A book about marketing or managing employees may be the last thing small business owners want to read on vacation. But some say they’ve found insight they can apply to their companies from the subjects of books they cracked just for the joy of reading — with books about Abraham Lincoln, Harry Potter or a young woman in an alternative universe.
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Some of their recommendations:
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subheadTeam of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln/subhead
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AUTHOR: Doris Kearns Goodwin
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RECOMMENDED BY: Corey Nelson, owner of 4C Global Logistics LLC.
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COMPANY PROFILE: 4C Global Logistics, founded in 2012 and based in Lakeville, Minnesota, is involved in the distribution of chemical and agricultural products.
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WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT: Team of Rivals, published in 2005, details how U.S. President Abraham Lincoln put together a Cabinet that included politicians like Secretary of State William H. Seward and Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, whom Lincoln had defeated for the Republican presidential nomination. Lincoln encouraged his team to put aside their animosity toward him and each other while the Civil War was being waged.
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WHY NELSON RECOMMENDS IT TO BUSINESS OWNERS: Building and running a business is about relationships and bringing great minds together from all different backgrounds to be successful. Lincoln listened to people, he understood their motives, and genuinely cared. He had passion in everything he did and always refused to quit regardless of others’ actions.
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HOW IT HAS HELPED HIM IN BUSINESS: When times get tough, which they always do as a business owner, that book helps to keep me going and realize if I stick to the course and treat all people well, good things will come in the end.
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subheadThe Handmaid’s Tale/subhead
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AUTHOR: Margaret Atwood
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RECOMMENDED BY: Serafina Palandech, co-owner of Hip Chicks Farms.
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COMPANY PROFILE: Hip Chicks Farms, founded in 2011 and based in Sebastopol, California, manufactures organic poultry products.
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WHAT THE BOOK…