Read

I have just returned from a visit to my family in South Africa. I have the most loving, caring and committed family in the world. On the way home in the plane. I was thinking about my visit with them and I realized that every one of them was constantly pushing books into my hands to read. We are a family of are Readers.

Wendy showed me her latest book, "Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Demands a Pagan Ethos." by Robert D. Kaplan. It was filled with her notes and comments. My Dad read me excerpts from his war books, Gwyneth urged me to read her five recommended books in the fourteen days I was there and my Mom had me read and finish her friend, Gabriel Weiss's amazing book about how he survived the Nazi death camps in Hungary. And of course I took a whole lot of books and books on tape for them, too. Rika and I love visiting the library and any good bookshop.

Entrepreneurs should realize one important thing about reading good books by smart people: When you read the words of a good author, you are thinking his thoughts! What a wonderful privilege to be able to think the thoughts of Churchill, Donald Trump, Ayn Rand, Sun Tzu, Patton, Aristotle, Leonard Peikoff, and Napoleon Hill! Surely, we if think their thoughts, our choices will achieve the same results that they did. There's nothing sadder than someone who has stopped reading good books. Especially an entrepreneur, who needs to constantly develop and learn in order to maintain the lead in his or her chosen field.

When I met multi-millionaire Maxim Krok, he suggested I read "Horse Sense" by All Reiss. I bought it immediately and read it three times. I was fortunate to do some work for him and it was a privilege to learn from him. When you visit someone's home or office, see what books line the shelves. Jim Rohn said the more successful people are, they more they read. And I'm not talking about the sports pages or the TV Times. When I want to know more about people, I ask what they're currently reading. What are YOU reading? When I left South Africa, my Family gave me… another book: Building Buzz by Marisa D'Vari. On the plane, I look at what my fellow flyer is reading before deciding whether or not to talk with them. I had a fascinating three hour conversation with a 23 year old English teacher who was reading "We Need to Talk About Kevin" by Lionel Shriver.

Are you what you read? If we are our thoughts and if our thoughts are things, if our mind is a magnet, if our thoughts determine our choices, then we should eagerly seize the opportunity to read more than ever before. And if your excuse is that you don't have the time, how about audio books on MP3? Atlas Shrugged is now available, all 53 hours of it, on MP3!