It must have happened to most of us; standing in the business section corner of a bookstore, not sure which acim to pick up for a good read. Being able to choose the right books which provide a good insight into the world of business is a herculean task. With so many different kinds of books available, it is sometimes difficult to make the right choice.
The problem is, business books are not story books, which can simply be bought for the fun of reading. Business books on one hand give inputs towards various business nuances, supported by hard facts and cases and on the other, establishes ways and means to inculcate skills to enhance your business acumen. So how does one get to select the right book? We hope that the following steps would help you avoid needless expenses towards run-of-the-mill books.
Ask yourself the following questions:
•What is the reason you are looking for a business book? If you know the reason you may want to ask yourself the next question.
•Do you want to read a book related to your business / field of work or you want to read something else?
•Do you want to read time tested authors or want to try something new?
Do a Content review: Every book has a small review on its jacket. The title may not be able to describe its content.
Check the Credibility of the Author: You may prefer an author who writes based on his experiences from his field of work (which in your case is the chosen trade), or even like books from academicians.
Check who is the target audience: A book for “everybody” may not appeal to you, as it may not contain field specific examples.
Do the chapter titles tell the story?: Check the chapter titles; do they reveal the context of the book. Intriguing titles increase curiosity to read further.
Check some part of the contents: E.g. The introduction is usually a summary of the entire book. Read the foreword to check whether the content is what you are looking for.
Check whether the book has real world examples: Flip the pages of the book, check out some of the case studies, do they depict a real world scenario?
Check the writing style: Though you may have selected the author(s) you want to read, but not all authors’ writing style may appeal to you. Just skiff through or read a random page to see if the writing style is appealing.
Is it the right time to buy the book?: Timeliness is Godliness here! Do you really require the book right now, or is it going to end up being a wasteful expenditure which you may make in order to read the book later. The book of the bookstore shelf may also end up being in your own house shelf without reading even a page. So first, be sure that you want that book.
Consult with peer group and internet reviews: Friends, colleagues, seniors and others, help a lot in getting you to make a purchase decision. So consult them, just in case they may have read a particular genre of book that you are seeking. Also connect to the internet for reviews of the business books or management books or other non fiction books that you intend to buy.
