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"Gregory Ciotti is the marketing director at Help Scout.This post originally appeared on the Help Scout blog.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nRead to lead, right?\r\n\r\nThere are few better &amp;quot;hacks&amp;quot; in life than reading\u2014distilled knowledge that often took years to assemble can be consumed in just a few hours.\r\n\r\nThe problem is that many business books are\u00A0just plain awful; bloated to meet book length quotas, overly self-promotional, or a regurgitation of common sense, most serve little purpose.\r\n\r\nThose that are real winners\u2014classics like Cialdini's\u00A0Influence\u00A0or more modern hits such as\u00A0The Lean Startup\u2014become ubiquitous on book lists, to the point where you are tired of seeing them.\r\n\r\nIf I have to read one more list that includes\u00A0How to Win Friends and Influence People, I'm going to start losing friends and dis-influencing people out of spite.\r\n\r\nToday I thought we'd look at a few unconventional books that deserve a place on your bookshelf, even if they aren't on everyone else's.\r\n1. Breakthrough Advertising\r\nWritten by Eugene Schwartz in 1957, the hype surrounding this book is immense.\r\n\r\nYou'll be lucky to find a copy for under $90 (although it sometimes pops up on\u00A0Scribd).\r\n\r\nTalk to many world-class email marketers like Ramit Sethi, however, and they'll\u00A0tell you\u00A0it's worth the hunt:\r\nEugene Schwartz's Breakthrough Advertising has some of the most sophisticated thinking on human psychology that I've ever read.&amp;quot;\r\nIt's a dense tome, but Schwartz put together one of the most sought after books on marketing and copywriting ever written.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0887232981/\r\n2. The Social Animal\r\nPerhaps the finest introduction\u00A0to social psychology\u00A0that one can ask for.\r\n\r\nAuthor Elliot Aronson is the only person in the 120-year history of the American Psychological Association to have won all three of its major awards for writing, teaching, and research.\r\n\r\nIn other words, he's one of psychology's greats, and he knows how to communicate his knowledge.\r\n\r\nThis book, along with\u00A0Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)\u00A0showcases his distinct ability to put important topics on human behavior in laymen's terms. I'd recommend it for anyone, but entrepreneurs in particular will get a lot out of it.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/1429233419/\r\n3. Be Our Guest\r\nPerhaps the one additional book I wish would have made our\u00A0customer service books\u00A0list, I get some redemption by being able to tell you about this exceptional piece of writing right now.\r\n\r\nThis is the Disney Institute\u2019s guide to creating memorable experiences, and as you hopefully know, Disney continually raises the bar in how far they will go for customers.\r\n\r\nIf you want an introduction to the Disney way of doing things, you can't ask for a better source.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/1423145844/\r\n4. Hooked\r\nI'm a big fan of Nir Eyal's blog and Ryan Hoover's writing, so I was very excited to pick up this book upon release.\r\n\r\nHooked, a guide on &amp;quot;how to build habit-forming products,&amp;quot; has a ton of insights on building products that will keep people coming back.\r\n\r\nCertainly SaaS focused, but a great read for entrepreneurs of all types.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HJ4A43S/\r\n5. My Life in Advertising / Scientific Advertising\r\nIt's a must to get these in tandem! Luckily, they come packaged in a single book.\r\n\r\nClaude C. Hopkins is the legendary advertiser who is credited for\u2014get this\u2014popularizing toothbrushing.\r\n\r\nHopkins\u2019 work may have been written in the early 1900s, but there isn't a word of it that can\u2019t be applied to marketing today.\r\n\r\nThese works truly should be the foundation of anyone getting into marketing.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0844231010/\r\n6. Raise the Bar\r\nWhy recommend a book that is clearly geared toward bar owners?\r\n\r\nIf you recall our brief overview of some of\u00A0Jon Taffer's principals, you'll know that studying the hospitality industry offers a plethora of insights on providing an outstanding customer experience\u2014after all, it's what the industry is all about.\r\n\r\nTaffer shows his pragmatic side in this book, and it's filled with some amazing insights on differentiation and market research, hiring the right people, and mindset-changing advice on creating great customer experiences.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0544148304/\r\n7. Increasing Customer Loyalty\r\nThis is quite the unique &amp;quot;book&amp;quot; on this list because it's actually a collection of some stellar\u00A0Harvard Business Reviewarticles on customer loyalty.\r\n\r\nDon't let that stop you from missing out on a great read; from retention, to service, to\u00A0loyalty programs\u00A0and more, this the best collection I've bought from HBR.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://hbr.org/product/harvard-business-review-on...\r\n8. Never Eat Alone\r\nMany entrepreneurs overlook networking because it\u2019s often synonymous with a slick haired guy in a bad suit who's handing out business cards.\r\n\r\nThe fact is, however, that great relationships can be built on sincere connections and respect, and those are the best way to avoid \u201CField of Dreams Syndrome\u201D\u2014thinking that if you build it, they will come (they won't.)\r\n\r\nNever Eat Alone\u00A0was recommended by our friend\u00A0Brian Balfour\u00A0as one of the best guides on authentic networking.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385512058/\r\n9. Accounting Made Simple\r\nSlowly but surely, great accounting information for entrepreneurs has been making its way online. Examples include guides from the friendly folks at\u00A0LessAccounting.\r\n\r\nIf you're looking for a single book to purchase, however,Accounting Made Simple\u00A0has to be the one I recommend.\r\n\r\nIt is the single best overview that concisely explains one of the driest topics imaginable (well, for people like me at least!).\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0981454224/\r\n10. On Writing Well\r\nAs the &amp;quot;classic guide to writing non-fiction,&amp;quot; you can hopefully think of a few reasons why I love recommending this book to online entrepreneurs:\r\n\r\n\tIt will improve how you\u00A0communicate with customers(most of your communication will be done through writing).\r\n\tIt will help make you a better team member or leader, as you'll be able to relay information\u00A0to your team\u00A0more concisely.\r\n\tIt will make you a better marketer\u2014so much of marketing, especially today, has to do with your ability to broadcast an interesting message and tell your business's story.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060891548/\r\n11. The Copywriter's Handbook\r\nPerhaps you've looked into books like\u00A0Breakthrough Advertising\u00A0(featured above) and were a tad overwhelmed.\r\n\r\nBooks like that can be the equivalent of diving into\u00A0Moby Dick, and intimidating yourself is no way to learn.\r\n\r\nBob Bly's writing is perfect for people interested in learning great copywriting, but who don't already consider themselves copywriters. Think of it as\u00A0Copywriting for Dummies; you'll certainly be a lot smarter after you read it.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0805078045/\r\n12. The Essays of Warren Buffet\r\nWhat really needs to be said about this book? You\u2019ll get an honest look at:\r\n\r\n\tWarren Buffet's thoughts on how a business should be run\r\n\tCandid overviews of his mistakes (he lists quite a few) and what he would have done differently\r\n\tPage after page of his flawless writing style\r\n\r\nPerhaps\u00A0this review\u00A0said it best:\r\n\u00A0Those who share my own keen interest in Warren Buffett's leadership and management principles will learn a great deal from a careful reading of these essays. They are quite literally &amp;quot;from the horse's mouth.&amp;quot;\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0966446127/\r\n13. Priceless\r\nMuch of the research mentioned in our\u00A0article on pricing\u00A0comes from the topics explored in this book.\r\n\r\nWhile it's very heavy on scientific literature and does deal a lot in the philosophy of pricing (&amp;quot;What is value?\u201D, etc), this remains one of the most important books on pricing ever written.\r\n\r\nIf nothing else, at least read the second half of this book to see the many examples Poundstone gives that prove his point: humans beings are clueless about prices.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0809078813/\r\n14. Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs\r\nGreat for anyone looking to understand financial statements, but as noted in the title, crafted for entrepreneurs.\r\n\r\nStop being clueless and get educated on:\r\n\r\n\tWhat income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements really reveal\r\n\tHow to use ratios to assess your venture's financial health\r\n\tHow to calculate return on your investments in your enterprise\r\n\tHow to instill financial intelligence throughout your team\r\n\r\nI think it was Big Daddy Kane who said, &amp;quot;Financing ain't easy, but it's necessary.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1422119157/\r\n15. Brainfluence\r\nOne of the best introductions to neuromarketing out there, this book is from Roger Dooley, author of the always interesting\u00A0Brainy Marketing\u00A0on Forbes, as well as the Neuroscience Marketing\u00A0blog.\r\n\r\nThis book is a collection of one hundred of Dooley's favorite studies, from pricing, to loyalty, to sensory &amp;amp;amp; perception, plus many more topics.\r\n\r\nEach chapter is a quick read, making it a great book to flip through; you'll almost always walk away having learned at least one new thing.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/1118113365/\r\n16. The New Strategic Selling\r\nThis has to be one of the most interesting sales books out there, especially for folks who don't consider themselves to be salespeople.\r\n\r\nThe review that &amp;quot;sold&amp;quot; me on this book makes\u00A0a succinct case\u00A0for why it's a great read:\r\nThis is a great method for people who don't want to consider themselves &amp;quot;salespeople&amp;quot;, but who indeed sell. Engineers, architects, high-tech products sales consultants, and other professionals, will find this to be a low pressure, ethics-based approach to selling. I call it &amp;quot;the engineers approach&amp;quot; to sales because it provides such a methodological approach.&amp;quot;\r\nYou're always selling, even when you aren't, and this book will help you master the fundamentals. I've bookmarked it plenty.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/044669519X/\r\n17. Brain Rules\r\nThis is one of the best examples of a book being able to communicate hard science in an interesting and even humorous way.\r\n\r\nJohn Medina is a master storyteller, and it's no wonder that this book often appears on leadership and management lists on Amazon.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019ll help you better understand yourself and others, with a plethora of great examples. It's a book on knowing people, without the typical fluff.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979777704/\r\n18. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding\r\nWhat makes the\u00A0top brands\u00A0of the world so memorable?\r\n\r\nThis book does a great job analyzing this question. It is also\u2014at least in my opinion\u2014far better than it's more popular counterpart,\u00A0The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing.\r\n\r\nIf you want to go beyond the &amp;quot;have a good logo&amp;quot; drudge that appears in most articles on branding, give this a read.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060007737/\r\n19. Strategic Customer Service\r\nNot to pat myself on the back, but if you loved the following articles from the Help Scout blog:\r\n\r\n\t15 Customer Service Skills that Every Employee Needs\r\n\t20 Customer Service Tips You Need to Know\r\n\tHow to Handle 8 Difficult Customer Service Scenarios\r\n\r\n...you'll love this book. It's made for support managers, and it\u2019s one of the most valuable books on customer service I've read.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0814413331/\r\n20. Customer Winback\r\nA damn solid read on\u00A0customer retention\u00A0and winning back customers on the brink of defection.\r\n\r\nA wide range of industries can benefit from this book\u2014not simply SaaS or eCommerce, but service industries, too.\r\n\r\nIf you're in SaaS, read it to complement the better articles on retention out there (ex:\u00A0this one\u00A0from Michelle, or\u00A0this one\u00A0from Des).\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0787946672/\r\n21. Growing Great Employees\r\nMany employees can naturally achieve 90 percent output on their drive and innate skills alone.\r\n\r\nBut it's that polish, that last ten percent, where managers and company leaders often play a pivotal role.\r\n\r\nPushing people without pushing them away, giving them honest feedback without letting\u00A0the criticism go too far\u2014this book offers some great advice on helping people thrive, especially for new founders/managers.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591841909/\r\n22. Ca$hvertising\r\nDon't let the \u201C$\u201D scare you away, or that the author's experience is (once again) grounded in traditional direct response advertising\u2014that's an area of marketing where you can often learn the most.\r\n\r\nYou'll definitely dog-ear a few pages in this book, and the writing style is one of the funnier ones I've read in a marketing book.\r\n\r\nMy fondness for marketing books with ties to direct response is probably best explained by this tweet from Brennan Dunn:\r\n&amp;quot;Growth hacking&amp;quot; = when geeks discover what direct marketers have known for decades.\r\n\r\n\u2014 Brennan Dunn (@brennandunn) January 17, 2014\r\n\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/1601630328/\r\n23. Made to Stick\r\nMaybe the most popular book in this list, but\u00A0I love\u00A0the work of the Heath brothers (I would also recommend\u00A0Switch).\r\n\r\nThere have been many books in the business arena on &amp;quot;ideas that spread,&amp;quot; but this to me was by far the most practical.\r\n\r\nYou won't walk away entertained but lacking in legitimate advice, like you might with a Gladwell book. It's certainly a fun read, but you'll have insights you can actually apply, too.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/1400064287/\r\n24. First, Break All the Rules\r\nThis is my favorite management book.\r\n\r\nI'll be frank with you: I'm not in the business of managing anyone other than myself.\r\n\r\nThat said, this book came highly recommended when I began scratching an itch to learn more about effective management and this, to me, was the diamond in a sea of mostly garbage.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0684852861/\r\n25. Making Things Happen\r\nThis was\u00A0the\u00A0book everyone told me I had to read to get informed on effective project management.\r\n\r\nIf you accept my caveat above\u2014that I'm not in the business of managing\u2014allow me to say that I was definitely impressed not only in the frameworks this book lays out, but in the writing style.\r\n\r\nAs someone who is more of a single-tasking doer, I gained a ton of insight into how smart project managers operate.\r\n\r\nLet me also add\u00A0this exceptional list\u00A0of over 50 books and articles on product management, worthy of a bookmark.\r\n\r\nBuy the book:\u00A0http://www.amazon.com/dp/0596517718/\r\n\r\nDid we miss\u00A0any of your favorites? Feel free to add to the list in the comments below!"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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