- What it's about: You'll pick up strategies to leverage your business's' biggest fans and turn them into a powerful marketing force.
- Who to give it to: The small business owner, CEO and marketing executive.
- Why they will love it; There are lots of examples of how companies of all sizes recruited and engaged their most satisfied customers.
- Where to get it: http://www.amazon.com/Brand-Advocates-Enthusiastic-Customers-Marketing/dp/1118336038
- What it's about: Being likable is more powerful than you might think. personal relationships, likeability, brutal honesty, extreme simplicity, and basic humanity are behind everything from multi-million dollar mergers to record-breaking product sales.
- Who to give it to: Give this book to the person who is continually dumbfounded by the fact that people are enthralled by personality over “substance†or statistics.
- Why they will love it; Bhargava provides a sound argument for
- Where to get it: http://www.amazon.com/Likeonomics-Unexpected-Influencing-Behavior-Inspiring/dp/1118137531
- What it's about: This book is a terrific resource for brainstorming, idea generation and team strategy meetings. It's filled with templates and practical out-of-the-box exercises that will tickle your brain.
- Who to give it to: Business owners, marketers, managers, team leaders, and anyone who has to pull ideas seemingly out of anywhere and turn them into mind-blowing strategies.
- Why they will love it; This book is just plain fun. It's a book you'll want to have close by to jiggle your brain into overdrive when you need to come up with something really big.
- Where to get it: http://www.amazon.com/Think-Sideways-game-changing-playbook-distruptive/dp/0985244704
- What it's about: Learn to create your own serendipity and good luck. Get Lucky shows businesses how to succeed by fostering the conditions for serendipity to occur early and often.
- Who to give it to: Â Give this book to a small business owner just starting out or one that's been down in the dumps about the economy or the election. Â This will inspire them to create their own luck
- Why they will love it; This book is loaded with all the stuff business book junkies love; stories of serendipity in action at well-known companies including Avon, Target, Steelcase, Google, Facebook, Walmart
- Where to get it: http://www.amazon.com/Get-Lucky-Planned-Serendipity-Business/dp/1118249755
- What it's about: Barrett combines his background in jazz and business to show how organizations can manage chaos and crisis
- Who to give it to: Business managers who are trying to organize their marketing and operations to be more effective under marketplace or industry uncertainty
- Why they will love it; They will learn how to balance
- Where to get it: http://www.amazon.com/Yes-Mess-Surprising-Leadership-Lessons/dp/1422161102
- What it's about: A can-do attitude, a great idea and hard work aren't all there is to entrepreneurial success. In world that is defined by an uneven playing field, entrepreneurs will need Invisible Capital to succeed.
- Who to give it to: If you've got an entrepreneur or business owner in your life who is frustrated by today's economic or political situation, this book will help them create a success mindset and strategies.
- Why they will love it; Invisible Capital will challenge them to examine their resources more critically and appreciate the appropriate steps to build resources for success.
- Where to get it: http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Capital-Unseen-Entrepreneurial-Opportunity/dp/1605093076
- What it's about: The history of Jim Beam bourbon, from
- Who to give it to: People who enjoy a little history about the booze they choose!
- Why they will love it; In the same vein as Guitar Lessons, Beam Straight Up will provide a great way to learn about business outside of the jargon
- Where to get it: http://www.amazon.com/Beam-Straight-Up-Family-Bourbon/dp/1118378369
- What it's about: This book will give you great insights and advice in starting and growing a business in the post “Great Recession†economy.
- Who to give it to: The book would be a good business read for anyone thinking of going into business, just starting out on their rebel entrepreneur journey but also any longtime rebel entrepreneurs with any sort of a business track record
- Why they will love it:  It has an easy to read straightforward style style with plenty of examples for all kinds of small businesses.
- Where to get it: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0749464828
- What it's about: 46% of people hired in 2012 will fail within the first 18 months on the job. This book will help you hire the right people for the right job with the right attitude.
- Who to give it to: This book is for CEOs, presidents and business owners, as well as anyone on the hiring team,
- Why they will love it; Hiring managers will get the right perspective on hiring the right people with the right attitude at the right time.
- Where to get it: http://www.amazon.com/Hiring-Attitude-Revolutionary-Recruiting-Tremendous/dp/007178585X
Gifts for the Book Lover
People are always asking me how I can read so many business books every week for review. Well, it helps being a business book junkie! I can't get enough of them. Oh well, some women love shoes and I love business books. But don't ask me which I love more, hehe.
I will say that I do have a few items on my wishlist as someone who loves reading anywhere and everywhere. So, if you've got a business book junkie in your life, then here are some insider secrets that are on MY list:
- Kindle or iPad cover. I have a Kindle and it currently doesn't have a cover. I'm starting to look at device covers like most people look at clothes or shoes! I actually feel like “dressing†my devices. Some days I feel floral and other days I feel like the device needs a more professional look. If you think I'm crazy â€" well go ahead. You can never have too many device covers.
- Book or kindle light. I don't know about you, but I cannot get to sleep until I've read at least a sentence or two. Now I've heard studies that say that reading from a lit screen (especially in bed) can impact your ability to fall asleep. Not only that, but I've also heard that your brain processes information differently when it's on a written page. That said â€" your book lover is going to need a book light - or a little light for their original Kindle.
- Creative Book Ends. This is on my list people! If you've ever been on a hike and seen these little stones piled on top of each other along a trail - this is what I do with books. My husband has started joking about the fact that the books have become decorative elements in our house. Now a creative set of bookends might just solve my problem. If you know someone who has books all over their house â€" they will love this.
- Personal Library Kit.  Digital readers aren't for everyone . I mean it. There's just no tactile enjoyment in the sharing - right? So if your bibliophile is an avid book sharer - or you want them to be â€" why not give them this wonderful library kit. They can literally lend books and keep track of who has them.
- Conceal Book shelves.  This is another terrific way to get those books off the floor and turn them into a decorative asset in your home! You can learn a lot about a person byu reading the titles on their shelves. This is a great way to let your book-lovers' personality shine through!
- Read in bed â€" holder. One of the reasons I got a Kindle was because I love to read in bed - but the bigger books were simply KILLING my wrists. I mean, I just couldn't get comfortable and then when I would reposition myself, the book would close and I'd lose my place! So here is a non-digital way to solve that problem. I found this while surfing online. I can't vouch for its effectiveness, but it sure looks like it might solve my book juggling problem.
Now that you have a list of all the best business books for 2012, why not take it a step further and create a bundle of a present for your book lover. Â One idea is to think of a theme and then combine several business books together around that theme.
For example, you can choose a them of Craftsmanship and bundle “Practice Perfect†and “So Good They Can't Ignore You†as a package.  Put that together with a “crafty†kindle cover and you have a fun gift.
Let your imagination run wild and have fun creating customized and personalized gifts for everyone on your business gift list.
