10 books like Impro

This is a captivating read that delves into the world of creating a fan base for any business.

Using Lady Gaga as a fun and intriguing example, the book demonstrates how she cultivated a loyal following while many talented artists struggle to gain recognition. Huba's choice of subject matter not only adds an element of entertainment but also highlights the effectiveness of Gaga's strategy.

The book breaks down the process into easy-to-follow steps that anyone can implement within their own business. One key lesson from Monster Loyalty is to "Make Them Feel Like Rock Stars," emphasizing the importance of making your fans feel special by acknowledging their contributions, highlighting their input, and incorporating their submissions into your work.

What sets this book apart is the simple template it provides, making it straightforward to apply the principles in a business setting.

Sticky Church may initially seem like an unconventional choice for business owners looking to improve customer retention, as it focuses on growing a congregation within a church setting.

However, the principles of customer retention remain the same across different contexts and can offer valuable insights to entrepreneurs.

Imagine enticing your customers to visit your business every week and even bringing friends and family with them - that's the power of Sticky Church.

While the book delves into Sermon Based Small Group meetings, which might not directly apply to most businesses, the underlying principles of connecting customers with each other and encouraging them to share their experiences are universal.

These ideas form the foundation of political movements, committed fan bases, and customer groups like Apple fans.

In the context of a church, Sticky Church offers unique customer retention insights that might be difficult to glean from a business-centric book. It's an… show more.

This is an eye-opening exploration of the principles of persuasion and belief.

The book focuses on the intriguing story of Dr. J.R. Brinkley, who gained notoriety for selling goat testicle implants as a cure for erectile dysfunction. While this may seem outlandish, it serves as a powerful illustration of how people can be made to believe in something when specific techniques are employed.

Many of us are raised with a certain moral compass, which can sometimes hinder our understanding of how belief works.

Making Them Believe breaks down these principles and shows readers how to harness them in a business context. By suspending our disbelief and distaste for Dr. Brinkley's methods, we uncover a remarkable template for convincing customers to believe in and buy our products.

The key takeaway from this book is that, by following the principles outlined, you can effectively promote your reputable product or service, ultimately benefiting… show more.

7 Steps to Freedom is a foundational book that reveals the key economic drivers business owners must balance in order to achieve growth.

Although the book primarily promotes a business model using direct mail marketing for customer acquisition, its lessons are just as relevant in today's digital marketing landscape.

The book encourages business leaders to shift their focus from tweaking ad creatives to reduce customer acquisition costs, to redesigning their businesses to increase customer value.

By doing so, they can afford higher customer acquisition costs and grow much faster than by merely lowering that cost.

7 Steps to Freedom stands out as a unique resource that elucidates this crucial concept in an easily digestible manner for business owners. If you're looking to understand the economic drivers that influence your business's growth potential, this book is a must-read.

Critical thinking is an essential leadership skill, and many business leaders are great at it. The problem is that this approach often intimidates people and stifles their creativity. This book taught me a new set of communication tactics, based on improvisational theater techniques, that reduce fear and drive innovation in the workplace. The best manager I ever worked for was a “Yes, And” manager.

Gary is a master facilitator, improv comedian, and storyteller who inspires you through play.

His book shares how you can be successful in your work by tapping into your creative and playful side to get the best results. Having experienced Gary live in many settings, he knows his stuff! I’m always belly-laughing and coming up with new ideas.

This book is a good reminder that work doesn’t have to be stuffy. The best results come from the relaxed and playful mind and this book shows you how to do that.

Reading this, I felt like I was in a room with Poehler and lucky to be there. I dug this so. It’s genuinely funny, historical, and outrageous, with photos. It offers sound life advice and intel on The Business without a heavy hand at name-dropping (but enough to get one salivating).

I appreciate its length, considering she was doing so much when she wrote it, and I do believe she wrote it, unlike so many celeb books. Plus, I adore improvisational comedy, frequently referenced. I won’t spoil anything; I just highly recommend it. 

Although I tend to lean towards being an extrovert, during my divorce, I was a full-blown introvert. I had no interest in going anywhere or doing anything. This book is subtle in humor and I love the journey the author takes you on. If you’re going through a divorce, it can encourage you to try new things, go on trips, and that meeting new people isn’t so bad. Getting out of your comfort zone and forcing yourself to get out during a divorce is very important. This book is also a reminder that sometimes we just don’t know the answers in life and that’s ok. 

Flashback to a classic. Not enough people know about the Mysterious Mr. Quin stories by Agatha Christie. They have all the glamour of Poirot, but they’re not quite whodunits. Or are they? Despite the fact that crime is solved in each, they’re a little weird and magical and even melancholy. Our “detective” Mr. Satterthwaite seems to find himself near death over and over, and each time his acquaintance Mr. Quin (who bears a lot of resemblance to the tragic Harlequin figure of commedia dell’arte) arrives to help him to find his way to the truth. Each story is super short, so they’re good for when you can’t muster attention for a marathon reading session. Worth seeking out!

I love when authors mix genres. Dibdin’s Cosi Fan Tutti is a combination of mystery and a Mozart opera! 

Combining the farcical elements of corruption, romantic longing, and mistaken identity, Dibdin pulls us through the beautiful streets of Naples, Italy, where everyone is thoughtful and earnest, and still, somehow, nothing like they appear. 

His detective Aurelio Zen is supposed to be keeping the peace, but he’s not up for the job, much more interested in untying romantic entanglements and enjoying the countryside. A solid plan until the Italian sanitation department decides they’re going to clean up the streets for him.

Lighthearted and breezy but with a genuine emotional core, you’ll get through Cosi Fan Tutte in a single sitting and be happier for it.