One of the hardest parts about being an entrepreneur and owning your own business is setting aside a significant amount of time for personal development especially when it comes toRead More
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]]>One of the hardest parts about being an entrepreneur and owning your own business is setting aside a significant amount of time for personal development especially when it comes to reading educational material. When your business’ welfare and growth potential lies in your ability to learn new business practices quickly and keep as much time free as possible, it can be challenging to make sure that you are not reading too rapidly.
Once you learn to read, you will be forever free. – Frederick Douglas (highlight to share)
When an entrepreneur can perfect the art of speed reading, they are able to use their time for more efficiently and focus more on their business. By following these five helpful tips I’ve gathered from very busy entrepreneurial authors, you can master the art of speed reading your business books and other educational material.
There is an erroneous belief that circulates among those who read over important business books and documents, a belief that reading should be done at night, when there are fewer distractions. But did you know that a person actually reads best during the early hours of the day? There are far fewer distractions that present themselves during the morning, and this is when important reading should be completed.
Your brain functions best early in the morning, whereas your nighttime brain functionality is compromised by all of the events that have already taken place that day. Reading in the morning gives your brain a clean slate to work with and is proven to increase your concentration skills. By reading earlier in the day, your speed is doubled and you are able to deal with your most important tasks first, clearing the remainder of your schedule for other crucial entrepreneurial duties.
A great way to read business books faster is to skim the text first, before you do a full-fledged read. This allows you to isolate the key points and phrases and figure out the main ideas. Once this has been accomplished, you can then take a deeper plunge into the material, knowing that you have a greater understanding. This technique is especially beneficial to those with a job that requires them to read a great deal of non-fiction material.
By taking the time to understand the structure of the book you are trying to read, you decrease the total amount of time you will need to spend reading it. Not only does this technique exponentially increase your overall reading speed, but it also does wonders for reading comprehension. Being able to speed read is great, but it is all for naught if you do not fully grasp the material you’ve consumed.
What many entrepreneurs do not know is that the environment that they choose to read in makes a huge difference in their ability to read quickly. Even something as simple as the way you hold the book can make a world of difference. Rather than holding the book up on your own, use a reading stand, one that allows the book to rest at a 45 degree angle. This reduces the strain on a person’s eyes, while also enabling a much faster reading speed.
Some enjoy reading in bed, but this is not a good place to absorb crucial materials. The body’s natural instinct is to relax once you have laid down in bed, which decreases reading comprehension, increasing the chances that you will need to go over it a second time. More difficult materials should be read during the daytime hours, in a place where your mind will remain focused. Relaxing and reading comprehension do not go hand in hand.
Of course, highlighting may have worked for you back in your college days and there are a variety of people who swear by this tactic when it comes to speed reading. Yes, highlighting in bright, pretty colors may give you the illusion that you are reading faster, that you can skim the material and come back to the important stuff later on. When you highlight, you’re essentially delaying your actual learning of the material.
When you highlight, all you are doing is giving yourself more work to do. Instead of taking an extra second to ensure that you understand the material during the first read, you will know have to go backwards and read it again. The more times you read a certain piece of material, the less of a chance you are able to retain over the long haul. So put the highlighter away and make sure you read properly the first time.
There are bound to be moments in any business text that are less important than others. Learning what is truly important and training your focus on these specific parts will help you to cut down your overall reading time. Don’t be afraid to preview the book before you read it, so that you get a true sense of the book’s structure and the lessons it is trying to teach.
This will allow to speed up your reading and slow down as necessary. Speed reading is not about attempting to fly through a book as rapidly as you can, it is about absorbing the material quickly and efficiently, without sacrificing your comprehension. Certain materials can be read at different speeds than others and an experienced entrepreneur knows how to speed up and more importantly, when to slow down.
As a business mentor for MentorMojo, speed reading expert Emerson Spartz has more speed reading tips in detail here:
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]]>5 Things to Look For In Great Book Reviews What makes a great book review? Well, for starters, it needs to be written by someone who has actually read andRead More
The post 5 Things to Look For In Great Book Reviews appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.
]]>What makes a great book review? Well, for starters, it needs to be written by someone who has actually read and understood the book! But how do you know that? Be it a work of fiction or non-fiction, great book reviews will have certain characteristics.
Here are 5 of the best things to look for in great book reviews:
1. It offers a gist of the book. What is the book about? Is it a love story between a vampire and a werewolf? Or, is it a detailed analysis of the missing link? It is essential that a review gives a summary of what the book is about.
The review also needs to offer certain details – such as the main characters if it is a novel or the basic premise if it is a scientific treatise. For a fiction, it doesn’t mean it reveals the plot twists or the end – that will spoil it for the other readers!
2. It offers a detailed analysis of the positives and the negatives. A book review is subjective; its nature makes it so. And to illustrate this, it needs to have the details of what the reviewer liked and disliked about the book in question.
Whether it is something to do with the format or layout or some other technical issue or it is about the content or the language, a good review will be an in-depth study of what works and what doesn’t to add to the reader’s experience.
3. It offers a comment on the author’s perspective. When an author writes about something, he/she does so with a specific point of view. It isn’t necessary for the reviewer to agree to it. But it is necessary for them to acknowledge this unique perspective.
You may agree with the author’s perspective, or you may not, but you have to throw in a word about it (and may be why you agree or disagree with it) in the review. This comment needs to reflect the reviewer’s point of view.
4. It offers a few of the interesting quotes from the book. Some lines always stand out from the rest. Some go on to become famous and stay on forever while others fade away. A review needs to mention at least a few of these standout lines from the book.
“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” – This quote from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has stayed on forever. Imagine how a review will feel if it missed to mention this one. It will be incomplete.
5. It offers an observation on what to expect from it. Who is it aimed at? What can you expect from it? Will it do to read it alone or do you need to read its prequels or sequels too? A great review will answer all of these questions and more.
May be it will all be at the end of the review where the reviewer mentions that it is meant for young readers who wish for a happy story or for older readers who pine for a serious read. And whether it needs associated materials to be read too!
Great book reviews are ones that urge you to read an amazing book; and enjoy it too!
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]]>5 Interesting Types of Book Readers Do you spend days and nights with your favorite reads? Or, you cannot finish even the slimmest volume in weeks? Or, perhaps you loveRead More
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]]>5 Interesting Types of Book Readers
Do you spend days and nights with your favorite reads? Or, you cannot finish even the slimmest volume in weeks? Or, perhaps you love listening to stories rather than reading them? Different people have different styles when it comes to reading.
And with the different types of reads available, it isn’t much difficult to lay your hands on the right book. But before you start your search for what to read next, let’s take a look at the styles people have when it comes to reading.
Check out these 5 interesting types of book readers to figure out which one describes you:
The Lover. You have rows of books on the shelves, stacks of them on every available surface, and some lying open on your bed too! You love to visit the bookstore, the library, and any place that have your favorite friends – books.
You love the feel of crisp, fresh pages of the new ones, and the smell of the smudged pages of the hand-me-downs, and every other read you can lay your hands on. And you don’t just hoard them, you read and re-read them too.
What do you read next? Anything you can find; you sure are lucky!
The Critic. You read books, not because you love them, but because you love to criticize them. For you, no art is perfect, and so every volume, and every author, must have one or more loopholes that ordinary readers cannot identify.
You especially love to tear down to pieces the hyped books that come to the market, to prove that they were not really worthy of the hype and the wait. But you do it only in front of people who have that mental caliber to match your intellect.
What do you read next? Well, take up any new, and much-hyped, volume, to censure.
The Expert. You read a lot, but that doesn’t mean it’s for the love of books. It’s for the love of discoursing on your reads that inspires you to do it. You aren’t the cynic who censures, but the connoisseur who discusses, over and over again.
It can be great conversation with like-minded individuals but do keep it within tolerable limit. Otherwise, you are just perceived as a show-off who talks a lot about their love for books but doesn’t really do anything to justify all that talk.
The Exhibitionist. You never read books. You just have a display case, or maybe even a library if you can afford it, full of them because they add to the pleasantness of your interior décor. And they show you off as an aficionado.
Don’t take it to heart; some of you do have the intention to read up at least a few of the books you bought, but never find the opportunity to do it. The solution is easy; just set aside an hour for reading every day. You’ll be surprised at how great books are!
What do you read first? Any slim volume of short stories or novellas is best to begin with.
The Nonconformist. Have you read ‘The Potter’s Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery’ by Mark Hewitt? Or, ‘Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World’ by Margaret MacMillan, Richard Holbrooke (Foreword)? Most wouldn’t even have heard of them!
And these are precisely what this category of book readers love, titles otherwise unknown to the rest of the world. Their interest is diverse, and they take reading seriously. Well, it’s not a bad habit; but you sure are missing on a lot of other stuff too.
What interesting type of book reader are you?
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]]>5 Reasons Why Every Entrepreneur Should Read Books Be it a children’s fable, a book of poems for the hopeless romantics, or a how-to guide, a book is one companionRead More
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]]>5 Reasons Why Every Entrepreneur Should Read Books
Be it a children’s fable, a book of poems for the hopeless romantics, or a how-to guide, a book is one companion you cannot do without, whatever stage of life you are in. But is it any good for an entrepreneur? The simple answer is – yes.
Whether you are planning to start a new business or are already managing one, reading can be a great habit. If you haven’t inculcated it yet, it’s high time to do so. Also, don’t let time constraints hinder you from reading. It will only do you good.
Why is reading a good habit for entrepreneurs? Here are 5 reasons for this.
Reason 1: It enhances conversational skills: Well, Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’ remains a bestseller still today! Whether it’s in the personal or professional space, communication is of paramount importance for success.
And when it comes to entrepreneurship, a little communication error can lead to big trouble.
‘Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High’ by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler is another good example of how a book can enhance your conversational skills and help you win over challenging situations.
Reason 2: It helps understand leadership: Are leaders born? Or, are they made? What makes a great leader? What differentiates a good leader from a great one? A book can give you the answers you seek. And help you identify and hone our leadership capabilities.
‘Strengths Based Leadership’ by Tom Rath is an excellent choice in this regard.
Based on a broad survey of great leaders and their followers, this book is quite an eye-opener. Another good read is ‘Leaders Eat Last’ by Simon Sinek. Here he takes up the question of the way leaders achieve what they seek.
Reason 3: It offers business insights: Whether you need to craft an organizational blueprint, guide the people in your team or handle the numbers, the right books can help you attain the knowledge you want to effectively manage every aspect of your business.
A good example is the bestseller ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins.
In it, he elucidates what distinguishes a good company from a great one. And how a good one can become great by following the right methods such as identifying their best qualities, confronting harsh business realities, building and maintaining pace.
Reason 4: It facilitates work-life balance: When you start a business on your own, your entire focus is on it. And often your personal life suffers. This imbalance created by the pressures of work and life compelled Arianna Huffington to write ‘Thrive’.
In it, she redefines success, with the third metric of well-being, along with power and money.
Co-founder and President of Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington was the epitome of success, if you consider it from the perspectives of power and wealth. But her physical and mental self were suffering. That’s when she discovered the third metric of success – well-being.
Reason 5: It keeps you on track: ‘The E-Myth Revisited’ by Michael E. Gerber is a soul-stirrer for entrepreneurs. In it, he identifies the biggest myth of entrepreneurship – that it is something heroic, a superhuman effort to overcome obstacles and attain success.
It’s a reality check; it takes you through the stages of a business, from its birth to success.
Another superb book is ‘The 4-Hour Workweek’ by Tim Ferriss. If you don’t take the title quite literally, you can sure gain knowledge about how to work smart instead of how to work hard. And achieve success with this method too.
Just take your pick and learn from the people who have been there, done that.
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]]>How To Find The Right Book For You You may have been a bookworm when you were at school or college, but with the mounting pressures of work and life,Read More
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]]>How To Find The Right Book For You
You may have been a bookworm when you were at school or college, but with the mounting pressures of work and life, this habit may wane. And it is even more probable if you had to manage your own business. But it isn’t the right thing to do.
Don’t give up on the habit of reading. And to help you find the right book, here is a guide.
Step 1: Understand your personality.
Some individuals are born leaders. Some hone their skills and inculcate these qualities to become leaders. The books you read need to match your personality. The question is – do you know your personality type?
If you are the ‘mechanic’, you will love to learn about new things and how things work. But if you are the ‘visionary’, you need to find books that offer an insight into creative minds, original ideas and innovative thoughts.
‘The Art of the Start’ by Guy Kawasaki is a good choice for the former, while ‘The Art of Innovation’ by Tom Kelley with Jonathan Littman is a more appropriate option for people with the second personality type.
Step 2: Identify your preference.
If you are in for some light reading, you may find some business books to be a tad monotonous. Opt for something else, something that comes with lighthearted anecdotes or real life stories.
A good example is ‘The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future’ by Chris Guillebeau. With case studies and anecdotes, this book excites and entertains, and educates too!
Again, if you want some serious study, opt for ‘Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t’ by Jim Collins. The approach you have needs to match the approach of your read.
Step 3: Learn about the author.
Now, what makes a great author? Someone who has been there done that can be a great choice. A good example is Harvey B. Mackay. At age 26, he bought a failing envelope company. And turned it into a multimillion dollar corporation!
When you learn about his successes, you sure want to reach out and grab his book ‘Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive’. If you want to learn how to succeed at anything, this sure is the book to go to.
Another good idea is to check out the books written by renowned names. A good example is ‘The E-Myth Revisited’ by Michael E. Gerber. With years of experience as a small business consultant and author, his ideas can be quite an eye-opener for many.
Step 4: Check reader reviews.
Well, this is perhaps the easiest thing to do. Just log in to Google, and get a look at what people think about a book you plan to read. But remember, likes and dislikes are subjective.
While a person may love the approach a specific author has, another person may not. And while it is a good idea to get a glimpse of what others think about a book before you read it, it may not be the best thing to do.
Why do it then? For the simple reason, you are already hard pressed for time. If you take up a book that you don’t like, it will mean a waste of time. Again, if you were aware of the negative reader reviews, you may never pick it up to read.
Step 5: Take your pick.
Once you have understood your personality and your preference, and checked the options available, it is time to choose one. Don’t fret; pick the book that seems appropriate. And start reading!
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