This could be a very long list, but if I went back through all the books I've ever purchased, I find that a few of them really stand out and of those there are some which I have reread several times, highlighted, added postit flags and even purchased copies to give as gifts to others.

My list of books cover elements of running a successful business which I think are paramount to the success of anyone. It incudes books that relate to personal development, sales and marketing and other elements which I find to be often overlooked by people who are struggling to succeed in business.

I bought a copy of the latest book from Bob Burg and John David Mann called "The Go-Giver." It's a fantastic book with a back cover plastered-over by testimonials from other top authors.

One of my favorites is from Set Godin who writes, "Most people don't have the guts to buy this book, never mind the will to follow through and actually use it. But you do. And I'm certain that you'll be glad you did."

When I started to read it, I couldn't put it down.

I won't spill the beans on the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success revealed in this book, but I would like to reflect on my own experiences.

Like one character in the book, I've been taught a million "closing techniques" for use in sales. I could write a book just listing all the names. On one level these techniques are intended to help a person learn how to communicate on purpose. If you have some idea of what to say in a discussion with another person, you're going to have a much better time saying what you mean.

But I realize they don't really matter. Just like if you're a wrestler, you can learn every move in the book, but it won't make the slightest bit of difference if you're missing one key ingredient.

Every sales technique you might learn can be applied successfully by one person and will actually cause a sale to be lost when applied by another. The difference is once again that key ingredient. One person has it and the other doesn't.

That key ingredient is heart.

To learn more, read it yourself. This book is a must for every library.

This book is very important because it shows a simple breakdown between the different paradigms we face when it comes to making money. As people try to develop a business, I've often found that they continue to work as though they have a job, where they're being paid to watch the clock, or they act like a simple specialist and again charge to do a job and never develop the true leverage, efficiency and effectiveness of a true business owner.

This is easily the most important book on prosperity consciousness written in the past 100 years. Some people need to read this book several times before they get it but if you want to develop true wealth that goes beyond the mere accumulation of money, you need to read Think and Grow Rich.

It's almost impossible to sustain the level of productivity necessary to sustain a business and a "life" if you don't know how. The fact we're in the Information Age only increases the challenge. Author David Allen provides a fantastic framework for collecting information about all that you need to do, and then take action on it.

Getting Things Done is not about motivation. It is a mechanism for helping you do what you want to do. If you lack motivation, Getting Things Done will just make you better at knowing what you're not doing.

Dr Joe Vitale is an excellent author and I really enjoy reading all of his books. Hypnotic Writing really stands out as a fantastic how-to and reference guide on better sales copywriting.

Why is copywriting important for a business owner?

If you want to be successful, you must know how to properly present yourself in writing.

I've met clients who tried to tell me that copywriting wasn't important. A look at their balance sheet told me they apparently didn't think income was all that important either. With improved copy and an arsenal of sales correspondance and marketing materials based on benefits and not features, income always goes up (I always laugh when someone tells me THEIR industry buys based on features and not benefits).