Don’t Read Business Books

“All the evidence suggests business books are not in fact about learning, but about escapism, just like a romance novel.”

I read this quote from a book publisher in the Harvard Business Review a few years ago— and it’s always struck me as shocking.

Now whenever I walk through the aisles of the business book section of book stores it’s all I can see: book cover after book cover making outlandish promises about how it will change you into a successful person.

It’s all… kind of dishonest.

I hope this video doesn’t come across as too cynical. I read A LOT of business books. And business books are a great place for anyone who is scared of starting their own business to start— I mean you have to start somewhere, right!?

But I don’t want to let authors and publishers off the hook either— they are not above criticism, and so it’s worth asking questions and considering the darker side of business books.

Hope you enjoy it. This is definitely a different STYLE and TOPIC than my typical videos. Let me know your thoughts in the comments 🙂

– Steve Benjamins