Some observations about how to get the most out of reading business books, from someone who has read over 200 of them.

1. HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT
OF BUSINESS BOOKS

2. WHAT IS IT?
• A library of over 200 books
• A blog
• A series of printed books
• A pair of apps
• One-page summaries
• One-sentence summaries
• Training programmes and
speeches
• A fertile source of new ideas

3. I am often asked the best way to
get something out of business books.
 Having read over 200 of them
(over 10 million words), here are
some thoughts.

4. 1. WORK OUT THE LINE OF ARGUMENT
 Most business books should probably
not be books – what they are trying to
say can usually be expressed on less
than a page.
 Head for the line of argument first,
and then see if you want to delve
deeper.

5. 2. READ THE FIRST CHAPTER
Received wisdom is that few people
read beyond the first chapter, and in
many cases that is sufficient to get the
gist of the book.

6. 3. CHECK THE WORD COUNT
 Publishers usually force authors to hit a
word count (typically 50,000
minimum), to fulfil their obligations so
that the book looks substantial
enough on the shelf.
 This is regardless of whether the author
actually needs that number of words
to make their point. The longer it is,
the more vague it may be.

7. 4. CHECK THE LAYOUT
Good business books are well laid out, so
that it is intentionally easy to grasp the idea
from the cover blurb, the contents, and the
structure.
 These authors are generous and
confident enough to make their line of
argument evident at first glance, rather than
burying their thoughts in something
impenetrable, or deliberately using
obfuscation to make the subject seem more
complex than it truly is.

8. 5. LOOK FOR OTHER FORMATS
 These days, a printed book is often just
one component of what is being said.
 Blogs, ebooks, video, podcasts and
lots of other related content can often
be found to enhance (or prove the
frailty of?) the line of argument.

9. 6. BEWARE CASE HISTORIES
 Many books carry on long after their
point is made, often padding out with
case histories that may or may not be
relevant to the reader, and are
sometimes in truth written by students of
the author.
 Some case histories are actually
fiction, or embellished story telling.

10. 7. LOOK FOR SIGNPOSTS OR A SUMMARY
 Some books almost defy summarising, usually
because they deploy rolling narrative with
minimal signposts and very little prescriptive
advice on what to do as a result of their
observations.
 Other books are kind enough to map this out
clearly, which means they rarely require
summarising as one goes along.
 Instead, this can be done at the end by
reviewing the contents and chapter or section
markers in the main body. If well designed, these
will resonate well with the reader.

11. 8. USE A BOOKMARK FOR NOTES
 Tiny points that capture the reader's
imagination on the way are different, and very
personal.
 For these, keep a small piece of card as a
bookmark, and if there is a fascinating quote
or idea that is not clearly signaled in the
contents or section headings, then make a
note of the page number to remind you where
it is when you have finished.
 This is especially helpful when the book is 400
pages or more.

12. 9. IGNORE THE DETAIL
The reader should never feel pressure to
absorb every shard of information in a book.
 If the book has done its job well (usually
through a pleasant blend of clear
signposting and some intriguing references
peppered throughout the narrative), then a
synthesis of it should stick with the reader.

13. 10. LOOK FOR DEBATE BETWEEN BOOKS
 For me, the fun lies not so much in
precisely what each book is saying, but
how it contributes to a total debate in the
literature.
 My thoughts on this are in an article I was
asked to write for the International Journal
of Advertising.

14. HOW TO USE
• Be inquisitive
• Make the time
• Understand the lines of argument
• Take a view
• Inform your work
• Enjoy the debate
• Ask Kevin to speak or train

15. KEVIN DUNCAN
More detail at:
www.greatesthitsblog.com
Ask Kevin to speak or train:
07979 808770
kevinduncan@expertadvice.co.uk
Twitter: @kevinduncan