A good-old-fashioned ‘Quest for Knowledge’ has been a fact of life since the beginning of time. That spark--that Inspired Mad Max gasoline to one’s career journey can come in the form of a book. In truth, most creators and entrepreneurs need inspiration sporadically, and some need a constant flow...but everyone needs it at some point.
To quench that proverbial thirst for everything, today’s entrepreneur is spoiled for choice like never before.
We can therefore, presumably, NEVER fall short of the need for books. Well, that's my theory anyway. Thus, with Oliver Blakemore, a writer I quite admire, I relaunch an old antiquated love for books and a curated bookshelf. And it's your job to fill it. Or be inspired by it. Or both.
Ode to micro-fiche and the Dewey Decimal System
Many of you out there may not recall these days (or are too young to know if it), but If you were truly keen to find out about anything in the 80s, you had to find the information somewhere physical. In the old days of Libraries that ran on the Dewey Decimal System, The mission was on, be it via encyclopaedias (pre-Wikipedia), microfiche, printed trade journals, or professorial discourses peppered with lessons from upbringing and general living; Correlation was King. It still is vital– but Search technology in everything from Google, YouTube and Bing, to Amazon Search, has absolutely changed how we research.
This generation has seen a parallactic shift in the means by which anything can be a catalyst to that lightbulb moment.
Of course with information virtually at our fingertips comes the challenge of deciphering and rummaging through tonnes of data (and heaps of rubbish). It’s a double-edged sword on the information highway.
For our Curated Bookshelf, we seek anyone willing to give others a piece of their personal growth journey. We want you to share a book that inspired YOU, and perhaps a book that continues to inspire you.
Let's do this #CuratedBookshelf because Inspiration is infectious.
And giving people inspiration is its own satisfying reward.
There are tonnes of books that promise inspiration and are ‘highly recommended’ by various websites. But who has the time to look through Amazon’s Top 100 Hot New Releases or Top 100 Most Wished For? And that’s just when searching for ‘Marketing Bestsellers’.
I love Amazon as much as the next person, but just search for ‘Small Business and Entrepreneurship’. It will generate more than 5,000 titles. How do you find that gem of a book that holds the key to your next creative spark? Relying on algorithms and ‘what’s popular’ may not always be the best, so we created “A Curated Bookshelf”.
To the entrepreneur about to take that proverbial leap into being a startup, I am ecstatic for you…you may not fully grasp just yet how good you have it. Just a decade or so ago, mentors and business schools looked at startups as small enterprises, rather than as entirely different entities than large corporations, as they are today. Entrepreneurship and startups are the subject of much academic research, professional discourse and stories. Tonnes of it. Here’s a little bit about mine:
The #CuratedBookshelf idea came to me because I can’t bear to read a Kindle (I just love the drama of books too much). I made a rather natural transition from working as an MTV show Segment Producer into various entrepreneurial pursuits once upon a time. The long hours in between concept storyboard and getting the Video Editor to render certain effect sequences meant, well, a lot of time waiting. And Waiting Time often meant it was time to read books while trying not to die of utter impatience. I soaked up business books. Inspiration came from every type of book, from “The Alchemist” to “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People“; and Marketing was succinctly represented by “Positioning” and “The Big Idea.”
In those days I could walk into a Barnes & Noble and get stacks of fantastic books in one visit. Back then it was easy to decipher which bestseller book would help you through your particular educational journey. Today not so much. Have you seen some of the largest Barnes & Noble book sellers recently, or the Waterstones in Mayfair London? I seriously get lost in them. Literally.
I was part of startups in New Zealand and Manila, and happily herald the flags of ones in Britain. Books are made for sharing, this I know. And who better to ask than those whose businesses rock? These are books I inherited from Richard Branson's suggestion 6 years ago, as well as those suggested by Startup CEOs I admire.
Your turn.
Share a book that got you going (or share a classic book you keep for those kind of in-between-days)
In-Between-Days are those that fall smack in the middle of super inspired and lethargic--or thereabouts. If we love what you have to share, you win a workshop. Post a book. Choose Instagram or Twitter. Tag @digitalsushi101 #curatedbookshelf
When creating your posts you can:
Upload images or GIFs
Embed videos and music
Create galleries to showcase a book collection or author series (your choice!)
Customize the look of your media in a blog even, compel us to feel you need a Think Digital Workshop free - Choose one by Desiree, Kristina or Oliver.
Good luck!
If you want to enter the draw to win a workshop, share your story here. We would love to pick you, so dig deep and share a great story!
A ThinkTankTactic for you by Persephone
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