World Literature

In my experience, the smartest people in the room are the ones who read. (Take it from me: I read a lot and I'm utterly brilliant. Humble, too.)

For what is sure to be a limited time, Amazon is offering three business-oriented e-books for free. No strings attached; all you need is a PC, a Kindle, or any device capable of running a Kindle app (which means virtually every smartphone and tablet on the planet).

The books have a combined value of about $85, and all three have user ratings of at least four stars. Here's the rundown:

Synopsis: "Problems remain hidden in organizations for a number of reasons, including fear, organizational complexity, gatekeepers who insulate leaders from problems that are coming up, and finally, an overemphasis on formal analysis in place of intuition and observation. This book lays out the key skills and capabilities required to ensure that problems do not remain hidden in your organization."

"Now You're Thinking!: Change Your Thinking...Revolutionize Your Career...Transform Your Life, " by Stewart Emery, Russ Hall, John Maketa, Judy Chartrand, and Heather Ishikawa.

Synopsis: "If you can change the way you think, you can change the world. That’s the theme of 'Now You’re Thinking!' as it tells the story of how a 2-year old Iraqi girl’s life was saved through determination, courage, and critical thinking."

Synopsis: Harvard psychiatrist and executive coach Srinivasan S. Pillay illuminates the rapidly-emerging links between modern brain science and the corner office. What does neuroscience have to do with leadership? Everything. Recent advances in brain science and neuroimaging can dramatically improve the way leaders work with colleagues to drive successful change.

Not a bad batch of freebies, eh? This is a great change to gain a business edge and indulge your thirst for knowledge without opening your wallet. I don't know how long Amazon will be offering these gratis, so if you're interested, grab them now.