Startup Libraries: Build One Today
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To any startup owner in Boston, NYC, the Valley, Detroit, Miami, and Antarctica, too.
If you own a business, you should think about building a startup library for your fellow employees. I don’t care if there’s only one of you, ten, fifty, or if you run a company of thousands. I highly suggest you buy books (whether physical books or through a bunch of Kindle’s or iPads) that your fellow co-workers can take with them at their leisure, at any time, anywhere. At our business, we’ve bought about 25 books thus far for employees. No. Not hundreds. Just 25. It’s a start in the right direction. I imagine by year end we’ll be hovering around 50.
If you were to look at our “library” you’d think it looked pretty bare. And while many people may scoff at that, it makes me smile. What would you rather have: A library with all of it’s booked neatly stacked on shelves? Or an empty bookcase, with the books in the hands of employees?
Buying books for your fellow employees sets a tone within the office that you value productivity. It says that you value progress. That you value deliberation and thought and curiosity. That you value enhancing individuals lives through knowledge. And most importantly: It says that you care about them.
Here is a list of my favorite books of all time that can help you popular your own startup library. In order…
1. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand (my #1 favorite book of all time)
2. Never Eat Alone - Keith Ferrazzi
3. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
4. Lincoln the Unknown - Dale Carnegie
5. What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School - Mark McCormack
6. The Definitive Book of Body Language - Allan Pease, Barabara Pease
7. The Art of the Deal - Donald Trump
8. The Art of the Start - Guy Kawasaki
9. Rework - Jason Fried & David Heinemeier
10. Do More Faster - Brad Feld, David Cohen
11. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickins
12. Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
13. Inc. and Grow Rich - C.W. Allen, Cheri S. Hill, Diane Kennedy, Garrett Sutton
14. Manhunt: The 12-Day Hunt for Lincoln’s Killer – James Swanson
15. Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
Education is the light. You cannot escape it. Embrace it and make it a staple of your office. Promote education and reading amongst your peers. Be the champion of your startup library. Add new books to it each month. Talk amongst the office and see what others are reading. People work out to build strong muscles. Now build the strongest muscle of all: your brain. The mind is a beautiful thing. I’m sure you saw the movie. Now it’s time to put that puppy to work.
Tell me what you think gangsters.
My name is Ryan Durkin. I write so that I will never forget where I came from and what I stand for. I hope that this will motivate young people to realize their potential and become more productive than they ever imagined. That would make me truly happy.
I’ve only read five of these, but am eventually going to get around to all.
I love how A Christmas Carol is in there
Ah yes. One of the greatest stories of all time. Muppet Christmas Carol just kills all others out there. Glorious.
What have you been working on recently? It says on your bio you’re a programmer?
There are two types of people in this world. People that like Muppet Christmas Carol… and people I don’t get along with.
I’d add Animal Farm as just a classic example of misappropriated power, good lessons for a founder.
hahahahaha. Couldn’t agree more man.
I need to tear through Animal Farm. I’ve heard it mentioned twice in the last week. Good pick.
Great list of books, Ryan and I absolutely agree with having a library for employees to expand their knowledge.
Tony Hsieh talks about how Zappos has a contest between employees every month to see who can read the most books.
Here’s my top must reads for every new tech entrepreneur, read in this order if starting from scratch. We agree on quite a few of them.
Founders at Work
The Lean Startup
Do More, Faster
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Inbound Marketing
Rework/Getting Real
Delivering Happiness
BTW – Have you checked out Shelfari.com? It’s a digital bookcase to keep track of what you read.
Money man.
I just started cranking through inbound marketing. Mostly to help teach me about blogging, cus this shit is real new to me. Last time I talked to you, either you or your bro mentioned Delivering Happiness. I bought it last week and gave it to Jack to read this week. I’m going to crush it out next weekend.
Just checked out Shelfari. Shit is dope.
I wonder what will happen to me in the future with e-readers. I read hard books now because I highlight the hell out of them… when highlighting becomes real easy on them, I’ll mostly likely make the switch.
Great list! Completely agree with #1, I read it for the first time in high school and thought the same thing. Have probably read it again at least 2x since then, and it hasn’t changed. It’s a classic.
I agree with you. It’s an absolute must read. Thanks for readin Helen!
I love the idea of this! I’m a sophomore at UMass Amherst and looking to expand my reading list. I will start with some of these, thanks!
You got it Devyn. These are the best of the best in my eyes. Please shoot me over some that you recommend as well. I’ll tear through it. Thanks!