Business books and a reader - the interplay reconsiderd

Should the cover of a business book include warning signs in addition to those typical flaming praise given by famous people and successful CEOs?  Warning signs could be something like: in case you are such and such person this book may not be suitable for you, or in case you work in this kind of organization this book cannot really be recommended for you, or in case your attitude toward work is something like following you might do yourself a service in reconsidering some other activities instead of reading this book.

 

 

Should we take the connection between a reader and a book seriously? Should we take business books and their message seriously? Surely it is everybody’s right to read whatever they like.  And the point here is not to propose any kind of restrictions or limitations for free choice. The point here is more epistemological in its nature, which means that it may not be obvious that all kinds of business books are most useful to all kinds of executives and experts working in all kinds of organizations.

Well I admit that it is unfair to compare business books to those products which are required to put warning signs on their cover. Nevertheless could it actually be a good thing even for business books themselves and in particular to the reader-book experience if business books could include some kind of “how to use this book” part.  Apparently this part should be prepared by following by some kind of a  - generally accepted guidelines - for effective and fruitful reading

May I at this point leave it for later discussion which instance (organizational body) could create these “ generally accepted business book reading” - guidelines (probably later called as GABBR -guidelines) and who should write the instructions to each book, could it actually be the author herself  or some other person designed specifically for that task. I just want to suggest here that these guidelines could be prepared sensibly and they might not be a heavy burden to anyone involved. Instead the guidelines might help the reader to get most out of a book, and perhaps sometimes to consider how important it is to really consider what elements make it possible to apply the ideas of a book in is his own professional life and in his organization.

But what could these guidelines actually include? This is certainly a very difficult question. However, I think that key element would be the reader’s ability and willingness to make changes. Can we say that without the idea of making or at least considering a change,  the very reading of a business book is just entertainment and this may not be a best possible professional attitude for effective reading. Again, it is of course every ones right to read also business book for share pleasure and entertainment. However, from the epistemological perspective we are interested to examine those reading experiences which have also other goals, like deepening and broadening understanding which may create basis for change and improvement in professional activities.

 

Hence GABBR-guidelines - I thrust that you already remember this acronym, if not please check the text above - would most like help the reader to reflect at least following aspects: what actually is her position and freedom to make changes in her own professional life and also in her organization, what is her organizations true ability and possibility to change and really apply ideas touted in business book, and also she might be interested to check her own attitude and whether there really is willingness to reconsidering  her taken for granted every day truths which may have served very well so far.

In sum. Business books are excellent, sometimes. Readers are magnificent, always. How we all make it as likely as possible that that the crucial interplay between readers and books  provide best possible results?