How to pick your next business book to read?

Do you have a bookshelf? Online or offline? Or… both?
I have both, with plenty of business books on them. And not so much time to even look to their cover page. Therefore I started to ask myself, if it makes any sense to buy and keep those books. Why don’t read their free synopsis only or some of the mils of reviews? Looks the straight way to save the money and time you’d spend on possessing and reading books. Why on the Earth we still need booxperience? I mean those of us, who still want it. Plus I have to admit that I labeled many of my books with a virtual & invisible UR “Unfinished Reading” sticker…. Now what? I have to restart reading business books to benefit the treasure of knowledge hiding on my bookshelves.

Let’s say I’ve got in a diving mood wanting to discover the hidden treasure in the deep waters of my libraries. But how to decide which ones to read (first)?

To answer some of my own crazy questions I decided to shape 5 criteria to set my business book-reading priorities. Not an easy job.

1.First thing I consider is the age… of the book. Younger is better. 2017 better than 1997 or 1977. OK, some evergreens and pioneering classics are still worth to consider even if they’re teenagers, but the age rule works fairly well.

2.Then it comes to the book’s topic. It’s important, sure, and we all read by subject to better understand some hot topic which we need to move forward our careers. And many times this is the key: what do I need right now, next day, next week and I can get it from that book.

3.My third strong motivator is the book’s style and format. If I can’t read it pleasantly I leave it with that virtual UR sticker.

4.Not to forget about cost, as decision making criterion. It could be the price but also the length, the number of pages as a measure of cost in time to get ready with the book.

5.And if it’s not an e-book I have to consider its weight and size too. Quite often it must fit into my travel bag. Heavy books don’t like to travel with me and the feeling is reciprocal.

The holiday season is coming soon and I have to run to pick my next business books to read, applying my own criteria. How about you?