Three Books I Recommend

I get this question all the time – do you have book recommendations? Sure, I am not going to tell you to read the Art of Electronics. But within the general theme (business, innovation, technology and Africa) of African entrepreneurial capitalism and personal development, I have these three recommendations:

The Richest Man in Babylon: The book can be downloaded free here (PDF). Many years ago, Diamond Bank distributed this timeless book to entry level staff while we were in training school. The training remains one of the most important experiences I had in that peerless financial institution which was largely a factory of talent development. We went in as engineers, three months later, we were bankers. That was how good the bank was in transforming young people. This book will help you understand partnership and why it makes sense to seek insights and perspectives from experts. Just as you would not ask a carpenter to do surgery on your neck, it does not make sense to seek opinions from a fisherman when you want to invest in bonds.

Acres of Diamonds: I also read this one while in Diamond Bank training school. In this book, you would learn that opportunities are everywhere. You do not have to leave Kano for Lagos to find alpha as the “diamond” could be right there in Kano. The thesis here is to have awareness as you sojourn in careers and markets.

Africa’s Sankofa Innovation: This one is my book. You will learn a lot reading the pages. It discusses innovation within the African context, connecting Ghana’s Twi tribe way of living to the whole modern framework of innovation. That way of living is Sankofa. It brings to practice the zen-wisdom of the first two books.Yes, you will read manuals on how some of those great zen-ideas in the great books have been applied in our continent.

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