One trait that all successful entrepreneurs have in common is their ability to learn constantly apart from being able to innovate. Learning is the only way a person can grow and when an entrepreneur learns, not only does the person stand to gain from the knowledge but the business gains tremendously too. Having a solid knowledge of industry standards and new innovations in the field is an essential part of an entrepreneur’s life.
Life can be hectic and it may seem like there is absolutely no time for you to sit down with a book. But remember that you are learning, and reading will open you up to opportunities. While it is important to read industry magazines, journals and the newspaper it is also good to read business books and books by other successful entrepreneurs. Here are 50 books that every entrepreneur should have in their personal library.
MaximumVenture is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This is an affiliate program which means we earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. However, this will not increase the prices you pay for products.
Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss. This is a book that gives great business advice and can help you become a lot more productive. It also features the success mantras of influential people from many walks of life.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. If you haven’t already read Outliers already then it is time to. This book deals with achieving more and can provide the inspiration you are looking for.
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. If you want to know how to focus without any distractions then Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World is the right pick. This book can help you clarify your vision and become more focused on your goals.
The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage by Daymond John. Daymond John’s rag to riches story is one that has inspired many entrepreneurs. In this book, he deals with how to build a successful business on a small budget and using resources efficiently and creatively.
Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity by Charles Duhigg. Smarter Faster Better teaches you how to transform your life with the choices you make and how to revamp your decision-making process.
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek. Start with Why is analyses why some people are more influential and successful when compared to others. It deals with the analysis of leaders who have influenced the world and the common traits they share.
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries. Innovation is everything in the world of business. This book is a great read for all entrepreneurs and deals with rapid idea validation.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson. If its title is not enough to rope you in, then you should start reading the first few pages. This book delivers life advice in a humorous manner while keeping you interested till the very end.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz. This book deals with many of the problems that business leaders face on a daily basis, and how to deal with them. This is great for entrepreneurs who are just starting out or are running their business as a secondary job.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. Habits can bring about huge changes to a person’s life whether they are positive or negative. The author explains why habits exist and how they can be changed to create positive results in our lives.
So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport. Following your passion could turn out to be bad for you? This book deals with how you must develop a skill that is your strength before you can know your passion.
Money Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins. Financial freedom is everyone’s dream. Don’t miss this book as it deals with how our lives can become better through effectively managing our money.
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz. Negotiation is an art that is not easy to master. Written by a former hostage negotiator for the FBI, this is a book that can teach you a lot more than you think.
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters. Innovation is the key to the future. In this book, the author talks about how to become an innovator and how a successful entrepreneur can use their creativity.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. The Tipping Point is basically a point where a small idea becomes a big success. Finding that point is however not easy and in this book, the author includes his rules for creating your own Tipping Point.
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. Business leaders can learn a lot from Navy seals and their methods of leadership. Read this book to develop your leadership skills.
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal. Hooked is another book that deals with habits and can become the inspiration for your new habits. Also, learn how to bring customers back to your business without spending huge amounts of advertising dollars.
Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares. This book teaches entrepreneurs the art of scaling their business quickly and how to focus on the right type of growth.
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. This is a very popular book and is a great read for just about everyone. It helps you make your relationships better whether they are in your professional space or personal life.
The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman. The Personal MBA deals with how getting practical experience can be a lot more useful than getting an expensive MBA. It is a good investment for every budding entrepreneur.
Choose Yourself! Be Happy, Make Millions, Live the Dream by James Altucher. The author James Altucher believes that the only person you can fully believe in is yourself. This is an unconventional look at business and could help you look beyond the tried and tested.
40% Off Bestselling Books at Indigo.ca!
Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin. Seth Godin’s book deals with the way people view the ‘industry standard’ and how to stand out and grab attention from others and the importance of being innovative.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini. This is a book on marketing by Robert Cialdini which was first published in 1984, however, it remains relevant even today. A must-read for all sales and marketing experts.
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki. This is a financial advice book that is very popular. It is a book that people either love or hate and there is no middle ground. Read it to know more about the differences in a rich person’s attitude to money and how it is different from a middle-class person’s monetary view.
What If It Does Work Out?: Turn your passion into cash, make an impact in the world and live the life you were born to by Susie Moore. An interesting book about how you can use your skills to earn money, this is a motivational book and can be a great idea to read before you start something new.
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip and Dan Heath. This book deals with the psychology of business decisions. It enables readers to know their biases and deal with them and help make better decisions.
Startup Opportunities: Know When to Quit Your Day Job by Sean Wise and Brad Feld. Startup Opportunities speaks about the various opportunities that come the way of an entrepreneur and everything a business should do to maximize those opportunities. It deals with validating your business idea and building a strong business.
Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations by William Ury. Negotiations are an important part of every entrepreneur’s life. This book helps you navigate important negotiations and be prepared to deal with various type of personalities.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. The title is interesting and so is the book itself. In Essentialism, the author talks about prioritizing work and knowing where to draw the line when it comes to saying yes to everyone. The basis of the book is to do the right things and not waste time on unproductive or unimportant tasks.
Virtuous Leadership by Alexandre Havard. Being a leader comes easily to some people, yet others work hard to cultivate their leadership skills. Leadership is defined as a virtue in this book and is seen as something that can be developed and grown.
The Secret to Success: When You Want to Succeed as Bad as You Want to Breathe by Eric Thomas. This is a story that everyone will learn from. Eric Thomas talks about his life and the struggles he had to overcome. It also includes ways you can improve your own life and while it is essentially a business book it offers valuable life advice.
The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs by Kevin D. Johnson. To be an entrepreneur, you have to think like an entrepreneur. Learning from successful entrepreneurs and from the mistakes of others can take you places, this book says. It deals with topics such as people, finance, marketing and sales.
The Ten-Day MBA 4th Ed.: A Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering the Skills Taught In America’s Top Business Schools by Steven Silbiger. The Ten-Day MBA 4th Ed is basically a book that teaches you the course material that is taught at America’s top business schools in a condensed way. It can be a good guide even for those who already have an MBA.
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant. Being original is probably not as common as you would think. The book Originals deals with the subject of how the world can be improved with original ideas. It examines many ideas that don’t conform to the usual standards but are novel and unique and how they brought about change.
What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20: A Crash Course on Making Your Place in the World by Tina Seelig. This is a popular book that offers lots of business and life advice without being preachy. It can help you learn from other’s mistakes rather than make your own and help provide inspiration when you need it.
