Some time ago we listed 7 books we thought every practitioner should read. Of course, we read a lot of books, so we’ve discovered a lot of great new ones since then. 🙂

Here are five more (well, really six if you count the pair) that have made a difference for us. None are specific to being in practice, but all can help. Happy reading! – Dan

Linchpin by Seth Godin

Seth Godin’s new book is his best. It’s also his first, I think, that isn’t just for entrepreneurs and marketers.

Linchpin is about being extraordinary – about taking risks, and becoming indispensable. Like much of Seth’s work, it’s almost a collection of micro-essays around a theme, but that theme is a powerful one.

If you’re feeling like you haven’t found your groove as a practitioner, or you know what your groove is but you’re afraid to follow it, try this one out.

Getting Things Done by David Allen

David Allen has become the guru of effectiveness over the past few years. His book, and system, called “GTD” for short by his cult following, is remarkably effective. Almost everyone I know who’s embraced the system has tweaked it to fit their needs, but they usually start with David’s book.

It’s been particularly well-embraced by the technical crowd, which means that there are a host of software products to support it, but it can be easily done with good old-fashioned pencil and paper.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed in practice, are struggling to remember all that you need to do, and just can’t seem to get your to-do list under control, Getting Things Done is the book for you.

Creating Customer Evangelists by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba

Probably my favorite book about customer service.The authors use case studies to lay out a 6-part system for truly delighting your clients. I listened to this one in audio while driving, and found myself constantly thinking of things to bring back to the practice.

As a practitioner, you don’t get to choose whether you’re in the service business – you are. So why not do a great job of it? Creating Customer Evangelists will definitely help.

Go-Givers Sell More by John David Mann and Bob Burg

I’ve mentioned The Go-Giver before. Written by our friends John Mann and Bob Burg, this one’s been selling like hotcakes for a number of years. The follow-up, though, Go-Givers Sell More, is perhaps the best book I’ve seen for helping practitioners embrace the idea that they need to “sell”, and one we strongly recommended at last year’s ND Success weekend.

If you feel squishy about marketing, sales, networking and other icky parts of being in practice, you need both books. The first is the parable, the second draws on the principles of the first to apply it to business growth in a way that I think can resonate with practitioners.

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko

This classic is a real eye-opener. Stanley and Danko discovered that the average millionaire doesn’t fit the stereotype of fast cars and big houses. It’s been around for a while, but is still relevant, and has a whopping 880 reviews on Amazon, the vast majority of which are positive.

The best part for practitioners? Understanding that that your financial and life habits outside of practice are critical if you’re interested in wealth accumulation. The ideas in The Millionaire Next Door are worth paying attention to.