3 Favorite Books: A challenge from John Jantsch

John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing, recently issued an excellent challenge for all of us who LOVE books:

I want to issue to you dear blog reader and anyone else you want to tell. Name your 3 favorite books (business or not) and post the titles and authors in the comments. Warning: You must stop at 3, no honorable mentions - I can assure you my books 4,5,6 were tough to keep off this list, but that's the point.

Before I respond with my favorites, let me share Guy Kawasaki's recent top 10 list about Duct Tape Marketing, a book I own but haven't yet read. It's in my summer stack, with summer coming FAST!

OK, so now to answer John's question...

Phil Gerbyshak's 3 favorite books, at least of recent memory:

1. Made to Stick - Dan and Chip Heath
   If you're a storyteller, this is a great book to help you tell better stories. I think we are ALL storytellers, but that may be just my opinion.
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
   A classic book with a classic message.  Be interested in people, and they will find you interesting. Simple stuff really.
3. Now Discover Your Strengths - Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton
   This is the best book on management I've ever read, and a great one for all of us to remember to focus on what makes us all great...our strengths, NOT our weaknesses!

Now it's your turn. Share YOUR 3 favorite books, either in a comment on this post, or a trackback, and you can win a copy of my revised 10 Ways to Make It Great! Contest ends on Monday April 30th, and a winner or maybe winners will be chosen at random.

Comments

[Jason of "Kim & Jason"]

Ok, I need to do this quickly, if I think too much I'll be here all day ;)

1.) The Bible. Obvious answer, I know, but it's the only one I read just about every day and I always get new insights from it, so that should count for something.
2.) Purple Cow by Seth Godin. It's as complex and challenging as it is simple and common sensical.
3.) Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. One of my all time favorite children's books.

[Henok]

The three books I like:

The Art of Civilized Conversation-By- Margaret Shepherd

With Head and Heart--by- Howard Thurman

The End of Poverty- by Jeffrey D. Sachs

[Priscilla Palmer]

This is not an easy thing to do there are so many. But after some thought, my all time favorites are:

1- Awaken the Giant Within - by Tony Robbins. This book is a great great book with straight forward stratagies for improvement.

2- Think and Grow Rich - by Napolean Hill. Goes deep into how to control your mind to acheive success.

3- Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - by Steven Covey. This book should be read by everyone.

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Priscilla - I own all 3 of the books you mentioned, and they are excellent choices.

Henok - Thanks for sharing your 3. These are new to me.

Jason - Outstanding suggestions. Big fan of the Bible. LOTS to learn from there. Seth is one of my heroes, and Purple Cow is one of his best. I haven't read Where the Wild Things Are in a long time, though it was a free download from Audible.com a few months back. Thanks for encouraging me to flick it back on.

[Rick Cockrum]

You're right. Keeping it to three is tough. I have to go with

1. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein.

2. Raja Yoga translated and commentary by Swami Vivekananda.

3. Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines by W.Y. Evans-Wentz.

Can't tell where my head's at, can you?

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Rick - thanks for sharing your 3. Gee, I wonder where your head is at...NOT!

I've not read any of these 3, so I'm glad you shared them.

Yep, 3 is REALLY tough!

[Kirsten Harrell, Psy.D.]

Hey Phil!

3... hmmm... that IS hard! I think I would have to go with these:
1) Love, Medicine, and Miracles by Bernie Siegel - changed my life when I was 19 and Bernie has been a hero/mentor since then.
2) The Field by Lynne McTaggart - this book will blow your mind and change the way you look at the world!
3) The Heart of the Soul by Gary Zukav - an excellent blend of psychology and spirituality!