We like to connect, adapt and grow. We like to connect with people in our global network. We adapt to the changing world and the rich variety of cultures. And we grow. We grow by making real connections. By learning and studying, experimenting and challenging our assumptions. And by reading. We read a lot of great business books. And we want to share them with you.
Inspired by the Little Free Library initiative, our Head of Growth decided to give away some books for free. Offering connections in our global network the opportunity via LinkedIn.
We hope whoever received one of our great reads will share it with others and forward it for someone else to enjoy.
Maybe this way a book reached you, and by scanning the QR code on the back, you ended up here? If so, send us a message, we would love to hear about it!
You will find previous posts below, as well as links to the summaries and book reviews we have written for them. So that even those without the actual copy can still grow with us, from our learnings.
How to join the Free Book Give Away?
Follow the LinkedIn hashtag #connectadaptgrow or connect directly with our Head of Growth Patric Sawada to stay connected and follow new book shares.
It’s a weekly event. You can tag other people in your network, or yourself, to participate in the give away.
Previously we gave away the following business books:
Influence, Robert Cialdini
Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say “yes”—and how to apply these understandings.
Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion.
35 years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behaviour has resulted in this classic read.
6 universal principles of persuasion used by many pro’s in marketing, SaaS, CRO and Growth Hacking are explained in this book:
- Reciprocity
- Commitment /consistency
- Social proof
- Authority
- Liking
- Scarcity
If you want the book summary, just send us a message and we will send it to you, including a case study how to apply it when doing landing page conversion optimisation.
The obstacle is the way, Ryan Holiday
The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday is explaining why
- Our perceptions can be a source of strength or of great weakness
- Action is the solution and the cure to our predicaments
- True will is quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility
If you are interested in Stoicism, make sure to read more by Ryan Holiday or follow the podcasts on this topic by Tim Ferris. Why we believe this is a business book? Because it teaches us to keep going, when things are not going as planned. Which is usually the default, at startups, scale-ups, corporates and every day life as an entrepreneur.
Zero to One, Peter Thiel, Blake Masters
Zero To One is a thought provoking book. There are some bold statements that might inspire you to think differently;
- Capitalism is the opposite of Competition
- Entrepreneurs should create Monopolies
- Succes is not a matter of Luck
A quick video book summary is provided below, enjoy!
Growth Hacker Marketing, Ryan Holiday
Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday is a classic when it comes to early reads on Growth Hacking , a great start if you are unfamiliar with growth hacking and its origins and early examples.
It’s an easy and compact read with a nice glossary and discusses topics like
- Product Market Fit
- Growth Hacks (with famous examples!)
- Retention
Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely
“Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely will explain to you;
- How a $2 pill always works better than a $0.20 pill
- Why Chinese commander Xiang Yu burned his own ships
- Why looking at your social security number is a bad idea before entering an auction
This book relaxes you in the evening and inspires you in the morning! You can use these lessons in your Growth / Marketing experiments, and also apply them in everyday life.
Want to know more how we apply these principles in Growth Marketing and Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) ? Just send us a message and we will be happy to explain further.
Hooked, Nir Eyal, Ryan Hoover
Hooked by Nir Eyal is another great business book. It covers topics like;
- How do you build habit forming products?
- How do you increase retention?
- What are internal and external triggers and how to use them?
These are the basic principles that make Facebook and TikTok so addictive, in the attention economy these are tools used to have people form habits that are irresistible. Use with caution.
Interested in a print out of the Hooked Canvas? Send us a message and we will be happy to provide it.
Traction, Gabriel Weinberg, Justin Maris
Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares is one of those great books about early stage user acquisition.
Founding a startup, still in the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage, testing a business model with the business model canvas or lean canvas , or just interested to learn more about growth hacking?
- Are you looking for more traction?
- Grow your startup in the early stage?
- Do you want to learn about 19 ways to get traction?
- How the Bullseye framework helps you pick the best one?
If you want the book summary or a copy of our Bulls Eye Framework template we use for our clients, just send us a message and we will send it.