How to Read Business Books for Professional Development

This is Paras Chopra. He's built 2 successful companies and bootstrapped one to $45M+ in annual revenue. Here are 11 helpful reading tips from him: 1) First thing you should introspect is *why* you read. For me, the point of reading books is to not remember the facts but to form useful mental models that I can deploy in my future thinking. 2) Clarity on your reason for reading will help you guide on how to get the most out of the time you invest in reading. 3) The goal of gaining personal insights and building mental models suddenly vaporizes common anxieties with reading books: It's OK to drop books in between, if you're not gaining anything from it. Remember: the point is not to finish books, but to learn. 4) It's OK to spoil books with pen and paper marks. In fact, I recommend marking anything of interest. Underlining is a cue for the brain to pay extra attention to the part that's being underlined. 5) It's easy to get fooled into thinking that you're learning when you're reading books. Reading != learning. Learning happens when you've digested and internalized the idea from many angles, and have made it your own. That takes an active effort beyond reading. 6) So what is to be done for learning from books? What works for me: summarizing key insights and ideas from the book in my own words. Just copy-pasting or typing underlined sentences is not enough. 7) I feel I haven't learned from a book until I'm able to explain to myself and others the key concepts and mental models contained in it as well as the author. It's a high bar, but that's what I aspire to for each book that I read. 8) Do not wait until the end of the book to write down your notes. Do it after each major section or chapter. If you postpone till the end, either you'll get lazy or forget/miss a major idea. Your notes create value for others too if you blog/tweet them. 9) All this sounds like a lot of work, and it is. But remember: the point is not to finish books but to build new mental models. As a thumb rule: spend as much time writing your notes (in your own words) from the book as you'd spend reading it. 10) Take your time in searching for challenging books. A simple heuristic to know whether a book was good: are you thinking differently about the world after reading it? If not, the book was mental junk food. 11) Last tip: with each new book, increase the difficulty level of the book. It's damn convenient for the brain to chew on 'How to do XYZ' books one after another. Majority of books in the business section belong to the easy category. Know that they have diminishing returns. - - - S: If you're looking for some good books to read I put together a list of the 100 most impactful books I’ve read. Get the list for FREE here: https://lnkd.in/eBFYc3xE

Reading is the language of wealth. For 3 years straight, I read every single day and became a millionaire at 24. 7 simple tips to build this 7-figure habit: 1. Treat reading like a video game It's not "I have to read," it's "I GET to read." Every book is a chance to level up your skills before the next big challenge. This mindset shift makes reading fun, not a chore. 2. Read to solve real problems Don't just read random books. Pick ones that address your current challenges. When I noticed my sales team struggling, I dove into sales books. Applying what you learn immediately helps it stick. 3. Focus on books you can use now Reading without application is like buying gym equipment and never using it. If you can't apply the knowledge soon, you'll likely forget it in six months. 4. Make your reading purposeful and timely When I read "Great Leads," it revolutionized our marketing approach. We shifted 70% of our time to ideation, resulting in better numbers in 6 weeks than the previous 6 months. One book can genuinely change the game for your business. 5. Create a reading ritual I set aside 30 minutes during evenings and weekends. It's non-negotiable, like brushing my teeth. Consistency is key. Small daily efforts (and the knowledge learned) compound over time. 6. Take actionable notes Don't just passively read. Engage with the material. Write down one action item from each chapter. Then implement it within 48 hours. Why read it if you won't act on it? 7. Share what you learn Teaching solidifies your understanding and helps others get on the same page. I discuss key insights with my team in our weekly meetings. It holds me accountable and spreads knowledge throughout the company. Reading is not about quantity, but quality and application. One book deeply understood and implemented is worth more than 100 books skimmed. It's the cheapest, most accessible form of mentorship available. If you enjoyed this and want more in-depth content like this: Join my newsletter to learn my business principles, systems, mental models, and scaling to $20M annual revenue 👉 https://lnkd.in/eVhbA8RE

How to Read a Book – A Timeless Guide to Intelligent Reading for CEOs and Business Leaders As CEOs and leaders, reading is a powerful tool to sharpen your strategic thinking and leadership. But how do you read with purpose? How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren offers practical advice that can help you engage more deeply with books—especially in the fast-paced business world. Key Lessons for Business Leaders: 1) Read with Purpose: Set clear goals for why you are reading a book. Are you looking for new strategies? Insights on leadership? Understanding a complex business challenge? Define your objective first. Focus on how the content aligns with your current strategic needs. 2) Active vs. Passive Reading: It’s easy to read a book passively. But great leaders read actively. Engage with the text by asking questions, taking notes, and reflecting on the content. Write down key takeaways and how they apply to your company’s context. 3) Inspectional Reading: Skim first to get the big picture, then dive deeper into sections that align with your strategic interests. Don't get bogged down in every detail—focus on the insights that drive your growth. 4) Analytical Reading: Assess the arguments critically. Break down the author’s ideas and test them against your own experiences. Challenge what you read and think about how it applies (or doesn’t) to your industry. 5) Syntopical Reading: Compare different texts on the same topic to build a broader, more well-rounded perspective. Use books to form an interconnected view of trends across leadership, strategy, and innovation. To become a better leader, you don’t just need to read more; you need to read better. How to Read a Book gives you the framework to engage deeply, think critically, and apply new knowledge strategically. #Leadership #CEO #BusinessBooks