Note: My guest this week on the Wednesday edition of my Blog Talk Radio show, Talk Business With Howard, is Jon Mueller. Jon is the General Manager of 800-CEO-READ. To be successful in business, a CEO, president or business owner must become a student of business – which means always be seeking new knowledge, new ideas, new ways of looking at things; to be aware of the changes and trends happening in business and in the world around you. Reading is a key to your success. Thank you, Jon, for being a guest on the show this week – and for writing this guest blog post. -Howard-
In this day and age, we read almost constantly. Technology has pulled us into an environment where we type about ourselves and read updates about the world continuously. And unlike traditional media, this never shuts off. It’s a constant flow of information, existing for our eyes, if only we continue reading.
It’s possible that this situation has also discouraged us from the concept of reading. Presented with a 300+ page book, we might think, “No thanks, I don’t have the time,” or, “Isn’t there a blog post somewhere about this?” While both those responses might be valid to some degree, here’s what I think we’re missing if we opt not to read books, particularly the right books.
Certainly, we have many answers to problems based on our previous experience. Yet there are always situations that we have not yet experienced. The good news is that some have, and they’ve written books about them. What we can learn from these kinds of books saves us countless headaches, meltdowns, and potential failures simply because we were able to learn from the mistakes of others. To this point, noted American journalist Edward P. Morgan stated, “A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man’s mind can get both provocation and privacy.”
Morgan’s point about privacy is also interesting. Reading allows us the time to focus. There is something about the engagement with a book that both consciously and subconsciously tells us that we are momentarily disconnecting from the world, focusing on the words of someone hopefully smarter than we are, and in return, listening to our own thoughts based on their words. It can be as meditative as it can be educational. Reading a book can refresh our minds in ways we don’t expect.
The big issue with reading books is which to read. Due to the fact that it is a commitment, and there are so many to choose from, often the easy answer is to skip it altogether. Don’t make that choice. There are trusted resources to help you make better choices, and this is what I’ll be talking more about in my chat with Howard. I hope you can join us!
Jon Mueller is the General Manager of 800-CEO-READ, a company centered on business books and great ideas for over 25 years. Focusing on bulk sales of business books, the company also hosts the websites: changethis.com and knowledge-blocks.com, hosts an annual Business Book Awards, and holds an annual two-day event called the Author Pow Wow, where authors and potential authors can learn how to be more successful within the business book industry.
Mark it on your calendar to join Jon and me on Wednesday, July 25th at 11 AM/ET on Blog Talk Radio for a great conversation about business books and much more. Your next business idea may be found in the next business book you read.
And if you can’t make it for the live broadcast, listen to the replay of the show which will be posted at the top of this page.