How to read a business book

I actively read the literature on business, marketing, internet communications. And if it all began with one book per month, now I have time to read 3-4 books. But the specifics of the business literature makes itself felt: these books are not "spiritual food" (as they say on the art books), but rather a "food for thought" and the basis for the adoption of certain decisions in the present and future. If you are advised to chew food and eat regularly, then what business books, where many of the ideas, thoughts and tips are superimposed on each other? How to avoid creating confusion in the mind, and to make practical use of the pages read? Here are some tips from my own experience

1. Carefully selected books, when it comes to business literature. Alas, have to admit that the books written by Western authors, contain more useful and practical examples, and more accessible explanations (especially when it comes to project management, time management, or Internet marketing). Books Russian / Ukrainian authors (and in general "comes from the CIS") often represent a collection of rehashed Western authors and their ideas or incredible hybrid of different ideas in the spirit of MLM companies where you for a short time promised incredible wealth, fame and opportunities, if you buy the "just this book. "

2. Read the book with a pencil in his hand. Take notes, write out your favorite quotes and page numbers where you meet interesting examples. In the books of the publishing house "Myth" (they recently read quite a lot) for this purpose, there is an excellent section: a few blank pages at the end of the book, entitled "For new ideas." There can be recorded and favorite examples, references and excerpts from the reading. If read in electronic form, - keep the same notes, quotes, and bookmarks in Evernote, Instapaper, Pocket (Where you prefer).

3. After each read a book, make a list of five (may be more) ideasThat you can take for your business, project or just the work style of the beginning of next week. Do not delay the implementation of the knowledge gleaned "for later" business book - unlike fiction - have over time tendency to become obsolete (and in our time the idea of ​​"aging" has less than six months), and therefore proposed "recipes" or advice necessary to implement immediately.

4. Do not take books on business as a universal "key of happiness", Which you can open all doors and solve all the problems of your business: universal recipes basically does not exist. Even the most popular and landmark book written by practitioner businessman, often can not be a source of direct evidence to action: the markets, the environment, the target audience, the legislative field, facing your business or your online project can radically differ from those described in the business literature. Learn from the best, to write a business book, but do not copy their experience of one to one.

5. Keep records have been read / read / planned to reading business books. Approach to reading business books, just as you come to the decisions of the Working tasks: lists, ordering, allocation of a minimum of 40 minutes a day reading a book, a certain number of pages per week. So you can maintain a sense of a unified flow of information and the integrity of the disclosed tips, ideas and examples. For this purpose, well suited notes to Evernote or virtual "shelf" in the subject of social network Goodreads.

6. Read a good book to share with your friends / acquaintances / relativesWho have similar interests, similar to their own business or online project. Collaborator or someone who is also interested in the exact same subject can evaluate not only your attention to its problems or ideas, but also to present their views on the reading. From the discussion often new ideas, which - it is possible - and not in the book initially.

7. Use the business literature as a basis for networking. Share your books on professional topics with colleagues / partners in the project. Get a corporate library (It's not just about big companies, but also of start-ups - especially the startups that nothing has such values ​​as self-education).

8. Business literature can be a tool of internet marketing. If you have a successful blog theme / content design / online media, you can announce the best review / overview / board and as a prize to offer its readers some "tasty" business book. The audience will appreciate this step you not only "like", "retweets" and "sherami", but also for its positive attitude towards you.

And what advice can give you in terms of the correct reading and practical application of different business books?