Are you reading Guy? Three business books to read now.

Image: amazon.com

Are you reading Guy Kawasaki right now? If you're not, you're missing out. I read a lot, and it's not often that I find a book that I have to stop every page or two and take action, but this is one of those. If you get it on Kindle, it's even better because then you can follow all the links provided (and when I say all the links, there are up to 10 on some pages). For me, this hasn't been a quick read, but I swear there's a takeaway every page or so worth noting.

Some of the top tips I've found so far are in the directories and the need for personalization of your blog and Twitter feed. The feeds are helpful keeping a pulse on the news, and the Google tips are great if you're more of a Google person. That's just in the first chapter!

As I said, I read a lot, but there were two other books that had an impact recently. They were both personal/professional, but highly beneficial on all fronts.

The first is Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I sent a copy to several people I know, made my husband read it, and even orchestrated the purchase for some of our customers. What I love about this book is that he combines so much of the wisdom against a 24/7 worklife and the idea that we have to be all things to all people. Really, you can only do one thing well, so do that better than anyone else. This book is all about focus, and it is reminiscent of Stephen Covey, who is one of my favorite authors of all time. (Best book? Seven Habits of Highly Successful Families. His wife is amazing as well.)

The second is The Alliance by Reid Hoffman. We were just speaking today on how to manage employees, and the old models are truly not working anymore, especially on Millennials and remote workforces. This book allows employers to recapture the energy they themselves had when starting out and harness it in their people. Even if you're not in HR, it's a great read because it makes you think of where you are in your employee lifecycle and if it's where you want to be.

Happy reading! I'd love to know what your favorite book was in the past 18 months.