You want to learn about business? Pick up the biographies of successful businesspeople. Even then, beware of survivorship bias.
Note that these successful people will never write a book titled “how to be like me” but instead just write books narrating their stories and allow you to choose what to learn from it.
To add, I think there’s just something about people wanting the easy path that causes them to fall for these grifts.
I hate this adage. I've taught, a lot. At universities, in high school, and to adults. The idea that people who can't do can teach is not remotely true. Most people can't teach effectively. If you can't do something you also probably can't teach.
It's because business skills are mostly learn-by-doing skills. No matter how many books you read about bicycle riding techniques, you're not going to ever be able to do it unless you've actually given it a try and scuffed your knees a bit.
Not all skills are like this, of course - you probably want your doctors and scientists to be people who actually read the textbooks and paid attention to their professors.
(Couldn't resist. My degree, BTW, was in Education and I get pretty steamed too when people denigrate teaching. It was because of amazing teachers I have had that I pursued it for a career — somehow writing software came along though and I got sidetracked.)
I kind of doubt those biographies are very useful. I'm sure they're interesting. Even stuff written for the purpose of helping other become successful has been heavily edited, like How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Many people who teach, especially in this space, are shitty teachers. This doesn't mean teachers are always shit.
The right mentor with the right amount of the right advice will save you weeks/months/years of pain when taking a specific path, by putting you on the right path, connecting you to the right people, and saving you from mistakes that could cost you a lot mentally, financially, temporally.
Feynman taught. He taught because he wanted to understand better.
The difference is that there are clowns who teach to maximise the youtube algo and there are real teachers who do it to actually make a difference or selfishly learn themselves.
Those who can't but try and fail and those who never even try are generally forgotten. That leaves behind just those who are successful at doing and/or teaching as the subject of ... aphorisms.
You want to learn about business? Pick up the biographies of successful businesspeople. Even then, beware of survivorship bias.
Note that these successful people will never write a book titled “how to be like me” but instead just write books narrating their stories and allow you to choose what to learn from it.
To add, I think there’s just something about people wanting the easy path that causes them to fall for these grifts.