Best of the web:28 May

Best of the web:28 May

15 books every entrepreneur must read; the call of Babylon: Why some travelers are braving Iraq; Get "social" to grow your business.

May 28, 2010 4:54 by Rasha Reslan

15 books every entrepreneur must read

Need a summer reading list for the would-be-self-made-millionaire? Read what CEO’s and corporate founders are reading. Check out these 15 books to inspire your inner entrepreneur. Each of the titles in this collection of must-reads features a review by an inspired, presumably successful, business person.

See where corporate success-types gain their inspiration and insights. Find out how CEO’s sort through a stack of fancy CV’s and identify the best candidate on offer. Not familiar with the rise of the “Protean corporation?” Learn why the future of business “arrived yesterday” and you need catching up.

——————————————–

Six ways to get press for your business without hiring a PR firm

Want some free publicity for your start up? No need to hire an overpriced, underperforming PR firm. Instead check out these six great ways to get critical exposure for your business, without spending a dirham. Deputy editor for Business Insider (BI), Dan Frommer, knows what he’s talking about. Social media tips? They’re here. Not familiar with metrics reports? Find out how journalists can use your objective data to give your start up a plug. Go beyond blogs with these six free tips for getting your name out there.

Bonus tracks: Add to your free press BI’s “10 ways for your business to make headlines” – and hit the ground running next week. Find out how to get your corporate name in ink, while establishing valuable relationships with media. It’s all about getting your name out there. Here’s the low-down on how to do it right the first time.

——————————————–

Get “social” to grow your business

If it’s good enough for kings, queens and presidents, it probably couldn’t hurt your business. Social media is the new requisite for participating in the global flow of ideas – critical for business in a variety of ways, says Business Week . From generating buzz, to monitoring client satisfaction, and keeping tabs on the competition, social media is the new standard for peddling your wares in the global marketplace. Don’t’ put it off: “Your customers are already there.”

——————————————–

The call of Babylon: Why some travelers are braving Iraq

Time for a break? You’ve worked hard all year and you’re ready for holiday. Don’t rule out Baghdad. With three UNESCO world heritage sites, today’s beleaguered Baghdad was yesterday’s Babylon – the “cradle of civilization.”

Despite its enduring archaeological, religious, and cultural significance, the city drew only 73 tourists to its archaeological attractions last year, CNN said.

But observers don’t expect that to continue. “International airlines now fly to Iraq, opening up the country to trailblazing tourists,” the report said.

And while you’re there, check out the investment climate.

——————————————–

Facebook outstrips Arab newspapers – survey

Print news media, consider yourself warned: Arab readers are ditching the paper for Facebook. A new survey finds that Arabs are bullish on Facebook and bearish on daily newspapers.

“Even in conservative Saudi Arabia, people have been quick to embrace Facebook. It is the country with the second-largest membership after Egypt,” the BBC reports.

A third of those in the UAE are Facebook friendly, but analysts say that’s no surprise. The 300 million strong in the region are a youthful bunch, and their Internet-intelligence is on the rise. Kipp wonders if any Mideast users are still miffed over the indelicate comments made by the head honcho, Zuckerberg: are you quitting Facebook?