Here’s the path. You read, you learn, you do, you tweak.

First, you get the information. You get it in your head, you ponder it, you experiment with it – you try it.  And then, after you try it, you do stuff — and after you do, you tweak, and make it better.  And then you tweak some more, and make it even better.

But, it really can all start with reading.

That is the underlying message in the list of books that the Wall Street Journal compiled in this article by Michael Gerber: The Best Advice Around, From Those Who Took It:  We asked entrepreneurs which self-help books helped them get their businesses off the ground or run them more smoothly.

Here’s the list of books – good ones all:

“The E-Myth” 
by Michael E. Gerber
“Who: The A Method for Hiring” 
by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
“Start With Why” 
by Simon Sinek
“The Art of the Start” 
by Guy Kawasaki
“Little Bets” 
by Peter Sims
“Mastering the Rockefeller Habits” 
by Verne Harnish
“Street Smarts: An All-Purpose Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs” 
by Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham

I have read three of these, presented synopses of two of them, and feel like I know one more (The Sinek book – through his TED talk). Here’s an observation or three: if you don’t yet have an “idea,” then read Little Bets. If you know where to start, but haven’t actually started yet, then read The Art of the Start (this is the book for anyone starting– in any definition of “starting”). And when you start, and you need to establish the disciplines of actually running a company (and you do!), be sure to read Mastering the Rockefeller Habits – it will help you establish your rhythm (“rhythm” — a big word in this highly practical and useful book).

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You can purchase my synopses of The Art of the Start and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, with audio + handout, at our companion web site, 15minutebusinessbooks.com.