When you start learning a new subject, you want to find a good book that is written by an expert in the field and that will show you the ropes.
I’m not saying that you can only learn through books because there are a range of different media that can be helpful for learning any subject.
But not all “how to” books are made equal. Some deliver on the promise but others fall short miserably.
What are the ingredients of a successful “how to” book that inspires you to learn and understand your subject and, most importantly, persuades you to act on the information and guidance learned?
As the English philosopher Herbert Spencer said, “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action”. So the real test of a good book on any “how to” subject is to inspire you to action.
Let’s take learning to draw as an example. If you are a beginner in this field, there are many books on drawing available. But which ones succeed and which ones don’t?
You get some experienced artists who just seem to fail in taking the aspirant person who wants to draw through the basics, holds their hand through the intermediate level and sets the foundation for advancing to a higher level.
In the drawing field there are probably five or six books that could be recommended to the novice. Of these five or six, there are really only two modern-day classics that will help take you from knowing nothing to producing some amazing drawing results.
These books are written by authors that make the subject interesting and exciting, don’t hold back on their knowledge and break down the subject into easily manageable sections that allow you to proceed step by step.
The authors who are working artist themselves, know the challenges of drawing and the shortcuts and because they are competent, they quickly allow you to reach a competency take you wouldn’t obtain with second-rate authors and artists.
One book on drawing, for example, takes you through the process of drawing but is so deadly dull and unstructured that when you’ve finished reading it the chances of being able to draw are slim..
For those who want to start a business, a product or service from scratch or even take over a second-hand business and revitalise it, there are business books available but how many of them will actually be useful to the would-be start-up owner or entrepreneur?
Over several decades I have any come up with a handful of authors who have been entrepreneurs and who can teach business from the ground up.
Many so-called books on small business merely grind out legal structures, accounting and finance and omit how businesses are actually formed, how to develop concepts or new business ideas and implement them.
But they also spend little or no time on covering the intersection between a would-be entrepreneur’s motives, drives and passion and fulfilling a niche or customer segment in the marketplace.
If you are looking for a resource that can help you start something from scratch, whether it be a part time business to test the market or an eventual full-time occupation, then you should seriously consider my forthcoming book titled “Breakthrough Ideas”.
It has been designed with the first-timer, new comer and woud-be start up owner who needs to get a solid foundation in the basics of entrepreneurship, come up with new business ideas and learn how to develop them into a viable business.
It’s much more than a book – it’s really a Swiss army knife of tools and methods that can help you come up with business ideas that you can through hard work and perseverance turn into an income.
