exploit crisis to accelerate change.”

“The right questions don’t change as often as the answers do.”

“Make failure a part of every day.”

“Fight the confidence that you know your customer.”

“Convey everything in 7 words or less.”

These two books will stay within handy reach of my desk in 2010 for those moments when I am searching for motivation, inspiration, or renewed enthusiasm. If you’ve read them, let me know your thoughts. What other books do you reach for when searching for business inspiration?