The “B” Word

There was a time in my life when I only read “The Great Books.” (Classical literature by philosphers, poets and essayists—i.e. dead white guys.)

There was a time in my life when I read poetry.  Exclusively.  Nothing else would do.  (This jag went on for about 4 years.)

There was a time in my life that the only thing that interested me was fiction. Classical. New. Everything in between.  If it wasn’t a story, I wasn’t interested.

There was a time in my life when only new-age self-development books would do. (I’m kinda still in this stage, but I’ve definitely graduated out of pop-psychey things like: I’m O.K. You’re O.K (blech, wince.)

I’ve read Rumi and Hafiz.  I’ve read the Bhagvad Gita in multiple translations. I’ve read big chunks of the Mahabarata and the Ramayana.  I’ve read the Bible and the Torah and the Koran.  I’ve read Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

Now though, I’m on a whole new jag that rather baffles me: Business books.  Business books??? Yeah.  Go figure.

But not business books like: How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.  No, no.  Business books about the NEW business paradigm.  Ethical, socially responsible businesses.  Businesses that come into being as a result of someone asking the question: “How can I help?” Or “Can I help?” And then building a business to answer that question.

It’s what I want to do with my business.  (When I say “my business” my face sorta squinches up though, because I never think of what I’m doing as a “business,” but that’s precisely why I am so interested in reading the stuff I’m now obsessed with.)

These kind of new business models are “squinch-less,” “ick-less” if you will.  I don’t have to hold my nose and apologize, or put an asterisk after the “B” word to explain that I am not THAT kind of “B”, I’m THIS kind of “B.”

Here are the last 3 books I downloaded into my Kindle:

All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin  (I think that completes it.  I now have the whole Godin oeuvre.)

Rules of Thumb by Alan Webber

and, not yet available in Kindle edition, but soon, so I had to buy the dead tree version

Trust Agents by Chris Brogan

Good Stuff.