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Best Business Book Reviews By Paul Simister

Trend Following 101 by JB Marwood

The full title of this book by JB Marwood is

Trend Following 101: A Concise Guide To Trading Long And Short“.

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means I consider the book to be good.

Here is my book review.

A good introduction to trend following

The book title promises a concise guide and that’s what you get.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of having a system for investment then beware of looking too deeply into this before you’ve mastered the basic concepts because it can get extraordinarily complicated. [continue reading…]

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Google AdWords by Ray L. Perry and Phil Singleton

The full title of this book by Ray L. Perry and Phil Singleton is

Google AdWords: Proven Strategies & Tips for Better Pay Per Click Advertising“.

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave this book a rating of Four Stars. This means I consider it to be good.

Her is my book review.

Good 2016 guide to AdWords but already out of date

This book is written by two Duct Tape Marketing consultants (Duct Tape Marketing is an excellent book or small business owners ).

Although it was published in 2016, Google have made significant changes in the way the ads are shown (no right hand column ) and they have made the ads themselves significantly larger which puts more emphasis on copywriting. [continue reading…]

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Investing Through the Looking Glass by Tim Price

The full title of this book by Tim Price is

Investing Through the Looking Glass: A rational guide to irrational financial markets“.

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave this book a rating of Four Stars. This means I consider it to be good.

Here is my book review.

A good book about the difficulties of investing in a QE/ZIRP distorted world

his book is very readable as it looks at the problems with the economic and investment worlds before going on to look at possible investment solutions.

I’ve read quite a few books that look at the Great Financial Crisis from 2007/8 and the aftermath. Whilst this repeats some of the issues, it casts its net wider, going all the way back to the Roman Empire and how various emperors undermined and then destroyed their money. [continue reading…]

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The Orgasm Effect by Charlie Hutton and Emma Hutchinson

The full title of this book by Charlie Hutton and Emma Hutchinson is

The Orgasm Effect: The Business Owners Guide to Get Customers Screaming…Yes, Yes, YES!“.

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means I think it is good.

Here is my book review.

A good book with Dan Kennedy / Frank Kern style ideas of direct response marketing

This is a risky title so it may be better on Kindle. I’ve had to hide another marketing book I bought a couple of weeks ago called “Getting Naked” for fear of giving people the wrong impression.

In my coaching I often talk about the 5 Ms of Marketing – market, message, media, measurement and mindset. This is one of the few marketing books that tackles mindset issues and as a book about direct response, measurement is heavily featured too. So many books focus almost entirely on the media, the way the message reaches the potential customers. [continue reading…]

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Will It Fly? by Pat Flynn – 5 Stars

The full title of this book by Pat Flyinn is

Will It Fly?: How to Test Your Next Business Idea So You Don’t Waste Your Time and Money“.

In my review posted on Amazon.co,uk, I gave the book a rating of FIVE STARS. This means it is one of the few books I consider to be excellent.

Here is my book review.

An excellent guide to test-driving your new business before the blood, sweat and tears start to flow

This is a super book to help you assess your exciting idea for a new business before you fully commit to it.

Whilst many of the ideas can be carried across to the physical world, it’s particularly suitable for information marketing and app/software development. [continue reading…]

in 2 – Your Inner Game, Best Business Books

Face It & Fix It by Mac Attram

The full title of this book by Mac Attram is

Face It & Fix It: How to Avoid Disaster and Turn Around Your Small Business“.

In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means that I consider it to be good.

Here is my book review.

A practical book that looks at the causes of business failure

This is a good, practical, wide – ranging book that looks at 43 different causes of business failure.

It then tells a few stories where businesses found themselves in trouble and through effective action, turned themselves around. [continue reading…]

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Why 5% Succeed by Elaine Starling with Gina Robison-Billups

The full title of this book by Elaine Starling and Gina Robison-Billups is

Why 5% Succeed: The 5 Principles of Predictable Profit“.

In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a four stars rating. This means I think it is good.

Here is my book review.

Business advice for women. An innovative system but it requires different thinking

As a man, I’m not the target market for this book which is very much focused on helping women succeed in business.

I’ve read and reviewed a similar book in the past “The Chic Entrepreneur” which I thought was really effective because it gave business lessons through stories.

This also has plenty to offer but it’s very much based around a business model, the 5 Principles of Predictable Profit. [continue reading…]

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In my review of

Turnaround Guidelines for Businesses in Decline or Distress by Hendrik S. Palm

on Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at the Four Stars level. This means I consider it to be good.

Here is my book review.

This is a short guide on the turnaround process

This is a short guide on the turnaround process including:

  • how businesses get in trouble,
  • establishing whether the business can be turned around in the time available,
  • diagnosing potential interventions using the value chain, capacity constraints and the 7-S model implementing the necessary actions including strategic repositioning,
  • generating cash, selling assets, improving cash management and reducing costs.

[continue reading…]

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The Halbert Copywriting Method Part III by Bond Halbert

The full title of this book by Bond Halbert is

The Halbert Copywriting Method Part III: The Simple, Fast, & Easy Editing Formula That Forces Buyers To Read Every Word Of Your Ads“.

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a four star rating. This means I think it is good.

Here is my book review.

Interesting book from the son of possibly the greatest copywriter ever

Bond Halbert is the son of Gary Halbert, possibly the greatest copywriter to have ever put words to paper. Not only did he start learning from his father as a child, he is a successful copywriter in his own career.

The author says that time on a copywriting assignment should be split 1/3 research, 1/3 drafting the hook, headline, bullets, offer and everything else in the copy and 1/3 editing. [continue reading…]

in Best Business Books

I have identified a tightly defined business library of 12 great books suitable for entrepreneurs and business owners.

The list will keep developing as I find new books to include but I don’t want the list to exceed twelve books. I’ve read and reviewed hundreds of business books and you can discover the full list at Business Book Reviews including my ratings from 1 to 5 Stars.

Why 12? It’s a book a month and then, in the second year, I recommend you read them again.

If you need helping applying the ideas and your business is based in the UK, it may be time for a complimentary Business SOS.

The Twelve Best Business Books For Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

These are the twelve books I currently recommend most strongly. Below the list, I explain why the books are included. The links take you to reviews on this website and not to Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

  1. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – *****
  2. Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got by Jay Abraham – *****
  3. The Genghis Khan Guide to Business by Brian Charles John Warnes – *****
  4. The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes – *****
  5. Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch – *****
  6. The Brain Audit By Sean D’Souza – *****
  7. Blue Ocean Strategy by W Chan Kim and Renee A Mauborgne and Blue Ocean Shift by the same authors. – *****
  8. The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson – *****
  9. Profits Aren’t Everything They’re the Only Thing by George Cloutier – *****
  10. Forget the Urgent!: Rather Focus On The Important by Matias Birrell and Javier Arevalo – *****
  11. My provisional choice on the Inner Game (what the business owner thinks and feels) is Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. It’s been a hugely influential book and many entrepreneurs love it although it feels a bit old fashioned to me.
  12. A book about clearer thinking and better decision making. My provisional choice is Thinking Smarter by Michael Kallett.

You can get these from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

[continue reading…]

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