success Book Summaries

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is about becoming more effective at reaching our goals and leading others. Stephen Covey says his teachings are based on timeless principles like personal responsibility, empathetic listening, and treating others with fairness.

The 4-Hour Workweek is about building a passive income business so we can escape the usual 40-hour workweek, and design our ideal lifestyle. Tim Ferris also shows how we can improve our productivity by following the 80/20 rule and a 'low information diet.'

Secrets of Closing the Sale is a considered a must-read by many sales professionals. Zig Ziglar shares a lifetime of time-tested selling techniques that are based on honesty, enthusiasm, and empathy.

The 10X Rule is about setting goals 10 times larger than before and working 10 times harder to reach them. Grant Cardone says achieving success always takes far more effort, time and money than we predict. So we must be prepared to face problems, challenges and resistance.

The Millionaire Fastlane is about getting wealthy and retiring in 10 years rather than 40 years. At first the title may sound unrealistic, but MJ DeMarco offers hard-earned business wisdom based on his success making millions of dollars after building a limousine booking website.

The Psychology of Selling is a classic business book that is a must-read for sales professionals. Brian Tracy shares many practical tips for how to get more appointments, what to say during sales presentations, and the best ways to close the sale.

Who Moved My Cheese? is a fable about dealing with life's never-ending change. Spencer Johnson describes four small characters living in a maze. One day, their cheese suddenly disappears. They can either resist the change and suffer, or learn to embrace it and move onto something better.

As a Man Thinketh says our thoughts set the course our life, not our circumstances. James Allen says thoughts are seeds for actions, so our mind is a garden where we must cultivate the right seeds. This short, inspiring book still influences many modern self-help teachers.

Grinding It Out is about how McDonald's grew to be one of the biggest companies in the world. Ray Kroc did it through seizing the right opportunity, perfecting the fundamentals of the business, always emphasizing growth, and persisting until he found the successful strategy.