I'm really excited about this post, as it's something I've been wanting to write about for a long time -great books are so important to me.

These are the books that I'm going to be reviewing - I've put bookmarks linking to each review:

• The Perfect Store - Adam Cohen
• Losing my Virginity - Richard Branson
• Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
• Lucky or Smart? - Bo Peabody
• Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
• Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl
• Microserfs - Douglas Coupland
• Pop - Truth and Power at the Coca-Cola Company - Constance L. Hays
• iWoz - Steve Wozniak
• Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk

I find books to be much more fascinating when I feel like I'm actually getting something out of them. If you follow me on that, you'll know why I'm not reviewing just any fictional books, or interesting non-fictional books. These are books that have inspired me, and have allowed me to be more productive and creative. The value I have taken from them has been more than that of the idle pleasure of reading a good book.

The Perfect Store - Inside eBay

"The story of the most profitable e-commerce site in the world" - by Adam Cohen.

"Pierre Omidyar can still remember the exact moment when he realized that eBay, the clunky auction website he was running out of a spare bedroom in his Silicon Velley town house, just might change the world."

I bought this book in 2005, when I was still in high school, because I was becoming more and more interested in how internet companies start up and expand so quickly. To me, there are few things more exciting than starting a company and watching it grow in publicity and profits; like watching a kid grow up and become successful. The Perfect Store is a compelling account of eBay's company history, and I especially liked the way it dealt with the personal side of the company's life rather than the more academic side (for instance, the way 'The Google Story' was written). You get to follow an in-depth account of how Pierre raised $4 billion for himself and created an absolute business legend out of nothing.

What I got out of this book:

• Story of an entrepreneur believing in his product against all odds, and sticking with his vision
• A thrilling tale about the ambitious rollercoaster internet companies in the 90s received
• Inspiration and vision for what can be achieved, the feeling of creativity that flows through the characters
• Insight into what it takes to create something truly valuable and remarkable

Fight Club

By Chuck Palahniuk

After seeing the hit film 'Fight Club', starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter, I was pretty desperate to read this book. I think that the book and the film went for two distinct messages, but there is definitely something to be said for both. In all honestly, I would say that the film brings the message to the book, whereas the book really seems to be an experimentation in fiction rather than a work as serious as the film portrays. My interpretation of this book is that it's a snapshot of our culture at the turn of the century: men feel out of place, and absurdity reigns in many aspects of society. In a world fit only for certain types of 'individuals', if you will, the natural masculine ambition and desire for freedom, experienced in the main character's subconsciousness and expressed in the form of Tyler Durden, may be mutating into something unfortunate. The characters in the book have a different idea; the anti-hero, Tyler, plans to shape society in his own way - completely destroying its status quo, and creating a chaos out of which he believes something more beautiful will emerge. After all, "it's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything."

What I got out of this book:

• Societal values can be absurd, and there's no reason to follow them if you don't want to
• Completely new take on life and peoples' interests and tastes
• Intense self-examination
• An interesting read, and an exhibition of post-modern fiction
• A very distinct hero in Tyler Durden
• The realization that people want freedom, but are too scared to go for what they want

Pop

Truth and Power at the Coca-Cola Company
by Constance L. Hays

Starting out, "Coca-Cola began simply, as so many things do. Filled with sparkle and democratically piced, it was as American as baseball, as accessible as jazz," this book literally changed the way I think about life. It's a 400-page biography of the world's most successful beverage company, but it's so captivating that it might as well be fiction.

My dad bought this book for me when I was about 16 years old, and I've been rereading passages out of it many times since. I was dazzled as the entrepreneurs of Coke began their venture, sat on the edge of my chair during the Cola Wars, shed tears when Roberto Guizeuta died, laughed at the absurdity of New Coke, and thoroughly enjoyed every step of this book's progression. It is possibly the best business book I've ever read.

What I got out of this book:

• Alerted me to a number of great characters, real people, from whom I could draw inspiration
• Changed my perspectives completely in terms of what I aspire to, and what 'great' really is
• Just a spectacular story to read and enjoy, stirring a broad spectrum of emotions

Atlas Shrugged

By Ayn Rand

Wow. This book shattered some of my most closely-held conceptions, and really set me on an utterly different path. A few weeks ago, friend of mine told me that he had also been reading Ayn Rand, and said that he thought her writing was good, but her philosophy weak. I would disagree entirely, and say that, if anything, her writing was her week point - although she creates some of the best characters you will find in modern literature (I say modern, though her novels do tend to be described as classic rather).

If you've liked some of the other books on this list, you'll love Atlas Shrugged. It reads with the excitement and passion of the biography of an extraordinaire, while shouting frantically at the reader about the imperfections of society and the need for human courage. Ayn Rand doesn't write 'happy' novels; they won't console you on a rainy or lonely afternoon; they don't help pass the time on a lazy Sunday, but if you're looking for something to change your view on life, and inspire you to greater things, read Atlas Shrugged.

Things I got out of this book:

• Meet some of the greatest, and strongest characters in print
• Learned a new and, I feel, underexposed philosophy which champions the greatness of humankind

Microserfs

By Douglas Coupland

I might actually reread this one when I'm done reviewing these books, it's so easy to be swept away in Douglas Coupland's expressive form of what I can only call post-modern geek literature. The story follows a group of Microsoft employees, who leave to start up their own software company in Silicon Valley. With a quirky but irresistible style, Microserfs covers interesting ground exploring a new culture, bringing us humour, intrigue, romance, adventure, insight, and fun-filled fictional accounts of human nature as it has progressed into a new era. It's just a really fun book.

iWoz

Steve Wozniak, with Gina Smith

The autobiography of Steve Wozniak, the lesser-known co-founder of Apple. What I especailly love about this book is how honest it is. I enjoyed getting to read about his childhood, and personal experiences - stories of him rebuilding computer chips in his bedroom, trying to improve the designs of the existing manufacturers. Perhaps it is true that he needed the partnership with Steve Jobs in order for his ideas to become great, but Woz's passion for exceeding paradigms is clear from the memories recalled from throughout his life. This book gives us the opportunity to get to know Steve on a very personal level, and is written in such an honest style that it facilitates this wonderfully.

I love the advice at the end of the book, "I hope you'll be as lucky as I am. The world needs inventors - great ones. You can be one. If you love what you do and are willing to do what it takes, it's within your reach...It'll be worth it, I promise."

What I got out of this book:

• The true story of the founding of Apple (and since Steve Jobs doesn't appear ready to release an autobiography, it seems it will be the only one)
• Relating to the life of someone always willing to offer something to the world, and being able to read about his journey to the status of a cult icon
• Inspiration from someone who really followed his own path

Man's Search for Meaning

By Viktor Frankl

Written by a survivor of the holocaust, Man's Search for Meaning describes an interesting psychological phenomenon: the way people attribute meaning to events. Some people may come up against a challenging problem and rise to meet it, because the meaning they give the challenge is not something that would hold them back. This meaning can be fairly arbitrary or inaccurate, and so it is up to you to choose this meaning.

What I got out of this book:

• An inspiring story
• The reaffirmation that as long as you choose a healthy meaning for your situation, anything is possible

Losing My Virginity

By Richard Branson

Yes, this book really does describe how Richard lost his virginity - possibly in about three senses of the word. If you didn't know, Richard Branson is the entrepreneur behind the Virgin brand (airlines, music, mobile technology, energy, cola, health clubs, commercial spacecrafts, etc.), and one of the greatest entrepreneurs of this age. He continues today mostly with philanthropic work, but the legend of Virgin will live on as an icon in the history of international business.

I was over at a friend's house recently, and I happened to pick up this book after I had just read a copy of my own. As I paged through it, I noticed that it was shorter than my copy - I asked my friend about it, and he said that it was bought a few years ago. The reason was that Richard Brandon actually views his biography as a work-in-progress, updating it every few years with his new adventures. (In case you were wondering, yes it is published by a company called Virgin Books, yet another of the endless list of Virgin enterprises.) The book relates back through Richard's childhood, his problems with wanting to be a writer while being dyslexic, his love for athletics and its interruption by injury, and his constant passion for business and expansion thereof. Undoubtedly one of the most exciting books to read in the business genre, Losing My Virginity kept me enthralled through every one of its 600-or-so page account of an entrepreneurial genius with an enthusiasm for risk, and a genuine love for contributing to the world.

Things I got out of this book:

• Very interesting, well written and humorous autobiography
• Thought-provoking ideas about life, the world, and how to improve it by really caring
• Inspiring accounts of Branson's ambitious adventures
• insight into a radically creative mind

Into the Wild

By Jon Krakauer

If you haven't seen the film at least, you've missed out on something spectacular. Chris Mccandless, an idealistic student fresh out of college decided, in 1990, to abandon mainstream society in order to search for a deeper meaning to his life, making his way across America as a pilgrim, filled with the words of great writers and the bitterness of a youth unsatisfied with modern culture. The book is thoroughly well researched and well written, and, in my opinion, a worthy account of Mccandless' epic adventure to find truth and meaning.

I bought this book in the airport on my way to South Korea, and it was greatly inspirational to me. I wrote down a few quotes from the book:

"You needed to surrender to some such ultimate purpose more fully, more unreservedly than you had ever done in the old familiar, peaceful days, in the old life that was now abolished and gone for good."
"rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth. "
"I read somewhere how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong, but to feel strong. "

What I got out of this book:

• Having your own ideals in life, and going for them no matter what. No matter what.
• Pursue your own truth.
• It is possible to find complete meaning in relationships if they're authentic

Lucky or Smart?

By Bo Peabody

This short book describes the creation of the internet company Lycos, which was one of the most successful start-ups during the dotcom boom. It's a thrilling tale, and the author really connects with the reader about what it takes to make a company successful in terms of hiring the right people to work with, raising capital, etc.

What I got out of this book:

• Inspired me to want to become an entrepreneur
• Taught me that there is value in being good at multiple things, rather than specialising, which is considered better by most people

And that's a wrap! Thanks for letting me share my favourite books with you. You can share your favourite books with me in the comments!

PyThoughts