Are you looking for a business book to read? If yes, then you might as well consider this business book. Both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett consider it as their favorite. Read on to learn more!
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are among the biggest names in the business world. When they speak, everyone listens. When they recommend a book that should capture your attention.
Perhaps, it is rare for these two to agree on which books to read. However, this time, they both agree on which business book is the best of all time.
The two billionaires first met in 1991. During their conversation, Gates asked Buffett to recommend his favorite book in business. Buffett immediately answered, “I recommend Business Adventures by John Brooks.”
Buffett would later send a copy to Gates.
Gates was intrigued. In his blog, Gates admitted that he doesn’t even know John Brooks or have heard about the book “Business Adventures.”
Gates wrote in a 2014 blog:
“Today, more than two decades after Warren lent it to me—and more than four decades after it was first published—Business Adventures remains the best business book I’ve ever read. John Brooks is still my favorite business writer. (And Warren, if you’re reading this, I still have your copy.)”
Business Adventures is a classic book published in 1969. Now, you might think, why should you read such an old book in today’s business world? Isn’t the content of this book outdated and not relevant anymore in how businesses operate today?
Well, the answer to that question is clear: business specifics might have changed, but not business fundamentals. Brooks’ deeper insights and discussions in the book are as relevant today as they were back then.
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Who is John Brooks?
John Brooks was born in 1920. He grew up in New Jersey and lived to see the Great Depression. He attended Princeton University and would later serve in World War II. After the war, he became a journalist and writer. He published a few books and one of them is Business Adventures. Other popular books of John Brooks include Once in Golconda and The Go-Go Years.
What is the Business Adventures book?
The Business Adventures was published in the late 1960s and has stood the test of time. The book includes some of the most memorable stories of iconic companies and how those stories define them.
By reading the moments of success and failure of the best companies today, you would understand the intricate nature of running a business.
John Brooks, in his book, tells you some of the dramas and adventures of Wall Street businesses to reveal the volatile and exciting world of finance.
Some of the stories in the book include the breath-taking 1962 market crash, the fall of a world-famous brokerage firm, how American bankers saved the British pound, the rise of Xerox, the General Electric scandals, and a lot more.
Reasons you should read Business Adventures
Business Adventures is no doubt worth your time. Here are some of the reasons why you should read this classic book:
- Recommended by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett
- Includes inspiring and insightful 12 stories of the world’s greatest businesses
- Includes lessons not only applicable to business but also in life
- Stories show parallel situations prevalent today
- The book is written in an engaging, interesting, and charming style every reader would love
What you can learn from the book?
The book comes with a lot of golden nuggets throughout its pages. Whether you are in business or simply living your life to achieve your goals, there are a lot of lessons you can learn from this book. Here are five of them:
- Change is inevitable. Those who recognize and accept changes are the ones who eventually succeed.
- Failure is the building blocks of success. Learn from your failure and move on.
- Invest in relationship and nurture company culture and values.
- Learn from history and avoid repeating the same mistakes.
- Constantly open your mind to new opportunities in order to grow personally and financially.
Read the book
If you haven’t read the book, you probably should add Business Adventures to your top books to read. I would even say it should be the next book you should read.
They say that “Behind every successful man is a woman.” The same can also be said with businesses: “Behind every successful entrepreneur is a list of great books.”
The endorsement of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett for the book, Business Adventures, should be enough to convince you to read it.
While you might think this book is already obsolete, especially for millennials, you would not regret reading Business Adventures because it comes with timeless lessons and principles applicable to today’s life.
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