Six Books To Inform and Entertain You

Despite the advent of texting, six-second videos and 500-word blogs, people still read the old-fashioned book with pages made of paper.  It must be the feel of holding a novel in your hands and turning pages that has kept the book popular in its traditional form.

There are tens of thousands of books out there and any visit to a library or bookstore will yield a wealth of wonderful entertainment and useful information.

Here are some personal recommendations.

1) How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This book was written in 1936 and its fundamental principles are still very relevant today.  These principles are based on positive ways of dealing with people and winning them over to your side.

One example deals with conversation.  Do you prefer to talk or to listen?  If you prefer to listen, you will learn new things from the other person plus they will be impressed by the fact that you listened to them instead of droning on about yourself.

Dale Carnegie's book is very easy to read and it's full of very useful advice that's simple to put into action.  Here's a summary of six ways to make people like you.

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person's name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person's interest.
6. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

2) How Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg

Google is one of the largest companies in the world with over 50,000 employees and a market valuation of over $360 billion.  The authors provide a very entertaining primer on how to operate a huge organization in the rapidly evolving field of technology and online commerce where the time-frame for success can no longer be measured in years.

The customer is the boss and products must be cutting-edge while having the broadest appeal possible (with the knowledge that it may be obsolete much sooner than later).  Having employees who are 'smart creative' is essential but Google has to allow them to thrive, work hard, have fun and be constantly innovative and creative.  How is this done?  'How Google Works' provides many fascinating insights!



3) Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan

It's been just over 100 years since the start of World War I but the world is still dealing with the ramifications of the post-war peace talks in Paris.  The heads of state of Britain, France, Italy and the United States tried to forge a peace while dealing with petitions from delegates who came from all over the globe.

When we read about all of the issues facing our present-day world, from Asia to Europe to the Middle East to Africa, they can be traced to the decisions made in Paris during those six months.  It drives home the point that wars can be won but winning the peace can sometimes be more difficult.  Many of today's international headlines can be traced to the decisions made in the capital of France after the 'War To End All Wars'.


4) Around the World in 80 Days by Michael Palin

Michael Palin was best-known for his comedic work with Monty Python before he accepted a challenge to travel around the world in 80 days.  The stipulation was that he could only use the same overland methods as in the age of Jules Verne's book, published in 1873.  No airplanes!

His trip,is a great travelogue as he journeys from London, England through Europe, Egypt, Asia and then the Pacific Ocean followed by North America and the Atlantic.  No flying is involved and this brings home the fact that it's often the journey itself that's the fun part, not the destination.

Michael Palin's sense of humor and keen observations make this a wonderful read and a great incentive to plan a trip yourself.  You can also read his other travel books such as 'Pole to Pole' (describing his overland trip from the North Pole to the South Pole via Europe and Africa) or 'Full Circle' (his journey visiting all countries around the rim the Pacific Ocean).



5) Madrigal's Magic Key To Spanish by Margarita Madrigal

I wrote a blog on how learning other languages is a very fun and valuable activity.  Spanish is a language spoken by more than 400 million people in Spain as well as many countries in Central and South America and many areas in the United States.

There are many books and videos which teach Spanish but a great one for beginners is Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish.  It shows how closely related Spanish and English are related and how many words you can learn instantly due to this relationship.   For example, words ending in '-or', '-ble' and '-ion' are virtually identical in English and Spanish.  After a few days of reading this book, you will have a large vocabulary and a very good grasp of everyday grammar.


6) Looptail by Bruce Poon Tip

How do you start an adventure travel company using your credit cards and trying to compete with the huge bus tour companies?  Bruce Poon Tip's account of building G Adventures from scratch to a company serving 100,000 customers a year in 100 countries is very inspiring.  It also gives a very insightful first-hand account on how to operate and grow a company while keeping customers happy, employees engaged, competitors at bay and staying socially responsible.

You can read my review of the book at Looptail Review.  Bruce Poon Tip has written a second inspirational book called 'Do Big Small Things'.  You can learn more about it at the official site. 

The picture is Bruce and myself (along with his wife) in Ecuador.


There are many other books which I can recommend but these six are a good place to start if you are looking for some new reading reading material.

Stay true to the written word and read!



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A Look at Bruce Poon Tip's 'Looptail'

Looptail is the new book by Bruce Poon Tip. founder of G Adventures.  It's his story about how the company was formed by an idea and a couple of credit cards.  The book gives some pointers about how to run a company using the Looptail, a process in which you get what you give.

Looptail is indeed a fascinating look at Bruce Poon Tip and the formation of his travel company, G Adventures (formerly GAP).  He doesn't pull any punches about the difficulties he encountered growing up facing prejudice after his family moved to Canada, the difficulties he faced while starting up his travel company and the difficulties he ran up against from the travel industry in forming a company that ran against the grain of basic tourist packaged trips.  He even encounters resistance from his own workers as he tries to bring forward his vision as to how the company should run, one that goes beyond mere numbers.

It is a story that can be shared from many entrepreneurs who started up companies that ran against the grain.  You have to convince yourself that your idea will work,  You have to convince family and friends that you're not irrational.  You have to convince people and financial institutions that your idea is worth funding and you have to convince those you hire at first that the company will succeed and prosper.  Bruce Poon Tip tells his story in a very entertaining and insightful manner, such that the book reads like a can't-put-down thriller.

What do you do when you're told that your ship, carrying 154 passengers, crew and staff, is sinking off the Antarctic and the world is watching your every move?  How would you react if you were offered $70 million for your company?  Could you manage an escape if you were arrested and held prisoner in Burma? How Poon Tip handles these instances and many more gives great insights into what made him successful.  The book also shows other aspects of his career such as the best ways to give back to communities all over the world and how to deal with employee issues, including handling the bottom 10% of  workers who are most involved in the company's extra-curricular activities but do the least actual work.  He makes it clear that being unpopular (to the point of actual threats) comes with the territory when you're trying to take your company in a new direction and shake employees out of their comfort zone.

Bruce Poon Tip writes, "To me, someone creating a company isn't any different than an artist who writes a song or creates a painting or a magnificent sculpture. Art is about putting your ideas, thoughts, heart and soul into your work."  He definitely put all those elements into Looptail, a book that is recommended for anyone looking for insights into how to run a successful business while maintaining one's positive karma.  It is not your typical book but, then again, Bruce Poon Tip isn't your typical person.  Read Looptail and find out why.

Bruce and myself at the beach

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