I suppose I've always been someone who learns more by reading, reflecting and understanding than participating in group or team learning activities. I need to think things through and fit the pieces together and this takes me time. As such, over the years, I have read many books on business and related subjects.

My favourite business related subject to read about is Wall Street and America around the time of the 'Great Crash.' I love the stories of the great investors of the day and their fates. There are many lessons from those times that can be carried forward to today. In fact, the parallels can be quite frightening. John Kenneth Galbraith's 'The Great Crash, 1929,' is a particular favourite. I understand the sales of the book go up every time there is a crash in the stock market.

When it comes to more mainstream business and management books, my favourites are books that I learn something from that I can apply successfully in the workplace. There are too many books in this whole area that follow a formula and leave the reader wondering about their relevance to the day-today work problems they face. I really like books that give you the theory and then point you in the direction of how the ideas can be applied.

Here are my four favourites, books that I have read over and over again.

Number one is 'The Pyramid Principle' by Barbara Minto. This is a book about thinking logically and writing in a way that puts across your ideas effectively to the reader. The methods outlined in the book can be used to plan presentations and articles, structure documents and solve complex problems in a logical and creative way. I have used the principles discussed in the book time and time again. The book was written by Barbara Minto when she joined a management consultancy to help her team present more effectively to clients but it soon found a much wider audience.

My second choice is 'Time to Think' by Nancy Kline. This book had a great effect on me when I first read it some years ago. Nancy Kline hits on a real issue in business and management; namely that people often have very poor listening skills. The book outlines simple methods to get the best out of meetings and one to -one conversations. There are some excellent insights and stories in the book.

Third on my list is a book about leadership. There are vast numbers of books on this topic and my favourite is 'Leadership and Self-Deception' by the Arbinger Institute. Told as a simple story, the book highlights how the day-to-day actions of leaders have powerful impacts on their teams. The book has some original ideas in it which go to the heart of interpersonal relationships at work. It is interesting to read the book and reflect on how you behave in the workplace and if there are any parallels.

Finally, I must admit a great liking for anything by Tom Peters. On balance I like his earlier work and would pick 'The Tom Peters Seminar.' The book was written way back in 1994 and had a great air of originality about it. I implemented a number of the ideas at the time. The discussions about customer service and getting the best out of staff are still very relevant today.

Each of the four books mentioned has enabled me to improve my business and management skills in a defined area and have been excellent development tools.

Learn more about this author, Geoff Hardy.
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