Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

This is one of the best books that I've read about Product Management. If you are Product Manager or if you aspire to be a Product Manager, this book is a must to read.

You'll learn how to take a product through the different stages of technology adoption and into the mass market. The author explains some challenges faced by organizations in crossing the chasm and how they can effectively cross them.

Some key takeaways from the book are:

1. There are 5 stages of technology adoption - Innovators, Early Adoptors, Early Majority, Late Majority and Laggards 
2. Marketing must refocus away from selling products towards creating relationships
3. Marketing’s first deliverable should be partnerships 
4. Watch out for the FUD (Fear Uncertainty Doubt) that can plague decision makers when confronted with unfamiliar products or services 

Improving your story telling by Doug Lipman

Improving your story telling by Doug Lipman teaches you techniques that you can follow to tell powerful stories.

Key takeaways from the book are:

1. Many storytellers are less effective than they could be, simply because they try to apply written-language concepts to the oral language of story telling.
2. In a book, the reader who forgets whether the story began in a specified year can at worst, turn to the opening page to reread them. A story listener, however has no way to “rewind” except in her memory
3. No two story tellers will tell the same story identically. No two audience members will hear the story in the same way.
4. Different ways of creating vivid imagery are - visual, auditory, kinesthetic (touch), verbal and smell. 
5. The listener has no second chance to hear what was said previously. The oral story teller must rewind the listeners wherever the term or character is mentioned. 

The Millionaire Mind

"The harder you work, the luckier you become" - This has been the mantra of many millionaires surveyed by Thomas Stanley. The author has harped on millionaires' lifestyle, their habits, their attitude and some of their secrets for success. Of course, he corroborates them. I was surprised to know that millionaires were not created by trading stocks or playing lotto :) The content overall could have been condensed. Anyways, it was not very boring. I'm now more tempted to read "The Millionaire Next Door". I would recommend this book to people who wants to know some secrets behind millionaires' success.

Key takeaways from the book are:

1. Big home owners (who are at big debt and who are experts in filling loan applications) are “income statement affluent”. Millionaires are “Balance Sheet Affluent”. They focus on accumulating wealth. They have little or no outstanding credit balances
2. Foundation stones for financial success are Integrity, Discipline, Social Skills, a Supportive Spouse and Hardwork (working harder than most people)
3. There is a strong correlation between one’s willingness to take financial risks and one’s level of wealth. It is less about investing in the stock market and much more about investing in ourselves, our careers, our professional practices, our private businesses and so forth
4. Millionaires do not follow the crowd in what they sell and how they invest.
5. Majority of the millionaires exercise regularly

Author's website: http://www.thomasjstanley.com/