This is one all time fave and always by my side. This book was written in 1993 by Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, when the Internet was not yet popular. Yet the message of the book and foresight of the authors is prophetic and they foresaw effects of technology would have on marketing. A must read for anyone looking for customers - online or off - selling products or services. Reading this book will only make your business profit

This is one all time fave and always by my side. Godin, a business whiz kid who does direct marketing for Yahoo!, asks a provocative question: Does advertising work? Google Adsense is a perfect example of Permission marketing. Showing ads to the consumer on subject the consumer is interested in is what permission marketing is. To get four free chapters Click Here.

My all time fave again about American General Patton by Carlo D'Este. Patton was born in 1885 and then till the war broke out in 1942 lived with a fear that he will live all his life uselessly without showing his genius of war. I am very much impressed by this guy and I read this book whenever I am in one of my not-so-enthu moods. Patton said "Once you are gone nobody remembers you by the years you lived. They remember you by your deeds."

This book was given to me by one of India's top trainer Yogesh Sood. On the morning of January 13, 1982, a jumbo jet crashed into a bridge linking Washington to the state of Virginia. All but five of the 79 people on board dies. What caused the tragedy? The official accident report suggested that the disaster was due to pilot error. The pilot had waited too long on the ground before taking off, allowing too much ice to build up on the wings. But upon further investigation, here was the cause behind the cause. As the pilot made preparation for takeoff, the copilot noticed that ice was building up on the engine and wings far too fast for his liking.

He feared that it was becoming too dangerous even to consider taking off. But rather than come right out and say that he thought the pilot was being reckless or irresponsible, the copilot just dropped hints. "See all those icicles on the back there and everything?" or "Boy, it's a losing battle here trying to de-ice those things, it [gives] you a false sense of security, that's all that does". As the pilot continued his takeoff routine, now taxing the plane down the runway, the copilot continued to raise concerns, but, again, only obliquely. "That doesn't seem right, does it?" The copilot didn't want to come right out and confront the pilot or authority figure. He didn't want to step across the line. He didn't say, "I don't think it's safe to take off. I think we're all about to die." He thought it, but he didn't say it. He felt it was better to be polite. So what was the real cause of the tragedy? The copilot didn't have a method for confronting the pilot in a way that he believed was both direct and respectful. To the copilot, it was unthinkable and tactless to confront the pilot. In short, he didn't know how to step up to a crucial confrontation and deal with it well. How do you hold a crucial confrontation that, if not handled well, could ruin your professional or personal life. Great Book. Visit www.edoorindia.org to buy the book. BTW Two Indian Airlines pilot once crash landed a plane at Calcutta airport 'cos the pilot and his deputy were not on talking terms with each other and they did not confirm with each other whether the landing gear was down before they started the landing procedure. No one died in that incident but if you are piloting your team, project, career or life you must read this book.