I am an avid reader and spend most of my time reading non-fiction as I have an insatiable desire to learn as much as I can. For those wishing to start-up an online business I strongly recommend the following books:
1. Net Gain(John Hagel III and Arthur G. Armstrong)-This book tells you everything you need to know to establish an online presence through the efforts of forming an online community(much like MouthShut has done). They rehash throughout the book the need to ramp-up quickly by not creating friction by charging $$$$ first. If you can believe that.

2.Unleashing the Ideavirus(Seth Godin)- Two books by Seth Godin(formerly of Yahoo) can be interchanged at this spot or the next depending on your needs. I personally became enlightened as I realized the potential behind the ’’Ideavirus.’’ Beautiful explanations and it really gets your juices flowing if you have an idea that you just don’t know how to get off the launching pad. The book explains how an idea, like a virus, can infect people. It can be passed on from person to person via mouth(word-of-mouth in the ideavirus case) and affect all those that come in contact with it.

3. Permission Marketing(Seth Godin)- In this book he stresses the importance of using opt-in emails, etc. instead of bombarding your potential customers with non-permissive marketing such as TV ads, radio ads, et. al. Basically he challenges the old way of advertising and creates a view of how the present and future of advertising needs to go in order for businesses to survive and gain a competitive edge over others.

4. Think and Grow Rich(Napoleon Hill)-This is a classic self-help, get rich book that stands the test of time. Everthing he wrote about can be applied to your life today. Motivational book to keep your nose to the grindstone when you don’t particularly feel like it. Many, many examples from real life to draw from. Overall, if you want to be affluent then this is where you should start.

5. Success through a Positive Mental Attitude(Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone)- ’’What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve!’’ That is the basic theme throughout the book. This classic will help motivate those naysayers that believe that their abilities are not marketable. Everybody can if they just read this book and apply the principles. Always keep focuse on the fact that your diamond mine could be right around the corner! They give you many ideas, exercises, etc. to get your juices flowing and to keep them flowing.

Combined, these books should set you well on your way to success in an online endeavor or any endeavor for that matter. I highly recommend them all and can attest to the fact that they have helped me to achieve a lot in my life.