For those of you who’ve started your own business, and have taken up the title of an entrepreneur, you know why Barry Moltz wrote this book. The entrepreneur life is crazy! It revolves around daily heuristic learning, inevitable failures, and welcoming success. In You Need to Be a Little Crazy, the author chronicles the up and down roller coaster ride he experienced with starting three businesses. He lays it all on the table for us and candidly describes the problems he faced and the lessons he learned.

Although you can’t substitute real life experience, which is something he proclaims (read Chapter One’s section ‘Only Experience Teaches You’), Mr.Moltz’s book comes close to letting you ‘feel the pain’ of what entrepreneurs face when taking the plunge into the self-employed world. But the author isn’t the only one sharing advice and experiences; throughout each chapter we get the chance to meet 27 other successful entrepreneurs and their insights. My favorite entrepreneurial quote from the book, which also could be a whole discussion by itself, was from a featured entrepreneur Dean Rutter on making the entrepreneurial plunge:

“One of my big lessons in life is if you are going to fail, fail at something you don’t mind failing at.”

Doesn’t that quote resontate truth?

The author also deserves applause for his chapter on fitting (or at least attempting to) your family in with running your own business. This topic, which seems to be a taboo in the business world, was properly covered in 17 pages. If you’ve ever imagined starting your own business, and want a real life perspective from someone who has succeeded at it, You Need to Be a Little Crazy should be your next read.

Check out Barry Moltz’s site for his blog, articles, and information on speaking engagements.