Jane Hamilton, an American novelist beautifully said, “It is books that are the key to the wide world; if you can’t do anything else, read all that you can.”

I have taken that philosophy for a number of years and know it to be true. Some of the greatest successes I have had in life, were due to the knowledge I gained by reading a book. There is a book for just about every conceivable problem. In the business/leadership genre this is ever so true. Many companies struggle in these hard times, yet many of the secrets to solve these problem are locked within the confines of wonderful books.

I feel a little bit ashamed though, that I don’t really tell many people about the books that have impacted me. As I was staring at a pile of books recently and thinking about this; I realized that I should to start a book column on the site. Instead of just randomly posting a book I enjoyed, I needed to make it more regular. So I have decided to start the Leadership Book Corner every Friday at ToddNielsen.com to share and talk about some of the fantastic new books that are hitting the market, and some old classics that I love.

Here is my pledge to you:

I promise to NOT share books just because some publicist or author sent me a book. I will only review books that I enjoyed reading, that I learned from, and that I feel provide value to my readers.

I will keep the reviews short and sweet, so you can get on with your day.

I will try and always share a few quotes from the book so you can get a taste of the content and writing style of the author.

I will be honest if there is something about the book that bothers me. Keep in mind though that I will not share books that I don’t like, so a small flaw usually won’t make me not like a book.

***Prizes – If I get cooperation from the Authors of the books I review, I will give away a book each week to the person with the most profound comment on the topic of the article.

The Leadership Book Corner, starts Friday October 26th, 2012 (Tomorrow). I hope you will join me. As always sign-up for email updates to stay up to date on all the articles and books I share.

Let me leave you with another great quote on reading:

A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

and for those that need a laugh:

There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
~ Will Rogers