Book Rapper Business Book Summaries

One day a few years back I was getting bored with the client work that I was doing and starting wondering… “I’d love to be reading a book right now. But, I should be doing some client work to pay the bills.” Then I paused and thought… “Mmm… if I could get paid to read books then I could read books anytime I wanted.” This was the thought that launched Book Rapper business book summaries.

On this page we’ll be gradually sharing our full list of over 50 business book summaries. We’ll add one or two each month. If you want all of them right now, you can head over to Book Rapper and subscribe.

The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss

Speed RAP: Our live-to-work culture is obsolete. The Industrial Revolution’s 40 hour a week Deferred Lifestyle has reached retirement age. For the first time in 200 years you can re-frame your work ethic into a personal DIY ethic. The three currencies of this global, digital revolution are TIME, INCOME and MOBILITY. The new DEAL is to Define what you want, Eliminate everything extraneous, set-up Automated income streams and Liberate yourself to live the way you say you want. People best placed to truly pull off a mobile lifestyle will already have a lot of skills and knowledge in place. However, EVERYONE can benefit from following Tim Ferriss’ repeatable process. How much is up to you! We rapped this book as The Four Hour JOLT!

Your Referral Trumpet

Speed RAP: A flood of referrals will only arrive if you build a referral culture and the business systems to match. You’ll need to differentiate yourself, identify your ideal customer, design referral touchpoints, educate with content and attract both customers and partners.

The Long Tail by Chris Anderson

Speed RAP: There is money to be made in very small niches. The big shift has been in access to the Internet. Previously to make a good profit you needed high production volume and a best-selling product. Now, through our PCs it’s easier to create things and the Internet gives us all access to global distribution. There is almost any market, for any product, somewhere. Let your customers find you on the net. We rapped this book as Make Money From Niches.

A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink

Speed RAP: Logical, rational left-brain thinking is necessary yet no longer enough. The right brain skills of design, story telling, emotional empathy, the big picture, playfulness and creating meaning are the keys to success. We rapped this book as How to Think Right.

Audio/Podcast: How to Think Right • Download • More

Trust Agents by Chris Brogan & Julien Smith

Speed RAP: The web + social media is re-humanizing business and our interactions with each other. Gone are the days of interrupting, talking at and yelling to gain attention and make sales. Today we need to build trust, be helpful and converse with other human beings. We rapped this book as Web Line.

The Mobile Wave by Michael Saylor

Speed RAP: We’re currently living in the third great human revolution: the Information Age. And, it’s about to tip. Mobile Computing in the guise of your smartphone and tablet are changing all the rules. Paper, entertainment, money, meeting people, medicine, education and the world around us are all about to flip. Forget the web. The new centre of the universe is where ever you are. We rapped this book as Mobilize Me.

Reframe by Eric Knight

Speed RAP: The solution to Terrorism is not killing all the terrorists. The solution to Climate Change is not saving energy. To solve big wicked problems you need to think different. Solutions may be created if you start small and tinker around the edges of the problem. Little Innovation is key. We rapped this book as Wicked Thinking.

Design Like Apple by John Edson

Speed RAP: Design is the new competitive advantage. It’s more than the way something looks. It’s a way of thinking and being in the world. And, the current world champion is Apple. Design provides a platform for your organisational culture, enables you to connect with your customers, amplifies your brand voice and provides a context for your products and marketing. We rapped this book as AppleD.

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Speed RAP: The three key disciplines to transforming your organisation are: ? Your people. You need the right type of leader and the right people on your team. ? Your attention. You need to focus on your core business, repeatedly and consistently. ? Your action. You need a culture of discipline and the careful choice of technology to accelerate your momentum. We rapped this book as Greatness.

Why Should Anyone By Led by You by Goffee and Jones

Speed RAP: Leadership is situational, non-hierarchical and relational. This means what is required by the leader alters as the situation and context changes. Also, leadership happens throughout an organisation and not just in the appointed roles. And, leadership is a relationship between two groups of people: those leading and those following.  We rapped this book as Authentic.

Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath

Speed RAP: We’re all scientists in one way. We all have theories and hypotheses. We’re all forever testing our latest big idea. You think you know how an idea might turn out, but you can’t be sure. You may well find that you get a different result from the one you anticipated. We all regularly have to revise our idea of how the world works in light of new information. A successful idea gets to the simple truth – the core message – of a communication. A successful idea, message or product works because people get it. We rapped this book as The Sticking Point.

Audio Versions

Here are some more Book Rapper issues as showcased in the Ideas Architect Podcast

• Five Books to Learn From • Download • More
• Lessons from Book Rapper • Download • More
• World Class Leader • Download • More
• How to Create Winning Habits • Download • More
• Scott Belsky – Making Ideas Happen • Download • More
• Adam Grant – Give and Take • Download • More