Here are 100 books that Fanocracy fans have personally recommended if you like
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I am an author, nonfiction writing geek, and marketing practitioner on a mission to help people make a positive impact with their writing. Before setting out on this path, I spent many years as a marketing consultant, working with over 100 technology companies to articulate their messaging and value to customers and prospects. My first book, Subscription Marketing, was my manifesto about the changes needed in marketing to thrive in the emerging, subscription-based world. It’s now in its third edition and has been translated into multiple languages.
In Content Inc, Joe Pulizzi makes a bold proposal: What if you build your business on content—before you sell anything? Start with content, build a community, figure out what people want, and then serve it to them. A company built this way will have a culture aligned with its customers’ values. Now in its second edition, this book will make you rethink content marketing and entrepreneurship.
Updated for the post-COVID economy! The proven low-risk, cost-effective way to launch a successful business
Today's markets are getting more and more dynamic, and customers are increasingly fickle. Meanwhile the COVID-driven economic crash has made mitigating financial risk more important than ever.
From one of today's leading experts in content marketing, Content Inc. is the go-to guide to building a solid small-business by establishing a loyal audience before you sell any products or services. In these pages, Joe Pulizzi provides a lower-risk, better way to build a successful business by re-engineering the process that so often leads to failure: You'll…
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…
I grew up reading my dad’s hardcore sci-fi and my mother’s romance, horror, and thrillers. This led to my desire to become a published author. Prior to 2012, I was a bestselling Canadian author with a handful of titles published. After hitting #4 on Amazon’s Bestsellers list, I was approached by agents and publishers. Within weeks I signed multiple contracts. Trident Media Group asked to represent me. Yes! I signed two audio deals with Audible, and multiple deals with foreign publishers. One of my mottos has always been to help other writers when I can, so I share my marketing expertise and experiences.
As Godin states: “Great marketers don't use consumers to solve their company's problem; they use marketing to solve other people's problems.” This book is for anyone in sales. For writers, you may find you see book marketing in a new light after reading this book. Not only is there psychology in how consumers (readers) make their decisions, learning to sell books also has a psychology behind it. Once you know who you are selling to and understand their needs, you can and will sell more.
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller & Instant New York Times Bestseller
A game-changing approach to marketing, sales, and advertising.
For the first time Seth Godin offers the core of his marketing wisdom in one compact, accessible, timeless package. This is Marketing shows you how to do work you're proud of, whether you're a tech startup founder, a small business owner, or part of a large corporation.
No matter what your product or service, this book will help you reframe how it's presented to the world, in order to meaningfully connect with people who want it. Seth employs his signature blend…
Ever since I first started coaching at the tender age of 15, my main passion in life has been helping others find their own passions. Over more than four decades as a coach, educator, and mentor, I’ve read a lot of self-help books. They don’t always deliver. But some gems in the genre have truly helped me—along with the thousands of people I’ve recommended them to—experience significant personal growth and discover a richer, more meaningful existence. It’s my pleasure to share the best of the best here. Pick one up today and I promise your life will be better for it!
The foundation of my Vision Training for Life leadership workshops is maintaining a wide, open lens on life so that you can take in as many experiences as possible. But one question I used to struggle with was, why do some experiences, even those that seem inconsequential at the time, have such an outsized impact?
The Heath brothers answered the question for me, and then some, through their combination of data-driven research and rich storytelling. This book imparts so many lessons, including how crucial first impressions are for predicting successful outcomes. That insight alone has helped spark so much human connection for me. The book is filled with many more nuggets that promise to improve your life.
'Beautifully written, brilliantly researched' Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of GRIT
'The most interesting, immediately actionable book I've read in quite a while... If life is a series of moments, the Heath brothers have transformed how I plan to spend mine' Adam Grant, bestselling author of ORIGINALS and OPTION B, with Sheryl Sandberg
In this latest New York Times bestseller by the authors of Switch and Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath explore why certain brief experiences can jolt, elevate and change us - and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in…
A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.
Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…
I am an author, nonfiction writing geek, and marketing practitioner on a mission to help people make a positive impact with their writing. Before setting out on this path, I spent many years as a marketing consultant, working with over 100 technology companies to articulate their messaging and value to customers and prospects. My first book, Subscription Marketing, was my manifesto about the changes needed in marketing to thrive in the emerging, subscription-based world. It’s now in its third edition and has been translated into multiple languages.
Bernadette Jiwa’s short, pithy books make an outsized impact. This one is about applying the power of authentic stories to business and marketing. What if you can differentiate yourself, and your business, through meaning? Jiwa outlines what it means to be a story-driven business and provides a clear path to getting there.
"When you have something to say, you don't need to shout. Bernadette Jiwa helps us learn how to create the change we seek to make in the world."
SETH GODIN
Every one of us—regardless of where we were born, how we were brought up, how many setbacks we’ve endured or privileges we’ve been afforded—has been conditioned to compete to win. Ironically, the people who create fulfilling lives and careers—the ones we respect, admire and try to emulate—choose an alternative path to success. They have a powerful sense of identity. They don’t worry about differentiating themselves from the competition or obsess…
I’m a software developer turned independent software vendor, learning about product management as a way to launch more successful products. I’m a co-founder of MindMup, a popular collaboration tool used by millions of students and schoolchildren worldwide, and Narakeet, an innovative video maker for people who are not video professionals. The books from this list helped me create successful products that users love, and successfully compete with companies that have several orders of magnitude more staff and resources.
Cagan’s book is a deep dive into the principles of modern product management. It expands on the theoretical ideas that Patton introduces in User Story Mapping, and provides many additional tips for engaging customers, experimenting with product ideas, and tracking outcomes. In addition, it deals with the organizational side of product management, so it will be valuable to people working for larger companies that need to manage staff and set up company-wide processes.
Reading this book will help you expand your views of product management, and add lots of additional tools to your thinking process.
Learn to design, build, and scale products consumers can't get enough of
How do today's most successful tech companies Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of people around the world? Perhaps surprisingly, they do it very differently than most tech companies. In INSPIRED, technology product management thought leader Marty Cagan provides readers with a master class in how to structure and staff a vibrant and successful product organization, and how to discover and deliver technology products that your customers will love and that will work for your…
With decades of experience in business, entrepreneurship, and leadership, I’ve worked across industries and continents, particularly in emerging markets. From launching high-tech ventures to advising companies and co-founding The SEVEN Fund, which promotes enterprise solutions to poverty, my focus has been on how businesses can drive real, sustainable impact. I am a professor and an author, and I believe great businesses create lasting value—not just for shareholders but for employees, customers, and society. These five books have profoundly shaped my thinking on leadership, business strategy, and personal growth. Whether you're an entrepreneur or an executive, they offer invaluable insights for thinking and leading better.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a better book on management than this one. Charles Koch is, of course, no ordinary business leader—his results speak for themselves. Building one of the largest private companies in the world requires not just strategic brilliance but a deep understanding of human nature, incentives, and organizational design.
What sets Koch’s approach apart is his profound respect for human excellence. His Market-Based Management (MBM) system is one of the most person-centered frameworks I’ve encountered. Unlike the rigid structures of traditional corporate hierarchies, Koch embraces dynamic, self-organizing teams. There are no job descriptions or top-down mandates—teams select their own members and redefine roles based on each individual’s strengths, experiences, and comparative advantages. It’s simple, obvious in hindsight, yet uncommon and revolutionary in practice.
His philosophy aligns closely with my own conviction that true value creation is rooted in empowering individuals to operate at their highest…
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Koch Industries is one of the largest private companies in the world with an estimated worth of $100 billion. But what makes this company so profitable? You won't find its name on the connectors in your smartphone or your baby's ultra-absorbent nappies, but Koch makes these and many other innovations, driven by its Market-Based Management(R) system for generating good profit. Good profit results from products and services that improve people's lives. It results from a culture where employees are empowered to be entrepreneurial and customer-focused. Drawing on stories from his nearly six decades in business,…
The Duke's Christmas Redemption
by
Arietta Richmond,
A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.
Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…
I’m a 3-time B2B startup founder (Flagback, HireVoice, and Highlights). For my 2nd startup, HireVoice, we tried to use The Lean Startup methodology and struggled to get traction on the market. When we shut down the company, I knew I wanted to solve my own pain, and learn B2B. I spent the next 2 years speaking (and learning from) some of the most successful B2B founders in the world. This, eventually led to the publication of my book, Lean B2B. Since then, I’ve been at the forefront of B2B entrepreneurship. The Lean B2B methodology has now been used by thousands of entrepreneurs and innovators to help create successful businesses.
Marc Benioff, the founder of Salesforce, more or less wrote the playbook for B2B startups.In Behind the Cloud, he shares a lot of the tactics that helped make Salesforce the market leader that it is today. Benioff’s work helped shape Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and the Cloud for B2B entrepreneurs. On and all, it’s a very entertaining book with a lot of interesting ideas.
How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world's fastest growing software company in less than a decade? For the first time, Marc Benioff, the visionary founder, chairman and CEO of salesforce.com, tells how he and his team created and used new business, technology, and philanthropic models tailored to this time of extraordinary change. Showing how salesforce.com not only survived the dotcom implosion of 2001, but went on to define itself as the leader of the cloud computing revolution and spark a $46-billion dollar industry, Benioff's story will help business leaders and entrepreneurs stand…
Jeff has been a UX designer, team leader and product manager for over 20 years. His work in the field helped define some of the key practices product managers use today. Building a customer-centric practice is key to successful products and services and Jeff has demonstrated that not only in the products and companies he’s helped build but in the writing and thinking he’s contributed to the product managaement community.
Melissa is rewriting the book on modern product management. Her advice is hard-earned, practical, and useful. If you’re interested in starting a career in product management, this book offers up specifics on what exactly is product management and how to excel at it in modern, agile cultures.
To stay competitive in today's market, organizations need to adopt a culture of customer-centric practices that focus on outcomes rather than outputs. Companies that live and die by outputs often fall into the "build trap," cranking out features to meet their schedule rather than the customer's needs.
In this book, Melissa Perri explains how laying the foundation for great product management can help companies solve real customer problems while achieving business goals. By understanding how to communicate and collaborate within a company structure, you can create a product culture that benefits both the business and the customer. You'll learn product…
I’m the Head of Trend and Innovation Scouting for Nokia, and I’ve been with the company since the glory days of Nokia mobile phone world dominance. I know first-hand what happens when a company focuses exclusively on the technology, not the humans that use it, and how quickly that can lead to disaster. One of the lessons that I see repeated continuously in the field of innovation is that a huge amount of attention gets paid to the new technology, and not nearly enough on how the technology will interact with our existing systems, beliefs, attitudes, and culture. Learning from the mistakes is the best way to make sure that the future doesn’t repeat them!
Of all the books out there about the immersive technologies of virtual and augmented reality, Jeremy’s take on the subject is the one that looks the most closely at the security issues involved, especially when it comes to enterprise deployments.
If you’re thinking about leveraging the awesome power of these technologies in your workplace, Jeremy’s hands-on discussion of to what to look for and what to avoid is an invaluable guide.
Discover THE next big competitive advantage in business: learn how augmented and virtual reality can put your business ahead.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are part of a new wave of immersive technologies that offer huge opportunities for businesses, across industries and regardless of their size. Most people think of AR or VR as a new development in video gaming like Pokemon GO, or an expensive marketing campaign by the Nikes of the world. The truth is, businesses of any size can put these new technologies to immediate use in areas that include:
- Learning and development
-…
This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.
In these and other intimate conversations, the book…
I moved into the profession of selling almost by accident. I certainly wasn’t planning on a career in sales, but after leaving university I was offered a job taking incoming calls from customers. I loved dealing with customers, and it became a natural progression to follow my passion and pursue a career as a sales professional. I have always been fascinated by psychology and am an avid reader and lover of learning, so I became a committed reader of anything related to the profession of selling. In time, I became a professional speaker, consultant, and trainer on the topic and have written several books on the subject.
I have found over 35 years of selling that when salespeople are 100% focused on helping customers to succeed, they succeed. The essence of this book is that if you can help your clients, for example, to impact the metrics that matter to them, such as reducing costs and wastage and increasing revenue, quality, and productivity, then both the buyer and the seller will win.
I believe that selling should be about helping customers to succeed, and this book contains a host of valuable ideas and methods to help you to do exactly that. My experience has shown me how important it is to ask the right sort of questions to understand a customer’s situation so that the right solution can be provided.
This book provided me with some excellent insights into how to improve the questions that I asked my customers.
The new way to transform a sales culture with clarity, authenticity, and emotional intelligence
Too often, the sales process is all about fear. Customers are afraid that they will be talked into making a mistake; salespeople dread being unable to close the deal and make their quotas. No one is happy.
Mahan Khalsa and Randy Illig offer a better way. Salespeople, they argue, do best when they focus 100 percent on helping clients succeed. When customers are successful, both buyer and seller win. When they aren't, both lose. It's no longer sufficient to get clients to buy; a salesperson must…
