Mental Models

MBA programs don't have a monopoly on business knowledge: you can teach yourself everything you need to know to succeed in life and at work. The Personal MBA features the very best business books available, based on thousands of hours of research. If you're serious about learning advanced business principles, the Personal MBA can help you master business without the baggage of b-school. Learn more...

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These articles will help you discover what the Personal MBA is all about:

• The PMBA Manifesto - why business self-education beats business school.
• PMBA Recommended Reading List - a list of all of the books officially recommended by the Personal MBA.
• The PMBA Community - discuss business concepts with PMBA members from around the world in our free private forum.

Posts readers have particularly enjoyed:

• How to Get a Valuable Education Without Mortgaging Your Life - 9 ways to learn practical knowledge without becoming an indentured servant.
• 3 Simple Techniques to Optimize Your Reading Comprehension and Retention - what’s the use in reading if you don’t understand and don’t remember what you read?
• Learning via Self-Experimentation - treat everything in your life as an experiment to make rapid progress.
• 10 Time-Tested Ways to Make Money - you can describe 99% of all businesses – past and present – using one (or more) of these core patterns.
• The Value-Optimization Paradox - the goal of every business should be to consistently create more value for its customers than it captures in revenue.
• "Branding" is an Overrated Buzzword - when most people use the word brand, they really mean reputation.
• Experimenting with Delegation and Outsourcing - you can't delegate unless you have someone to delegate to.
• On Discounting - making discounts a part of standard operation can kill your business.
• The Safest Investment - investing in yourself always provides the highest returns.
• Business: It's Not Really About the Money - what do you work for after your material needs are met?
• Absence Blindness - people have a really hard time realizing that something is missing.
• How to Handle Business Book Narcissism - what do you do when you realize you can’t stand an author’s personality?
• "Best" = Interesting or Useful? - focus on reading and learning what will actually help you get to where you want to go.
• There Are No Magic Businesspeople - the purpose of business study is to help you become the type of person who is worth $1 million dollars, and there’s nothing magical about that.
• Need more time to read? Get rid of your TV - going without TV for 30 days can make a world of difference.

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