Seth accidentally started a conversation about the value of an MBA (which I don’t have), and particularly some of the books one should read if you want to skip the school part and DIY. Josh Kaufman picked up the ball by posting an impressive list of books he recommends, along with a few web sites that complement.
I’m too lazy to create such an exhaustive list, but a couple that I would add are:
- Under the Radar by Arnold Kling – a sadly underpublicized book that has a lot of great insight (and case studies) on how to start an Internet business without venture capital (and I’m not just saying that because I’m one of the case studies
) - The Portable MBA in Finance and Accounting by John Leslie Livingstone – nothing especially earth-shaking here, just solid information that makes it easier to understand what investors are looking for
- Good to Great and Built to Last by Jim Collins – Collins is the most important business thinker of our generation. These books will be required reading for the next 100 years.
Josh mentioned Getting Things Done, but I want to make a special endorsement of this incredible book. This should be required reading of everyone, not just MBA students. I adopted this system about two years ago and it changed my life. Seriously. Who knew learning how to manage your to-do list could have such a profound impact?
NB: These are all affiliate links.