What Book Rocked Your World in 2006?

2006 was an info-feast for me. And to put it bluntly, I was a guts! A bit like a malnourished woman at an ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet really.

I think timing plays a big part in determining the impact that a book, or any written material, has on you personally. Very often I read things that I comprehend on an intellectual level, yet don’t experience those priceless, penny-dropping “aha!” moments. That feeling that grabs you in the gut and culminates with a ‘clonk’ in your cranium. I don’t know about you, but I love those moments. The following books all had that affect on me.

I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little further down our particular path than we have gone ourselves.
~ E.M. Forster

In terms of marketing, the standouts would have to be Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff (aff) by Mark Hughes and Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant (aff) by W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne. While Buzzmarketing is a highly entertaining and illuminating read about the power of word of mouth, Blue Ocean Strategy is much heavier going; but well worth the trek. For me this book was not only a practical how-to (set yourself apart from the competition), but validation that I’m on the right track. Specifically, Chapter 4: Focus on the Big Picture, Not the Numbers.

The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream (aff) by Paulo Coelho is a fascinating and highly insightful work that I found compelling. This book inspired the theme for my post Finding the Alchemist Within, and I highly recommend it for anyone who’s ever flirted with the idea of following their dream. They say dreams never fail, people just give up – and this author deals masterfully with that theme. It’s ideal for those who have taken the leap and are struggling with doubt, and for those who keep finding reasons not to. If that’s you, read this book, it’s written for you.

While all of these are brilliant books, the honour of ‘Book that Rocked My World in 2006’ must go to Wink and Grow Rich (aff) by Roger Hamilton which I devoured just before Christmas. This is an amazing little book which is at first disarming in its simplicity. There’s far more depth to it than the title implies, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a multi-dimensional look at the patterns of success. For me it was like putting on 3D glasses. The intriguing and clever aspect of this book is that it’s a puzzle which the reader has to solve. It’s a story behind a story. Written like a series of triggers, the plotline creates a domino effect. For me this book was ‘clonk’ after ‘clonk’. Over Christmas I spent hours doing countless laps in my mum’s pool thinking through the concepts and principles in this story and emerged totally re-invigorated after a long and gruelling year. But I haven’t yet solved the puzzle completely, which makes it even more compelling! Apparently it requires several readings to solve. Or rather to “see”. A brilliant marketing ploy when you think about it! This is a book I’ll go back to again and again.

Currently on the go is The Way of the Owl: Succeeding with Integrity in a Conflicted World (aff) by martial artist Frank Rivers and I’m captivated by it. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to become better skilled at navigating their way through business terrain. Especially all of you fellow fledglings. It’s packed full of practical wisdoms, and ironically, is an ideal follower to Wink and Grow Rich.

When you have possessed a book with mind and spirit, you are enriched. But when you pass it on you are enriched threefold. ~ Henry Miller

So over to you… What gems did you discover in 2006 that stand out as a “must read”? Was there one that rocked your world? If so, please share it with us!