Business books—such as books about raising capital, finance, marketing, sales, and leadership—can be incredibly valuable. However, it’s hard for the lessons to really hit home unless we’re working on projects or ventures where we can readily see the principles in action and, ideally, put the knowledge to use immediately.
When we are able to put the principles to work immediately in this way, say, if you’re a CFO and you’re reading a book about how to be a better CFO, then the learning accelerates, the lessons stick, and the ROI on the time spent reading the book grows exponentially.
Notably, this is why it’s better to work for at least a few years before attending grad school, especially before getting an MBA. Students who go straight from undergrad to grad programs often don’t have any idea how the real world works. The learning can be too academic, there’s not enough perspective, and much of the potential value of the time spent in grad school is lost.