What types of books should business owners read?
Hi everybody Mostafa Hosseini here.
Today I’m talking about reading books, fiction versus nonfiction.
As business owners, should we read fiction or nonfiction or a combination?
So about a month ago, I was sitting down grabbing coffee with another business coach here in Calgary named Jared Stanton.
We started talking about books and what kind of books we read and what we don’t read. And he mentioned something that was really valuable for me.
He said: we read too much nonfiction, too much how-to material, too much business information, five ways to do this, 21 ways to do that, seven Cs of this, 4 DS of that.
It’s just all this how-to stuff and we have turned into an ocean of how-to knowledge, but we have a hard time making something out of it, we have a hard time putting it together.
The problem is we don’t activate our brain and our fantasy and our imagination to build something out of it.
The problem is we don't activate our brain and our fantasy and our imagination to build something out of it.
His suggestion was: we need to read more fiction, to be able to activate our fantasy, activate our imagination and tickle our fantasy and imagination so it gets going. Because that’s what our brain was made for. That’s what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom; We can think and create, they can not as much as we do.
I walked out of that meeting started looking for a fiction book to read, because I also back in the day heard Jim Rome saying the same thing. He said, once in a while you gotta read fiction, to get your brain going, activate your imagination, and the rest of it.
I started searching because I had no idea what fiction I should read.
The last time I read fiction was probably 25 years ago. And that’s when I was probably eight or nine years old, and my teenage uncle who was about nine years older than me was reading all these love novels, from Danielle Steel. He was a teenager all in love. And he was reading all those novels. So I remember when he was not home, I would sneak into the room, pick up the book, I would start reading the book. And it was a real page-turner for me.
I was looking around, I noticed that Daniel still was number four, author in volume on the planet into in the entire history. So I was like, well, I had a good experience with that. So I went and bought a book called Fall From Grace from Daniel Steel. And sure enough, it was about business. So which was good, I liked it. It was business-like and it was a novel. And it was a page-turner, it was like, I think 300 pages and I read it in probably five days, which was my fastest reading speed ever. All the business books are not easy to read.
But a novel, if it’s well written, it’s a page-turner, you have a hard time putting the book down!
I noticed that I’m more comfortable when I’m reading a novel or fiction, and my imagination is activated.
Right away, I’m coming up with new business ideas, because my imagination was going.
Think about this, because the writer is describing what’s happening with the entire scene, the person, what they look like, what they’re wearing, how they’re feeling, the colours, the light, the textures, the taste, the smell, they’re describing every little thing, and you’re imagining this whole thing, right?
So it tickles your imagination, it tickles your fantasy.
ALTERNATING BETWEEN FICTION AND NON FICTION
Then, started alternating between fiction and nonfiction. That’s what I’m trying right now. I read one fiction, and then I’d read a non-fiction book. I’m going to try it out for the next six months, and if it works for me, I’ll just keep going that way.
Then, I read the book Origin by Dan Brown, which was good. Again, another thick book and I read it, I think, in 10 days. And right now I’m reading a book called Aragon, which is another good one.
So, my suggestion is that you should start reading some fiction, don’t read too much how-to material.
I remember that I read a quote from Albert Einstein, and he says:
The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.
The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.
Because it’s always the fantasy, and the imagination that helps people with inventions, with the new ideas, come up with an idea for a service or product, right?
It’s always the fantasy and the imagination that make that kind of thing happen.
And also reading fiction allows you to give yourself and your brain a break, and exercise what you have learned and make something out of all those non-fiction stuff that you’ve read. Right?
It also allows me to describe better, I mean, I’m becoming better at describing what’s happening. And I suggest that you guys start reading some fiction and mix it up, as well.
In the comments below, tell me
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What was your favorite fiction that you read?
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What are you reading right now?
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What are you going to read later?
This week, I decided to offer a complimentary coaching session to my network against what all my coaches are telling me that I shouldn’t offer free coaching sessions.
So I’m offering a free supercharged your sales and profits coaching session, through which we will
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- Tackle your number one challenge
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You’ll walk out of this coaching session, renewed, re-energized and inspired to take your business to new levels and achieve new heights.
Usually, we offer days at $500 but this week you get it for free. It’s a no-strings-attached, no-obligation coaching session.
Obviously, if you like me, and you think that I can help you, we start working together. And if not, then you walk away with a plan and take your business to new levels.
If you’re interested to claim your free coaching session, click here and fill out the form!
On that form, I ask you a few questions to know more about you and your business and what’s happening. And so I can get ready for the coaching session and I can provide solutions for you and help you with your business.
Hope this helps.
Looking forward to reading your comments about the books that you’re reading and what you’re going to read next.
I look forward to our coaching session together
Mostafa Hosseini
Your business and marketing coach
Have a great week.
What book should every business owner read?
After interviewing over 70 successful business owners and entrepreneurs, when I asked them about their top 3 recommended books, the one that was repeated most was Think and Grow Rich by Nelpolean Hill.
Which is better nonfiction or fiction?
FICTION: We need to read more fiction, to be able to activate our fantasy, activate our imagination. That’s what our brain was made for. That’s what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom.
NON-FICTION: We read too much how-to stuff and we have turned into an ocean of how-to knowledge, but we have a hard time making something out of it, we have a hard time putting it together. Therefor, we need to alternate between fiction and nonfiction so our brain can do something meaningful with all the knowledge.
