David duChemin is a great photographer, educator, and writer who I had the privilege of interviewing for my photography blog. I have read most of his books. The first few were on the topic of photography itself. Lately, though, he has been writing about being an artist in general (or an entrepreneur), someone who creates for a living, or wants to do so. His previous book, "A … [Read more...]

I've been more and more interested in meditation. Yes, meditation. Please don't click away just now, if you think I'm going to talk about wearing robes, sandals and long hair, and going around chanting on the streets. Meditation has had a "bad" reputation, and has been seen as only for eccentrics. It couldn't be further from the truth. Dan Harris is a well-known American … [Read more...]

"Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t" is the most recent book by Simon Sinek, after the highly acclaimed "Start with Why". This book goes deep into the subject of leadership, and working with teams. It gives many examples of leaders who focus on the long run and succeed, as well as leaders who focus on short-term gain and damage the company's … [Read more...]

If you follow "Shark Tank", you'll recognize Kevin O'Leary as the direct, tell-it-like-he-sees-it kind of guy. He's the one who delivers the hard truths some entrepreneurs don't want or aren't ready to hear. At first he may come across as harsh. But after watching several episodes, and especially after reading his book, your opinion is bound to change. In "Cold Hard Truth On … [Read more...]

After reading Barbara Corcoran's "Shark Tales", I continued my Shark Tank series with Robert Herjavec's "Driven". Robert is a self-made millionaire, son of Croatian immigrants to Canada, and he built a multi million dollar internet security business. He shares his journey, from working as a debt collector, to working at a men's clothes shop, to working as a waiter, until … [Read more...]

“People don't buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe”. This is the main premise of "Start With Why", by Simon Sinek. He defends, and I agree, that companies must have a crystal clear picture of why they are in business, and what their core values are. After that comes HOW. How you execute that vision. Lastly comes WHAT. What you … [Read more...]

I love a good rags to riches story. It never fails to inspire me. The feeling of "If she can so it, so can I" comes to mind and motivates me to do better. I came to know Barbara Corcoran a while ago, when I finally started watching "Shark Tank". By the way, it's a show every entrepreneur should watch. You'll learn a lot and see many good examples of what to do and what not … [Read more...]

There is a big difference between selling and helping. The companies and brands that are and will succeed are the ones who give something useful to the end-user, and not just push products or services at them. that's Youtility. Jay Baer explains why you must give something to the user, be it an app, a free service, or a useful website, to engage him. The recognition will … [Read more...]

This is the second bestseller Freakonomics book. The first one took the world by storm with its engaging stories and weird facts, explained in an everyday language. Superfreakonomics came out a few years after, and it's not new book. I've had it for some time, but decided to read it now. The main discipline the authors employ is Behavioral economics, that "studies  the … [Read more...]

I came across "The People's Platform - Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age" on a post somewhere, about the 20 best books of 2014. It piqued my curiosity, so I got it. Astra Taylor is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and musician. I would add to that, thinker. On this book, she takes a detailed look to the online world, having at times a very critical opinion … [Read more...]