15 Inspiring Books

If you like to read books, there's a fascinating recap over at Entrepreneur showing the 15 most inspiring books for entrepreneurs.  The magazine asked a bunch of us what books we thought inspired us most and compiled this very unusual list.

You can read the article here. 

My pick was the classic Ogilvy on Advertising, which is probably the first business book I ever read.  Back in college, it inspired me to pursue a career in marketing so I owe a lot to that little ditty.  At the time, I loved reading all the rules about how to make great advertising and then how so many great brands had broken the rules.  I just found it fascinating.

My other choice was Atlas Shrugged, which is actually fiction so I decided to choose a more business oriented book.  It's an amazing account of seeking excellence in anything that we do.  Ironically, it's also the first book listed in the Entrepreneur compilation.

Years later, with three books of my own under my belt and a bookcase full of others, Ogilvy on Advertising still sits among the best of the best of nonfiction books.  Timeless and inspiring.  You should give it a second look.  And if you've never read Atlas Shrugged, give that a whirl too.  It's a biggie, so reserve a lot of time for you because you won't want to put it down.

What would be on your list?  What's your experience?  Jim.