“Present Readers Will Be The Leaders Of Tomorrow,” according to ancient sages. In the same way, it is very evident today that the founders and CEOs of the leading organizations are great enthusiasts of books and love to read! One of the traits I can identify in those founders is their desire to read and finish at least more than one book each month.
The issue is that reading is becoming increasingly challenging in today’s fast-paced world where we do not have much time for ourselves. Nowadays, many of us suffer from a reduced attention span, which makes it really difficult to start reading as a hobby.
But here come audiobooks to the rescue. With audiobooks, you can listen to books anywhere, at any time: in traffic, while walking, during exercise, or whenever you don’t feel like reading.
With words full of business insights and precious knowledge from all around the world, these audiobooks can help you shorten your journey to mastery and become a successful entrepreneur in your life.
Advantages of audiobooks
1. They help relax your eyes and ensure the highest levels of comfort
Most people spend more than six hours a day staring at digital screens, which can cause eye strain, blurred vision, and long-term vision issues like nearsightedness. Additionally, studies have indicated a connection between social media use and depression and feelings of loneliness, which is yet another justification for switching to an audiobook and putting the phone away.
2. It improves pronunciation and fluency
The accuracy and fluency of your reading and speaking both increases when you listen to audiobooks. You can observe and pick up pronunciation tips from the narrator while listening to the book.
Additionally, you can hear his reading rate, pauses, stresses, and intonations, all of which are essential for good fluency and command of any language.
3. Audiobooks improve time management
It is beneficial to be able to think critically and read while carrying out daily activities like cleaning the house, exercising, or driving. This makes less enjoyable chores more enjoyable and less stressful.
It saves a lot of time, as while listening to an audiobook, you can multitask and save tons of time.
4. It improves focus and attention span
When listening to an audiobook, you should pay attention to what the narrator is trying to convey to you. And you will need to keep that focus throughout the narration.
Once you become distracted while listening to an audiobook, it is very simple to get lost. You will also find it challenging to go back and listen to it again, unlike when you read books. Therefore, it is crucial that you remain concentrated and avoid getting sidetracked.
5. It is a memory booster
There are a lot of things that you need to remember while listening to an audiobook. When listening to fiction, it is important to remember the names of the characters and their characteristics, the names of the settings, the main and supporting characters, the order of events, significant conversations, etc.
The ability to retain this information keeps improving with the number of audiobooks you listen to. Additionally, as your brain gains experience recalling details from stories, it gets better at recalling details from other parts of your life.
The Top 5 Business Audiobooks
1. Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill)
This book may be the answer for you if you have ever wondered how to tap into the power of your subconscious mind. It all comes down to how well a person can retrain their own mind to concentrate all of its energy on achieving success.
The focus of the book is on the 13 principles that can alter one’s perspective. By applying these thirteen steps, one can begin to notice positive changes. To motivate his readers, the author shares the experiences of successful people in his writing.
He emphasizes the importance of perseverance, consistent effort, and opportunity recognition. He discusses the necessity of having a “Burning Desire” to accomplish something.
Napoleon Hill conducted research and wrote about the mindset of millionaires and billionaires, which makes this book distinctive. He built this masterpiece over the course of twenty to twenty-five years.
Best Takeaways
- A burning desire is necessary for success.
- Every major achievement begins with an intense belief in one’s ability to accomplish it.
- You are who you think you are. Encourage positive thoughts and eliminate fear and doubt.
- Knowledge is only as good as the plans you have to use it.
- Persistence is insurance against failure.
- Make decisions quickly, and do not be easily swayed by the negative opinions of other people.
2. Rich Dad Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki)
One of the most popular self-help books ever written is Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Robert Kiyosaki, a well-known investor, wrote it to inform readers about how to improve their financial literacy and live carefree lives. For beginners who want to achieve financial independence, this book is the best.
This story is about what his “rich dad” taught him about money and how he was able to achieve financial independence without working a regular 9-to-5 job by creating passive income.
This book will change your perspective on money and how to earn it. It will challenge your beliefs and understanding about money and tell you why some people become rich and some remain poor all their lives.
The author also challenges the education system, as they are teaching us in the same old way and the school system is developing an employee mindset instead of a business mindset.
Best Takeaways
- The rich don’t work for money; they make money work for them. Kiyosaki emphasizes the importance of creating passive income streams and investing in assets that generate cash flow.
- Financial education is key to achieving financial success. Kiyosaki argues that the traditional education system fails to teach people about money and encourages readers to seek out financial education on their own.
- Building wealth is about mindset and taking action. Kiyosaki stresses the importance of adopting a wealthy mindset and taking action towards financial goals rather than just talking or dreaming about them.
- It’s important to distinguish between assets and liabilities. Kiyosaki defines assets as things that put money in your pocket, while liabilities are things that take money out of your pocket. He encourages readers to focus on acquiring assets and minimizing liabilities.
- Real estate is one of the best investment opportunities. Kiyosaki believes that real estate is a powerful wealth-building tool that offers opportunities for cash flow and appreciation.
3. Atomic Habits (James Clear)
The focus of the book is on small changes that can be made in life by forming good habits and breaking bad ones, which, when practiced over time and built upon, can have a cumulative effect, transforming us into a better version of ourselves.
The book is divided into about 20 chapters, and each one begins with a true story about how a particular action affected the life of the person or group that is the subject of the anecdote. This sets the context for the rest of the chapter.
The reader will find it simpler to relate the techniques to their own schedule and choose how to use them if the author provides a wealth of examples for using the techniques as well.
Best Takeaways
- Become infatuated with boredom. If you are willing to stick with changes for years, they will compound into amazing results, even though they initially seem small and unimportant.
- Trust the process. Goals set directions; systems make progress.
- You are what you do. Improvements are only temporary until they become part of who you are.
- Disciplined people design their environments to work for them. They structure their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control.
- Start with repetition, not perfection. A habit must be established before it can be improved.
4. Zero to One (Peter Thiel)
Peter Thiel, a renowned investor and entrepreneur, demonstrates in his book Zero to One how we can come up with unique ways to produce those new things. Peter Thiel starts off with the contrarian premise that, despite being preoccupied with flashy mobile devices, we are living in a time of technological stagnation.
Although information technology has advanced quickly, Silicon Valley and computers are by no means the only areas of development. In any sector of business or industry, advancement is possible. It results from developing independent thought, the most crucial leadership skill.
The world goes from 1 to n when we do what someone else already knows how to do, adding more of what is familiar.
However, when you take a new action, you go from 0 to 1. Operating systems will not be created by the next Bill Gates. A search engine will not be created by the next Larry Page or Sergey Brin. The winners of tomorrow will not be those who engage in ruthless competition in today’s market. They will escape competition altogether because their businesses will be unique.
Zero to One by Peter Thiel presents at once an optimistic view of the future of progress in America and a new way of thinking about innovation: It starts by learning to ask the questions that lead you to find value in unexpected places.
Best Takeaways
- You can only predict (or attempt to predict) vertical progress when you look at the present in a new light, one where you view it critically, and in a way that few others can.
In order to have your startup participate in the future, you must answer yes to these seven critical questions.
- Can your company create a technological breakthrough?
- Is this the right time to start a business?
- Will you have a large share of a small market?
- Are you up to the job?
- Are your distribution channels set up?
- Is the company durable?
- Have you found a unique opportunity that others have missed?
5. The Millionaire Fastlane (MJ Dmarco)
First things first. The author is a self-made millionaire. By his own account (which starts off the book), he was hopping across several jobs after his graduation until he had this moment of clarity.
Based on this life journey, and his observations of fellow seekers of wealth in the road of life, DeMarco says that there are three kinds of people. The Sidewalkers, the Slowlaners, and of course, the Fastlaners.
Those who pay little to no attention to their financial life are known as Sidewalkers. They are innumerate (financially illiterate), live their life credit card bill to credit card bill, blame the system for their ills, and live a life of penury, or worse, a debt-laden life of faux luxury.
The Slowlaners are those who put in a lot of effort, save money, invest it wisely, and accumulate savings for their future and retirement. They are the people who aim to become wealthy in old age and, according to the author, amass wealth only to discover that they are unable to use it to purchase the things they desired as young adults.
Of course, there are also the “fasteners”—those who seize opportunities to accumulate wealth quickly, invest it in the “money machine” (dividends and interest), and retire at a young age. They ‘affect’ millions of lives, build assets that they can sell for ‘multiples’, make money while they are asleep, etc. Essentially, entrepreneurs who strike it are rich.
Best Takeaways
- At some point, you must make your income independent of your time.
- Think like a producer, not like a consumer.
- He says wealth includes three things:
- Meaningful relationships with friends and family
- Being healthy and physically fit
- Freedom
Summary
To summarize, books are the key to those closed doors whose lock has been decoded in history, and you can use that key to overcome challenges in your life and be the best version of yourself.
These audiobooks will help you lead your team in a better way, be a successful entrepreneur, and grab your dreams ASAP. Happy Reading!!
