There is so much small business owners need to know to operate at peak performance. Luckily we live in the Information Age with plentiful resources. To help you sift through some of the data, every week we're going to look at three business books and the lessons you can learn from reading them.

Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds ($24.99)

As a former CNN and CBS anchor and news correspondent, speaker and best-selling author Carmine Gallo knows a thing or two about communicating. And as he writes TED Talks "have redefined the elements of a successful presentation." (In case you don't know TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design.)

This is a thoroughly researched book. Gallo talked to popular TED speakers and listened to hundreds of TED Talks to discern what works and what doesn't and then explains how you create your own great presentation, whether it's a TED Talk or not.

Think Agile: How Smart Entrepreneurs Adapt in Order to Succeed ($23)

By Taffy Williams

Agility has long been an admired athletic trait. Athletes need to be quick and nimble in order to succeed. In Think Agile, Taffy Williams, the founder and president of a technology development company where he's helped launch a number of entrepreneurial businesses, argues that business owners (and those who aspire to be) need to be nimble and flexible thinkers.

First, Williams helps you assess how agile you may already be; then he shows you the areas that need improvement. As a cautionary tale, Williams provides examples of the consequences of being "destructively inflexible." Of course he provides plenty of positive role models as well.

Launch! The Critical 90 Days from Idea to Market ($26.95)

By Scott Duffy

Serial entrepreneur Scott Duffy, who used to work for Tony Robbins and whose last company was acquired by Richard Branson, believes, "Today, everyone is an entrepreneur." Duffy maintains entrepreneurship is about "transforming what you are passionate about, what you are good at, into a responsible moneymaking venture that benefits others in the process."

Duffy doesn't believe in wasting time. The book shows you how to turn your big idea into a successful business by "focusing on the crucial 90-day period immediately before, during and after starting your business."

Think that sounds impossible? Duffy will make you a believer.

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