Freakonomics (2005) is a groundbreaking collaboration between the economist Steven D. Levitt and the author Stephen J. Dubner. It explores the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents, the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, and more. It became a worldwide sensation and won several awards.

The parenting lesson you learn from this book:

Teach your children they should not believe everything they read or hear. They should always question the sources and ask for supporting proof. The media (and humans who have egos to feed) love to sell stories by making them sound sensational or using words or research out of context. This is a lesson that should be learned prior to being allowed to use social media platforms. A more relevant point for the teenage social circles is this: Before your child posts or tweets a story she has heard about her peer, she needs to check the facts or she could be ruining another child's reputation or a friendship without proof. If the truth is revealed, she could be the one whose reputation is ruined!

Seth Godin says that the key to success is to find a way to stand out--to be the purple cow in a field of monochrome Holsteins.

The parenting lesson you learn from this book:

Teach your children than in order to succeed they will have to stand out from the crowd. In order to stand out from the crowd they need to become remarkable people and have an influence on others. Remarkable people are the ones who demand attention and are more likely picked from the human resource pool whether it may be for a career opportunity, a scholarship or a sports team. More opportunities are available to those who are remarkable.

Teach your child to be brave enough to stand out. Children can be mean to those kids who are unique and who are not afraid to stand up for what is right and to stand out from the crowd. Teach your child it is worth it in the long run to build a strong, remarkable character.

John Maxwell sets out 21 Laws Of Leadership. These 'Laws' will help those in leadership as well as those aspiring to it. Whether it be in the boardroom, from the pulpit or in the home, Maxwell will give you the tools to achieve success at the highest level. This book is for you whether you are just beginning your career or seasoned executive.

The parenting lesson you learn from this book:

Teach your children that leadership is not about ego, it is about serving those you lead and teaching those you lead to be leaders. Help your child understand the bigger picture. Teach your children that they are part of a whole. In order to be leaders, they need to understand how to teach others to be leaders and to teach their followers to lead too. They need to understand how to teach others to learn what they have learned. An example I gave my son was that it is not good enough to be the only child who does not litter on the playground. He needs to take the responsibility to teach the other children why they should not be littering on the playground too.

Every working mom needs fast, effective tips on juggling her different roles without losing sight of herself and her personal needs. This title gives you a framework for understanding balance and imbalance, easy ways to create more balance, and practical techniques for achieving balance. Discover your unique way of experiencing stress; learn how to manage stress to maintain balance; build up a supply of good coping mechanisms; learn how to make the most of your time and effort and; apply easy to use, practical ideas for multitasking.

The parenting lesson you learn from this book:

Teach your kids to create a balanced life for themselves. Being the master of one particular area in your life is not going to bring you happiness. Learn to embrace and succeed in all aspects of life such as personal relationships, friendships, family, exercise and work or in your child's case school work. Learn from as early as possible how to make time for each area of your life and to ensure you are and stay a healthy well balanced person.

Poke the Box is a manifesto by bestselling author Seth Godin that just might make you uncomfortable. It's a call to action about the initiative you're taking-– in your job or in your life. Godin knows that one of our scarcest resources is the spark of initiative in most organizations (and most careers)-– the person with the guts to say, "I want to start stuff."

The parenting lesson you learn from this book:

Teach your kids to take the initiative to start something of value. Don't listen to those who say you are not old or big enough. When you see an opportunity or a need, have the guts to say, "I want to start something" and do it. Teach your children that if they see a better, more efficient and sensible way for a routine or a task, they should not be afraid to speak up. Teach your child that is is ok to make mistakes as long as they tried and not to be too scared to try something new.

Ok, so this ones is not strictly a business book but rather a self-help guide that is based on proper research. This book dispels well known myths in the self help industry by disproving them with actual documented research.

The parenting lesson you learn from this book:

As mentioned above in Freakonomics, this book teaches you to teach your children to question the facts and believe those sources supported by actual documented research.

The reason I am including this book in this list even though the above lesson is repeated is for the lesson learned in the first paragraph entitled Happiness. Have you ever taught your child or understood yourself why it is important to be happy? In the first paragraph of the above chapter you will read, "Happiness does not just make you enjoy life more, it actually affects how successful you are in both your personal and professional life". Teach your children that keeping a personal diary helps to develop positive thinking and learning to be grateful and doing small acts of kindness will make you a happier person in the long run as opposed to "retail therapy". You cannot rely on other people or material possessions to be happy. Research shows that the longer lasting happiness derives from helping other people and making a difference.