Man has created many powerful instruments but none like the book. We know books as to contain knowledge and ideas that are preserved over time which can be used not only for pleasure and entertainment but as tools of learning. In the context of learning in today’s world, business books always form part of any successful endeavor, whether it be personal or for business.

A business book seeks to put forward an idea or ideas that would lead to successful and profitable business operation including systems that would enable career enhancement opportunities for employees. Contents are not merely confined to purely academic thinking. Most business books enjoying extreme popularity have been patronized mainly because they are able to offer practical entrepreneurship advice that are doable and can be implemented within the shortest possible time.

Books in whatever form propose to deliver something to the readers. In the same manner that children’s books propose to ignite a child’s imagination to inspire learning, business books propose to offer solutions to challenges faced by businesses. These offered solutions may be products of scientific investigations or personal experiences. A book is said to have done its job if it meets the reader’s expectations.

Many people have discovered the art of writing business books but not all have found success in it. A basic rule in writing a book of this nature is to write on something which the author has extensive knowledge of, backed up by comprehensive research work. It is not enough to say to the readers that one has a brilliant idea. The proposition has to be supported by business plans, marketing plans, sales plans, legal procedures, accounting procedures and troubleshooting procedures for a book to truly sell its idea.

Authors of business books need to be aware of what specific audience they are writing for. There is also a need for the material to be presented in a logical sequence. In the end, a business book’s value is measured in terms of its capability to produce the information which the reader needs to know.

Here are a couple more great reads that you can either give to friends or keep for yourself.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
By Alice Schroeder
Bloomsbury £25, 976 pages
Shortlisted for the FT/Goldman Sachs Award. The authorised biography of one of the world’s richest men details his long and productive life and apparently homespun methods: he invests only in businesses he understands and eschews legalistic paperwork in favour of gut instinct and personal chemistry.

Who would not want to read about Warren Buffet? This guy is the best businessman in the world and though he may have his share of detractors, we cannot deny that there are lessons to be learned from him. In fact, if you had to choose one book, I would say that this is it.

Cold Steel: Britain’s Richest Man and the Multibillion Dollar Battle for a Global Empire
By Tim Bouquet and Byron Ousey
Little, Brown £20, 352 pages
Shortlisted for the FT/Goldman Sachs Award. The blow-by-blow account of Lakshmi Mittal’s bruising takeover battle for Arcelor, the European steel giant. Terrific narrative reporting, bringing the energy and drama of the sports pages into the business world.

The Arcelor-Mittal issue rocked Europe for a while a couple of years back. It was mired in controversy but it seems that all’s well that ends well. This should prove to be a good read at any time.

So there you have it, some pretty interesting choices for business books this year. There are more in Stefan Stern’s article if you are not satisfied with these choices.

Christmas is over and you’ve probably given your gifts away but just in case you still have a couple of loose ends to take care of, here are some of the best business books of the year. They will make great presents for your business-minded friends or actually, you can get them for yourself. This list is created by Stefan Stern of FT.com Management Blog.

When Markets Collide: Investment Strategies for the Age of Global Economic Change
By Mohamed El-Erian
McGraw-Hill Professional £15.99, 304 pages
Winner of the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award 2008. El-Erian’s serious analysis of the new economic world order has won admirers in every major financial market. As we struggle to work out what the “new normal” will look like, El-Erian provides readers with market-tested insights.

From what I have seen and heard of this book, it is perfect for what is currently happening in the economic world. The changes that we are all facing and the effects of these changes can be disquieting if we do not have the right information and perspective – and this book can give you just that. You can rent this book at a leading textbook rental site.

A Sense of Urgency
By John Kotter
Harvard Business Press £11.99, 208 pages
One of the world’s leading gurus of change, Kotter revisits his eight steps of change theory and focuses on its most important element: a sense of urgency. Managing change successfully really does come down to that. An elegantly written book that proves you don’t have to drone on endlessly to make a point.

More on the changes that we are all experiencing. This is a fast paced book, one which will not be a bore to read.

I am sure you noticed that the prices are in GPB – just visit Amazon and you can find the US prices.

For those of you who ventured into corporate blogging early on, you might have already read this book. It is not really new – it was published in 2006 – but still has retained much of the edge that it had when it first came out.

Written by Debbie Weil, the book’s full title is The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right. Indeed, this book not only provides you with the knowledge you need about corporate blogging but also gives you practical tips on how to do things the right way.

I like how Debbie opens the book with 20 questions that any corporate executive would probably have with regard to blogging. With this kind of opening, the book is perfect for the business man who has heard tons about blogging and yet does not really understand the whole concept. In this manner, Debbie provides quick knowledge and quickly eases the fear of the unknown at the same time.

It does not end there, however. The book provides in depth analysis of the issues that a business might face if it, indeed, decides to join the corporate blogging bandwagon. In addition to that, readers would find tools and ideas on how to go about the business of blogging for the corporate setting.

Just because something is not fresh off the press does not mean that it is old and outdated. The Corporate Blogging Book is a good place to start if you are still vacillating on whether or not blogging is the way to go for your business.

I love the technology and gadgets – I don’t feel more comfortable than when I have my laptop in front of me, reading blogs, browsing web pages, and writing for my blogs. Yet there are times when I just yearn for the feel of the pages of a book instead of having the mouse in my hand. Maybe some of you feel that way sometimes as well. If you do, then here’s a good book for you to read when you get that urge to turn those pages.

Blogging for Business: Everything You Need To Know And Why You Should Care is written by Shel Holtz and Ted Demopoulos. It tells you why you should welcome business blogging with open arms. More so, it gives practical tips and ideas on how to go about it. Some points that you would encounter in the book are:

• How to tap into the power of blogs
• How blogs are different from e-zines, Web sites, and message boards
• Why businesses need to monitor blogs that discuss their products and services
• How to use an internal corporate blog as an effective knowledge sharing tool
• Future iterations of blogging, such as podcasts and vlogs
• Legal considerations

In fact, many other people appreciate this book and what it has to offer. Take Paul Baker’s review of the book. If you need more information on the book, check out Amazon – they have it on sale right now.