In “Reading List,” we ask ecommerce professionals to name some of their favorite recent books and blogs and tell us why they read them. For this installment, we corresponded with Luke van de Paverd, founder of eCommerce Economy, an ecommerce educational website.

Since 2004, van de Paverd has been involved in the ecommerce industry, both as an owner of ecommerce stores, and as a consultant — helping others set up online stores.

Luke van de Paverd's Top Five Books

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber

"The E-Myth Revisited is a book about how to create systems for your small business. The premise of the book is that all small businesses should learn from the most successful small business there is: McDonalds. Set up your business like a franchise that teenagers can run.

"I really liked The E-Myth Revisited because it taught me that having systems in your business is not only a good idea, it’s necessary if you want to be in charge of your business and life."

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Purple Cow by Seth Godin

"The Purple Cow is about how the marketing world has changed. The recipe for success has changed from mass advertising towards having a product/service that is remarkable in some way.

"The Purple Cow inspires me to think of new ideas, and inspires me to look at the way I am marketing my businesses and ask myself, 'Am I being remarkable enough?'"

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Rework by Jason Fried

"Rework is a collection of essays from the founders of 37signals, the provider of online collaboration tools. It talks about startups and software businesses, about employees, customers, managing a business. 37signals' approach is that the simplest way to do things is the best way.

"I love Rework because it reminds me to focus on doing the important things. Don’t mess around with anything that isn’t your number one goal. "

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Click by Ori Brafman

"Click is about how we meet people and engage with people. Have you ever met someone that you instantly get along with really well? Have you ever met someone you just can’t connect with? Click explores what the difference is between those relationships.

"I really loved Click because it explored some of the psychology behind relationships. It breaks down the complexities into about six different concepts, and covers case studies and examples for each of the concepts. I found it interesting and fascinating."

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Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump

"This book is one of the first business books I ever read. I read about it as a teenager, and I still go back to it every now and then if I want some inspiration to think bigger. It’s Donald Trump talking about some of his deals, how he created them, what issues cropped up, and takes an inside look into his life as a real estate developer and businessman.

"I love The Art of the Deal because it inspires me to think big. He inspires me to go out and do what I want. He inspires me to be more forward and shameless."

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