While there is certainly a lot to be learned on the Internet when it comes to running a successful blog or starting up a successful business, sometimes you need to turn to more traditional media, like books, to get the best and most useful information. Especially with the economic slump that we all seem to be experiencing right now, it is a very good idea to invest in some good reading that can point your business in the right direction.

1. The Snowball – Warren Buffett is easily one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time. Learning from his “business of life” and how he is able to profit during financial crises.

2. The Orange Code – We’ve all seen their commercials, but how did ING Direct manage to get some much attention (and market share) so quickly? By being a “rebel with a cause.”

3. Click Here to Order – Joel Comm is a trusted authority on the Internet and for good reason. In this book, he describes the stories of some of the Internet’s most successful entrepreneurs.

4. The 4-Hour Workweek – Although technically released in 2007, this book by Tim Ferriss is still an excellent resource for learning how to work smarter, not harder. Can you work just four hours a week?

5. Grown Up Digital – This generation has grown up surrounded by digital media and the world wide web. Learn how this changes society and how you can best run a business in a digital world.

6. Outliers: The Story of Success – Following up on The Tipping Point and Blink, Malcolm Gladwell describes how those who fall outside of the norm have become so successful. What advantages did Bill Gates have that his contemporaries did not?

7. Once You’re Lucky Twice You’re Good – The dot com bubble burst once, but Web 2.0 companies have risen back to the top to make mounds of money. How did they do it? Sarah Lacy tells you in this book.

8. Reality Check – Guy Kawasaki is back with another book, this time discussing different realities and how they affect the way that you run your business. He’s a renowned guru for a reason.

9. Tribes – Seth Godin teaches us not about business, per se, but among the strength of leadership and how you can lead your “tribes” to success.

10. The Shock Doctrine – Naomi Klein educates us on the rise of disaster capitalism, showing us where companies have profited from the woes and disasters that regular folks have suffered. Is this immoral or is it “just business”?