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Honest Business Book Reviews (Part 5)
More honest thoughts on work-related reads
Kara Detwiller
November 21, 2024
Today’s edition of Wishful Working is a 4 minute read.
Since my backlog of business book reviews is always growing, it felt like a good time to do another edition of Honest Business Book Reviews. This newsletter will contain 5 mini-reviews of books that are somehow related to the world of work. If you’re curious, check out previous posts in this series.
Most “business” books I read focus on one or more of the following topics: creativity, productivity, entrepreneurship, economics, history, and the future of work.
Let’s do it!
(Btw, links below will take you to Bookshop.org, but I would encourage you to find these books at your local library or local independent bookstore.)
By John Warrillow
I enjoyed the narrative style of this book, but some of the story was corny and cringe. However, the underlying messages and advice was solid, and the book was short and got its point across better than most business books. As a freelancer who doesn't plan to sell her business, some of the sections weren't super relevant to me, but the bits about productizing services were SUPER helpful. 4 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
By Kathryn Finney
This is an important and necessary book, and it was very refreshing to read a business book written by someone who is neither white nor male. I found the footnotes a bit annoying in the audio version, but I understand the formatting is probably different in the physical book.
Also, I understand the author was trying to make things accessible to people who aren't as familiar with the startup/business world, but defining some of the simplest concepts (elevator pitch, for example) felt condescending? Idk maybe I'm being unfair. This would be a great introduction to starting a business, but it was a big basic for me. 3 stars. ⭐⭐⭐
By John Warrillow
Since I enjoyed Built to Sell, I decided to pick up another of John Warrillow’s books. Some of the references and case studies in this book are a bit outdated, but it actually holds up pretty well for a 10-year-old business book. The concept of a subscription-model business is now very well known and widespread, but the bones of this book are solid. I especially liked the descriptions of different types of subscriptions, paired with examples of each. 4 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
By Mike Michalowicz
I previously read and reviewed another of Mike Michalowicz’s books, Profit First, and I gave it three stars. Unfortunately, Get Different wasn’t my favorite. Based on what I know from his books, I don't think Mike would mind me being honest in my review... There is some good stuff in here, but ultimately I felt it was overlong, and I was put off by some of the weird (stupid?) anecdotes/case studies.
Mike is definitely energetic and passionate, but the audiobook was a bit annoying to listen to. I know lots of people love Mike's material, but it's just not for me! And that's okay! 2 stars. ⭐⭐
By Bernie Sanders
Not strictly a business book, but I feel like it fits the adjacent topics of economics and social issues. I knew I liked Bernie, but I greatly enjoyed hearing a more thorough walkthrough of his ideology and info about his background. I really loved the audiobook narration by Bernie — his accent is awesome. I would recommend this to any Bernie fans or folks who want to learn more about his progressive political platform. 4 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
As always, please send any book recs you have or let me know your thoughts if you’ve read any of these!
I will not be sending Wishful Working next week because I’ll be enjoying Thanksgiving with my family. I’m thankful for you, readers! 🦃
See you in December,
Kara
Wishful Working is inspired by my desire to see more people enjoy a life not centered around work. For some, the path to freedom and flexibility is through self-employment, but we also need to challenge cultural norms and champion healthier working conditions and work/life balance for all types of workers.