{"title":"Louise Rose Photography: recommended books for the self-employed","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eHaving run my own \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.louiserosephotography.com\"\u003esmall business\u003c\/a\u003e for 15 years now, I'm all too aware of how much work is involved in keeping your business ticking along nicely. Photographing other small business owners, I realised how many entrepeneurs share the same concerns, so I collated this list of books that I've found instrumental in keeping my business both joyful and financially healthy. \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eWant some tips on staying on track financially, finding a creative boost, planning a career move or looking for ideas on managing your time so your business doesn't take over your life? These books have you covered! \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"9780349411903","title":"Deep Work","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDeep Work\u003c\/i\u003e is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Cal Newport is exceptional in the realm of self-help authors' \u003ci\u003eN\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Deep work' is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. Coined by author and professor Cal Newport on his popular blog Study Hacks, deep work will make you better at what you do, let you achieve more in less time and provide the sense of true fulfilment that comes from the mastery of a skill. In short, deep work is like a superpower in our increasingly competitive economy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd yet most people, whether knowledge workers in noisy open-plan offices or creatives struggling to sharpen their vision, have lost the ability to go deep - spending their days instead in a frantic blur of email and social media, not even realising there's a better way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, \u003ci\u003eDeep Work\u003c\/i\u003e takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories -- from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air -- and surprising suggestions, such as the claim that most serious professionals should quit social media and that you should practice being bored. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePut simply: developing and cultivating a deep work practice is one of the best decisions you can make in an increasingly distracted world. This book will point the way.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56287221842293,"sku":"9780349411903","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780349411903_d41d7e77-19d4-467b-955f-206a5589ec2f.jpg?v=1786013861"},{"product_id":"9781784701178","title":"Designing Your Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChange your life in 2025 with the simple, scientifically proven method that has already worked for thousands of people.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Life has questions. They have answers' \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt last, a book that shows you how to build - design - a life you can thrive in, at any age or stage. A well-designed life means a life well-lived. Many of us are still looking for an answer to that perennial question, 'What do I want to be when I grow up?'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStanford innovators Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who and where we are, our careers and our age. \u003ci\u003eDesigning Your Life\u003c\/i\u003e puts forward the idea that the same design thinking responsible for amazing technology, products and spaces can be used to build towards a better life and career by a design of your own making.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'[\u003ci\u003eDesigning Your Life\u003c\/i\u003e] teaches you how to change what's not working by turning ideas on their head' Viv Groskop, author of \u003ci\u003eHow To Own The Room\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An empowering book based on their popular class of the same name at Stanford University...this book will easily earn a place among career-finding classics' \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56305039180149,"sku":"9781784701178","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781784701178_e02fca6e-c175-4009-8702-befe536f23cc.jpg?v=1786025883"},{"product_id":"9781804090787","title":"Stop Waiting, Start Investing","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eStop Waiting, Start Investing\u003c\/i\u003e is a timeless guide to help you build long term wealth using the stock market with only 10 minutes of work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- Are you a complete beginner to investing, and have no idea where to begin?\u003cbr\u003e- Are you already investing but unsure if you're following the right approach?\u003cbr\u003e- Does the idea of trying to invest for your future make you nervous?\u003cbr\u003e- Do you want to learn how to start investing, following a passive, simple, automated approach?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you answered yes to any of these questions, then this is the book for you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eStop Waiting, Start Investing\u003c\/i\u003e is a great opportunity to invest in yourself, increase your financial education, and start to take control of your money.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56307405652341,"sku":"9781804090787","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804090787_874cd5f3-d285-4c2e-86fd-92eb867f9e25.jpg?v=1786027513"},{"product_id":"9781408866757","title":"Big Magic","description":"THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'Wise, authentic and brave' - Psychologies'Brimming with positive ways in which to think about creative living' - Mail on Sunday'Consider her your own personal life coach' - Marie Claire'I have profoundly changed my approach to creating since I read this book' - Huffington PostReaders of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now, this beloved author shares her wisdom and unique understanding of creativity, shattering the perceptions of mystery and suffering that surround the process – and showing us all just how easy it can be. By sharing stories from her own life, as well as those from her friends and the people that have inspired her, Elizabeth Gilbert challenges us to embrace our curiosity, tackle what we most love and face down what we most fear.     Whether you long to write a book, create art, cope with challenges at work, embark on a long-held dream, or simply to make your everyday life more vivid and rewarding, Big Magic will take you on a journey of exploration filled with wonder and unexpected joys.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312303419765,"sku":"9781408866757","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781408866757_21f8c082-02c6-4d66-b482-ae6bcf1e34f1.jpg?v=1786020118"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/collections\/LouiseRose-logo-long-thin.jpg?v=1764763679","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/louise-rose-photography-recommended-books-for-the-self-employed.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}