People who read business books earn more money - a lot more - even in tough economic times. According to Sales & Marketing Executives International, businesspeople who read at least seven business books a year earn 2.3 times more than those who read only one per year.

One reason is they have a constant flow of new ideas and strategies they can use to help their careers, their teams and their companies. Given the uncertainty of layoffs and other challenges as the economy slowly recovers, you should do everything you can to help your team and your company. That is the best way to not only safeguard your career, but also to help it grow.

You can find a stream of new and practical ideas to drive your success from the world's business experts. Many of them have written books offering their proven strategies. One winning idea, and the book is worth its weight in gold. It's a terrific investment.

So many good books - so little time. A study by Bersin & Associates found that while 75 percent of all managers understand the correlation between reading and competitive advantage, they simply don't have the time to read more books.

Regular readers of this column know how often I mention good books I've read. I understand the tug between time constraints and the ongoing need for up-to-the-minute information, and I try to steer readers toward the most useful books I come across.

One resource that I have found extremely helpful is from Sales & Marketing Executives International, which has teamed up with The Business Source to offer the Business Book Summary Program -- concise summaries of books you need to read. Each month, learn the best practices and get powerful insights from leading-edge thinkers, industry experts and renowned business gurus. The summaries take just 15 minutes to read or listen to and you get two summaries monthly, so your total time investment is only 30 minutes a month! You can check the website for more information on this subscription service: members.thebusinesssource.com/SMEI3.htm.

As a lifelong salesman, I've clocked a tremendous amount of drive time. My car becomes a mobile library every time I get behind the wheel. I listen to CDs and podcasts. I feel so strongly about this that I make sure all the books I've written are available in audio. I get a terrific response from fans who appreciate the service.

In the Kindle/Nook age, you don't even have to find a bookstore and hope the books are available. I love the mobility and accessibility of e-readers. I can even read in a dark room (and not disturb my sleeping wife) or on a plane.

Mackay's Moral: Open a book ... open your mind.

Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times best-seller "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive." He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com, by emailing [email protected] or by writing him at MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.