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The Best Books Recommended by Successful Entrepreneurs
Successful entrepreneurs share their go-to picks for coming out on top.
Published on October 18, 2021
The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything
Stephen M.R. CoveyIn today’s tech-driven world, there are plenty of horror stories of micromanagers tracking every click you make on your computer. But those tactics quickly erode trust and slow work down to a crawl. Stephen M. R. Covey (son of the late Stephen R. Covey, author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”) argues trust is the most important trait to consciously develop in a working relationship. Eric S. Yuan, the CEO of Zoom, told Glassdoor “The SPEED of Trust” is one of his favorite books.
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
His Holiness the Dalai LamaThere are a million and five books (we counted) promising to divulge the secrets to living a happy life, but we trust none of them as much as this one from the Dalai Lama. According to His Holiness, compassion is the key to lasting happiness. This book is “where I learned the true definition of compassion and the difference between compassion and empathy and how important it is to aspire to live compassionately and manage compassionately,” Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, told the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
The Design of Everyday Things
Donald A. NormanEver been confused by a door you thought you were supposed to pull to open, but really, you had to push? The confusion doesn’t come because you’re an idiot. Norman, a renowned thought-leader in the field of user design, claims in this mentality-shifting book that the fault is in the design. Marissa Mayer, the former VP of Google Search Products and User Experience, listed it as her favorite book in a profile with IEEE Spectrum.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah HarariHarari’s history lessons are utterly fascinating, whether you agree with his conclusions or not. His breakdown of human history into three large time periods — The Cognitive Revolution, The Agricultural Revolution, and The Scientific Revolution — feels intuitive and makes his lessons easy to understand and remember. “Sapiens” is a must-read for any member of humankind who’s concerned about our species. It’s a favorite of many entrepreneurs, including Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street
john brooksBoth Bill Gates and Warren Buffett agree this book is a must-read for anyone interested in business. Writing up his favorite books of 2014 on GatesNotes, Gates had this to say about Brooks’ classic: “Shortly after we met, Warren Buffett loaned me this collection of New Yorker business articles from the 1950s and 1960s. I loved them as much as he did. Brooks’s insights about business have aged beautifully, and they are as true today as ever. I still go back to this book from time to time … ‘Business Adventures’ is a neglected classic, and it’s still my favorite business book ever.”
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
Jim CollinsCelebrated business consultant and bestselling author Collins provides some of the best advice on building companies with vision. “Built to Last” provides countless historical examples of successful companies to inspire a new generation of small business owners. Back in 2001, before Amazon had become the Big Tech company it is today, its founder Jeff Bezos ranked “Built to Last” among his three favorite books, according to an interview with Fast Company.
Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace)
Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace)
Chade-Meng TanIn her book “Thrive,” Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of The Huffington Post, named a handful of books she recommends about self-reflection, among them “Search Inside Yourself.” Based on a popular class for Google employees, the book is a great guide to leading a happier, more rewarding life, particularly through mindfulness and meditation.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Jonah BergerEver wondered what makes something go viral on social media — and more importantly, how you can replicate that success? Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School, has all the answers in his bestselling “Contagious.” (It helps explain why so much anti-vax information spreads just as fast as COVID-19.) No idea has gained more traction in recent years than cryptocurrency, so it’s no wonder Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao loves “Contagious,” saying in a post on the company’s blog about his favorite books that “this is a must-read for all product designers and marketers.”
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
Safi BahcallBinance CEO Zhao also, perhaps unsurprisingly, loves “Loonshots,” which encourages you to be an entrepreneur and create your dream job if it doesn’t already exist. In this critically acclaimed book, Bahcall shows how to nurture unconventional ideas to change the world. “The title says it all,” Zhao said on the Binance blog. “After reading this book, you will understand why we tolerate failures at Binance, and more importantly, what types of failures we tolerate or not.”
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind
Al RiesThe technology behind how consumers interact with brands might change, but the principles behind good positioning have mostly stayed the same. Though this book was originally published in 1980, it still contains some of the best marketing and sales advice around. (Its core tenet is that in a crowded marketplace, simplicity is key.) “I think that's something that everyone in sales and marketing can learn from,” Kevin Marasco, the chief marketing officer at Zenefits, told LinkedIn.
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
Matthew WalkerWhat’s the most relaxing way to be more productive? Sleep. Learn how to harness the transformative power of good sleep from the top sleep expert, neuroscientist Walker. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian told CNBC’s Make It that “Why We Sleep” really solidified for him the importance of getting enough z’s each night.
Heavy: An American Memoir
Kiese LaymonLaymon’s memoir made just about every best-of books list when it came out in 2018, and it lives up to the hype. “Heavy” touches on a slew of topics — from obesity to systemic racism to family secrets — that weigh on many contemporary Americans. Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, the vice president of marketing at DoorDash, recommended the book in a LinkedIn article, “What 19 Top Marketers Think You Should Read, Watch and Listen To.” It provides “a profound, unusual, or beautiful lens on people, humanity or culture,” Amoo-Gottfried said.
The Moth
214 podcast episodes
The Moth
214 podcast episodesElizabeth Rutledge, the chief marketing officer of American Express, believes “The Moth” is a must-listen podcast for any marketer. Since the late ’90s, “The Moth” has been encouraging people to get on stage with no script, under a spotlight, and tell a true story from their life. In just a few minutes, you’ll be laughing and crying with a perfect stranger. Rutledge declared it “a celebration of storytelling, such an essential part of the marketer’s craft” on LinkedIn.
How I Built This with Guy Raz
622 podcast episodes
How I Built This with Guy Raz
622 podcast episodesWhy read a book by one top company leader or about one big business concept when you can listen to the podcast “How I Built This”? In each episode, a different entrepreneur explains exactly how they started their successful venture. Deirdre Findlay, chief marketing officer of Condé Nast, said on LinkedIn it’s most helpful to hear about the hardest parts of starting a business from people who went through the gauntlet and came out relatively unscathed.
Pivot
494 podcast episodes
Pivot
494 podcast episodesNamed the Best Business & Finance Podcast in 2021 by the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards, “Pivot” features hot debates between its hosts, Recode’s Kara Swisher and New York University professor Scott Galloway, on the latest news in tech and business. Philosophical and political disagreements haven’t been so cordially contentious and so educational since before tech companies introduced social media to the world. Dara Treseder, the head of global marketing and communications at Peloton, praised Pivot as “a nice combination of business, tech, and culture.”
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
Jocko WillinkGo to leadership boot camp with two former Navy SEALs and become a braver, more decisive mentor than you’ve ever been before. After experiencing the fog of war, these SEALs emerged with a clear view of what makes a leader — and subsequently, their whole team — great. The VP and GM at Clorox, Jackson Jeyanayagam, said on LinkedIn that this book’s a “fantastic” primer on accountability.
How To Win Friends And Influence People
Dale CarnegieThis timeless book — one that came out decades ago but almost always remains on the bestseller list — is packed with ever-relevant advice on building successful relationships, be they business or personal. You’ve probably seen it on just about every business person’s favorites list, with good reason: It’s a simple guide for how to get people to like you and trust you to point them in the right direction. Katie Dill, the head of design at Stripe (and formerly at Lyft and Airbnb), told CNBC’s Make It that absorbing the lessons of “How to Win Friends and Influence People” drastically improved her leadership skills.
Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You
Frances FreiTo be a great leader, you first and foremost need to realize it’s not about you: It’s about unleashing the full potential of your team. “Unleashed” provides a framework centered around presence (where the leader builds trust, encourages love of work, and fosters belonging) and absence (where the leader creates a cohesive strategy and builds a strong culture). Pinterest’s chief marketing officer, Andréa Mallard, said in a LinkedIn article that “This book opened my eyes to the true characteristics of 21st-century leadership.”
Humble Inquiry, Second Edition: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling
Edgar H. ScheinDid you know the way you ask a question is one of the most important skills a leader can have? Learn how to avoid simply telling your team what to do or asking leading questions that breed yes-men with “Humble Inquiry.” Marcel Schwantes, who’s over 50 and the CEO of Leadership from the Core, included “Humble Inquiry” on a list of books he wished he’d read when he was younger for CNBC’s Make It.
Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone
Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone
Satya NadellaFilling the shoes of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer was a tough task, especially when Microsoft was losing its cultural cool and market share in their wake. But Nadella turned the company around as a relatively unknown name; in “Hit Refresh,” he tells his side of this remarkable turnaround story. It’s a business lesson any entrepreneur should note (and comes highly recommended by Mayur Gupta, the chief marketing officer of Gannett).
Return on Integrity: The New Definition of ROI and Why Leaders Need to Know It
John G. BlumbergThe best way to boost your return on investment is through your return on integrity. It’s one thing to have core values — your typical company has those written down somewhere these days. It’s another to fully embody your core values to encourage the utmost integrity at your organization. “When each of us really knows our personal core values, they’ll permeate the organizations we work for by strengthening our decision-making and enhancing openness, collaboration, and trust,” Lynne Doughtie, former CEO of KPMG, told Glassdoor.
Where Are the Customers' Yachts?: Or A Good Hard Look at Wall Street
Fred SchwedFirst published over 80 years ago, “Where Are the Customers’ Yachts?” is still one of the best takedowns of banks and financial institutions around. Become financially savvy with this book recommended by Scott Pape, aka The Barefoot Investor, who founded the Barefoot Money Movement. He dubs this “a great book for anyone who is reviewing their super fund fees.”
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Phil KnightJust as Nike’s swoosh is one of the most recognizable symbols around the world, this memoir from the shoe company’s founder has quickly become one of the most-lauded, must-read business books. A behind-the-scenes look at the journey from humble 1962 startup to global juggernaut, this is a favorite of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, as well as Nick Molnar, the co-founder and CEO of AfterPay.
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Remarkable Story About Living Your Dreams
Robin SharmaMaster the basics of mindfulness with this tale of a lawyer who realizes that his cushy life isn’t making him feel truly fulfilled. Recommended by Melanie Perkins, the co-founder and CEO of Canva, this book is a powerful reminder that there’s more to life than making a lot of money, and that work-life balance doesn’t have to be a myth.
Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption
Bryan StevensonThis bestselling, multi-award-winning memoir by civil rights lawyer Stevenson is an unforgettable account that exposes the imbalance of power between races in America’s justice system. Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, wrote in a LinkedIn article that he “chose Bryan’s book for my Literati Book Club earlier this year [2021] and I was so inspired to hear how it either reinforced or completely shifted so many of the readers views on criminal justice.”
Sources
- 15 Books That Top CEOs Think Everyone Should Read
- 2018, Glassdoor
- Marissa Mayer: Google's Chic Geek
- 2012, IEEE Spectrum
- Bill Gates says this is the ‘best business book I’ve ever read’ — and 5 more business books billionaires highly recommend
- 2021, MarketWatch
- The Complete CZ Reading List
- 2020, Binance Blog
- CGK’s Top Four
- Charles Koch
- Lyft’s VP of design shares the book that’s impacted her career the most: ‘It’s a book that I feel we all need to read’
- 2019, CNBC Make It
- A 50-year-old CEO shares 11 books he wishes he read in his 30s: ‘I’d be even more successful today’
- 2019, CNBC Make It
- The 3 books I’m giving for Christmas this year
- 2018, The Barefoot Investor
- 2 books recommended by Nick Molnar
- Goodbooks