I used to read these types of books (including the most popular of the bunch listed here) years ago. I had this idea that if I just kept reading this stuff, I would eventually just "get it". (I never did. I "got it" much faster by reading individual comments from select people, and trying things out by myself)<p>The thing is, it seems to me that many of these books are just extremely information-sparse. Very very lengthened ways of making a small set of points. And because of that, I don't particularly remember the lessons learned from the lot.<p>200 pages to tell you to talk to your customers? 300 pages to explain that you should focus on your core business and not get sidetracked?<p>Here's a challenge to those who have read books in that list. Pick one you've found useful, and tell me how it changed you. Then look at your comment and decide whether the book could have just made that same point in that many words.