entrepreneurs biographies books

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The 25 Best Business Biographies For Entrepreneurs 2024

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Entrepreneurs and founders must constantly adapt and learn from every possible source, and books are no exception.

This is especially true for business biographies, as they tend to be personally written by the most powerful and game-changing people in the business world.

Below there’s a list of the best 25 business biographies, carefully picked to satisfy everyone’s taste.

25 Best Business Biographies

1) alibaba: the house that jack ma built.

Name of book : Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built

Description of the book : This excellent entrepreneur biography tells the ultimate story about the world-famous Chinese entrepreneur and founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma. 

The author, Duncan Clark, was an early advisor to Jack Ma in early 1999 when Alibaba was founded. You can read everything about Jack Ma, his breakthrough idea, and the impact it made in the e-commerce sector.

Entrepreneurs can also read about the humble beginnings of Alibaba, how Jack overcame his Silicon Valley rivals, and the story of Alibaba’s domination, with 80% of the market share. 

Author : Duncan Clark

Length : 304 pages

‍Notable quote : “Customers first, employees second, and shareholders third.”

2) Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Name of book : Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Description of the book : Onward is an excellent entrepreneur biography that presents the story of the popular coffee brand Starbucks and how they managed to stay on ‘top of their game’ during the 2008 crisis. 

The former CEO Howard Schultz describes his return after 8 years and the methods he implemented afterward. 

The biography offers a deep look at how Howard overcame all odds during the most challenging economic times in history and how Starbucks saved its soul and regained its profitability without sacrificing anything.

Author : Howard Schultz and Joanne Gordon

Length : 350 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Beverages have to be created. And they’re created by looking at what trend is in, say, the fashion industry – what color’s hot right now.”

3) Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Name of book : Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Description of the book : Steve Jobs is a well-presented entrepreneur autobiography regarding one of the most influential founders ever. The book is based on over 40 interviews with Steve Jobs, his family members, and colleagues. 

You can see how Steve Jobs got his ideas and how he rose above the challenges throughout time. Walters shows how Jobs revolutionized multiple industries, including music, animated movies, phones, and tablet computers.

As an entrepreneur, you will undoubtedly find this book quite helpful as it shows Steve's methods and work ethic during his journey and how to maintain your sanity during extreme times.

Author : Walter Isaacson

Length : 627 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “You should never start a company with the goal of getting rich. Your goal should be making something you believe in and making a company that will last.”

4) Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Name of book : Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

Description of the book : Nike’s CEO and founder Phil Knight decided to open up and tell his story behind one of the most iconic brands today, Nike. 

His idea to sell high-quality and cheap-priced shoes imported from Japan was born in 1962. Knight shares all details from his journey, including obstacles he overcame, risks he took, and the sacrifices made for Nike to become what it is today.

You can also read plenty about the first partners and relationships with his employees, proving to us that everything is possible through teamwork and loyalty.

Author : Phil Knight

Length : 400 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Let everyone else call your idea crazy... just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where ‘there’ is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop.”

5) Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Name of book : Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Description of the book : Have you ever wondered how Rockefeller gained his reputation and wealth? Well, award-winning biographer Ron Chernow explored that subject and wrote a book about it, too. 

Titan shows the impressive story behind the most controversial family in the US and their place in history. Chernow tells us a detailed story about John D. Rockefeller, Sr, and his ruthless methods and ethics that made him the world’s first billionaire.

You can clearly see how Rockefeller founded the most powerful and feared monopoly in American history, Standard Oil , all the way to his demise at the behest of President Teddy Roosevelt.

Author : Ron Chernow

Length : 832 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Success comes from keeping the ears open and the mouth closed”

6) Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony

Name of book : Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony

Description of the book : Made in Japan takes you on a journey behind Sony Corporation , from its co-founder, Akio Morita. 

As one of the best entrepreneur biographies, you can take a deep look at Japan’s business techniques and methods and how the Japanese think, which can be priceless information for founders.

The story narrated by the authors is centered on how Sony was built, from its humble beginning after World War II to its meteoric post-war rise as the most influential company for music entertainment, and multimedia.

Author : Akio Morita , Edwin M. Reingold and Mitsuko Shimomura

Length : 352 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Curiosity is the key to creativity.”

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7) The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Name of book : The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Description of the book : The Everything Store is the definitive biography of Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos. Brad Stone narrates the story of Jeff Bezos’s corporate culture and the methods he implemented at Amazon . 

You will read what it took for Jeff to build this company and how he changed how we shop and read... Forever!

Author : Brad Stone

Length : 384 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Some of these investments will pay off, others will not, and we will have learned another valuable lesson in either case.”

8) Sam Walton: Made in America

Name of book : Sam Walton: Made in America

Description of the book : This is considered one of the greatest entrepreneur biographies because it describes the origin story of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club . You will read how Sam founded the biggest retail stores in history and the largest private employer in the world. 

The authors clearly state what it took for Sam to create Walmart and what techniques he used in that process. Also, you will read about all methods regarding the planning and hiring process that attracted many workers. Today, Walmart is the largest corporation in terms of revenue.

Author : Sam Walton and John Huey

Length : 346 pages

‍Notable quote : “Great ideas come from everywhere if you just listen and look for them. You never know who’s going to have a great idea.”

9) Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Name of book : Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Description of the book : Ashlee Vence presents the detailed life of Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX . It gives you a deep look into Musk’s ideas and innovations about the future he envisioned. Everything changed when Elon sold PayPal and shifted his focus on future investments, like clean automobiles and space programs.

Musk’s story is used to explore the question: can inventors still compete in today’s fierce global competition?

Author : Ashlee Vence

Length : 392 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Good ideas are always crazy until they’re not.”

10) The Snowball; Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Name of book : The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Description of the book : The Snowball presents the story of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors in history and the founder of Berkshire Hathaway Holdings.  

Alice Schroeder narrates this well-read CEO biography about the life of Warren Buffett and the idea to create a holding company that owns stocks in multiple famous corporations like Coca-Cola, American Express, and Apple.

As an entrepreneur, you will find important information about Warren’s secrets despite living in privacy for most of his life.

Author : Alice Schroeder

Length : 960 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.”

11) Morgan: American Financier

Name of book : Morgan: American Financier

Description of the book : One of the best business biographies, Morgan gives you a never-before-seen insight about J. Pierpont Morgan, one of the greatest investors in US history. 

In this book, you will read how Morgan reorganized the nation’s railroad and appointed himself as a one-man central bank. The author also guides the reader into Morgan’s life outside his business.

Author : Jean Strouse

Length : 816 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form. The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking.”

12) Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles

Name of book : Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles

Description of the book : Here, There and Everywhere is one of the best business biographies regarding The Beatles chief engineer, the man responsible for their unique sound. 

Geoff Emerick describes his journey from the start of The Beatles in 1962, all the way to their meteoric rise to the top. In the book, you will find out how Geoff pioneered innovative recording techniques and how he achieved the sound of their most famous songs that changed rock music forever.

As an entrepreneur, you can learn that starting at a young age can be the best move you can make - just like Geoff did when he was 15 years old!

Author : Geoff Emerick

‍ ‍Notable quote : “It was down to me—not George Martin, not anyone else—to turn the Beatles’ new vision into a reality.”

13) Bloomberg by Bloomberg

Name of book : Bloomberg by Bloomberg

Description of the book : Bloomberg by Bloomberg is the origin story of Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg L.P. 

Written by Michael himself, this book takes us deep into Bloomberg’s life and his idea of creating his own company after he got fired at the age of 39.

Throughout the book, readers will learn more about his creative mind and the challenges he faced at Wall Street , all the way up to founding the fastest-growing media empire on Earth.

Author : Michael R. Bloomberg

Length : 272 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : If you're going to succeed, you need a vision, one that's affordable, practical, and fills a customer need. Then, go for it.”

14) Carnegie

Name of book : Carnegie

Description of the book : Carnegie takes us on a journey into the life of Andrew Carnegie, one of the major figures in American history. 

Peter Krass describes the origin story of the titan who made his fortune through the steel industry and how he used the wealth upon his retirement.

The readers can take a look at how Andrew influenced the world’s political stage and the way he founded the largest and the most profitable steel industry on the planet. As a founder, you will learn how Andrew became one of the biggest philanthropists in the world, despite his notorious reputation.

Author : Peter Krass

Length : 612 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “The poor enjoy what the rich could not before afford. What were the luxuries have become the necessities of life. The laborer has now more comforts than the landlord had a few generations ago.”

15) Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company

Name of book : Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company

Description of the book : Every manager must understand that eventually everything changes. This is the critical point in Only the Paranoid Survive by former Intel CEO Andrew Grove. 

The charismatic innovator narrates his story in Intel and how he helped the company to remain the largest chip producer. Readers will discover the strategic inflection points or SIPs Andrew faced in his career and how he beat the Japanese competition.

Only the Paranoid Survive can be the ultimate lesson about leadership skills, which you can benefit almost instantly.

Author : Andrew S. Grove

Length : 224 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Only the Paranoid Survive.”

16) iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Name of book : iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Description of the book : Take a deep look into the creation of Apple and the first personal computer, brought to you by the charismatic Steve Wozniak. 

In iWoz , you will read about the early starts for Wozniak and the idea behind Apple . Narrated by Steve himself, he presents details about his personal life like never before and describes his groundbreaking idea to combine the first real personal computer named Apple I . 

Authors : Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith

Length : 313 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “The world needs inventors--great ones. You can be one. If you love what you do and are willing to do what it really takes, it's within your reach. And it'll be worth every minute you spend alone at night, thinking and thinking about what it is you want to design or build. It'll be worth it, I promise.”

17) My Life and Work: Autobiography of Henry Ford

Name of book : My Life and Work; Autobiography of Henry Ford

Description of the book : Published in 1922, this entrepreneur autobiography gives you the slightest details regarding Ford’s beginnings, the strategies he used to revolutionize the automotive industry, and how he got into the business.

Henry Ford guides the reader through his history and his own business philosophy used to create Ford Motor Company. 

Author : Henry Ford

Length : 204 pages

‍Notable quote : “There is no disgrace in honest failure; there is disgrace in fearing to fail

18) Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Name of book : Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Description of the book : This is the detailed story about Cornelius Vanderbilt, the forefather of modern American business. 

Readers will find out how Cornelius built his fortune and his vision to turn New York into the financial capital we see today. This book sheds light on Cornelius’s private life from previously unreleased articles.

Author : Edward J. Renehan Jr.

Length : 364 pages

‍Notable quote : “Never tell anyone what you are going to do till you have done it.”

19) Jack: Straight from the Gut

Name of book : Jack: Straight from the Gut

Description of the book : Many readers would agree that this book is one of the best business biographies. The authors will introduce you to the life of former General Electrics Chairman and CEO Jack Welch. 

You will find out how Jack managed to run one of the biggest corporations of our time in a robust economic era in the US.

Authors : Jack Welch , John A. Byrne , and Mike Barnicle

Length : 496 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : "There is no straight line to anyone's vision or dream."

20) Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Name of book : Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Description of the book : Written directly by former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, this entrepreneur biography contains detailed information and tips on how to manage your company. 

Entrepreneurs and founders will read about Tony’s early start and learn the creativity he used to run Zappos to the top of its industry.

Author : Tony Hsieh

Length : 246 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “I had decided to stop chasing the money, and start chasing the passion.”

21) Iacocca: An Autobiography

Name of book : Iacocca: An Autobiography

Description of the book : Let’s dive into the automotive world once again. Lee Iacocca, the former legendary President at Ford and Chairman at Chrysler, is the man behind this book . 

In this entrepreneur biography, Lee guides the reader from his humble beginnings and working at Ford and how he saved Chrysler Corporation from bankruptcy during the 1980s. 

Lee presents his vision and how he came up with the idea to create the Mustang , one of Ford’s famous models.

Authors : Lee Iacocca and William Novak

Length : 357 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Get all the education you can then go out and do something - do anything.”

22) American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company

Name of book : American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company

Description of the book : American Icon gives us a magnificent story about Ford Motors and its turnaround of the leadership from its CEO Alan Mulally. 

The book explains how Alan managed to save the company in the 2008 crisis, upon rejection of financial help from the government. 

Alan implemented the methods he used in Boeing , reorganized Ford’s management, and turned the corporation into the largest automotive producer during those difficult times.

Entrepreneurs can read this book and see what plans Alan used to prevent Ford’s collapse.

Author : Bryce G. Hoffman

Length : 432 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “You have to expect the unexpected, and you have to deal with it.”

23) The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Rev olution

Name of book : The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution

Description of the book : The Man Who Solved the Market is a best-selling book about mathematician Jim Simons and his pioneering algorithm-driven approach to investing. 

The book follows Simons’s path to success, starting with his early years, education at MIT and work at IBM, and finally, his late-life acclaim as the founder of Renaissance Technologies. 

The is a great entrepreneur biography for those wanting to learn more about finances, teamwork, and professional collaboration.

Author : Gregory Zuckerman

Length : 359 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Any time you hear financial experts talking about how the market went up because of such and such—remember it’s all nonsense.”

24) The Animated Man: A Life Of Walt Disney

Name of the book : The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney

Description of the book : Michael Barrier is the man behind one of the best business biographies, the origin story of Walt Disney. In this book, readers will discover important details from Walt’s life and how he got the idea to make cartoons.

Michael recorded countless interviews with Disney’s partner and friends to write this book.

You will see what challenges Walt overcame and how he battled out of the disaster that occurred in 1941.

Author : Michael Barrier

Length : 393 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : "I am not a literary person. As far as realism is concerned, you can find dirt anyplace you look for it. I'm one of those optimists. There's always a rainbow. The great masses like happy endings. If you can pull a tear out of them, they'll remember your picture.”

25) I’d Like the World to Buy a Coke: The Life and Leadership of Roberto Goizueta

Name of the book : I’d Like the World to Buy a Coke: The Life and Leadership of Roberto Goizueta

Description of the book : I’d Like the World to Buy a Coke takes us on a journey in the life of Roberto Goizueta, one of the longest-serving and highest-paid CEOs in history. 

The book explains Roberto’s arrival from Cuba in the 1960s and his rise while working in Coca-Cola. You will find out how Roberto reorganized Coca-Cola, the leader in the soft-drink industry, and his marketing strategies that made Coke the most popular beverage on Earth. 

Author : David Greising

Length : 334 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Not to take risks is the biggest risk.”

What Business Biographies Did We Miss?

So there you have it!

25 of the best entrepreneur biographies out there that can undoubtedly give you some sort of inspiration as you prepare yourself for the next ‘big’ step. 

All of these biographies are written with the purpose of helping entrepreneurs, as many of them come from groundbreaking founders and investors that reshaped the business world. 

Just like always, if we missed any biography that deserves a spot on our pretty list , don’t forget to send us an email - we’re more than happy to update our list with more and more entrepreneur biographies.

Questions About Business Biographies

What are business biography books.

Business biography books tell the behind-the-scenes stories of the greatest minds in the business industry, including Walt Disney, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos.

What Are The Best Business Biographies?

The best business biographies are Alibaba, by Duncan Clark, Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson, and Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight.

What Are The Best CEO Biographies?

CEO biographies are a segment of business biographies, which share the stories of the CEOs of the biggest companies. Only the Paranoid Survive, by Andrew Grove, Jack, by Jack Welch, and Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh, are the best CEO biographies.

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The 10 Best Entrepreneur Biographies of Millionaires

Want to read the best entrepreneur biographies?

Two years ago, I wasn’t really a book reader. I should have been though. The stories of successful entrepreneurs are always worth hearing about. Especially if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur looking to become a success in the business world.

There are only so many short videos you can watch in order to learn more about them. And there comes a point where nothing beats a book written on their stories.

Table of Contents

The 10 Best Entrepreneur Biographies

These books are filled with knowledge and the complete story behind their success in becoming truly great entrepreneurs.

I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t yet read all of these entrepreneur biographies,  but have heard nothing but great reviews on the ones I haven’t picked up and read just yet.

Many of the entrepreneurs in this list are successful billionaires, not just millionaires. But I thought I’d categorize the title as millionaires anyway.

These are the 10 best entrepreneur biographies of successful millionaires:

1. Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Steve Jobs truly revolutionized the electronics industry. The new IPhone 7 and Apple Watch have just been released, and it’s amazing to see just how far Apple’s technology has come.

The Steve Jobs Biography, one of the best entrepreneur biographies;  was written after the author had conducted over 3 years of interviews with Jobs as well as member of his family, his colleagues and even competitors.

A must read biography for anyone interested in Steve Jobs and his innovative mind that helped him to break barriers in the technology industry.

2. Thrive: The Third Metric to Success (Arianna Huffington)

Thrive is a book I’ve mentioned a couple of times on Wealthy Gorilla. You’re probably getting sick of me talking about it. It’s all about the story of Arianna Huffington , who is the founder of The Huffington Post, and her journey to success.

The reason why this book is such an important one to read, is because it touches on an essential issue to do with success. The fact that success is more than just money and power.

There’s a third metric to success which mainly involves our well-being. Instead of completely exhausting ourselves from working so hard, simply for more money and more power.

Arianna’s reason for writing the book came about from passing out one night due to over exhaustion, whilst still at her desk. She ended up breaking her cheekbone on the corner of her desk, and hence realized that this was not a healthy way to live.

3. Losing My Virginity (Richard Branson)

Richard Branson has become an incredibly successful billionaire, after taking the Virgin brand on a crazy roller coaster, from record stores to airlines.

Branson is the master of branding, and this book is the ultimate read in order to learn more about him and what he has achieved.

‘Losing My Virginity’ is an excellent biography that explains in great detail about how Sir Richard is committed to building not an empire, but simply a better world through many of the different Virgin brands such as Virgin Fuels, Virgin Unite & Virgin Health Bank .

All are dedicated to making the world a better and more sustainable place for others.

As well as this, you can find out how Branson became such a success and which mistakes he learned from along the way. A truly inspiring and motivating story for every entrepreneur.

4. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Lif e

Warren Buffett is one of the richest men in the world, and known as an incredible investor and businessman.

Buffett started out in the business world at a very young age, and was in fact only 11 years old when he bought his first stock. He’s come a long way since then and has achieved a lot within his life time.

Although, this book, arguably one of the best entrepreneur biographies, goes into more detail than just his achievements in the exciting world of business, but more about the man himself.

His opinions, his work, struggles, achievements and wisdom are all revealed in ‘The Snowball’. If you’re looking to find out more about Warren Buffet than just his achievements, have a read of this biography.

5. Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

Bill Gates is now once again the richest man in the world , and it’s all because of his genius creation, Microsoft. But not many people actually know the whole story behind Bill Gates and how he built up Microsoft to the success it is today.

This Biography covers it all and is a great read if you want to learn more about Gates’ story and his amazing success that took him to the position of wealthiest man in the world.

6. The Facebook Effect: The Real Inside Story of Mark Zuckerberg and the World’s Fastest Growing Company

You’ve probably already watched the film ‘The Social Network’, but how about reading the book that gives you the real inside story of what Mark Zuckerberg is truly about and how he built Facebook, the world’s fastest growing company.

Zuckerberg was only 19 years old when himself and a couple of friends created Facebook in their Harvard dorm room.

The book goes into a lot more detail than a film ever could do. And it explains the personal lives of the Facebook founders whilst they were working together in order to build the social network.

This is definitely a book to read in order to completely build your knowledge of just how Mark Zuckerberg and the other co-founders of Facebook made it such a success.

7. Riding the Storm ( Duncan Bannatyne )

Duncan Bannatyne is a Scottish entrepreneur who is famous for his businesses and interest in the health club, hotel and spa industries. A few years ago life was great for Bannatyne. He had a great business empire, a lot of money and a happy marriage.

Recently, all this changed and Duncan had to cope with the stress and difficulties of divorce, as well as a fairly large recession to his proud business empire.

This biography of the successful millionaire covers his incredible journey from having a peaceful happy life, to being setback by divorce and business recession. To then how he overcame these setbacks, and managed to adapt and get himself back on track.

This book is definitely up there with the best entrepreneur autobiographies.

8. Start Something that Matters (Blake Mycoskie)

This is an incredibly important book to read as it’s not just about developing a high revenue business that is all about profit and nothing else.

Blake Mycoskie is an entrepreneur who created the shoe brand TOMs. TOMs are a canvas type unisex shoe. For every pair that sold, another pair would be given to a child in need.

TOMs have become incredibly popular and Blake has managed to build a profitable business that also helps children in need for every pair sold.

This isn’t an easy thing to achieve, since normally you’d expect a small amount from the sale to go to a charity. However, in this case it’s a pair for a pair and every sale means another child doesn’t have to walk around bare foot.

This inspiration all came about from when Blake was travelling in Africa and came across many children unable to afford shoes.

He’s on a mission to prove that you can build a profitable business whilst helping others around you. It’s all explained with his book “Start Something that Matters”.

9. Reallionaire (Farrah Gray)

Farrah Gray became a millionaire by the time he was 14 years old, and has since been named as one of the most influential black men in America, by the National Urban League. Impressive right?

The book ‘Reallionaire’ talks about the nine steps to becoming rich from the inside out. And how they all applied to Farrah and his success in becoming a millionaire at such a young age.

This book is incredibly inspiring and has received amazing reviews from people, saying that they couldn’t put the book down and that they were reading it for the 3rd time.

Farrah may not be as well known as some of the other entrepreneurs on this list, but his story is incredible and this book is definitely worth the read.

10. The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Jeff Bezos is another billionaire on this list that I’ve generically labelled ‘Successful Millionaires’. He started out incredibly small with Amazon.com, and began only selling books.

It wasn’t until around a year in that he managed to get his first sale. Which shows just how much dedication Bezos put in before he even got any results from the website.

Amazon has gone from operating in one small room, only selling books; to now having large warehouses, being known as ‘the everything store’ and owning several other companies.

This book goes through it all: Jeff’s story to making Amazon the success it is today, and how he was never content with just selling books.

Image Source: Trackur.com

Hope you enjoyed this list for the 10 best entrepreneur biographies of successful millionaires. Here’s a quick recap on the list:

• Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography
• Thrive: The Third Metric to Success By Arianna Huffington
• Losing My Virginity By Richard Branson
• The Snowball: Warren Buffett & The Business of Life
• Hard Drive: Bill Gates & The Making of Microsoft
• The Facebook Effect: The Real Inside Story of Mark Zuckerberg
• Riding The Storm By Duncan Bannatyne
• Start Something That Matters By Blake Mycoskie
• Reallionaire By Farrah Gray
• The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos & The Age of Amazon

From personal reading experience, and other reviews I’ve read on the internet, these are concluded to be some of the best entrepreneur autobiographies and biographies ever published.

Be sure to share them with anyone who loves business, reading or both!

Do you have any entrepreneur biographies to add to the list? Leave a comment below.

The 10 Biggest Banks in the World

The 10 Most Evil People in History

Dan Western is a British journalist with a decade's worth of experience in researching financial information of the world's most influential people.

Dec 8, 2014 at 10:20 am

Really enjoyed reading the paragraphs you have added to each entrepreneur. I am starting my own business in the janitorial field. I am trying to land government contracts. We will see how it goes. I have 30 years experience in the industry/leadership. It’s time to stake my claim in this prosperous country.

Dan Western

Dec 8, 2014 at 8:43 pm

Thanks Aaron, I wish you the best of luck! Good on you!

Aug 22, 2017 at 4:43 pm

Aug 22, 2017 at 4:44 pm

I mean pls add jack maa’s biography too

May 8, 2018 at 3:13 am

Great inspirations for young entrepreneurs.

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The 10 Best Short Moral Stories With Valuable Lessons

Stories that have morals and messages behind them are always powerful. In fact, it’s crazy just how powerful a 200 word story can be.

Our last article of short stories became so popular, that we decided to create another list, in which every story has a simple moral behind it.

The 10 Best Short Moral Stories

Some of these stories are very short and basic. In fact some are so basic they’re most likely featured in children’s books somewhere. However, the strength of the message remains the same.

Here’s some more of the best short moral stories:

1. An Old Man Lived in the Village

An old man lived in the village. He was one of the most unfortunate people in the world. The whole village was tired of him; he was always gloomy, he constantly complained and was always in a bad mood.

The longer he lived, the more bile he was becoming and the more poisonous were his words. People avoided him, because his misfortune became contagious. It was even unnatural and insulting to be happy next to him.

He created the feeling of unhappiness in others.

But one day, when he turned eighty years old , an incredible thing happened. Instantly everyone started hearing the rumour:

“An Old Man is happy today, he doesn’t complain about anything, smiles, and even his face is freshened up.”

The whole village gathered together. The old man was asked:

Villager: What happened to you?

“Nothing special. Eighty years I’ve been chasing happiness, and it was useless. And then I decided to live without happiness and just enjoy life. That’s why I’m happy now.” – An Old Man

Moral of the story:

Don’t chase happiness. Enjoy your life.

2. The Wise Man

People have been coming to the wise man, complaining about the same problems every time. One day he told them a joke and everyone roared in laughter.

After a couple of minutes, he told them the same joke and only a few of them smiled.

When he told the same joke for the third time no one laughed anymore.

The wise man smiled and said:

“You can’t laugh at the same joke over and over. So why are you always crying about the same problem?”  

Worrying won’t solve your problems, it’ll just waste your time and energy.

3. The Foolish Donkey

A salt seller used to carry the salt bag on his donkey to the market every day.

On the way they had to cross a stream. One day the donkey suddenly tumbled down the stream and the salt bag also fell into the water. The salt dissolved in the water and hence the bag became very light to carry. The donkey was happy.

Then the donkey started to play the same trick every day.

The salt seller came to understand the trick and decided to teach a lesson to it. The next day he loaded a cotton bag on the donkey.

Again it played the same trick hoping that the cotton bag would be still become lighter.

But the dampened cotton became very heavy to carry and the donkey suffered. It learnt a lesson. It didn’t play the trick anymore after that day, and the seller was happy.

Luck won’t favor always.

4. Having A Best Friend

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand;

“Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone;

“Today my best friend saved my life.”

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him;

“After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”

The other friend replied;

“When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”  

Moral of the story: 

Don’t value the things you have in your life. But value who you have in your life.

5. The Four Smart Students

One night four college students were out partying late night and didn’t study for the test which was scheduled for the next day. In the morning, they thought of a plan.

They made themselves look dirty with grease and dirt.

Then they went to the Dean and said they had gone out to a wedding last night and on their way back the tire of their car burst and they had to push the car all the way back. So they were in no condition to take the test.

The Dean thought for a minute and said they can have the re-test after 3 days. They thanked him and said they will be ready by that time.

On the third day, they appeared before the Dean. The Dean said that as this was a Special Condition Test, all four were required to sit in separate classrooms for the test. They all agreed as they had prepared well in the last 3 days.

The Test consisted of only 2 questions with the total of 100 Points:

1) Your Name? __________ (1 Points)

2) Which tire burst? __________ (99 Points) Options – (a) Front Left (b) Front Right (c) Back Left (d) Back Right

Take responsibility or you will learn your lesson.

6. The Greedy Lion

It was an incredibly hot day, and a lion was feeling very hungry.

He came out of his den and searched here and there. He could find only a small hare. He caught the hare with some hesitation. “This hare can’t fill my stomach” thought the lion.

As the lion was about to kill the hare, a deer ran that way. The lion became greedy. He thought;

“Instead of eating this small hare, let me eat the big deer.”

He let the hare go and went behind the deer. But the deer had vanished into the forest. The lion now felt sorry for letting the hare off.

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

7. Two Friends & The Bear

Vijay and Raju were friends. On a holiday they went walking into a forest, enjoying the beauty of nature. Suddenly they saw a bear coming at them. They became frightened.

Raju, who knew all about climbing trees, ran up to a tree and climbed up quickly. He didn’t think of Vijay. Vijay had no idea how to climb the tree.

Vijay thought for a second. He’d heard animals don’t prefer dead bodies, so he fell to the ground and held his breath. The bear sniffed him and thought he was dead. So, it went on its way.

Raju asked Vijay;

“What did the bear whisper into your ears?”

Vijay replied, “The bear asked me to keep away from friends like you”  …and went on his way.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

8. The Struggles of Our Life

Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it.

She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.

Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter.

The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners.

He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.

Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?”

“Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied.

“Look closer”  he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft.

He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.

The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

“Which one are you?” he asked his daughter.

“When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is how you choose to react to it and what you make out of it. Life is all about leaning, adopting and converting all the struggles that we experience into something positive.

9. The Fox & The Grapes

One afternoon a fox was walking through the forest and spotted a bunch of grapes hanging from over a lofty branch.

“Just the thing to quench my thirst,” he thought.

Taking a few steps back, the fox jumped and just missed the hanging grapes. Again the fox took a few paces back and tried to reach them but still failed.

Finally, giving up, the fox turned up his nose and said, “They’re probably sour anyway,” and proceeded to walk away.

Moral of the story:  

It’s easy to despise what you can’t have.

10. The Lion & The Poor Slave

A slave, ill-treated by his master, runs away to the forest. There he comes across a lion in pain because of a thorn in his paw. The slave bravely goes forward and removes the thorn gently.

The lion without hurting him goes away.

Some days later, the slave’s master comes hunting to the forest and catches many animals and cages them. The slave is spotted by the masters’ men who catch him and bring him to the cruel master.

The master asks for the slave to be thrown into the lion’s cage.

The slave is awaiting his death in the cage when he realizes that it is the same lion that he had helped. The slave rescued the lion and all other caged animals.

One should help others in need, we get the rewards of our helpful acts in return.

Here’s a quick recap on the 10 best short moral stories:

• An old man lived in the village
• The wise man
• The foolish donkey
• Having a best friend
• The four smart students
• The greedy lion
• The two friends & the bear
• The struggles of our life
• The fox & the grapes
• The lion & the poor slave

If you haven’t seen our original article, with slightly more detailed inspirational short stories , check it out!

Do you have any other favorite short moral stories? Leave a comment below.

The 10 best motivational speakers in the world.

Who are the best motivational speakers of all time?

Motivational speakers have had an enormous impact on my life, and millions of others, no matter what their personal situation in life may be.

Their words are so powerful and inspirational, you just have to listen to their stuff on a daily basis. So it brings me to this post.

I’ve been enjoying a lot of motivational videos recently, have been creating my own, and have ended up listening to a lot of wonderful speeches.

Top 10 Best Motivational Speakers

But who are the best motivational speakers in the world?

Here’s my list of the top 10 motivational speakers in the world.

These are the people you need to be following, listening to and watching on YouTube. They have transformed many people’s lives including mine.

10. Nick Vujicic

Nick Vujicic was born on December 4th 1982 in Melbourne, Australia. Vujicic was born with Tetra-Amelia syndrome, a very rare disorder whereby someone is born with an absence of all four limbs.

This no doubt ably, made things incredibly tough for Nick growing up, as he struggled both mentally and physically.

It led to him founding his very own non-profit organization called ‘Life Without Limbs’ . Nick Vujicic is a true inspiration to us all, and if you’ve watched some of his motivational speeches on YouTube, you’ll realize just how much he’s been able to adapt to a life without limbs.

Many people with this disorder might not be willing to work hard in order to truly push their abilities.

He can type 43 words a minute on a computer. That’s right, you heard me correctly. This is a guy who has an absence of all four limbs, but can type 43 words per minute on a computer.

I encourage you to watch some of his videos on YouTube, and see exactly what I’m talking about.

“It’s a lie to think you’re not good enough. It’s a lie to think you’re not worth anything.” – nick Vujicic

9. Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy was born on January 5th 1944 in Vancouver, Canada, and is the CEO of Brian Tracy International , a company that specifically sets out to help individuals and organizations develop, train and grow.

Brian’s ultimate goal is to help other people achieve their goals more efficiently and be able to achieve their full potential.

That definitely sets the foundation for being one of the best motivational speakers in the world.

His lifetime achievements are phenomenal, consulting huge numbers of businesses, hosting huge numbers of seminars and conducting  years and years of research in Business, Economics, Psychology and Philosophy.

There’s no more to say other than the title given on his website: Professional Speaker, Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Success Expert. Check out some of the best Brian Tracy quotes .

“No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals.” – Brian Tracy

8. Robin Sharma

Robin Sharma was born in 1964 in Nepal, and straight out of the Dalhousie University School of Law, became a professional lawyer. But he went much further in his career than being a fully qualified and successful lawyer.

Sharma has written a total of 15 published books, from 1995 – 2011, on the subjects of self-help and leadership. One of his most popular books written; ‘The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari’ , has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

The book is all about a character called Julian, who decides to sell his home and Ferrari to go on a spiritual journey, after being the victim to a sudden heart attack.

Some may say that Robin Sharma’s more of a motivational author rather than speaker, but he deserves to be on this list. He’s written 12 global best sellers, and is an expert author in the world of leadership and self development.

“Dreamers are mocked as impractical. The truth is they are the most practical, as their innovations lead to progress and a better way of life for all of us.” –  Robin S. Sharma

7. Wayne Dyer

Dr. Wayne Dyer was born on May 10th 1940 in Detroit, and spent the majority of his childhood in an orphanage.

Dyer was in the U.S Navy after graduating high school, from 1958 to 1962. He then received his degree in counselling, a profession that he chose to work in for a while before taking it one step further.

Dyer left his teaching job and started pursuing a career in motivational speaking, holding various lectures across the states and becoming an incredibly popular author.

The first book that Dyer ever wrote has now had over 35 million copies sold and he’s proceeded to continue with his lecture tours, release various audio tapes and publish a regular stream of books .

“Passion is a feeling that tells you: this is the right thing to do. Nothing can stand in my way. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. This feeling is so good that it cannot be ignored. I’m going to follow my bliss and act upon this glorious sensation of joy.” –  Wayne Dyer

6. Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar was born on November 6th, 1926 in Alabama, and passed away on November 28th in 2012.

Ziglar has 11 siblings, and at the age of five years old, his father died of a stroke, and his sister passed away two days later. Zig actually served in the army from 1935 – 1946 during World War II.

Ziglar met his wife Jean when he was just 17 years old, and after the war began to work as a salesman for many different companies, eventually becoming the vice president for the Automotive Performance company .

He started taking part in motivational seminars, and also wrote his first book in 1975 titled: ‘See You at the Top’ . This was the first of at least 15 books he’d written during the period of 1975 and 2012.

A lot of wisdom has come from Zig Ziglar over the years and he is definitely one of the best motivational speakers in the world.

“You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.” – Zig Ziglar

5. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30th 1947, in Austria. We all know him as the world famous professional bodybuilding champion, and there’s a very inspirational story behind Arnie’s bodybuilding success.

Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian army at the age of 18 years old for 1 year, which at the time was compulsory for all 18-year-old males.

During this time, he would still manage to fit in his workouts between all the training and drills, whilst most people were resting. He snuck out of the camp to compete in the Junior Mr. Europe contest , which he ended up winning.

Arnold’s discipline towards his training was incredible, and the fact that he was willing to disobey the rules of the army and sneak out of the camp to compete in the contest, just goes to show how badly he wanted it.

Nowadays, he’s an inspiration to many bodybuilders and a great source of motivation for anyone wanting to be successful.

“For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

4. Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn was born September 17th, 1930 in Yakima, Washington, and passed away on December 5th, 2009. He was a very successful entrepreneur, at one time being a Vice President of a very successful sales company, Nutri-Bio.

However, after the company eventually went out of business, he was invited to speak at a meeting of one of his clubs.

After this meeting, he was invited to speak at many other events and began making a name for himself. Rohn was a wise businessman and managed to impart much of this wisdom to others.

He’s definitely earned the right to be on this list of the best motivational speakers in the world.

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn

3. Les Brown

Les Brown was born on February 17th, 1945 in Miami, Florida. He was adopted by Mamie Brown, and whilst in grade school, was declared “educably mentally retarded” .

Despite this and the emotional issues, it brought upon him; he was encouraged by others to continue to learn and be the best he could be. Leading him to unlock his full potential.

Les is another motivational speaker who is incredibly popular among the motivational video compilations that others create. Because his speeches are so deep and meaningful that they really get through to people.

His top-selling books: ‘It’s Not over until You Win!’  and ‘Live Your Dreams’ are truly inspirational and well worth the read.

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up.” – Les Brown

2. Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins was born on February 29th, 1960 in Los Angeles. His life at home when he was young was described by him as abusive and chaotic. It was because of this that he left home at the age of 17.

Originally when starting out in the world of motivational speaking, Robbins was promoting seminars for Jim Rohn. He later decided to begin his own journey by hosting his own seminars.

Tony has affected and changed so many people’s lives in a positive way through his seminars, motivational speeches, inspirational quotes and best-selling books.

Search for him on YouTube and several videos will pop up showing him change someone’s life.

The favorites of mine that I’ve watched, are where he cures a young man’s stutter in 7 minutes and saves another guy’s marriage in 8.

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” – Tony Robbins

1. Eric Thomas

Eric Thomas, born and raised in Detroit, was homeless at the age of 16 years old. But Eric decided that he wanted to make a better life for himself, to become someone with a life he could be proud of.

E.T did just that, and you can now check out powerful advice from Eric Thomas on YouTube. Including his “Thank God It’s Monday” series.

He also managed to get the education he missed out on whilst he was homeless and pushed himself further to achieve all the qualifications he dreamed of being able to achieve.

Eric Thomas has become one of the best motivational speakers in the world. His YouTube videos are legendary and his best-selling books have taken in millions of dollars in revenue.

E.T’s speeches are so popular, that you’ll find he’s featured in roughly 90% of the motivational videos that others create and upload to YouTube, using compilations of clips, speeches, and music.

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” – Eric Thomas

I hope you enjoyed this list of the top 10 best motivational speakers in the world. Many of these speakers are featured within some of the videos we included in our new list of ultimate gym motivation . Take a look and see what you think.

Here’s a quick recap on the list of the best motivational speakers in the world::

• Eric Thomas
• Tony Robbins
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Dr. Wayne Dyer
• Robin Sharma
• Brian Tracy
• Nick Vujicic

Who’s your favorite of the 10 best motivational speakers? Do you still agree with the current order of this list? Leave a comment below.

The 10 Most Inspirational Short Stories I’ve Heard

Short Inspirational stories are powerful reads;

The great thing about them is that they’re so easy to digest, and there’s always a moral at the end of the story.

Whether they’re true stories or not is another thing, as many of them are legends supposedly hundreds of years old.

However, the stories that I’m talking about are so powerful and inspirational that many of them really do get you thinking and even leave you speechless at times.

The 10 Best Inspirational Short Stories

I’ve been reading plenty of these short stories in the past couple of weeks and found the lessons behind them truly wonderful. So I’ve decided to write out this article highlighting the 10 most inspirational short stories I’ve heard.

Next to the subheadings, in brackets, I’ve put what the story’s lesson is all about, with a short description of the moral of the story at the end of each section.

10. The Elephant Rope (Belief)

A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains.

All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.

As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all.

Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.

The trainer replied;

“when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.

No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the belief that what you want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become successful is the most important step in actually achieving it.

9. Thinking Out of the Box (Creative Thinking)

In a small Italian town, hundreds of years ago, a small business owner owed a large sum of money to a loan-shark. The loan-shark was a very old, unattractive looking guy that just so happened to fancy the business owner’s daughter.

He decided to offer the businessman a deal that would completely wipe out the debt he owed him. However, the catch was that we would only wipe out the debt if he could marry the businessman’s daughter.

Needless to say, this proposal was met with a look of disgust.

The loan-shark said that he would place two pebbles into a bag, one white and one black.

The daughter would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble. If it was black, the debt would be wiped, but the loan-shark would then marry her. If it was white, the debt would also be wiped, but the daughter wouldn’t have to marry the loan-shark.

Standing on a pebble-strewn path in the businessman’s garden, the loan-shark bent over and picked up two pebbles.

Whilst he was picking them up, the daughter noticed that he’d picked up two black pebbles and placed them both into the bag.

He then asked the daughter to reach into the bag and pick one.

The daughter naturally had three choices as to what she could have done:

• Refuse to pick a pebble from the bag.
• Take both pebbles out of the bag and expose the loan-shark for cheating.
• Pick a pebble from the bag fully well knowing it was black and sacrifice herself for her father’s freedom.

She drew out a pebble from the bag, and before looking at it ‘accidentally’ dropped it into the midst of the other pebbles. She said to the loan-shark;

“Oh, how clumsy of me. Never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

The pebble left in the bag is obviously black, and seeing as the loan-shark didn’t want to be exposed, he had to play along as if the pebble the daughter dropped was white, and clear her father’s debt.

It’s always possible to overcome a tough situation throughout of the box thinking, and not give in to the only options you think you have to pick from.

8. The Group of Frogs (Encouragement)

As a group of frogs was traveling through the woods, two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around the pit and saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that there was no hope left for them.

However, the two frogs decided to ignore what the others were saying and they proceeded to try and jump out of the pit . 

Despite their efforts, the group of frogs at the top of the pit were still saying that they should just give up. That they would never make it out.

Eventually, one of the frogs took heed to what the others were saying and he gave up, falling down to his death. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.

He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?”

The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

People’s words can have a big effect on other’s lives. Think about what you say before it comes out of your mouth. It might just be the difference between life and death.

7. A Pound of Butter (Honesty)

There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to a baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting the right amount, which he wasn’t. Angry about this, he took the farmer to court.

The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure to weight the butter. The farmer replied, “Honor, I am primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a scale.”

The judge asked, “Then how do you weigh the butter?”

The farmer replied;

“Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.”

In life, you get what you give. Don’t try and cheat others.

6. The Obstacle In Our Path (Opportunity)

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

A peasant then came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

Every obstacle we come across in life gives us an opportunity to improve our circumstances , and whilst the lazy complain, the others are creating opportunities through their kind hearts, generosity, and willingness to get things done.

5. The Butterfly (Struggles)

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Until it suddenly stopped making any progress and looked like it was stuck.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, although it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man didn’t think anything of it and sat there waiting for the wings to enlarge to support the butterfly. But that didn’t happen. The butterfly spent the rest of its life unable to fly, crawling around with tiny wings and a swollen body.

Despite the kind heart of the man , he didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle needed by the butterfly to get itself through the small opening; were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. To prepare itself for flying once it was out of the cocoon.

Our struggles in life develop our strengths . Without struggles, we never grow and never get stronger, so it’s important for us to tackle challenges on our own, and not be relying on help from others.

4. Control Your Temper (Anger)

There once was a little boy who had a very bad temper. His father decided to hand him a bag of nails and said that every time the boy lost his temper, he had to hammer a nail into the fence.

On the first day, the boy hammered 37 nails into that fence.

The boy gradually began to control his temper over the next few weeks, and the number of nails he was hammering into the fence slowly decreased.

He discovered it was easier to control his temper than to hammer those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father the news and the father suggested that the boy should now pull out a nail every day he kept his temper under control.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

“you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

Control your anger, and don’t say things to people in the heat of the moment, that you may later regret . Some things in life, you are unable to take back.

3. The Blind Girl (Change)

There was a blind girl who hated herself purely for the fact she was blind. The only person she didn’t hate was her loving boyfriend, as he was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry him.

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her – now she could see everything , including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, “now that you can see the world, will you marry me?”

The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying:

“Just take care of my eyes dear.”

When our circumstances change, so does our mind. Some people may not be able to see the way things were before, and might not be able to appreciate them . There are many things to take away from this story, not just one.

This is one of the inspirational short stories that left me speechless.

2. Puppies for Sale (Understanding)

A shop owner placed a sign above his door that said: “Puppies For Sale.”

Signs like this always have a way of attracting young children, and to no surprise, a boy saw the sign and approached the owner; 

“How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.  

The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”

The little boy pulled out some change from his pocket. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?”

The shop owner smiled and whistled. Out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his shop followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur.

One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”

The shop owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn’t have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame.

The little boy became excited. “That is the puppy that I want to buy.”

The shop owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said;

“I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for.”

The shop owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”

To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the shop owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!”

1. Box Full of Kisses (Love)

Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”

The man became embarrassed by his overreaction earlier, but his rage continue when he saw that the box was empty. He yelled at her; “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside?”

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried;

“Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you, Daddy.”

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child.

Her father kept the gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

Love is the most precious gift in the world.

Summary of the 10 Best Inspirational Stories

Here’s a quick summary of the 10 best short inspirational stories:

• Box Full of Kisses (Love)
• Puppies for Sale (Understanding)
• The Blind Girl (Change)
• Control Your Temper (Anger)
• The Butterfly (Struggles)
• The Obstacle in Our Path (Opportunity)
• A Pound of Butter (Honesty)
• The Group of Frogs (Encouragement)
• Thinking Out of the Box (Creative Thinking)
• The Elephant Rope (Belief)

Thanks for reading these inspirational short stories. Some of them left me speechless for a minute or two, and it really does make us think.

If you know of any other inspirational short stories that you think should be featured on the list, then let me know in the comments below or drop me an email and I’ll feature them in part two later on in the year.

Which are your favorite inspirational short stories? Leave a comment below.

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Best Entrepreneur Biography Books (Learn from Legends)

In the relentless pursuit of entrepreneurial excellence, the wisdom of those who’ve tread similar paths is invaluable. The biographies of successful entrepreneurs not only provide a blueprint of the highs and lows of business but also serve as a source of inspiration and education. The following curated list of biographies is more than just stories; they are lessons in resilience, innovation, leadership, and strategy from some of the most successful entrepreneurs in history.

Here are the 14 best entrepreneur biography books:

Steve jobs by walter isaacson (2011).

This biography offers an exhaustive journey through the life of Steve Jobs, from his early days in Silicon Valley to his return to Apple and the development of groundbreaking products. It’s based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years.

Isaacson’s narrative is a masterclass in biographical writing , weaving in themes of creativity, innovation, and personal struggle. Aspiring writers can learn from the way the author balances the darker aspects of Jobs’s personality with his genius, crafting a complex, engaging portrait.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight (2016)

Phil Knight shares the inside story of building Nike from a startup to one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands, starting with just $50 borrowed from his father.

Knight’s candid and witty narrative captures the essence of entrepreneurial spirit. Writers can draw from Knight’s honest and vivid storytelling approach, particularly how he addresses failure and success.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder (2008)

This biography details the life and philosophy of Warren Buffett, offering insights into how his mind works and why he made the investment decisions that made him the “Oracle of Omaha.”

Schroeder’s comprehensive research and access to Buffett himself provides a template for writers on the importance of detail and access in biographical writing. The book’s analytical depth can inspire writers to delve deeply into their subject’s psyche.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance (2015)

The book chronicles the life of Elon Musk, one of the most unusual and impactful entrepreneurs of our time, covering his upbringing, ventures, and vision for the future.

Vance’s biography is notable for its balanced portrayal and narrative pace. Writers can learn from how Vance deals with a living, controversial figure, presenting a nuanced view that includes both criticism and praise.

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone (2013)

This book offers an expansive look at the life of Jeff Bezos and the rise of Amazon, detailing its evolution from a book store to a everything store.

Stone’s investigative narrative is an excellent example of how to construct a compelling business story . Writers should note the meticulous research and the way Stone brings complex business concepts to life.

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow (1998)

Chernow’s biography details the complex life of America’s first billionaire, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., from his early life to his role in shaping the U.S. economy.

This biography is a lesson in scale and detail. Writers can learn from Chernow’s ability to humanize a historical figure while providing a comprehensive view of their life and times.

The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership by Richard Branson (2014)

This book is less a traditional biography and more a series of lessons from Richard Branson’s personal and professional life, offering insights into his unique leadership style.

Branson’s book is a model for how personal anecdotes can effectively convey business principles. Writers can draw from his conversational and engaging style.

Made in America by Sam Walton (1992)

Sam Walton shares his thoughts and experiences on building Walmart, one of the most powerful retailers in the world, from a single store in Arkansas.

Walton’s autobiography is written with a straightforward, no-nonsense tone that reflects his business style. Writers can learn from the authenticity and clarity in his narrative.

Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s by Ray Kroc (1977)

This autobiography tells the story of Ray Kroc, who turned McDonald’s into the biggest fast-food chain in the world, reflecting on his journey and the principles that led to his success.

Kroc’s book is notable for its engaging storytelling and personal voice. Writers can take note of how effectively he shares business insights through personal stories.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz (2014)

This book offers essential advice on building and running a startup based on the author’s own experiences and lessons learned from various other entrepreneurial ventures.

Horowitz’s candid and often humorous approach can inspire writers to tackle difficult subjects with honesty and a bit of humor.

Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz (2011)

Howard Schultz recounts the story of Starbucks’ decline and resurgence, detailing the decisions and leadership strategies that revived the company.

Schultz’s narrative is a primer on how to write about business strategy and leadership in a way that is both informative and deeply personal.

Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way by Richard Branson (1998)

This autobiography chronicles Richard Branson’s journey in creating the Virgin brand, filled with his adventures and business escapades.

Branson’s flamboyant narrative style and adventurous spirit can inspire writers to inject their own personality and flair into their work.

Bloomberg by Bloomberg by Michael Bloomberg (1997)

Michael Bloomberg shares his journey of creating Bloomberg L.P., detailing his business principles and the challenges he faced.

Bloomberg’s book is a lesson in writing with authority and conviction, two qualities that can greatly enhance a business biography.

Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft by Paul Allen (2011)

This memoir reflects on Paul Allen’s journey with Microsoft and his broader impact on technology, sharing insights into his partnership with Bill Gates and his own ventures.

Allen’s introspective and thoughtful narrative style provides a model for writing reflective and engaging business stories.

Are you ready to write your own book?

These biographies illustrate the power of storytelling in business and the profound impact it can have. Let them be your guide and inspiration as you write and self-publish a business biography yourself.

Or let them inspire to share YOUR story.

Your journey in business is unique, and sharing it can inspire others and solidify your legacy. Rather than writing a business biography about another person’s life and business, you may want to write a business memoir about your own journey (we explain the differences between a biography and a memoir here)

The world is eager to learn from your experiences, your challenges, and your victories. Don’t deprive them of the lessons you’ve learned – preserve them in a book of your own.

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Best Business Biographies for Startup Founders to Read in 2024

| Written by

No matter what startup path you’re walking, there’s a very good chance that someone has forged it, or at least something similar, and succeeded. So who better to learn from than those who’ve already climbed the mountain and conquered it?

Business biographies are fast becoming the go-to content for startup founders and small business owners who want to learn from the best. We’ve sourced the 10 best business biographies for entrepreneurs to read in 2024. Ready to be inspired?

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Best Business Biographies for Entrepreneurs

1. ‘alibaba: the house that jack ma built’ by duncan clark.

After Amazon, Jack Ma’s Alibaba is probably the most famous success story in ecommerce history. In the biography “Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built ” Duncan Clark tells Ma’s story of humble beginnings as an English teacher which culminated in his creation of a company that forever changed the global economy. 

This biography will be particularly beneficial to startup founders in countries where government policy can often be a stumbling point to success. Ma’s home country of China was not always his ally in building Alibaba into a company that currently holds 80% market share, but this unlikely titan of business managed to outwit competitors from all over the world to achieve unimaginable success.

2. ‘Creativity, Inc.’ by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

Any startup founder in a creative space will find the biography of Ed Catmull, founder of animation giant, Pixar, riveting. “Creativity, Inc. ” is written by Catmull with the help of Amy Wallace and details how Catmull brought his college dream of creating the world’s first computer-animated movie to fruition with the release of the smash hit, Toy Story in 1995. Of course, this was simply the first of many successes for Catmull and Pixar, and his unlikely journey from startup to entertainment glory is a must-read for anyone on a similar path. Catmull also now heads up Disney Animation. Additionally, the book provides a few excellent leadership insights, especially where managing creatives is concerned. 

3. ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight

Although this business biography is based around the journey of the creator of sports brand Nike, it holds insights and valuable lessons for all startups and businesses. “Shoe Dog” is written by Phil Knight, the founder of the world-famous brand, and as far as business biographies go, this one, which is also a New York Times bestseller, carves out a new space for the genre. 

Knight walks readers through Nike’s journey from an intrepid startup to an iconic household name. If you’re a startup founder struggling with funding, you’ll definitely want to find out how Knight built Nike with an initial funding of $50 from his dad.

4. ‘Losing My Virginity’ by Richard Branson

Richard Branson’s biography “Losing My Virginity” charts his journey from a young entrepreneur with a dream to create businesses that would make a positive difference in the world, to becoming one of the most well-known and revered business leaders in the world. Branson’s businesses also cross numerous spaces and industries, which just goes to show that strong insights are translatable no matter the subject. 

For startup founders, it can often feel that creating a successful business and having a well-balanced personal life are two completely irreconcilable goals, and this is perhaps one of the most important insights this business biography offers with Branson providing tips on how he learned to manage this aspect as he built Virgin.

5. ‘The Man Who Solved The Market’ by Gregory Zuckerman

Startup founders in the finance or fintech space will find Jim Simons’ story of creating an algorithm-driven approach to investing which would go on to achieve unheard-of market returns, invaluable. The business biography, “The Man Who Solved The Market,” written by Gregory Zuckerman, details Simons’ early years as a mathematician with a dream. 

Simons would go on to found his company, Renaissance Technologies, and change the face of investments forever. Despite the very specific subject matter, the book also holds some valuable general insights into teamwork and collaboration for startup founders in any sector.

6. ‘How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big’ by Scott Adams

Now, Dilbert (yes, the comic book series), is, of course, not technically a company or business, but this list would be incomplete without this contribution from Scott Adams. Adams, the creator of the highly successful comic strip, penned “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big” in which he explains how he managed to take some of his biggest failures and turn them into successes. The book also presents a very interesting management idea called the Dilbert Principle which purports that businesses will systematically shift poorly performing team members to management, as this is the area in which they can do the least damage. If you’re a startup founder building a team from the ground up, you’ll definitely want to consider whether the Dilbert Principle might apply to your team. 

7. ‘Sam Walton: Made In America’ by Sam Walton

“ Sam Walton: Made In America” is a business biography that will undoubtedly inspire any startup founder in the retail space. In the book, Sam Walton, the founder of the retail giant, Walmart, shares his rags-to-riches tale of taking his dream from a single dime store to a massive international chain. Perhaps one of the most unique elements of the book is Walton’s insights on how to pair your own personal values with your business journey and keep a hold on your identity throughout. Walton also shares leadership insights around recognizing and fostering great thinkers within your team. Despite being set in the retail space, Walton’s insights are valuable for entrepreneurs in any industry, especially if they find themselves struggling to maintain their personal values while doing business. 

8. ‘Believe It’ by Jamie Kern Lima

Female startup founders will be motivated and engaged by the business biography of Jamie Kern Lima, who went from serving tables for tips to owning a billion-dollar cosmetic startup. “Believe It ” has been called part biography, part manifesto, and perfectly plots out how some defining moments in Lima’s life contributed to her success despite those events seeming like stumbling blocks when they first occurred. 

The book’s subtitle, “How to Go From Underestimated to Unstoppable,” perfectly sums up the type of motivational read startup founders can expect from this business biography.

9. ‘The Widow Clicquot’ by Tilar Mazzeo

The business biography about one of the world’s most iconic food and beverage brands is a historical tale, but it proves the old adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same, and its insights are just as relevant to modern startup founders. 

“The Widow Clicquot” is certainly a story of female empowerment in the startup space with writer Tillar Mazzeo relating how Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin managed to take control of her late husband’s business and turn it into an empire. All this while living at a time in history when women were not seen as business leaders. This is another biography that will be appreciated by female startup owners who are pushing to smash through those glass ceilings. 

10. ‘Elon Musk’ by Ashlee Vance

This business biography, written by Ashlee Vance, is about such an accomplished entrepreneur that it covers three of the most well-known brands in the world. “Elon Musk,” a book about the businessman of the same name, will inspire and motivate any startup founder who feels their idea is crazy. 

Musk, after all, was told this on several occasions by many different people, from his beginnings in South Africa to his journey through Silicon Valley, but when suddenly, his ideas started to take shape and change the world, those people would eat their words. The book also provides a sneak peek into what we can expect from Musk’s future plans for SpaceX and why he believes that company may just be his biggest yet.

The TRUiC Team

TRUiC’s team of researchers, writers, and editors dedicate hours to ensure startupsavant.com’s articles are actionable and accessible for both startup founders and startup enthusiasts. From launching a startup to growing your venture, you can trust that our information is an up-to-date and reliable source.

Further Reading

• How to Start a Startup in 10 Steps (2024 Guide) August 29, 2024
• What Is a Startup? July 2, 2024
• 80 Best Startup Ideas to Make Money in 2024 September 10, 2024

Topics to Explore

• Startup Ideas
• Startup Basics
• Startup Leadership
• Startup Marketing
• Startup Funding

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Top 10 Entrepreneur Biographies You Should Read

Sarika Anand

Books are a wonderful source of inspiration, a condensed collection of years' worth of knowledge, a dependable companion, an escape into fantasy, and a manual for taking action. Books are no exception when it comes to the constant need for entrepreneurs and founders to adapt and learn from all available sources.

This is particularly true with business biographies, which are frequently authored by the most influential and ground-breaking figures in the industry.

Experience is the best teacher for people. Otto von Bismarck once said, "I prefer to learn from the experience of others." Reading the biographies of individuals whom you admire is a great method to do the same.

The top 10 business biographies are listed here, carefully chosen to suit all tastes.

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life Sam Walton: Made In America Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

• Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Author: Walter Isaacson Goodreads Rating: 4.16

An entrepreneur's autobiography about one of the most significant founders ever, Steve Jobs, is portrayed beautifully in this biography by Walter Issacson . Over 40 interviews with Steve Jobs , his family, and coworkers served as the basis for this biography. You understand through his journey where he received his ideas from and exactly how he overcame difficulties throughout the years. Walters demonstrates how Jobs transformed several sectors, including music, animated films, smartphones, and tablet computers.

In the twenty-first century, he saw that fusing creativity with technology was the perfect approach to generating value. He established a business that combines incredible technological marvels with imaginative breakthroughs.

Although Jobs worked with the author, he requested no say over what was published. Nothing was off bounds, he said. He urged everyone he knew to be open-minded. He was open and honest about the individuals he collaborated with and faced. The emotions, obsessions, foulness, creativity, perfectionism, and drive for dominance that defined his business style and the inventive goods that came as a result are candidly described by his friends, competitors, and coworkers. His story is both educational and warning, and it contains many valuable lessons about creativity, morality, leadership, and principles.

• Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Author: Ashlee Vance Goodreads Rating: 4.21

Elon Musk, the businessman and developer behind Tesla, SolarCity, and SpaceX, sold PayPal, one of his online businesses, for $1.5 billion. From his turbulent beginnings in South Africa and escape to the United States to his stunning technical inventions and economic endeavours, Ashlee Vance portrays the complete grandeur and trajectory of the genius's career and life. One of the most important issues of our day is explored by Vance using Musk's story: Can the country of innovators and creators that dominated modern society for a century continue to thrive in the face of intense international competition?

He contends that Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, and Howard Hughes, constitute Musk, who he compares to all of them. Musk has devoted more of his time and resources than any other businessman alive today to envision a tomorrow that is as expansive as the innovators of the Great Era of Science-Fiction and Fantasy.

• Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built

Author: Duncan Clark Goodreads Rating: 3.86

Duncan Clark, who was given unimaginable access to a wealth of new information and exclusive personal interviews, brings on his first-hand knowledge of key players crucial to Alibaba's rise to craft a credible, persuasive descriptive account of how Alibaba and its charismatic founder have changed the way that Chinese practise their newly found financial stability, encouraging businessmen all over the world and turning the tables on the Silicon Valley giants.

Jack Ma, a man who came from impoverished circumstances and began his career as an English teacher, developed and grew Alibaba into the second-largest Internet firm in the world in just ten years. The firm was valued more than Facebook or Coca-Cola after its $25 billion IPO in 2014, which was the highest ever. Hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers rely on Alibaba's eCommerce operations every day, and it also employs and pays millions of individuals.

Duncan covers important issues about the company's history, development, and prospects. How did Jack Ma create Alibaba from such humble beginnings? What accounts for his unwavering motivation and cunning advantage over his rivals? How long can the business expect to hold its position of dominance with over 80% of China's eCommerce market? Are Alibaba's goals constrained, or will the Chinese government take action to restrain them, as the business sets its eyes on the financial and media industries of the nation? And how will Alibaba expand its influence and operations in the US and other international markets as it opens offices in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and LA?

Clark situates Alibaba's story within the broader narrative of China's economic boom—the growth of corporate companies and the advancement of web usage has propelled the nation to become the second-largest economy in the world and home to the largest Internet population, which is double the size of the US. He also looks at the social and political backdrop to these significant shifts. Clark is a seasoned insider with unmatched contacts who has a profound knowledge of Chinese business philosophy. As never before, he sheds light on an improbable business giant and analyses the crucial role his company played in changing China while also strengthening its position and influence globally.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

Author: phil knight goodreads rating: 4.47.

For the first time, Nike CEO and founder, Phil Knight, tells the inner tale of the firm's beginnings as an adventurous startup and how Nike developed to become one of the most recognisable, game-changing, and lucrative companies in the world in this honest and engaging biography.

After graduating from business school in 1962, Phil Knight loaned $50 from his father and started a company with the straightforward goal of importing high-end, reasonably priced sports shoes from Japan. Knight made $8,000 his first year by selling the shoes out of the backseat of his lime green Plymouth Valiant. Nike now has yearly sales of almost $30 billion. In the startup era, the swoosh (Nike's logo) has developed into a groundbreaking, global icon, being one of the most pervasive and well-known symbols in existence right now.

But Knight, the person responsible for the swoosh, has always been away from the public's eyes. Here, for the very first time, he shares his narrative, starting with his crossroads experience, in a book that is open, honest, brave, and humorous. After travelling the world on a rucksack at the age of 24, he made the unorthodox choice to launch his own company, one that would be lively and distinctive.

Alongside his early successes, Knight describes the numerous risks and intimidating failures that came his way to realise his objective. Above everything else, he remembers the early connections and very first partnerships and workers, a motley crew of outcasts and explorers who grew to be a close-knit family. Collectively, they developed a company that transformed it all by utilising the tremendous force of a common objective and a strong faith in the divinity of sports.

• The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Author: Brad Stone Goodreads Rating: 4.14

Historically, Amazon.com began by sending books to customers by mail. But Jeff Bezos, the company's imaginative creator, wasn't happy to only sell books. He envisioned Amazon as the one-stop shop with an unrestricted assortment, alluring accessibility, and game-changing cheap costs. To do this, he created a business culture of unyielding determination and confidentiality that has never been broken. Brad Stone with the help of both current and past Amazon workers as well as members of the Bezos family, provides readers with their first, extensive, bystander vision of how everything worked in the journey of Amazon.

Bezos is a private person in contrast to other top pioneers in technology like Jobs, Gates, and Zuckerberg. He distinguishes out, though, for his relentless search for new markets that have seen him steer Amazon into high-risk projects like the Kindle and cloud computing while also revolutionising shopping in the same way Henry Ford did with manufacturing. The Everything Store is a riveting, comprehensive account of the business that made one of the initial and most significant stands on the world wide web and fundamentally altered how we browse and purchase.

• The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Author: Alice Schroeder Goodreads Rating: 4.13

The definitive biography of Warren Buffett, amongst the most admired individuals in the world, is available here. The renowned Omaha investor has never published a book, but he gave one writer, Alice Schroeder , an unparalleled opportunity to interview him and others who were most important to him about his career, beliefs, problems, victories, mistakes, and insights. As a consequence, the person known as "The Oracle of Omaha" has a comprehensive and emotionally engaging biography.

Buffett has never revealed his entire life narrative, even though the mainstream media follows him regularly. Warren Buffett is full of contradictions. He set out to demonstrate that a good person can come in first. He promoted honesty as an investor, CEO, board member, writer, and speaker over the years, treating his investors as partners and serving as their stewards. From the humble Omaha headquarters of his firm Berkshire Hathaway , he simultaneously rose to the position of the richest man in the world. Nothing about this is "basic".

When Alice Schroeder first met Warren Buffett, she was a skilled writer with a good eye for detail and financial acumen. She also worked as an analyst for the financial industry. He was impressed by her financial articles, and as she got to know him, she discovered that while much had been published about his investment approach, no one had gone further to examine his bigger ideology, which is intertwined with a complicated persona and the specifics of his experience. This led to his deciding to work with her on the autobiography he wouldn't ever pen down.

Buffett, before this publication, never spent endless hours conversing with a writer, answering questions, allowing them to complete visibility to his family, children, friends, acquaintances, and business partners, unlocking his archives, and remembering his early years. It was a brave thing to do, as The Snowball makes very evident. Being a mortal, his journey has had both pluses and minuses, as most journeys do. Buffett's principles and beliefs that have improved people's lives will be remembered instead of his position on the wealth scoreboard, even though his fortune is still remarkable. This story depicts why Warren Buffett is today's most remarkable example of American business success.

Sam Walton: Made In America

Author: sam walton, john huey (contributor) goodreads rating: 4.11.

Here is a remarkable success tale of a man whose empire was established by hard work rather than deception.

In Sam Walton's own words, this is "a tale of risk-taking, work and effort, and business; of understanding where you wish to go and getting prepared to do whatever it requires to achieve that goal. It's also a tale about adhering to your principles and trusting in your ideas even when others might not."

It tells the tale of how Sam Walton transformed Walmart, the biggest retailer in the world, from a single discount store in a struggling textile town. He never lacked the common touch while reigning as the unquestioned merchant monarch of the late 20th century. Here, Walton shares his remarkable tale in his unique terms. Genuinely modest yet always confident in his goals and successes, Walton expresses his ideas in a straightforward, plain manner.

Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Author: howard schultz, joanne gordon goodreads rating: 3.85.

Starbucks' president and chairman, Howard Schultz (now interim CEO), decided to resume his role as CEO in 2008, 8 years after he had backed away from the regular management of the business and taken on the role of chairman. Schultz was committed to assisting Starbucks in getting back on track, reestablishing its essential principles, and regaining its economic health since he believed the company had wandered off course.

In Onward, he and fellow writer, Joanne Gordon, tells the incredible story of Howard's comeback and the company's sustainable change under his management, demonstrating how Starbucks once more successfully achieved sustainability and profitability without losing compassion amid one of the most turbulent economic periods in history.

The book zooms in to reveal, in engrossing detail, how one firm battled and remade itself in the midst of everything. providing readers with a glimpse of a period of history that left no organisation unaffected. The fast-moving story gives readers an insight into Schultz's mind as he learns to accept his limits and his changing management style while being pushed by the pressure that arises on a daily basis as disputes. The fascinating, honest tale Onward charts the development of both a business and a businessman.

Schultz's core leadership principle, Onward, is that success is not just about winning, but also about winning the right way. In the end, he gives readers what he works so hard to convey every day: a sense of optimism that, no matter how difficult things become, the future may still be just as successful as the past, or perhaps more successful, depending on how success is defined.

That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea

Author: marc randolph goodreads rating: 4.21.

The amazing unseen tale of how Netflix evolved from a vision to a business is recounted in the style of Phil Knight's Shoe Dog, and it is all narrated by co-founder and former CEO, Marc Randolph.

Brick-and-mortar video storefronts previously reigned supreme. Late fines were commonplace, video streaming was unknown, and the mass acceptance of DVDs appeared to be about as far off as flying automobiles. In fact, when Marc Randolph had an idea in 1997, these were the generally recognised rules of the nation. It was a straightforward idea—using the internet to rent movies—but it was one of several, much worse recommendations that Randolph would make to Reed Hastings on their daily journey to work, including those for customised baseball bats and a shampoo delivery company.

But Hastings was fascinated, so the two created a business, with Hastings serving as the main financier and Randolph as the CEO. Netflix's success now that it has more than 150 million users seems predestined, yet the most revolutionary start-up of the twenty-first century started with very few supporters and disaster at every step. Marc Randolph's impactful journey illustrates how anyone who possesses toughness, sound intuitions, and persistence can transform the world, even with a suggestion that many folks assume will never function. From having to persuade his own mom to become an investor to the guest house conference hall that functioned as the initial office, to server crashes on launch day, to the now-legendary meeting when Netflix proposed Blockbuster Inc. to acquire them.

But more than simply the insider account of one of the most recognisable corporations in the world is revealed. It offers solutions to a number of our most essential inquiries about taking chances in the company or in life. It is chock-full of counterintuitive topics and written in writing that makes you want to binge. Where do you start? How do you handle failures and dissatisfaction? What is your approach to success? What is success, exactly?

That Will Never Work is not just the quintessential follow-your-dreams tale but also one of the greatest illuminating business tales of modern times, covering topics like idea development, team building, and understanding when to let go.

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Author: robert iger goodreads rating: 4.42.

In this book, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Robert Iger, discusses the principles and concepts that have helped him redevelop one of the most adored companies around the world and motivate those who work there, with the help of fellow writer Joel Lovell.

Amid a challenging period, Robert Iger was appointed CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005. The company's morale had declined, the market was more fierce, and technologies were evolving more quickly than they ever had. Iger says, "I realised there was nothing to be achieved from fighting over the old days." "The future was all that mattered, and I thought I knew exactly where Disney needed to go," he said.

Three concepts stood up clearly:

• Produce the best content Disney is capable of.
• Instead of resisting innovation, welcome it and employ it
• Think larger, think globally, and strengthen the brand recognition of Disney in other countries.

Twelve years later, Disney is the biggest and most reputable media business in the world, with 21st Century Fox, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm among its brands. Iger is regarded as one of the most creative and successful CEOs of his time, and the company is now worth about five times what it was when he joined it.

Many entrepreneurs believe that reading and understanding the stories of the people they look up to has helped them in their journey to success. The above list includes some of the best business biographies of top entrepreneurs, which are sure to help you learn different mantras for your success.

What are business biographies?

Business biographies refer to the portrayal of the stories of entrepreneurs as well as the formation and growth of powerful corporations.

Which are the best business biographies to read?

The best business biographies of top entrepreneurs are:

Is there a biography of Elon Musk?

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance is a popular biography of Elon Musk, published in 2015. Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century by Tim Higgins is another biography of Elon Musk.

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The 32 Best Books For Entrepreneurs

Explore our list of the top 32 books every entrepreneur should read. Gain insights and inspiration to fuel your entrepreneurial journey.

Fuel your entrepreneurial fire and transform your life with these must-read books from visionary business leaders and successful innovators. Packed with actionable insights, these page-turners reveal the secrets to igniting your passion, becoming an industry trailblazer, and building a thriving small business.

Ready to dive in? Support your local bookstore by ordering online for delivery or curbside pickup. If local options are limited, explore IndieBound or Bookshop , an online platform dedicated to empowering independent booksellers.

32 must-read entrepreneur books

• The Power of Broke
• Behold the Dreamers
• The Virgin Way
• Ogilvy on Advertising
• How to Win Friends and Influence People
• The Art of the Start
• Start With Why
• Rich Dad Poor Dad
• Zero to One
• Year of Yes
• Beating the Odds
• Female Innovators at Work
• In the Company of Women
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
• The Last Black Unicorn
• David and Goliath
• The 4-Hour Workweek
• All Marketers Are Liars
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things
• Trust Me, I’m Lying
• The Lean Startup
• The Startup Owner’s Manual
• The Tipping Point
• Good to Great
• Getting to Yes
• The Power of Visual Storytelling

1. The Power of Broke

Author: Daymond John

Daymond John is an influential voice for founders who don’t have a ton of money to get their small business started . In his bestselling The Power of Broke , he discusses how being broke and on a tight budget can motivate you to achieve great things—as long as you’re hungry for success.

Key takeaways: 

• Financial constraints can fuel creativity because they force entrepreneurs to think outside the box.
• Instead of seeing a lack of resources as a setback, view it as a motivator to leverage what you do have.
• Hard work and perseverance can often outperform a hefty budget in the early stages of a business.

Goodreads rating: 3.9 out of 5 ⭐

2. Behold the Dreamers

Author: Imbolo Mbue

Behold the Dreamers inspires with its timeless plea for courage. Set during the 2008 financial crisis, this New York Times bestselling novel is told through the eyes of a young Cameroonian woman and shines a light on the immigrant experience with wit and compassion. 

The story feels more relevant than ever, as equality movements redefine what it means to be an immigrant living in the United States.

• Success often requires the ability to adapt to new environments and circumstances.
• The pursuit of the American dream, despite the odds, underscores the importance of persistence and resilience in achieving personal and professional goals.
• The juxtaposition of two vastly different families offers insights into the value of empathy and understanding in navigating social and economic disparities.

3. The Virgin Way

Author: Richard Branson

Richard Branson was just 16 years old when he dropped out of school and started working for himself. Nearly 50 years later, his Virgin Group is an international brand. This is the playbook for leadership , showing how family, fun, passion, and listening are key to creating a successful, worldwide team of employees.

Key takeaways:

• Passion and a positive attitude can drive innovation and attract people to your cause.
• Trusting your team and delegating effectively can lead to greater innovation and efficiency.
• Viewing failures as opportunities to learn and grow is vital for personal and business development.

Goodreads rating: 4.9 out of 5 ⭐

Read more: 7 Best Business Leadership Podcasts for Entrepreneurs

4. Steve Jobs

Author: Walter Isaacson

Anyone involved in business has heard at least a few stories about Apple founder Steve Jobs. 

Walter Isaacson’s riveting biography of the Silicon Valley icon will inspire you to build and create products that people want, to test the boundaries of innovation, and to become an entrepreneurial success with a business plan to change the world.

• Jobs’s focus on the smallest details in product design and user experience can inspire a commitment to excellence.
• A strong vision can transform industries.
• Building a career around passion is the key to success and happiness. 

Goodreads rating: 4.1 out of 5 ⭐

5. Ogilvy on Advertising

Author: David Ogilvy

Ogilvy on Advertising is a classic book for entrepreneurs written by David Ogilvy, a co-founder of Ogilvy & Mather who's also known as the original Mad Man. 

• Create advertisements that encourage immediate action, such as clicking a link, signing up for a newsletter, or purchasing a product.
• Understand what motivates your customers and tailor your messages to these valuable insights.
• Spend time crafting powerful headlines that grab attention. 

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6. How to Win Friends and Influence People

Author: Dale Carnegie

Since 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 15 million copies. This timeless Dale Carnegie bestseller is packed with actionable advice that has carried hundreds of thousands of successful people through their business and personal lives. It can teach you some new people skills and how to achieve maximum potential in a noisy and competitive age.

• Take genuine interest in others, remember their names, and listen actively. 
• People enjoy talking about their own experiences and interests. Encourage this in your interactions, as it strengthens connections and provides insights into their needs.
• Instead of directly contradicting someone, begin by agreeing on common ground and lead the conversation from there. 

Goodreads rating: 4.2 out of 5 ⭐

7. The Art of the Start

Author: Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki was one of the first marketers for Apple, where he cultivated the ability to put ideas into action. From raising money and hiring the right people to defining your position and building a brand to creating hype and fostering a community, this business book will guide you through the journey of starting a small business.

• Start a business not just to make money, but to make meaning. 
• Focus on bootstrapping your business rather than seeking external funding right away.
• When presenting your business to potential investors , customers, or partners, do it with genuine enthusiasm.

Goodreads rating: 3.8 out of 5 ⭐

8. Start With Why

Author: Simon Sinek

Start With Why takes you inside the minds of business leaders who’ve had the greatest influence on the world. Simon Sinek explores how they think, act, and communicate. Pulling from real-life experiences, he brings together a clear playbook for what it takes to lead and inspire. If you want to inspire others, or learn how to find a mentor who inspires you, this book will show you how.

• Clearly articulate why your company exists and why it matters. 
• Use your “why” to inspire and attract customers, employees, and stakeholders who believe what you believe. 
• Ensure that what you offer is a direct reflection of your core beliefs.

9. Rich Dad Poor Dad 

Author: Robert T. Kiyosaki 

Rich Dad Poor Dad tells Robert Kiyosaki’s story of growing up with two dads: his biological father and his fathers’ best friend—his “rich dad.” Kiyosaki shares how both men shaped his thoughts about money and investing. He also explores the myth of earning a high income to become rich and shows how you can use money to work for you, rather than constantly working for money.

• Continuously educate yourself about financial matters such as investing, real estate, and managing assets versus liabilities.
• Focus on creating sources of passive income that provide cash flow without requiring constant active work.
• Understand the difference between risky and calculated risks. Aim to make informed decisions that have potential for high returns.

10. Zero to One

Author: Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, explores how to build a better future in his bestselling book, Zero to One. Thiel presents a positive look into the future of America’s tech world and offers a new way of thinking about innovation—learning how to ask the right questions that lead you to discover value in the most unexpected places.

• Strive to create something new and valuable rather than just improving on existing solutions.
• Consider your business’s long-term potential. What will the market look like in 10 years, and how will your company shape it?
• Begin in a small, niche market that you can dominate and expand from there.

11. Year of Yes 

Author: Shonda Rhimes

Leading Hollywood producer Shonda Rhimes, best known for her hit series Grey’s Anatomy , Scandal, , and Bridgerton , lets readers in on her personal industry experiences in Year of Yes . 

Rhimes shares her journey from a shy and nervous introvert who turned down endless opportunities to a confident public speaker and authoritative figure who said yes to everything that came her way. This book is for those who want to bust out of their shells and bring their voices into the world.

• Embracing discomfort can lead to personal growth and unexpected opportunities.
• Finding a balance between work, personal life, and self-care is crucial for long-term success and happiness.
• The act of saying "yes" can unlock potential you never knew you had, leading to new avenues of success.

Goodreads rating: 4.0 out of 5 ⭐

12. Beating the Odds

Author: Eddie Brown

Philanthropist and business magnate Eddie Brown walks you through how he built and maintained Brown Capital Management through hard times like 9/11 and the 2008 recession.

In his autobiography, Beating the Odds , Brown offers a fascinating look at being born in the rural South to a 13-year-old mother who died shortly after his birth. Brown tells how, despite endless hardships, he created his own life path—graduating college, joining the Army, and becoming an engineer at IBM—and eventually built his billion-dollar company.

• Transform personal and socioeconomic challenges into opportunities for growth and success.
• Understanding and applying financial intelligence can be a game-changer in personal and professional life.
• Success is not just about personal gain but also about how you can contribute to the community and help others succeed.

13. Female Innovators at Work

Author: Danielle Newnham

Female Innovators At Work is a must-read for all current and aspiring leaders of women-owned businesses . 

Danielle Newnham’s book is full of inspiring interviews and case studies from female CEOs, founders, and inventors from various different areas of tech, as they share their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned on their journeys through entrepreneurship.

• Embracing diversity in the workplace can lead to more innovative solutions and products.
• Build and leverage a network of mentors and supporters for career development and overcoming obstacles.

Goodreads rating: 4 out of 5 ⭐

Read more: How to Become an Entrepreneur: 7 Steps You Need to Take on the Road to Entrepreneurship

14. In the Company of Women

Author: Grace Bonney

In the Company of Women shares and highlights inspiring advice and life stories from women entrepreneurs across various industries, careers, backgrounds, races, and places, showing how visibility is the key to success for women leaders today. 

If you want to gain new perspectives and soak up some inspiration, this is one of the best books for entrepreneurs.

• Celebrate women's diverse paths and find strength in their unique journeys.
• Foster a supportive community among women to find collective success and empowerment.
• Authenticity and staying true to one’s values are foundational to building a meaningful and successful career or business.

Related: 18 Best Podcasts By Women Entrepreneurs 

15. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Author: Angela Duckworth

Many of us know persistence and effort are key to success. Those who “make it” aren’t always the ones with the best ideas or resources. They’re the ones who work and improve every day—no matter what. 

This is what Grit is about. In this New York Times bestseller, Angela Duckworth teaches business owners how to cultivate the grit they’ll need to run a successful business, as well as how to inspire it in the people around them.

• Grit outperforms talent.
• Setting and sticking to long-term goals is essential for achieving significant accomplishments.
• A continuous learning mindset and embracing challenges are key to developing grit. 

Goodreads rating: 4.8 out of 5 ⭐

16. The Last Black Unicorn 

Author: Tiffany Haddish

In this autobiography, actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish shares her rags-to-riches story. The Last Black Unicorn is a powerful and personal tale of how you can come from nothing and make it to the top by following your dreams and being true to who you are. 

If you want to have a good laugh and a dose of inspiration, this is your must-read book of the year.

• Find strength in your story.
• Use humor to connect with others, navigate challenges, and build resilience. 
• Authenticity and staying true to yourself attracts success. 

Read more: 5 Key Traits of a Successful Entrepreneur

17. Girl Code

Author: Cara Alwill Leyba

When women show up for and support each other, amazing things happen. In this powerful book for female entrepreneurs, Cara Alwill Leyba shares the secrets to building confidence and empowering other women. 

Girl Code helps you connect with why you do what you do in your life and business, handle burnout, practice self care, and find out what success means to you.

• Choose collaboration over competition. 
• Cultivate a strong sense of self-belief to overcome obstacles.
• Empowering other women can create a positive feedback loop that elevates everyone involved.

18. David and Goliath

Author: Malcolm Gladwell

Each of Malcolm Gladwell’s books are riveting. In David and Goliath , Gladwell examines how we think about challenges and disadvantages, while offering a look at what it means to be discriminated against, lose a parent, attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of life setbacks. 

Learn about the success of the Impressionists, the history of the full-court press, and why you should avoid elite colleges like Harvard and Brown.

• Embrace your disadvantages.
• Have confidence in yourself, take risks, and believe in something greater than yourself.
• Consider unconventional perspectives to gain an edge.

19. The 4-Hour Workweek

Author: Timothy Ferriss

In this book, Timothy Ferriss describes how he went from working 80 hours a week and earning $40,000 a year to earning $40,000 a month working only four hours a week.

• Delegate non-core tasks so you can focus on core business activities.
• Set specific times for checking and responding to emails, such as once in the morning and once in the afternoon. 
• Develop a simple version of your product that meets the core needs of your target audience and launch it to a small segment. 

20. All Marketers Are Liars

Author: Seth Godin

Great marketers don’t talk about features or benefits: they tell stories. In All Marketers Are Liars , Seth Godin shines some new light on this industry, discussing how marketers think and create stores—as well as lies and frauds—that have an impact on the lives of many, for better or for worse. His book will also teach you how to build a brand and craft your story.

• Develop a brand story that resonates emotionally with your audience. 
• Ensure your marketing messages are consistent across all channels. 
• Identify a specific niche or segment that can most benefit from your offering, and tailor your marketing efforts to this group.

21. Purple Cow

Purple Cow , another book by Seth Godin, showcases one of the key principles of marketing strategy : be remarkable. Godin discusses how the old way of building a business—making safe, average products then advertising them on TV—is long gone. Instead, he argues here, you need to stop advertising, start innovating, and build remarkable products.

• Instead of investing heavily in just marketing an average product, focus resources on developing a product that is so different and useful that customers want to talk about it.
• Launch your product to innovators and early adopters first. 
• Regularly assess how your product stands out in the market.

Goodreads rating: 3.7 out of 5 ⭐

22. The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Author: Ben Horowitz

Does the name Horowitz seem familiar? Ben Horowitz is half of Andreessen Horowitz, one of the most respected VCs in Silicon Valley. Here, Horowitz offers essential advice on founding and running an online business , as well as practical wisdom for navigating the many challenges business schools don’t cover.

• When faced with tough decisions, break down the problems into smaller, manageable parts. 
• Invest time in building a management team that you can rely on during tough times. 
• Keep communication open and honest with your team, especially during challenges. 

Authors: Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

In Rework , Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson convincingly show that most of what we regard as obstacles—hiring staff, dealing with paperwork, decision making, time management , renting an office—are simply excuses to not get started. With its direct language and simple-is-better technique, Rework is the best playbook for anyone who’s dreamed of running a successful business of their own.

• Simplify your offerings and cut unnecessary features that don’t add value to your product. 
• Minimize the number of meetings you take. When meetings are absolutely necessary, keep them short and to the point with clear agendas.
• Instead of obsessing over what your competitors are doing, focus on improving your own products and services.

24. Trust Me, I’m Lying

Author: Ryan Holiday

Do you want to know how the media really works? Ryan Holiday claims to know. As a media manipulator, he uses blogging to control and distort the news, as much as any one person can. Trust Me, I’m Lying shows you how he does it. But be careful—the information provided here is dangerous.

• Identify how media can be leveraged to benefit your brand, whether through generating buzz or controversy that captures attention. 
• Produce content that is emotionally engaging and easy to share. 
• Keep a close watch on what is being said about your brand online. 

25. The Lean Startup

Author: Eric Ries

Rather than spend dozens of hours creating an exhaustive business plan , The Lean Startup offers companies of all sizes a new way to test their vision, adjust, and adapt—fast. Eric Ries provides a scientific approach to creating a successful startup—whether founded in a Fortune 100 boardroom or a garage, like Amazon—in a time when small businesses need to innovate to thrive.

• Use continuous deployment to get your product updates to users as quickly as possible. 
• Regularly test your product assumptions with real market data. Use techniques like A/B testing to see what works and what doesn’t.
• Focus on building a minimal viable product (MVP), measure how it performs in the market, and learn from the results. 

26. The Startup Owner’s Manual

Authors: Steve Blank and Bob Dorf

The Startup Owner’s Manual is a 608-page, step-by-step guide on how to take a business idea and turn it into a successful startup. If you like charts, graphs, diagrams, and unlocking the secrets to building a successful, scalable company, this is the business book for you.

• Actively engage with potential customers to understand their needs and validate your business assumptions. 
• Create detailed profiles of your ideal customers. Use these profiles to tailor your marketing efforts and product development.
• Constantly seek feedback from your initial users and focus intensely on creating a seamless user experience. 

27. Crush It!

Author: Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk discovered the possibilities of sales through the internet earlier than many. In Crush It!, you’ll learn his actionable advice for turning your web presence into a personal brand—just like Vaynerchuk did when he grew his family’s wine business from a $4 million venture to a $60 million one.

• Build a strong personal brand by consistently sharing your passion and expertise with your audience.
• Use social media platforms effectively to build relationships with your audience, share valuable content, and promote your business.
• Identify multiple streams of income that align with your interests and strengths to monetize your passion.

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28. The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point is Malcolm Gladwell’s seminal book about how small changes can prompt big ones. In this bestseller, Gladwell explores and explains the “tipping point phenomenon,” which changed how people throughout the world think about selling products and sharing ideas. You’ve heard about it. Now it’s time to read it.

• Identify and engage key influencers who can act as “connectors,” “mavens,” or “salesmen” for your product.
• Enhance the “stickiness” of your message by making sure it’s memorable and compels people to take action. 
• Understand the social contexts and environments that can influence people’s behavior toward your product.

29. Good to Great

Author: Jim Collins

In Good to Great , Jim Collins profiles major companies such as Intel, Coca-Cola, and Merck to discover how they took quantum leaps ahead of their competitors. To find out what makes a company great, Collins and his 21-person research team read and coded 6,000 articles, produced more than 2,000 pages of interview transcripts, and created 384 megabytes of computer data over the course of five years. Their findings are presented in this intriguing business book.

• Develop a blend of personal humility and professional will. Focus on what’s best for the company rather than personal glory.
• Identify what you can be the best at, what drives your economic engine, and what you are deeply passionate about. 
• Foster a culture where discipline in people, thought, and actions governs your approach to business. 

30. Getting to Yes

Author: Roger Fisher and William Ury

Getting to Yes is based on the work of the Harvard Negotiation project, a group that deals with all levels of negotiation and conflict resolution. This book has been published continuously for 30 years, teaching business owners a step-by-step strategy for coming to mutual agreements in every sort of conflict. Not many business books can claim the same.

• In negotiations, focus on understanding the underlying interests behind positions. 
• Look for ways to expand the pie rather than just dividing it.
• When disagreements arise, base the resolution on objective criteria rather than subjective opinions. 

31. The Power of Visual Storytelling

Author: Ekaterina Walter and Jessica Gioglio

The Power of Visual Storytelling is a one-of-a-kind guide to developing powerful marketing programs using visual storytelling. In this book, you’ll learn how to grow your business and strengthen your brand by leveraging photos, videos, infographics, presentations, and other rich media.

• Use tools like Instagram , Pinterest, and YouTube to share compelling visual stories about your products or services.
• Develop infographics that summarize complex information in an easily digestible format.
• Maintain visual consistency across all platforms to reinforce brand recognition .

Goodreads rating: 3.6 out of 5 ⭐

Author: Nir Eyal

Looking for a product to sell and open to trying anything? Consult Nir Eyal’s Hook Model, a four-step process to build customer habits and learn how to create products that people can’t put down.

• Integrate features into your products that encourage regular usage, such as variable rewards or user investment, which increase the likelihood of forming user habits.
• Identify external triggers (like notifications or emails) and internal triggers (like emotions or routines) that can prompt users to engage with your product.
• Continually test and refine the triggers and rewards in your product to see what best drives user engagement and habit formation.

What are the best entrepreneur books you’re reading?

When it comes to business books, you may find some topics more interesting or practical than others. Regardless, these classic books can educate you with all the practical tools you’ll need, inspire you with success stories, and teach important lessons through the failures of the biggest entrepreneurs from yesterday and today. Armed with these tips, you can set off on your own entrepreneurial journey and build a profitable business.

If you want to learn more about entrepreneurship, check out these top business podcasts to explore more tips, tricks, challenges, and lessons.

Best entrepreneur books FAQ

Do business books really help, what should i read to be an entrepreneur.

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• Post author: Archie Black
• Post published: October 16, 2023
• Post category: Recommendations

Business biographies offer a unique glimpse into the lives and minds of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and leaders. They can teach us lessons about leadership, business, and life, and they can inspire us to achieve our own goals.

In this blog post, I’ve compiled a list of the 15 best business biographies of all time. These books are well-written, informative, and inspiring. They’ll give you a new perspective on business and help you to become a better leader and entrepreneur.

This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using links on this page, we may earn a commission.

1. Shoe Dog , by Phil Knight

A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Published in 2016 by Scribner.

In this candid and inspiring memoir, Knight tells the story of how he built Nike from a small shoe company to a global powerhouse. He shares his insights on business, leadership, and the importance of perseverance.

2. The Ride of a Lifetime , by Robert Iger

Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Published in 2019 by Random House.

This memoir by the former CEO of Disney tells the story of his life and career, as well as the challenges and triumphs of his leadership at Disney. Iger shares his insights on business, leadership, and the importance of creativity.

3. Bad Blood , by John Carreyrou

Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

Published in 2018 by Knopf.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning book tells the story of Theranos, a once-promising startup that was exposed as a fraud. Carreyrou provides a gripping account of the rise and fall of Theranos and the hubris of its founder, Elizabeth Holmes.

4. Elon Musk , by Walter Isaacson

Published in 2023 by Simon & Schuster

This authorized biography provides a comprehensive and intimate look at the life and career of one of the world’s most fascinating and controversial entrepreneurs. Isaacson interviewed Musk extensively and gained access to his closest friends and family. The book explores Musk’s early childhood, his business ventures, and his ambitious plans for the future. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Musk, entrepreneurship, or the future of technology.

5. The Hard Thing About Hard Things , by Ben Horowitz

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Published in 2014 by Harper Business

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz is part biography, part management guide, and part self-help book. It is based on Horowitz’s personal experiences as a computer science student, software engineer, cofounder, CEO, and investor in technology companies.

6. Zero to One , by Peter Thiel

Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future, by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters

Published in 2014 by Crown Currency

This book by the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies provides a contrarian perspective on business and startups. Thiel argues that the best way to succeed is to build a monopoly by creating something new and valuable.

7. Titan ,  by Ron Chernow

The Life of John D. Rockefeller Sr.

Published in 1998 by Random House

This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography tells the story of John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in American history. Chernow provides a comprehensive and insightful look at Rockefeller’s life, business career, and philanthropy.

8. Steve Jobs , by Walter Isaacson

Published in 2011 by Simon & Schuster

This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography is the definitive account of one of the most innovative and influential entrepreneurs of all time. Isaacson interviewed Jobs extensively over the course of two years, and the book provides a fascinating look at his life, career, and philosophy.

9. The Everything Store , by Brad Stone

Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Published in 2013 by Little, Brown and Company.

This well-researched and engaging biography tells the story of Amazon’s rise to dominance. Stone examines Bezos’s unique business acumen and his relentless drive to succeed.

10. The Snowball , by Alice Schroeder

Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Published in 2008 by Bantam

This biography tells the story of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time. Schroeder provides a fascinating look at Buffett’s investment philosophy and his approach to life.

11. Sam Walton: Made in America , by Sam Walton with John Huey

Published in 1992 by Bantam

This memoir by the founder of Walmart tells the story of how he built his company from a single five-and-dime store into the world’s largest retailer. Walton shares his insights on business, leadership, and the importance of customer service.

12. Hard Drive , by James Wallace and Jim Erickson

Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

Published in 1992 by Harper Collins

This biography tells the story of Bill Gates and his rise to power at Microsoft. Wallace and Abramson examine Gates’s business acumen and his ruthless drive to succeed.

13. The Innovators , by Walter Isaacson

How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution

Published in 2015 by Simon & Schuster

This book tells the story of the people who created the digital revolution, including Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Tim O’Reilly, and Larry Page, and Sergey Brin. Isaacson examines their lives and careers and the impact they have had on the world.

14. The Man Who Solved the Market , by Gregory Zuckerman

How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution

Published in 2019 by Portfolio Penguin

This biography tells the story of Jim Simons, a brilliant mathematician who founded one of the most successful hedge funds in the world. Zuckerman provides a fascinating look at Simons’s life and career, as well as the world of quantitative investing.

15. Losing My Virginity , by Richard Branson

How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way

Published in 1998 by Crown Currency

Losing My Virginity is a 1998 autobiography by British businessman Richard Branson. This book chronicles Branson’s early life and his rise to success as the founder of the Virgin Group, a multinational conglomerate that now includes over 400 companies in a wide range of industries, including aviation, music, retail, and telecommunications.

Check out our other Business & Economics recommendations:

7 Books That Will Revolutionize Your Approach to Innovation

10 Essential Books for Aspiring Marketers

9 Best Management Books to Help You Become a Better Leader

16 Essential Entrepreneurship Books for Success

9 Must-Read Economics Books

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A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Phil Knight | 5.00

Bill Gates This memoir, by the co-founder of Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes. I’ve met Knight a few times over the years. He’s super nice, but he’s also quiet and difficult to get to know. Here Knight opens up in a way few CEOs are willing to do. I don’t think Knight sets out to teach the reader... (Source)

Warren Buffett The best book I read last year. Phil is... a gifted storyteller. (Source)

Andre Agassi I've known Phil Knight since I was a kid, but I didn't really know him until I opened this beautiful, startling, intimate book. And the same goes for Nike. I've worn the gear with pride, but I didn't realize the remarkable saga of innovation and survival and triumph that stood behind every swoosh. Candid, funny, suspenseful, literary - this is a memoir for people who love sport, but above all... (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Ashlee Vance | 4.76

Richard Branson Elon Musk is a man after my own heart: a risk taker undaunted by setbacks and ever driven to ensure a bright future for humanity. Ashlee Vance's stellar biography captures Musk's remarkable life story and irrepressible spirit. (Source)

Casey Neistat I'm fascinated by Elon Musk, I own a Tesla, I read Ashlee Vance's biography on Elon Musk. I think he's a very interesting charachter. (Source)

Roxana Bitoleanu A business book I would definitely choose the biography of Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, because of Elon's strong, even extreme ambition to radically change the world, which I find very inspiring. (Source)

Walter Isaacson | 4.73

Elon Musk Quite interesting. (Source)

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2012.] (Source)

Gary Vaynerchuk I've read 3 business books in my life. If you call [this book] a business book. (Source)

The Everything Store

Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Brad Stone | 4.70

Doug McMillon [I read and give this book because] you need to understand what you’re up against. (Source)

Santiago Basulto I love to read biographies and stories of companies. Hatching Twitter is a really good book, and if you’re into that sort of books, bios of Steve Jobs (by Isaacson) or Jeff Bezos are great too. (Source)

Tracy DiNunzio It's a great book and especially for people starting out. (Source)

Made in America

Sam Walton, John Huey | 4.59

"Here is an extraordinary success story about a man whose empire was built not with smoke and mirrors, but with good old-fashioned elbow grease." (Detroit Free Press)

Jeff Bezos Expounds on the principles of discount retailing and discusses his core values of frugality and a bias for action—a willingness to try a lot of things and make many mistakes. Bezos included both in Amazon’s corporate values. (Source)

Rob "Crypto Bobby" Paone @tmac604 Read it earlier this summer, a great book 👍 and also hilarious to compare to current corporate excess ala WeWork (Source)

Life and Work

Ray Dalio | 4.58

Mark Cuban The book I wish I had as a young entrepreneur. (Source)

Tony Robbins I found it to be truly extraordinary. Every page is full of so many principles of distinction and insights—and I love how Ray incorporates his history and his life in such an elegant way. (Source)

Bill Gates Ray Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights that are now available to you in Principles. (Source)

The Ride of a Lifetime

Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Robert Iger | 4.56

Brian Chesky Bob's book is great and he's an excellent CEO. (Source)

Brené Brown I expected a book written by the person who has led Disney for decades to be defined by both gripping storytelling and deep leadership wisdom. [The author] delivers, and then some! [This book] is leadership gold—you won’t forget the stories or the lessons. (Source)

Karlie Kloss [Karlie Kloss] says [this book] really inspired her to become a better boss. (Source)

The Art of the Deal

Donald J. Trump, Tony Schwartz | 4.48

Jim Hanson You already had Trump officials testifythey disagreed w/ @realDonaldTrump Interesting thing about executive power The executive has the power Not the advisers Here's a good book on it https://t.co/KGlUpucCNI Time for the acquittal https://t.co/xICCPPuvM5 (Source)

Marc M. Lalonde The easiest way to Clean Up my Friends List is to post this... I love this book! | Let's get to know each other a little. I'll start... Here's MY Story: https://t.co/o8gIl1TxR7 #AskLalonde #marcmlalonde #wealthy #inspiration https://t.co/6ULSKHiIj3 (Source)

Secret Agent Number Six The failing George W. Washington and his dad George H.W. Washington were fake Presidents. They did not think of The Constitution before I did.They stole all of my ideas for it from "The Art of the Deal" which you should read right now because its the best book ever. No collution! (Source)

The Outsiders

Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

William N. Thorndike | 4.47

Warren Buffett In his 2012 shareholder letter, Buffett praises The Outsiders as "an outstanding book about CEOs who excelled at capital allocation." Berkshire Hathaway plays a major role in the book. One chapter is on director Tom Murphy, who Buffett says is "overall the best business manager I've ever met." (Source)

Michael Dell Thorndike explores the importance of thoughtful capital allocation through the stories of eight successful CEOs. A good read for any business leader but especially those willing to chart their own course (Source)

Mason Hawkins The Outsiders is a must-read for leaders—and aspiring leaders—striving to become exceptional CEOs, and for investors interested in partnering with exceptional stewards of corporate capital. (Source)

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Ben Horowitz | 4.45

Larry Page Ben's book is a great read - with uncomfortable truths about entrepreneurship and how to lead to a company. It's also an inspiring story of a business rebirth through sheer willpower. (Source)

Mark Zuckerberg Ben's experience and expertise make him one of the most important leaders not just in Silicon Valley but also in the global knowledge economy. For anyone interested in building, growing or leading a great company, this book is an incredibly valuable resource - and a funny and insightful read. (Source)

Dustin Moskovitz [Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book during a Stanford lecture.] (Source)

Don't have time to read the top Business Biography books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Ron Chernow | 4.41

Ryan Holiday A biography has to be really good to make read you all 800 pages. To me, this was one of those books. Since reading it earlier this year, I’ve since found out it is the favorite book of a lot of people I respect. I think something about the quality of the writing and the empathic understanding of the writer that the main lessons you would take away from someone like Rockefeller would not be... (Source)

Adam Townsend @Sociopathlete Great book (Source)

Anas Alhajji @Morg2006 Yep, I already have it. great book. (Source)

The Millionaire Next Door

The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy

Ph.D. Stanley, Thomas J., Ph.D.; Danko, William D. | 4.39

Dave Collum @cullenroche You ever read "Millionaire Next Door"? You just described parts of it. Great book, IMO. (Source)

The Intelligent Investor

The Classic Text on Value Investing

Benjamin Graham | 4.39

Warren Buffett To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information. What's needed is a sound intellectual framework for making decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework. This book precisely and clearly prescribes the proper framework. You must provide the emotional discipline. (Source)

Kevin Rose The foundation for investing. A lot of people have used this as their guide to getting into investment, basic strategies. Actually Warren Buffett cites this as the book that got him into investing and he says that principles he learned here helped him to become a great investor. Highly recommend this book. It’s a great way understand what’s going on and how to evaluate different companies out... (Source)

John Kay The idea is that you look at the underlying value of the company’s activities instead of relying on market gossip. (Source)

The Snowball

Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Alice Schroeder | 4.37

Marvin Liao My list would be (besides the ones I mentioned in answer to the previous question) both business & Fiction/Sci-Fi and ones I personally found helpful to myself. The business books explain just exactly how business, work & investing are in reality & how to think properly & differentiate yourself. On the non-business side, a mix of History & classic fiction to understand people, philosophy to make... (Source)

John Kay It’s on the list, firstly, because Buffet is the most successful investor in history. (Source)

Chude Jideonwo It's been so long, and I've been so busy that I haven't been able to recommend a book. I am sorry! I have read so many fantastic ones though, no matter how busy I have been. And I am soooooo excited to recommend this one. I love Warren Buffett ... https://t.co/ML0pM3G29k https://t.co/6yhfhT8WF5 (Source)

Creativity, Inc.

Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace | 4.33

Mark Zuckerberg This book is written by the founder of Pixar and is about his experience building a culture that fosters creativity. His theory is that people are fundamentally creative, but many forces stand in the way of people being able to do their best work. I love reading first-hand accounts about how people build great companies like Pixar and nurture innovation and creativity. This should be inspiring to... (Source)

Timothy Ferriss No matter your circumstances, storytelling and creativity are two 'meta-skills' that can take your business and life to the next level. Ed is a master. (Source)

Ezra Klein An amazing, amazing book. (Source)

Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Sheryl Sandberg | 4.33

Mark Zuckerberg For the past five years, I've sat at a desk next to Sheryl and I've learned something from her almost every day. She has a remarkable intelligence that can cut through complex processes and find solutions to the hardest problems. Lean In combines Sheryl's ability to synthesize information with her understanding of how to get the best out of people. The book is smart and honest and funny. Her... (Source)

Oprah Winfrey Honest and brave... The new manifesto for women in the workplace. (Source)

Richard Branson If you loved Sheryl Sandberg's incredible TED talk on why we have too few women leaders, or simply believe as I do that we need equality in the boardroom, then this book is for you. As Facebook's COO, Sheryl Sandberg has first-hand experience of why having more women in leadership roles is good for business as well as society. Lean In is essential reading for anyone interested in righting the... (Source)

High Output Management

Andrew S. Grove | 4.33

Mark Zuckerberg [Andy’s] book played a big role in shaping my management style. (Source)

Ben Horowitz Andy Grove, who built himself from nothing to run Intel, stopped what he was doing to teach us his magic. And not through some ghostwriter either — Andy wrote this book himself. What an incredible gift. (Source)

Drew Houston The best book on management ever written. (Source)

Poor Charlie's Almanack

The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

Peter D. Kaufman, Ed Wexler, Warren E. Buffett, Charles T. Munger | 4.32

Warren Buffett From 1733 to 1758, Ben Franklin dispensed useful and timeless advice through Poor Richard's Almanack. Among the virtues extolled were thrift, duty, hard work, and simplicity. Subsequently, two centuries went by during which Ben's thoughts on these subjects were regarded as the last word. Then Charlie Munger stepped forth. (Source)

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2011.] (Source)

Naval Ravikant I always recommend [this book] as my top business book. (Source)

A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice

Bill Browder | 4.28

Eric Ries This reads like a thriller, but is an urgent and important story about the dangers of Putin’s Russia and the events leading to the Magnitsky Act. (Source)

Anand Sanwal @geoffreysbatt @patrick_oshag 2/ Reminded a bit of the story of @Billbrowder as told in the remarkable book Red Notice which chronicles his investments in Russia very early before everyone saw the opportunity (Source)

Jonathan Kay Am reading @Billbrowder's amazing book Red Notice. Did not know incredible story of Bill's dad, who got his @Princeton math PhD at age 20. Like many Jews of era, suffered massive discrimination, stigmatized because of his own dad's communism. Then Eleanor Roosevelt saves the day https://t.co/Bp5PFiIxm1 (Source)

Delivering Happiness

A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Tony Hsieh | 4.27

Chip Conley [The author] is a wise guy. Sincerely. He’s one of the wisest and most thoughtful business leaders of the modern age. (Source)

Adam Johnston Inspiring case study into building brand and customer service. (Source)

Julie Rice [At SoulCycle] we’re all big fans of [this book]. (Source)

The Power Broker

Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

Robert A. Caro | 4.27

Barack Obama He may have the country’s finest experts at his fingertips, but it still doesn’t hurt to read up on environmental and economic issues. (Source)

Ryan Holiday It took me 15 days to read all 1,165 pages of this monstrosity that chronicles the rise of Robert Moses. I was 20 years old. It was one of the most magnificent books I’ve ever read. Moses built just about every other major modern construction project in New York City. The public couldn’t stop him, the mayor couldn’t stop him, the governor couldn’t stop him, and only once could the President of... (Source)

Ben Greenman Well, if you look at a picture of a place, you can normally get a sense of what it’s like. But hopefully what books do, or what thinking does, is to show you what that place is like underneath. The Power Broker is the definitive history of how, in modern America, cities get built, power gets thrown around, neighbourhoods are overpowered by developers and politicians. It’s gigantic and it’s a... (Source)

This is Going to Hurt

Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

Adam Kay | 4.23

Quinn Cummings @lorapenza You might love @amateuradam's book. (Source)

The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

Daniel Yergin | 4.21

Chris Goodall A wonderfully readable history of the development of the oil age. (Source)

Losing My Virginity

The Autobiography

Richard Branson | 4.20

Yaro Starak Richard Branson, another guy with his second bio came out just recently, sort of like the part II of his life, the next 20 years. I grabbed that because his bio… I should actually go back and answer your first and second question about biggest impact and “Losing My Virginity” by Richard Branson was a huge one back in the late 90s for me, more about big thinking. The guy is crazy and I would never... (Source)

Holger Seim When it comes to biographies I particularly like Losing My Virginity. (Source)

Robin Sharma I encourage you to read his autobiography “Losing My Virginity” as well as his book “Business Stripped Bare” if you haven’t gone through them yet. Uber-inspiring. For people who want to become Remarkable Entrepreneurs – and express their absolute best. (Source)

My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business

Dick Van Dyke | 4.20

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith | 4.19

Elon Musk Adam Smith FTW obv. (Source)

Barack Obama Obama, unsurprisingly, appears to be more drawn to stories sympathetic to the working classes than is McCain. Obama cites John Steinbeck’s “In Dubious Battle,” about a labor dispute; Robert Caro’s “Power Broker,” about Robert Moses; and Studs Terkel’s “Working.” But he also includes Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” and “Theory of Moral Sentiments” on his list. (Source)

Neil deGrasse Tyson Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Wealth of Nations (Smith) [to learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)

Hit Refresh

Satya Nadella, Greg Shaw, Jill Tracie Nichols | 4.18

Bill Gates With every new technology, there are challenges. How do we help people whose jobs are replaced by AI agents and robots? Will users trust their AI agent with all their information? If an agent could advise you on your work style, would you want it to? That is what makes books like Hit Refresh so valuable. Satya has charted a course for making the most of the opportunities created by technology... (Source)

Aviers Lim I would recommend biographies of Elon Musk and Satya Nadella. (Source)

The 1-Page Marketing Plan

Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd

Allan Dib | 4.16

The Elon Musk Blog Series

Wait But Why

Tim Urban | 4.15

Setting the Table

The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

Danny Meyer | 4.15

Chip Conley One of the best books on hospitality ever written. (Source)

Noah Kagan A few months ago, I was drinking a Noah’s Mill whiskey (cute) with my good buddy Brian Balfour and talking about life... During the conversation, we got on the topic of books that changed our lives. I want to share them with you. I judge a book's success if a year later I'm still using at least 1 thing from the book. (Source)

Julie Rice We did a lot of reading [this book] at SoulCycle. (Source)

One Up On Wall Street

How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market

Peter Lynch, John Rothchild | 4.15

Patrick Swalls Read this if you want to learn more about the stock market. (Source)

Cable Cowboy

John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business

Mark Robichaux | 4.15

The Reckoning

David Halberstam | 4.14

David J Lynch This one sort of speaks to something I’ve long been interested in. We get this general education in schools that follows the basic themes of presidents and wars and that kind of thing and then there’s this alternative history of finance and economics, and Lords of Finance impressed me because it gives you that alternative history, particularly through the inter-war years from the end of World War... (Source)

How to Win at the Sport of Business

If I Can Do It, You Can Do It

Mark Cuban | 4.13

Jason Khalipa I like it because it gets me fired up. (Source)

An Autobiography

Lee Iacocca, William Novak | 4.13

Ramit Sethi Every few years for the last 20 years, Ramit has read Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca and William Novak. (Source)

Shankar Sharma Reading the Iacocca autobio at age 21, was absolutely transformational. Taught me more than an MBA degree. The second book that did something similar at that age for me, was "The Mind of The Strategist" by Kenichi Ohmae. Such great business wisdom in these books. RIP Lee https://t.co/PCpkRiKwUV (Source)

Grinding It Out

The Making of McDonald's

Ray Kroc, Robert Anderson | 4.13

Aj Joshi @brianadgey Great book 👍🏼 very inspiring (Source)

The First Tycoon

The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

T.J. Stiles | 4.12

Josh Sternberg @mhbergen @nitashatiku “If [Cornelius Vanderbilt] had been able to sell all his assets at full market value at the moment of his death he would have taken one out of every 20 dollars in circulation.” From great book on Vanderbilt https://t.co/7SljC6fmbG (Source)

Skunk Works

A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed

Ben R. Rich, Leo Janos | 4.12

Chris Anderson @elidourado @pmarcas_likes What broke was our risk tolerance. The "Skunkworks" book is a great insider story of that. The day that the financial auditors outnumbered the engineers was the day the innovation died: https://t.co/ncrsulEZyC (Source)

Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

James Wallace and Jim Erickson | 4.12

Trillion Dollar Coach

The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell

Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle | 4.12

Sheryl Sandberg Bill shared his wisdom generously, expecting nothing back but the joy he got from teaching others. I was privileged to have him as my coach for several years. Many times since then, when asked for advice by others, I think of Bill and try to live up to the example he set. (Source)

Tim Cook Bill's passion for innovation and teamwork was a gift to Apple and the world. Trillion Dollar Coach has captured his tireless spirit so future generations can learn from one of our industry's greatest leaders. (Source)

Sundar Pichai Whenever I saw Bill, he gave me great perspective about what really matters. At the end of the day, it's the people in your life. Bill had such strong principles around community and how to bring people together. We used those principles - detailed in Trillion Dollar Coach - to form the foundation of Google's leadership training, so all of our leaders can continue to learn from Bill. (Source)

How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Howard Schultz, Joanne Gordon | 4.12

Ron Conway Story of his return to Starbucks, and the success of the company in a tumlutuous economic time in history. (Source)

In the Plex

How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives

Steven Levy | 4.11

Bill Slawski In The Plex is a great introduction to Google, and the many who work there. I knew many by the patents they file, so it was good to learn more about them as people. Some good insights to some algorithms in the book, too. https://t.co/TVz7GsD8nX (Source)

Alan Pierce I’m currently reading “In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works and Shapes Our Life" and am excited on gaining more insight into how google is changing the world and hopefully to get some valuable understanding I can use to maximize business decisions and read future trends while assessing investment opportunities for my company, ABM Investments. (Source)

Straight from the Gut

Jack Welch and John A. Byrn | 4.11

Warren Buffett In his 2001 shareholder letter, Buffett gleefully endorses Jack: Straight from the Gut, a business memoir of longtime GE executive Jack Welch, whom Buffett describes as (Source)

Tudor Mihailescu In every industry, there would be many relevant books but nothing would replace being in touch with the customers and people in own organisation. It’s a vast of space to recommend books, but I would suggest that learning how proven entrepreneurs or managers have done this as a good start (read about Jake Welch – Straight from the Gut, Steve Jobs, Shoe Dog – Phil Knight or Elon Musk) – admittedly,... (Source)

Annika Falkengren I read Jack Welch’s book back in 2003 and it was at the time a great source of inspiration. There were a couple of things that got stuck in my mind and in some cases changed my mind: that there are no shortcuts, that facts always must be faced no matter how brutal and that losing or failing had a value as long as your learn from them. His thoughts on how crucial the soft values are, inspired me a... (Source)

What It Takes

Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence

Stephen A. Schwarzman | 4.11

Eric Schmidt Reveals how [the author] has achieved the rarest kind of leverage in multiple fields. (Source)

Norman Ornstein What it Takes remains the best book written about American politics and politicians. i reread every few years. Want to know about Biden? Read it! https://t.co/ZlLwbRqADa (Source)

Trailblazer

The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change

Marc Benioff, Monica Langley | 4.11

Bill Gross I've been waiting "im"patiently for @Benioff 's new book to come out. It just came out on Kindle 10 minutes ago. It's terrific. Such a powerful, simple, but important lesson and message, "Values create Value!" I'll be sharing more highlights as I read further.. https://t.co/KAgrFs31fC (Source)

Jim Cramer I love this book and have already used it as the basis for several @MadMoneyOnCNBC segments and a talk to young entrepreneurs !!! https://t.co/fLYtdYAMxC (Source)

Natalie Petouhoff Trailblazer: @salesforce Founder and co-CEO Marc Benioff’s Inspiring New Book Shows How Business is the Greatest Platform for Change @Benioff https://t.co/lcIQbvG1Qo https://t.co/TKCiIpK6ZB (Source)

The House of Morgan

An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance

Ron Chernow | 4.11

Made in Japan

Akio Morita and Sony

Akio Morita, Edwin M. Reingold, Mitsuko Shimomura | 4.11

Bill Graham Presents

My Life Inside Rock And Out

Bill Graham, Robert Greenfield | 4.11

James Murphy Bill Graham Presents My Life Inside Rock and Out because I think it’s very important for young people to understand the history of the concert business before trying to jump into it. You need to have a clear understanding of where it’s been to know where it’s going and how you can help take it there. (Source)

Built from Scratch

How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion

Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank, Bob Andelman | 4.10

When a friend told Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank that, "You've just been hit in the ass by a golden horseshoe," they thought he was crazy. After all, both had just been fired. What the friend, Ken Langone, meant was that they now had the opportunity to create the kind of wide-open warehouse store that would help spark a consumer revolution through low prices, excellent customer service, and wide availability of products.

Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people-and their associates-built a business from nothing to 761...

Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people-and their associates-built a business from nothing to 761 stores and $30 billion in sales in a mere twenty years.

Built from Scratch tells many colorful stories associated with The Home Depot's founding and meteoric rise; shows that a company can be a tough, growth-oriented competitor and still maintain a high sense of responsibility to the community; and provides great lessons useful to people in any business, from start-ups to the Fortune 500.

Great Stories

A Company with a Conscience

Great Lessons

Bernie Marcus is a cofounder of The Home Depot and currently serves as chairman of the board. From the company's inception until 1997, he served as CEO. With his wife, Billie Marcus, he founded the Marcus Developmental Resource Center, which provides support services for mentally impaired children and their parents. He sits on many boards of directors, including the New York Stock Exchange, and participates in many civic organizations, including the City of Hope, a cancer research center.

Arthur Blank is a cofounder of The Home Depot and is the company's president and CEO. He serves on the board of trustees of several organizations, including the North Carolina Outward Bound School, the Carter Center, Emory University, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He was inducted into the Babson College Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs and was honored by the City of Hope for his fund-raising leadership.

Bob Andelman lives with his wife and daughter in St. Petersburg, Florida, and has collaborated on many bestselling business books, including Mean Business and The Profit Zone .

Frank Blake Very meaningful to me, not only because it’s the story of the founding of the Home Depot, but also because of my start as the CEO of Home Depot. (Source)

Rich Dad Poor Dad

What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That The Poor And Middle Class Do Not!

Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter C.P.A | 4.10

Will Smith [Will Smith mentioned sharing this book with his son.] (Source)

The Man Who Solved the Market

How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution

Gregory Zuckerman | 4.10

Abhishek Kar @Singh7575 ~The man who solved the market Nice book and interesting insights from Jim's life. Read it last month. Happy reading👍 (Source)

Andy Sum I finished reading a book! Pretty interesting biography and background on some of the emotions involved in quantatative trading. Worth reading. https://t.co/doi843dcGN (Source)

Steve Burns The new book on Jim Simons is in my top 5 favorite trading books of all time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It is already the #19 best seller in Amazon nonfiction The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution Kindle Edition by Gregory Zuckerman https://t.co/FAZFigNNXy https://t.co/Jjz38Qpdnu (Source)

Let My People Go Surfing

The Education of a Reluctant Businessman--Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual

Yvon Chouinard, Naomi Klein | 4.10

Alastair Humphreys @SecondS37175185 A fantastic book. (Source)

Paul Kedrosky @dpfishman Yes, fantastic book by incredible human. (Source)

Holger Seim When it comes to biographies I particularly like Let My People Go Surfing. (Source)

Shark Tales

How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business

Barbara Corcoran, Bruce Littlefield | 4.09

Trust Me, I'm Lying

Confessions of a Media Manipulator

Ryan Holiday | 4.09

Timothy Ferriss Ryan is part Machiavelli, part Ogilvy, and all results. From American Apparel to the quiet campaigns he's run but not taken credit for, this whiz kid is the secret weapon you've never heard of. (Source)

Dov Charney Behind my reputation as a marketing genius there is Ryan Holiday, whom I consult often and who has done more for my business than just about anyone. (Source)

Tucker Max The strategies Ryan created to exploit blogs drove sales of millions of my books and made me an internationally known name. The reason I am standing here while other celebrities were destroyed or became parodies of themselves is because of his insider knowledge. (Source)

Jack Welch, Suzy Welch | 4.09

Living Proof

Onyx Moonshine's Journey to Revive the American Spirit

Adam von Gootkin | 4.09

Capital Gaines

Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff

Chip Gaines | 4.09

The Unbeatable Legend in Business World

All About Microsoft and How it Became The Most successful enterprise on The Earth!

Rahul Doshi | 4.09

Liar's Poker

Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street

Michael Lewis | 4.09

With the eye and ear of a born storyteller, Michael Lewis shows us how things really worked on Wall Street....

With the eye and ear of a born storyteller, Michael Lewis shows us how things really worked on Wall Street. In the Salomon training program a roomful of aspirants is stunned speechless by the vitriolic profanity of the Human Piranha; out on the trading floor, bond traders throw telephones at the heads of underlings and Salomon chairman Gutfreund challenges his chief trader to a hand of liar's poker for one million dollars; around the world in London, Tokyo, and New York, bright young men like Michael Lewis, connected by telephones and computer terminals, swap gross jokes and find retail buyers for the staggering debt of individual companies or whole countries.

The bond traders, wearing greed and ambition and badges of honor, might well have swaggered straight from the pages of Bonfire of the Vanities . But for all thier outrageous behavior, they were in fact presiding over enormous changes in the world economy. Lewis's job, simply described, was to transfer money, in the form of bonds, from those outside America who saved to those inside America who consumed. In doing so, he generated tens of millions of dollars for Salomon Brothers, and earned for himself a ringside seat on the greatest financial spectacle of the decade: the leveraging of America.

John Lanchester It’s still a wonderfully entertaining book: An absolutely hilarious, very, very dark, vivid account of how Michael Lewis came out of Princeton and, with basically no qualifications, got a job in the bond trading department of Salomon Brothers (Source)

Audrey Russo Question: What books would you recommend to young people interested in your career path? Answer: Anything by Peter Senge. The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz Once you are Lucky, Twice you are good – Sara Lacey Revolutionary Wealth – Alvin Toffler Black Swan – Taleb Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change, by Ellen Pao. Creative Class – Richard Florida Creativity Inc. by Ed... (Source)

How the Internet Happened

From Netscape to the iPhone

Brian McCullough | 4.08

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator

The Classic Novel Based on the Life of Legendary Stock Market Speculator Jesse Livermore

Lefevre Edwin, Price Tim | 4.08

Steve Burns "By far, the best investing book is Reminiscences Of A Stock Operator. Everything in that book is true about how markets work, how human nature works, the mistakes people make, the greed that they have, the ways they get themselves in trouble." - Gundlach https://t.co/asuBsN0BvM (Source)

Alykhan Satchu My all time favorite Book https://t.co/UxwPMlAcXU (Source)

Joshua M. Brown Each new generation of traders gets inspired by this book but I have come to love it as more of a cautionary tale. and FYI, this is the better book for that context: https://t.co/116lNciXCF https://t.co/mEYn2ZAqPI (Source)

The Big Payback

The History of the Business of Hip-Hop

Dan Charnas | 4.08

Lords of Finance

The Bankers Who Broke the World

Liaquat Ahamed | 4.07

Barry Ritholtz It covers a 50-year period from before World War I and leading up to World War II. Even if you’re not interested in finance, it’s a great read. (Source)

David J Lynch Lords of Finance gives you that alternative history, particularly through the inter-war years from the end of World War I into the Great Depression. (Source)

Pour Your Heart Into It

Highbridge | 4.07

Yaro Starak There were also more traditional books or businesses I read about, like the biography of Starbucks. It’s really more the biography of the CEO, Howard Schultz, a lot about him growing the Starbucks brand. Since I spent a lot of time writing in Starbucks cafés, that was an important company to me. (Source)

Jilliene Helman I really, really like company biographies. They're just kind of the style of book that I've gotten really into. [...] I've read the Starbucks CEO book. (Source)

The Unauthorized Autobiography

J.T. Owens | 4.07

Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out

Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch, and How Craft Beer Became Big Business

Josh Noel | 4.07

Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Steven Levy | 4.06

American Gun

A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms

Chris Kyle, William Doyle | 4.06

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big

Kind of the Story of My Life

Scott Adams | 4.06

Timothy Ferriss Scott has an incredible approach to 'career planning' that's as effective as it is unusual. He’s beaten all the odds and can help you do the same. (Source)

Gennady Batrakov [One of the] few books that made a great deal of impact on my life. (Source)

The Birth of Loud

Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll

Ian S. Port | 4.06

Confessions of an Advertising Man

David Ogilvy, Sir Alan Parker | 4.06

Rory Sutherland @GuruAnaerobic Love it. His best book. (Source)

Ronn Torossian Considering the overlap of similarities between PR and advertising, it is vital to learn from such legends as Ogilvy. His concepts, tactics, and techniques and are a must-read for not only those in marketing and PR but business in general. (Source)

Ola Olusoga For business, I've read Influence by Robert Cialdini 3 times, and Traction by Gabriel Weinberg twice, so if number of times read indicates favor, then those are it. There are a whole bunch of others, like The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman, Confession of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy, The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss, and Running Lean by Ash Maurya, that I've also enjoyed and recommend to... (Source)

Andrew Carnegie

David Nasaw | 4.06

Charles T. Munger The definitive biography of an industrial genius, philanthropist, and enigma. At the meeting in May of this year, Munger also mentioned the Mellon Brothers as people to study. (Source)

Where Wizards Stay Up Late

The Origins Of The Internet

Katie Hafner | 4.05

At last, Hafner and Lyon have written a well-researched story of the origins of the Internet substantiated by extensive interviews with its creators who delve into many interesting details such as the controversy surrounding the adoption of our now beloved "@" sign as the separator of usernames and machine addresses. Essential reading for anyone interested in the past...

At last, Hafner and Lyon have written a well-researched story of the origins of the Internet substantiated by extensive interviews with its creators who delve into many interesting details such as the controversy surrounding the adoption of our now beloved "@" sign as the separator of usernames and machine addresses. Essential reading for anyone interested in the past -- and the future -- of the Net specifically, and telecommunications generally.

Lev Grossman If you want to go all the way back, Janet Abbate’s Inventing The Internet really takes it all the way back to the Eisenhower administration and the very beginnings of electronic computers. (Source)

Every Tool's a Hammer

Life is What You Make It

Adam Savage | 4.05

Scott Smith When @Alchemister5 and I decided to open @dnpeek, he gave me this book that @donttrythis wrote. I personally love hammers Jason. ;) https://t.co/ZabTx6JxGX (Source)

Learning to Breathe Fire

The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness

J.C. Herz | 4.04

Lead from the Outside

How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change

Stacey Abrams | 4.04

Wild Company

The Untold Story of Banana Republic

Mel Ziegler, Patricia Ziegler | 4.04

Against the Odds

James Dyson | 4.04

Console Wars

Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation

Blake J. Harris | 4.04

The King of Oil

The Secret Lives of Marc Rich

Daniel Ammann | 4.03

This Is Not a T-Shirt

A Brand, a Culture, a Community--A Life in Streetwear

Bobby Hundreds | 4.03

Gary Vaynerchuk Simply put, Bobby Hundreds is a social beast. He knows how to tell a story, where to tell that story, and he's great at bringing people together. He's also crazy dedicated to his work and has the laser-focused attention to detail needed to not only build an everlasting globally relevant brand, but any successful business. (Source)

Jessica Alba Building a brand is about identifying and fulfilling a need in a way that no one else can. It takes vision, dedication, and attention to detail. The Hundreds is a prime example of what it looks like when you've combined all these elements along with tapping into a culture and community. This is Not a T-Shirt guides you through methods and tools you can apply to get you one step closer to... (Source)

Tony Hawk This is Not a T-Shirt tracks the history of surf and skate culture and their relationship to streetwear—from the Zephyr skate team of the 1970s to brands like Stüssy, Supreme, BAPE, and, of course, The Hundreds, which has managed to stay relevant for more than fifteen years in a fickle market. This book is an insider's guide to the prevailing trends in youth culture of the last few decades that... (Source)

Sell It Like Serhant

How to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine

Ryan Serhant | 4.03

Climate of Hope

How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet

Michael Bloomberg, Carl Pope | 4.03

iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon

How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Steve Wozniak, Gina Smith | 4.03

The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products

Leander Kahney | 4.03

Bitcoin Billionaires

A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption

Ben Mezrich | 4.03

Kim Dotcom The Winklevoss brothers mailed me this awesome must-read book #bitcoinbillionaires with a really nice personal note. Thank you @winklevoss and @tylerwinklevoss. Facebook was stolen from you but what you’ve created since then is even more impressive. Crypto is the future. https://t.co/iAkfU1Dm65 (Source)

Bill Lee Thank you @tylerwinklevoss @winklevoss for sending me the must read @benmezrich book with the nice signed note. You guys are ushering in the crypto revolution and have captured lightning in a bottle again. #respect #BitcoinBillionaires https://t.co/QNaJLkQPJa (Source)

Negro with a Hat

The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey

Colin Grant | 4.03

The Facebook Effect

The Inside Story of the Company That is Connecting the World

David Kirkpatrick | 4.03

Craig Pearce If you read to maintain motivation and be entertained, I recommend a few books that in addition to telling great stories, also contain lessons and learnings. You won’t gain many step-by-step type lessons from these books but you will come away realizing that not all startups, regardless of what stage they are in, are as well polished as they make you think. You will realize that they make... (Source)

Angela Pham The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick made me a fan of Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg years ago. I didn’t hesitate to take my current role at Facebook because I feel so strongly about their integrity and leadership, no matter the negative sentiments and media narratives the company has endured recently. (Source)

The Attention Merchants

The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads

Tim Wu | 4.02

Yuval Noah Harari A very insightful book that surveys the history of modern information technology and its political implications, from the age of print and radio to the era of Google and Facebook. It gives the context of the current battle to control human attention. (Source)

Marvin Liao I tend to jump from book to book and may switch if I am interested in some new topic. This is a pleasure for me (which I also do benefit work wise from too). It’s quite a random list because I have eclectic interests (or just scatterbrained most likely) on tech business, AI, general global economy, geopolitics, rising Biotech economy & history. I'm basically 15% to 50% into all these books. (Source)

Rafat Ali Have to say @superwuster is best business writer there is. Just finished Master Switch , now reading “Attention Merchants”, the best history-in-context-with-rigor-and-intellectual-analysis writer/explainer there is. If I ever write a book, want to write it like Tim Wu. (Source)

Kevin Freiberg | 4.02

The House That Jack Ma Built

Duncan Clark | 4.02

Tim Draper Duncan Clark gets into the heart and soul of Alibaba and its founder, Jack Ma, who deftly maneuvered through the discontinuities and barriers in China to create one of the greatest companies in the world. China has thrived under the leadership of Jack Ma. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the present China and the heartbeat of a great entrepreneur. (Source)

Ken Wilcox This book provides excellent insight into the world of Jack Ma, perhaps the most famous of the leaders of the new economy in China. Duncan Clark is a real China 'Old Hand', unique in his knowledge of the Jack Ma generation. This book is definitely on the short list for those who wish to understand the Chinese economy today. (Source)

Erik Cheong I am a big fan of Jack Ma, I have 4 different books talking about Jack. He is a top entrepreneur & visionaire, who started out as a modest English teacher and built Alibaba into one of the world’s largest companies, an e-commerce empire on which hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend on. I am impressed about how he overcame his humble origins and early failures to achieve massive... (Source)

Paul Allen | 4.02

An Invisible Thread

The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny

Laura Schroff | 4.01

LeBron, Inc.

The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete

Brian Windhorst | 4.01

My Years with General Motors

Alfred Sloan | 4.01

Ben Horowitz My Years at GM by Alfred Sloan was very interesting particularly on scale issues. (Source)

Bogdan Iordache If you have to read just one business book to understand the global corporate world we live in today, I think this is it. And I think Bill Gates said this first. Alfred P. Sloan was the CEO of General Motors in its early beginnings, and he went through all the stages of the growth, going bust, growth and then consolidation of the beginning (when some companies were creating mechanical horses - no... (Source)

The Virgin Way

Everything I Know About Leadership

Richard Branson | 4.01

Madalina Uceanu I would recommend any biographies of business people, but definitely I would have on the list any of Richard Branson's books. That should cover a better business and mentality understanding. (Source)

Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit

William Knoedelseder | 4.00

The Maverick and His Machine

Thomas Watson, Sr. and the Making of IBM

Kevin Maney | 4.00

Just for Fun

The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary

Linus Torvalds, David Diamond | 4.00

Death of the Territories

Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever

Tim Hornbaker | 4.00

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Thought Leaders: 7 Business Biographies That Will Actually Teach You Something

Business biographies are a fascinating niche. Part how to, part battle against the odds, they can provide a helpful jolt of inspiration and motivation when we need it most.

That’s not to say by reading Richard Branson’s autobiography you’re suddenly on course to set up a luxury space travel business, but there’s certainly tidbits of transferable knowledge in there that might help you in a variety of circumstances.

Here’s our pick of the most informative, inspiring, entertaining and motivating business biographies.

Losing My Virginity – Richard Branson

“You will either go to prison or be a millionaire.” So said Richard Branson’s former headmaster, a line which Branson enjoys recounting in his autobiography, Losing My Virginity. As far as entrepreneurial autobiographies go it’s unmissable reading, chronicling the life of a man who along with Elon Musk is currently giving NASA a run for their money on the space travel front.

With ample sections dedicated to business and pleasure, adventure and bravado, it’s a rip-roaring business yarn chronicling an extraordinary life.

Key Takeaway: Taking risk. Business is full of them and of course risk does not always equal reward but from being brave enough to rival BA to the Tubular Bells punt that bankrolled his music label, gut-driven risk-taking has paid off handsomely for Branson.

Buy now at Amazon

That Will Never Work – Marc Randolph

Mark Randolph’s That Will Never Work acts a trip down memory lane for the entrepreneur as he talks readers through the early years of a little company he co-founded called Netflix. Rising from the ashes of a dead industry it was the power of algorithms that sparked real momentum when recommendations for niche and non-blockbusters allowed the company to save money licensing popular titles.

Two buy-out attempts, by Amazon and Blockbuster, were batted away before the company went public in 2002.

Key Takeaway: Don’t sit around waiting for a eureka moment. Randolph stresses this in the book and debunks the myth that it was consistent late fees on a rental copy of Apollo 13 that inspired Netflix. Instead, it’s the constant back and forth and refinement of ideas that leads to success.

Banking On It – Anne Boden

Anne Boden has said in interviews that Banking On It is not a memoir as there’s still so much to come, but despite this, Boden’s retelling of the Starling Bank story and its revolutionary entrance onto the post-2008 banking scene is part business book, part financial tell-all.

From the much reported Monzo coup to the remarkable almost miss of the message that secured funding, the Starling Bank story is a blue chip epic that will no doubt one day lend itself handsomely to the big screen.

Key Takeaway: Be the revolution you wish to see in the industry. So you, a 5ft Welsh woman in your fifties, want to challenge the most monolithic, exclusive industry on earth, do you? Pull the other one. But that’s exactly what Boden did. No mountain is too high.

Buy now at WHSmith

Let My People Go Surfing – Yvon Chouinard

The name Yvon Chouinard probably won’t ring as many bells in the UK as it does in the United States, but after the rising popularity of outdoor and technical wear , his brand Patagonia certainly will.

Chouinard’s book tells the story of an outdoors enthusiast who reluctantly fell into business creating the clothes he himself wished to go on adventures in. His company soon skyrocketed but his morals and convictions remained the same and as a result he’s steered his company towards being one of the most sustainable and forward-thinking on earth.

Key Takeaway: You don’t have to be a dick. It might sound simple, but you can run a multimillion pound business and not be a money-hungry bastard, hell-bent on world destruction in the pursuit of profits. Innovation can go hand-in-hand with conservation.

Buy now at Blackwells

Shoe Dog – Phil Knight

Starting with the company’s inception in 1960 and finishing with the debut public offering in the 1980s, Shoe Dog is the memoir from Nike Founder Phil ‘Buck’ Knight.

It’s difficult to compile any list of business biographies without it and needless to say it’s a fountain of intriguing insight and transferable lessons. From picking a logo and name to the importance of overcoming setbacks, Shoe Dog is a monumental piece of writing from one of the most notable businessmen of the 21st century.

Key Takeaway: Growth can be low and slow. Knight’s account of Nike in the book starts in 1962, but there’s a whole decade of low-key trials and tribulations and gradual but not particularly dramatic progress until genuine recognition in 1972 when his consistent appearances at track and running events are rewarded with uptake of the brand. Be patient.

Zero To One – Peter Thiel

Transforming online payments forever, and making a fortune whilst doing so, Paypal founder Peter Thiel is one of Silicon Valley’s most recognised icons. Zero To One compiles his thoughts and the lessons learned building one of the most successful start ups ever out of what has been the modern California gold rush.

Tinged with Thiel’s trademark outspoken manner, Zero To One covers everything one needs to consider when running a tech business, from teams to monopolies.

Key Takeaway: Be unique. Simple enough, huh? Yet Thiel has some good points to make: it’s not enough for your idea to be unique, it has to be equally valuable. However, if it’s both of those, you save yourself a lot of competition and you can swap the hassle of marketing wars for time spent focusing on development.

How I Built This – Guy Raz

The last entry on our list isn’t a biography or memoir per say, but along with its namesake NPR podcast, How I Built This is a must for those interested in business, entrepreneurialism and how some of the world’s most notable brands came to be.

Pulling together the lessons learned from interviews with company founders spanning the likes of Patagonia, Headspace and Dell, to name but a few, the book is the perfect written companion to the award-winning podcast and bursting with insight and human experience.

Key Takeaway: Resilience is key. The stories businesspeople recount to Raz are as much about riding through hard times as they are of smart, innovative ideas. With world-challenging ideas often comes equally large problems and setbacks. The the most successful people batten down the hatches and hold on for dear life until the storm is over.

Buy now at Waterstones

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18 Best Entrepreneur Books to Read

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: March 08, 2022

You discovered our list of must read entrepreneur books .

Entrepreneur books are resources that help founders launch and build businesses. Reading advice from noted visionaries helps entrepreneurs set reasonable goals and expectations, endure obstacles, stay true to their missions, and shape and grow successful organizations. These books are also called “entrepreneurship books.”

Entrepreneurship books are types of business books and business biographies , and are similar to startup books , CEO books , management books , leadership books and business books by female entrepreneurs .

This list includes:

• the best books for entrepreneurs
• nonfiction entrepreneur books
• entrepreneurship books for beginners
• entrepreneurial stories

So, here is the list!

List of entrepreneur books

Here is a list of newly released and all-time top selling entrepreneurship books to help founders weather adversity and build healthy, dynamic businesses.

1. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries

Most startups fail, yet failure is often preventable. In The Lean Startup , Eric Ries describes a sensible approach to founding and running a new company. The book examines common entrepreneurial mistakes and misconceptions and offers up best practices for launching a company.

The Lean Startup Method consists of five main principles:

• Entrepreneurs are everywhere
• Entrepreneurship is management
• Validated learning
• Build-Measure-Learn
• Innovation accounting

Ries backs his practical, factual approach to entrepreneurship with triumphs and failures of real companies, including his own. The Lean Startup does not try to dissuade aspiring entrepreneurs from starting businesses, but rather prepares them for the realities of their new job by adjusting expectations and teaching valuable techniques proven to increase the chances of a startup’s survival.

Notable Quote: “The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.”

Buy The Lean Startup .

2. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuck also wrote Crush It! , a 2009 hit about transforming passion into a personal brand. Crushing It! is a followup to that bestseller. This book is a refreshed and expanded guide to the realities of entrepreneurship. Gary Vaynerchuk revisits and refreshes his advice about seizing your calling and growing your influence. Crushing It! Includes updated examples and case studies of entrepreneurs who triumphed by following the principles of Crush It! . This book has a heavy emphasis on the role of social media leveraging to grow empires. Plus, GaryVee’s signature empathetic yet no-bullsh*t approach makes Crushing It! one of the best books for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Notable Quote: “It’s a matter of survival to think beyond your current successes and constantly look for ways to create new ones so that you’re never limited to any one platform or even one topic.”

Buy Crushing It!

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3. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz

The Hard Thing about Hard Things is one of the must-read entrepreneurship books for beginners. Ben Horowitz is a Silicon Valley venture capitalist. The book lays bare the realities of the entrepreneurial life and is an honest account of what it takes to make a new business thrive. The Hard Thing About Hard Things avoids generalities in favor of presenting specific, realistic obstacles and offering actionable solutions. The book covers topics like layoffs, employee egos, company politics, the mechanics of scaling, plus plenty of other situations that other guides often fail to mention. The Hard Thing About Hard Things delivers advice for difficult situations for the founders who often have no reliable source of support or guidance.

Notable Quote: “People always ask me, “What’s the secret to being a successful CEO?” Sadly, there is no secret, but if there is one skill that stands out, it’s the ability to focus and make the best move when there are no good moves.”

Buy The Hard Thing About Hard Things .

4. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

Zero to One centers around the premise that true innovators do not merely improve upon an existing product, but rather create something entirely new and unique. Real disruptors shift the landscape by introducing concepts the world has never seen, and maintain momentum by constructing an insider culture that inspires loyalty. Peter Thiel is a Silicon Valley investor and the founder of PayPal. The author spills the secrets of what makes a company worth betting on. Zero to One has won the praise of visionaries like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.

Notable Quote: “The best entrepreneurs know this: every great business is built around a secret that’s hidden from the outside. A great company is a conspiracy to change the world; when you share your secret, the recipient becomes a fellow conspirator.”

Buy Zero to One .

5. The Execution Factor: The One Skill that Drives Success by Kim Perell

Many people believe that all it takes to launch a lucrative business is a really good idea. Kim Perell counters that execution is the most important component of the entrepreneurship equation. The Execution Factor explains that anybody can master the behaviors critical to business success by embracing the five key traits of enduring leadership: vision, passion, action, resilience, and relationships.

Henry David Thoreu once famously said, “‘If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” The Execution Factor embraces this philosophy, teaching founders how to pair the sense of purpose and excitement that is so critical to selling an idea with the practical behaviors that ensure smooth implementation.

Notable Quote: “If you change nothing else in your life than the people you spend your time with, you will have increased your chances of success tenfold.”

Buy The Execution Factor .

6. How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs by Guy Raz

How I Built This is one of the best nonfiction entrepreneur books in recent years. This book turns Guy Raz’s popular podcast into an anthology of essays on some of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs. The book consists of three sections: The Call, The Test(s), and The Destination, addressing different stages of the entrepreneurial journey. Each interview and resulting story reveals crucial wisdom about what it takes to succeed in the high-stakes, high-pressure, yet highly rewarding world of entrepreneurship.

Notable Quote: “Good ideas are hard to find and hard to get right. But once you find one, they are also very hard to turn away from. That’s what makes good ideas so intimidating. Not that you won’t ever find one, but that one day you will, and when you do, it’s very possible that your life will never be the same again.”

Buy How I Built This .

7. Why Didn’t Anybody Tell Me This Sh*t Before?: Wit and Wisdom from Women in Business by Marcella Allison and Laura Gale

Why Didn’t Anybody Tell Me This Sh*t Before? is one of the most honest and empowering female entrepreneur books. Marcella Allison and Laura Gale gathered 60 letters full of advice from female owners of businesses large and small. The book imparts valuable pearls of wisdom like “never trade your authenticity for ease or safety,” “let your anger fuel your success,” and “you do not have to be perfect.” Simultaneously humorous and enlightening, Why Didn’t Anybody Tell Me This Sh*t Before? is a must-read for women entrepreneurs.

Notable Quote: “But just because money isn’t your first motivator, it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to get paid what you’re worth.”

Buy Why Didn’t Anybody Tell Me This Sh*t Before?

8. Your Next Level Life: 7 Rules of Power, Confidence, and Opportunity for Black Women in America (African American Women in Business, Be Unapologetically You) by Karen Arrington

Entrepreneur books by Black women have gained traction within the past few years, and Your Next Level Life is a welcome addition to the genre. Karen Arrington has created an ode to Black Girl Magic in guide to thriving in the corporate world as a woman of color. This book delivers inspiration and instruction through seven rules, including “identify your superpowers,” “position yourself like a star,” and “give back from day one.” Your Next Level Life is a treasure trove of encouraging work quotes and uplifting advice and a reminder of the importance of community.

Notable Quote: “So many victories. So much to celebrate. And yet, there’s still so much work to be done. It’s time to redefine what it means to be a courageous, compassionate, and confident black woman today.”

Buy Your Next Level Life .

9. Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph by Chad Sanders

This book is a testament to the against-the-odds achievements of famous Black leaders. Chad Sanders’ debut work is one of the best Black entrepreneur books in recent years. Black Magic traces Chad Sanders’ struggle to fit into Silicon Valley culture prior to realizing the strength of self-acceptance. The book also analyzes the experiences of Black leaders throughout history, showing how they refused to back down in the face of a world that railed against them. Black Magic draws on lessons from historical figures who overcame insurmountable odds, and is a masterclass on perseverance and embracing identity.

Notable Quote: “I remember the day I realized I couldn’t play a white guy as well as a white guy. It felt like a death sentence for my career.”

Buy Black Magic .

10. That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Marc Randolph

Written by Netflix cofounder Marc Randolph, That Will Never Work falls into the genre of business memoirs. The book tells the story of Netflix, from inception to evolution into the industry-leading streaming media giant it is today. That Will Never Work touches on the theme of doubt, emphasizing that entrepreneurs will not only experience moments of self-doubt, but also cynicism and disbelief from the outside world. Randolph narrates his own experience as an example of perseverance and grit that eventually pays off, though not without a great deal of work and faith. This memoir serves as a reminder that even the most prosperous companies can start off shaky and face unimaginable challenges.

Notable Quote: “Everyone is aligned when the wind is blowing the right way. it’s when a storm comes up that all of a sudden it becomes apparent that people have different goals and objectives.”

Buy That Will Never Work .

11. George Washington, Entrepreneur: How Our Founding Father’s Private Business Pursuits Changed America and the World by John Berlau

A delightful blend of two genres, this title is ideal for fans of history biographies that also want to brush up on business skills. John Berlau makes the case that George Washington was not only the US’s first president, but also one of the country’s most influential early entrepreneurs. George Washington, Entrepreneur draws on letters and historical accounts to detail Washington’s business ventures and analyzes the influence those deals had on the fledgling nation.

Notable Quote: “Adjectives like “creative” and “innovative” at first don’t seem to apply to Washington as much as other founding fathers like Jefferson and Franklin. In reality, Washington was just as creative as they were. But his creativity was of a different type. Whereas Franklin built gadgets at his homestead, and Jefferson designed fancy buildings, Washington built a series of interconnected businesses.”

Buy George Washington, Entrepreneur .

12. The Soul-Sourced Entrepreneur: An Unconventional Success Plan for the Highly Creative, Secretly Sensitive, and Wildly Ambitious by Christine Kane

Society often pictures the stereotypical entrepreneur as logical, confident, and stoic. Founders must be tough, because only the strong survive in the unforgiving world of startups. Yet in The Soul-Sourced Entrepreneur , Christine Kane makes the case for conscious and creative entrepreneurs, declaring that sensitivity can be an asset, not just a liability.

The book presents a guide for succeeding in business without sacrificing authenticity or compassion. The Soul-Sourced Entrepreneur explains how to set purposeful and intentional goals, interpret interactions and experiences, manage responsibilities and power, and navigate decisions with both emotion and reason. Kane has created a valuable resource for unlikely entrepreneurs, proving that it is not only sharks who succeed in founding startups.

Notable Quote: “Nothing drains your energy and your brainpower more than unmade decisions. Putting things off can eat away at your ability to think clearly because in the back of your mind, you’re still ruminating and not taking action.”

Buy The Soul-Sourced Entrepreneur .

13. Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World by Rand Fishkin

Written by the founder and former CEO of Moz, Rand Fishkin, Lost and Founder is an entrepreneurship handbook that subverts the standard startup story. Contrary to the Silicon Valley mantra of “move fast and break things,” Fishkin reveals that some of the most successful startups are slow-growing, yet built to last. Lost and Founder tackles topics like the caveats of raising capital from investors, the nature of layoffs, and the importance of timing when introducing a product to market. This book reads like a startup confessional full of sincerity and sage advice.

Notable Quote: “Managing is a skill, not a prize.”

Buy Lost and Founder .

14. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday

The Obstacle Is the Way is a motivational manual with a special attention to entrepreneurship. The principles of stoicism inform this guide to enduring tough times and finding meaning within misfortune. Ryan Holiday uses examples throughout history of great figures overcoming adversity by accepting hardships and persisting through the struggle. The Obstacle Is the Way is a masterclass in discipline, resilience and mindfulness, equipping entrepreneurs with the skills and mindsets they need to weather turbulent times.

Notable Quote: “It’s okay to be discouraged. It’s not okay to quit. To know you want to quit but to plant your feet and keep inching closer until you take the impenetrable fortress you’ve decided to lay siege to in your own life—that’s persistence.”

Buy The Obstacle Is the Way .

15. Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson

After almost a decade, Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography still reigns as one of the best entrepreneur biographies. For this book, Steve Jobs granted Walter Isaacson a series of honest interviews, speaking unabashedly about his life, influences, vision, and root of his success.

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography paints an intimate portrait of the legendary founder of Apple with a surprising amount of humility. While Jobs often presented as a larger-than-life figure throughout his career and inspired hero or god-like worship from fans, this book makes him seem human, albeit a human who achieved remarkable feats. With a tone more aspirational than inspirational, Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography does what every great entrepreneur biography should do: pay respect to both the real story and the subject, and make accomplishments seem attainable.

Notable Quote: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”

Buy Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography .

16. The Founder’s Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup by Noam Wasserman

The word “entrepreneur” often conjures the image of a single visionary embarking on a noble solo quest to enact a vision. Yet new companies often have multiple founders, and the choice of co-founder can be just as pivotal to a business’s success as any of the decisions that follow. Partnering with the right partners is just one of the situations Noam Wasserman addresses in The Founder’s Dilemmas, a book that chronicles the hazards and common missteps of startup culture. Drawing on data from thousands of entrepreneurs and plenty of intimate anecdotes, Noam Wasserman presents research-proven methods for making tough decisions smartly.

Notable Quote: “It’s unfortunate but true: if entrepreneurship is a battle, most casualties stem from friendly fire or self-inflicted wounds.”

Buy The Founder’s Dilemmas .

17. The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage by Daymond John and Daniel Paisner

Though Daymond John eventually headed multi-billion dollar brands like FUBU and served as a judge on Shark Tank , he started his career with almost no money, prospects, or prestige. The Power of Broke charts John’s meteoric rise from selling t-shirts on sidewalks to overseeing one of the most lucrative global streetwear brands. While most entrepreneurs claim to build something out of nothing, Daymond John exemplifies the claim. A lack of resources benefited the author, and can benefit readers too. As the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention.” Desperation can breed innovation, ingenuity, discipline, and drive. With nothing to lose, broke businessmen have everything to gain.

Notable Quote: “The easiest thing to sell is truth.”

Buy The Power of Broke .

18. Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Rework challenges notions like “business plans are the key to success,” “you need outside investors,” and “entrepreneurs must be workaholics.” The book debunks common myths about entrepreneurship, offering instead a productive and practical model for building a business from the ground up. Basecamp founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson embrace the philosophy of “work smarter, not harder,” presenting a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to building a business. The book is devoid of the usual martyrdom and mythos that surround entrepreneurship, favoring instead a balanced, action-centered approach.

Notable Quote: “Working without a plan may seem scary. But blindly following a plan that has no relationship with reality is even scarier.”

Buy Rework .

Having various responsibilities and hectic schedules, an entrepreneur may believe that reading is not the best use of his or her time. Yet entrepreneurship books can be a lifeline to founders who feel like they have nowhere else to turn.

These helpful resources enable leadership to make informed decisions while maintaining an air of competence and composure. Books enable entrepreneurs to benefit from predecessors’ wisdom, thus dodging avoidable mistakes and making smart, informed decisions at every stage of a company’s lifecycle.

For more reading suggestions, check out our list of books on business strategy , HR books , franchise books and books on project management .

We also have a list of the best innovation books , and a list of creativity books for work .

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FAQ: Entrepreneur books

Here are answers to common questions about entrepreneur books.

What are entrepreneur books?

Entrepreneur books are works of nonfiction that provide guidance for company founders and business visionaries. These books navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship, covering topics like securing funding, building a brand, overcoming doubt and enduring hardship, growing companies sustainably, and enacting values and mission. Entrepreneurship books typically share philosophies and best practices, real-life founder stories, or some combination of both.

What are some must read entrepreneur books?

Must read entrepreneurial books include:

• The Hard Thing About Hard Things
• The Lean Startup
• The Founder’s Dilemmas
• That Will Never Work
• Lost and Founder
• Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

All of the titles on the above list are top selling entrepreneur books that impart vital information and advice for aspiring, struggling, or knowledge-hungry entrepreneurs.

Why should you read entrepreneur books?

One of the hardest parts of starting a company is the lack of internal guidance or support. When you are the highest rung on the organizational ladder, consulting with a manager is not an option. Entrepreneurship books provide guidance and reassurance from professionals who have been through the process, enabling founders to avoid common pitfalls. Smart entrepreneurs are always learning and growing, and books are one of the easiest ways to boost skills and knowledge.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com.

Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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13 books to read this summer by billionaires who founded businesses and grew them into legendary empires

• Autobiographies make for good summer reading, and the life stories of entrepreneurs offer both entertainment and insight.
• Business Insider compiled this list of 13 books by billionaire business leaders who started from relatively modest beginnings, in alphabetical order by last name.
• From Marc Benioff to Meg Whitman, each title offers insights into the principles and strategies that helped guide their success.
• Click here for more BI Premium content.

'Behind the Cloud' by Marc Benioff

Marc Benioff has been selling software for four decades, starting as a 15-year-old with programming applications and games that earned him enough royalties to pay for college.

His 2009 book gives readers a peek inside the rise of Salesforce, which he founded in a rented apartment after a 13-year stint with Oracle and is today worth nearly $168 billion.

Throughout the book, Benioff weaves 111 of his entrepreneurial tips, from "integrate philanthropy from the beginning" to "have the courage to pursue your innovation — before it is obvious to the market."

Find it here »

'The Virgin Way' by Richard Branson

Richard Branson has nearly 50 years of entrepreneurial experience. Though he's most well-known as the billionaire founder of Virgin Group, he started his first business venture, Student magazine , at the age of 16 and funded it with a necklace his mother found on the ground.

His book, "The Virgin Way," offers lessons on management and hiring, as well as a look into his failures. 

'How Did You Do It, Truett?' by S. Truett Cathy

This bite-sized book from Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy chronicles his rise to success from working two decades at a diner to leading a multibillion-dollar sandwich chain.

Cathy attributes his success to keeping things simple and to a commitment to principles, such as his decision to keep restaurants closed on Sundays.

'How to Win at the Sport of Business' by Mark Cuban

Dallas Mavericks owner and "Shark Tank" investor Mark Cuban often talks about how he started his career "broke as a joke," stocking up on cheap eats at a local bar.

In "How to Win at the Sport of Business," Cuban fleshes out his best insights on entrepreneurship  from his personal blog , learned in the course of founding and selling several blockbuster businesses.

'Direct from Dell' by Michael Dell

With $1,000 and an idea, Michael Dell launched the company that would become Dell Computer Corp from his freshman dorm room at the University of Texas.

Written in two parts, the book describes the tech company's growth into a $100 billion business and details the management approach that enabled Dell to become the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

'Business at the Speed of Thought' by Bill Gates

Bill Gates is the second richest person in the world, with a net worth of $98 billion. In his book, "Business at the Speed of Thought," the Microsoft founder explains how technology can enhance business operations, urging business owners to see it as a strategic asset. The book was initially published in 1999, but many of Gates' insights remain relevant today .

'Driven From Within' by Michael Jordan

Though not your typical entrepreneur, Michael Jordan began his career as an athlete and solidified his wealth through business, including several restaurant locations and a few startup investments. 

The basketball legend's Air Jordan shoe brought Nike's Jordan brand to $1 billion in sales and his ownership of the Charlotte Hornets NBA franchise has made him one of the richest Black men in America. 

His book, "Driven from Within," shows how his work ethic and success come from his inner determination.

'Shoe Dog' by Phil Knight

In "Shoe Dog," Nike cofounder Phil Knight tells how he built the world's biggest athletic company, which he started in 1964 with his former track coach. Knight spent 52 years at the helm of the company until he retired as chairman in 2016.

The book takes readers on the entrepreneur's personal journey to success and has been lauded as a "must read" for any founder.

'Built from Scratch' by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank

When Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank both got fired from a hardware chain, they decided to team up to build a company that would completely transform the home-improvement industry.

In their book, the duo share advice that guided their 20-year journey to build a company from nothing to more than 760 stores and $30 billion in revenue.

Written in 2001, Blank and Marcus' customer-centric approach to business has current-day echoes in the philosophy that has made companies like Amazon such knock-out success stories.

'Call Me Ted' by Ted Turner

Ted Turner had an inauspicious start to his career, having been expelled from Brown University and returning home to work for his father's billboard business.

After his father died by suicide, Turner took over the company and leveraged the opportunity to build a global media empire that includes CNN.

This autobiography weaves the personal and professional together to show how a boy from Cincinnati became one of the most powerful figures in media.

'Made in America' by Sam Walton

Before there was Jeff Bezos, there was Sam Walton. Indeed, the Amazon founder and CEO says Walton's autobiography is one of his one of his favorite books .

In the book, Walton describes how he started with a $20,000 loan and $5,000 in savings and grew his retail empire from a small variety store in Arkansas to a global marketplace.

'What I Know for Sure' by Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey knows how to build an entrepreneurial empire.

She started her career as a reporter, then entered the entertainment industry as a talk-show host to then become an actress, executive producer, and media mogul. In 2009, Forbes dubbed her the wealthiest Black American of the 20th century.

Her book, "What I know for Sure," is a collection of columns she wrote for O, the Oprah Magazine, based on her personal life experiences. 

'The Power of Many' by Meg Whitman

In "The Power of Many: Values for Success in Business and in Life," former eBay CEO Meg Whitman shares the value system that she credits as a key component of her success .

When Whitman stepped into her leadership position at eBay, the company was still a tiny startup; in a few years, it was an $8 billion powerhouse. After her work at eBay, Whitman became the CEO of Hewlett Packard, where she shepherded the company through a decisive split into two different businesses. 

Now, Whitman faces her biggest challenge of all: co-leading Quibi .

Whitman uses "The Power of Many" to dispel the notion that leaders need to be mechanical, profit-oriented taskmasters. Instead, she champions following a moral compass and leading with empathy, leadership charactertistics that are exceedingly rare and yet incredibly powerful.

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11 Biographies That Will Teach You More Than Any Business Book

Sometimes a 360-degree portrait of a real-life person beats general principles for business insight..

Say you're looking for expert guidance on how to advance your career or build a better business. Where do you turn? There are, of course, millions of books  offering advice and abstract principles on every aspect of business. But even after reading them, you may be left thinking, "That all sounds well and good, but what does that actually look like in practice?"

The place to turn, according to one entrepreneur, is biographies. On Twitter recently, founder and CTO Colin Landforce confessed that he's traded in general advice for deeper dives into the lives of past innovators . "I stopped reading business books a while ago. I'm reading history and biographies instead," he tweeted. 

Looking for titles to add to his to-read queue, Landforce asked his 20,000-plus followers to suggest great biographies and memoirs. More than 100 ideas poured in. Landforce helpfully sorted through the suggestions to weed out repetitions and self-promoters, coming up with a final tally of 43 recommendations. The full list is here or, to get you started, here are a handful of the most promising. 

1. The Tycoons by Charles R. Morris

A group biography of four Gilded Age men who created the modern American economy (for better and for worse): Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, and J.P. Morgan. 

2. The Innovators by Walter Isaacson  

The Innovators is celebrated biographer Walter Isaacson's deep dive into the history of the digital revolution, tracing the origins of the internet from its beginnings with Ada Lovelace to the contributions of contemporary visionaries like Tim Berners-Lee and Larry Page. 

3. The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen 

This book has nothing to do with fish or whales but is instead "the fascinating untold tale of Samuel Zemurray, the self-made banana mogul who went from penniless roadside banana peddler to kingmaker and capitalist revolutionary," according to Amazon. Booklist insists "it is nearly impossible to put the book down."

4. American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography traces the life of physicist Robert Oppenheimer from his early career to his work on the Manhattan Project developing the atom bomb to his later misgivings about the impact of his life's work upon the world. 

5. The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro  

Another Pulitzer Prize winner, this biography of New York politician and "master builder" Robert Moses  garnered ecstatic reviews. The Sunday Times called it "simply one of the best nonfiction books in English of the past 40 years." Focused not just on the man but also on the city he remade, the book is "surely the greatest book ever written about a city," according to legendary journalist David Halberstam. 

6. The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger 

Best-selling author Brené Brown had this to say about the former Disney CEO's memoir : "I expected a book written by the person who has led Disney for decades to be defined by both gripping storytelling and deep leadership wisdom. Bob Iger delivers, and then some! The Ride of a Lifetime is leadership gold."

7. The Box by Marc Levinson

A biography of a technology rather than a person, this book by economist Marc Levinson unravels how the rise of container shipping quietly remade our economy and fueled the rise of globalization. 

8. Grinding It Out by Ray Kroc 

 In Grinding It Out , the McDonald's founder explains how he revolutionized the restaurant business at the not-so-tender age of 52 while also opening up about his personal life and philosophy. 

9. Tap Dancing to Work by Carol J. Loomis

This collection of writings from a journalist and longtime friend of Warren Buffett 's charts the rise of Berkshire Hathaway and attempts to explain what about Buffett's character and approach led him to become one of the world's most successful investors. 

10. The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

Actually a historical novel about the battle between Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla to electrify America, The Last Days of Night was Mark Zuckerberg's pick for his top summer book. Read it for entertainment value as much as historical and business insight. 

11. The Man Who Solved the Market by Gregory Zuckerman

This biography that reads like a page-turner tells "the unbelievable story of a secretive mathematician who pioneered the era of the algorithm--and made $23 billion doing it," according to Amazon. 

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Biographies About Epic Entrepreneurs From rags-to-riches tales to memoirs from the driven founders of fast-rising startups, hear the stories of bold risk takers and their remarkable triumphs.

• A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
• By: Phil Knight
• Narrated by: Norbert Leo Butz, Phil Knight - introduction
• Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 52,360
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 46,349
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 46,277

Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company's early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world's most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands....

• 5 out of 5 stars

Just read it. (or listen, whatever)

• By Dan D on 07-07-16
• Narrated by: Norbert Leo Butz , Phil Knight - introduction
• Release date: 04-26-16
• Language: English
• 5 out of 5 stars 52,360 ratings

• 40 Inspirational Life Lessons And Powerful Wisdom From Oprah Winfrey
• By: Entrepreneur Publishing, Scarlett Johnson
• Narrated by: Hillary Hawkins
• Length: 1 hr and 1 min
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 114
• Performance 3.5 out of 5 stars 98
• Story 4 out of 5 stars 96

As the first black female on the Forbes billionaire list, it was obvious that Oprah Winfrey was not only a great talk show host but a smart business woman....

To attain Success

• By Archana on 12-14-15
• By: Entrepreneur Publishing , Scarlett Johnson
• Release date: 07-07-15
• 4 out of 5 stars 114 ratings

• The House That Jack Ma Built
• By: Duncan Clark
• Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
• Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 3,119
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,677
• Story 4 out of 5 stars 2,669

An engrossing insider's account of how a teacher built one of the world's most valuable companies - rivaling Walmart and Amazon - and forever reshaped the global economy....

• 4 out of 5 stars

Strange: Best part of story happens "off-screen"

• By Tristan on 09-02-16
• Release date: 04-12-16
• 4 out of 5 stars 3,119 ratings

This Is Not a T-Shirt

• A Brand, a Culture, a Community - a Life in Streetwear
• By: Bobby Hundreds
• Narrated by: Bobby Hundreds
• Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 444
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 390
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 391

The story of The Hundreds and the precepts that made it an iconic streetwear brand by Bobby Hundreds himself....

Bitter sweet

• By Overland Projects on 10-25-19
• Release date: 06-25-19
• 5 out of 5 stars 444 ratings

Built from Scratch

• How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion
• By: Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank, Bob Andelman
• Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
• Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 629
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 539
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 538

Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people built a business from nothing to 761 stores and $30 billion in sales in a mere 20 years....

Bezos must have read this book.

• By Jensen on 06-22-17
• By: Bernie Marcus , Arthur Blank , Bob Andelman
• Release date: 05-30-17
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 629 ratings

• My Extraordinary Story - from Refugee to Entrepreneur to Philanthropist
• By: Dame Stephanie Shirley CH
• Narrated by: Rachel Atkins
• Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 21
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 15
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 15

In 1962, Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley created a software company when the concept of software barely existed. Freelance Programmers employed women to work on complex projects such as Concorde's black box recorder from the comfort of their own homes....

• Release date: 04-04-19
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

Grinding It Out

• The Making of McDonald's
• By: Ray Kroc, Robert Anderson
• Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies
• Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,279
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,107
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,097

Few entrepreneurs can claim to have radically changed the way we live, and Ray Kroc is one of them. His revolutions in food-service automation, franchising, shared national training, and advertising have earned him a place beside the men and women who have founded not only businesses....

great book annoying narration

• By Brandon on 12-20-18
• By: Ray Kroc , Robert Anderson
• Release date: 09-19-18
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,279 ratings

• The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
• By: Ron Chernow
• Narrated by: Grover Gardner
• Length: 35 hrs and 3 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 8,940
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 7,866
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 7,840

Titan is the first full-length biography based on unrestricted access to Rockefeller’s exceptionally rich trove of papers. A landmark publication full of startling revelations, the book indelibly alters our image of this most enigmatic capitalist....

He makes Bill Gates look like a Pauper!

• By Rick on 11-04-13
• Release date: 12-30-12
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 8,940 ratings

The First Tycoon

• The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
• By: T.J. Stiles
• Narrated by: Mark Deakins
• Length: 28 hrs and 45 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,438
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,186
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,176

A gripping, groundbreaking biography of the combative man whose genius and force of will created modern capitalism. Founder of a dynasty, builder of the original Grand Central, creator of an impossibly vast fortune, Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt is an American icon....

Great! If you can get through it...

• By john on 08-08-10
• Release date: 04-21-09
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,438 ratings

The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie

• By: Andrew Carnegie
• Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
• Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 415
• Performance 4 out of 5 stars 344
• Story 4 out of 5 stars 346

Andrew Carnegie was an immigrant, a poor boy who worked in a cotton mill, a man who amassed a great fortune as a steel baron and then became one of the most generous and influential philanthropists the world has ever known....

• 1 out of 5 stars

The narration ruined it!!

• By Sami on 11-14-13
• Release date: 05-10-12
• 4 out of 5 stars 415 ratings

• An American Life
• By: David Cannadine
• Narrated by: John H. Mayer
• Length: 35 hrs and 57 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 285
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 215
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 218

A landmark work from one of the preeminent historians of our time: the first published biography of Andrew W. Mellon....

Fascinating and Detailed Biography

• By Nostromo on 04-17-07
• Release date: 10-03-06
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 285 ratings

• Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
• By: Ashlee Vance
• Narrated by: Fred Sanders
• Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 57,632
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 50,543
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 50,436

Elon Musk is both an illuminating and authorized look at the extraordinary life of one of Silicon Valley's most exciting, unpredictable, and ambitious entrepreneurs....

The best of competence porn

• By Tristan on 08-20-16
• Release date: 05-19-15
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 57,632 ratings

• What It Takes to Survive as an Entrepreneur
• By: Josh York
• Narrated by: Josh York
• Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 4
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 3
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 3

In Fuel , author and entrepreneur Josh York explains how you can make the seemingly impossible possible and see your dreams become a reality by making a system that works for you....

You can feel Josh's passion!

• By Josh on 03-05-20
• Release date: 11-26-18
• 4 out of 5 stars 4 ratings

It Takes Two

• By: Jonathan Scott, Drew Scott
• Narrated by: Drew Scott, Jonathan Scott
• Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 904
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 817
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 817

It Takes Two: Our Story shares never-before-revealed tales of the Scott brothers' childhood and rise to fame....

• 2 out of 5 stars

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More From Forbes

20 tips for self-publishing success as an entrepreneur.

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Self-publishing a book can offer entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their brand without traditional publishing limitations. However, the self-publishing process isn't always easy. It requires careful planning and smart strategies to ensure your book reaches and resonates with its intended readers.

Here, 20 Forbes Business Council members share tips for self-publishing a book, from investing in professional editing services to connecting with the audience. If you're considering beginning your publishing journey, these insights can help you effectively leverage your book as a tool for brand growth.

1. Investing In A Marketing Concept

One tip for self-publishing a book is to invest in a marketing concept for the book, as well as professional editing and design. While self-publishing allows for greater creative control and potentially higher profits, a professional marketing strategy that includes the next touchpoint will significantly enhance your success. - Stephy Beck , Stephy Beck - femEnergy, flenski.io

2. Pay For Professional Editing And Design

I have books that are traditionally published and books that are self-published. The self-publishing route is faster and allows for control over every aspect of the book. However, the best tip I have for self-publishing your book is to ensure that it is professionally edited, designed and published so that it looks like a traditionally published book. Don't cut corners. A book is a wonderful calling card. - Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino , Compliance4, LLC

3. Write It With A Business Partner

Consider co-writing a book with a business partner to make the journey more enjoyable. This opens the door to considering new perspectives regarding the content and the style of the book. Focus on delivering value to the reader and getting creative in terms of how you structure and design the book. Mix personal stories with data and science while working with an editor and book designer. - Andreea Vanacker , One Million Years Of Joy

‘Diddy’ Arrest: 50 Cent, Charlamagne Tha God And Other Celebrities React

In photos: ‘harvest supermoon’ lunar eclipse sets up a ‘ring of fire’, today’s nyt mini crossword clues and answers for wednesday, september 18th, 4. focus on pre-publication marketing.

As a published author, if I had a do-over, I’d put more emphasis on pre-publication marketing to generate interest. Send out advanced copies and encourage recipients to share their unboxing experiences on social media. Line up podcast appearances to reach a wider audience. These strategies will not only build excitement but also create a supportive community around your book before it launches! - Judi Hays , Judi Hays, Inc.

5. Look At It As An Opportunity

When publishing my first book, I initially felt like I was writing my dissertation all over again. Determined not to allow this self-chosen venture to become another long list of things to do, I shifted my mindset from “I have to” to “I get to.” This simple shift allowed me to fully immerse myself in the book writing experience, returning the joy and excitement back into the writing process! - Christine S. Ghilain , Brain Health Neuropsychology & Brain Health Consulting

6. Utilize Digital Publishing Platforms

Take advantage of the digital platforms—Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing for instance. This enables one to get to the international market quickly, keep artistic rights and have a higher share of income. Self-publishing leads to an author being branded as an expert in their given field, thus helping to create new business opportunities. - Sameera Devuruwan (Sam Dee) , HEXXION

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?

7. Build A Team To Assist With The Process

The word "self-publishing" does not mean you are alone—too many people think this! There are so many industry professionals still at your fingertips—editors, ghostwriters, reviewers, publicists and agents—who will still help you through the process. Ask for help and build your team. These people are more experienced in the industry and will be vital to your success. - Georgia Godfrey , Foresight Strategies

8. Act Like Your Book Is A Startup

Treat your book like a startup by crafting a killer cover, investing in quality editing and leveraging your network for marketing. Self-publishing gives you full control and higher royalties. With the right hustle, your book becomes a powerful brand extension and a launchpad for new opportunities. - Dr. Christina Carter , Her Practice™️

9. Develop A Community Before Launch

Build a strong pre-launch community through social media and email lists. Early interaction with potential readers will give rise to anticipation and insightful feedback. Not only will that raise the visibility of your book but it will also provide the initial backing that would make the launch more successful and increase the reach of your brand. - Pavel Stepanov , Virtudesk

10. Take Your Time

I just finished publishing my book, so my fresh-from-the-press advice is to slow down to get better results. Focus on quality, not timelines. Hire an experienced writing coach, copyright editors and designers. Beware of flashy book design companies who promise you short deadlines, as cutting corners may hurt your brand. Focus on the quality of your message and let the experts do what they do best. - Loubna Noureddin , Mind Market

11. Make Design And Layout A Priority

Prioritize professional cover design and layout, as self-published books are often judged by their appearance. A polished, visually appealing book can set you apart from the multitude of self-published works and attract readers who value quality. - Sarah Saadoun , Exit Advisor - Business Broker

12. Don't Strive For Perfection

What are your goals for the book? You don't have to write a Pulitzer Prize-winning piece of literature to still create credibility for yourself in your area of expertise. Just get writing. Pretty good and published is better than the excellent book you never get around to writing. - Erin Stafford , Stafford Company

13. Run Targeted Ads

If I ever chose to self-publish a book, I’d focus on running targeted ads on LinkedIn and Amazon. LinkedIn ads would help me reach the right industry professionals, while Amazon ads would keep my book visible to readers already interested in similar topics. This strategy could boost sales and position the book—and my brand—as an authority, making sure it lands in front of the right audience. - Sabrina Graf , Heartbeat Consulting

14. Dictate Your Book

Focus on dictation. I found this out on a podcast years ago, and now have three books and one pending that were all dictated. For centuries, books weren't written; they were dictated. It can be faster for the writing process and give you a conversational tone that makes a topic more accessible. - Gary Romano , Civitas Strategies

15. Write With A Specific Value Proposition In Mind

Connect with your audience by writing the book specific to a succinct value proposition—what do the readers gain from reading it? Build a business model specific to the book's value proposition, having a clear audience, as well as a strategy for distribution, monetization and operations. Determine how the book will be created from concept to delivery. This approach helps establish a strategic, direct and effective path to market. - Deisell Donahoe , DIOSS LLC

16. Offer Appealing Visuals And Polished Content

There is a saying in my country that can roughly be translated as, "While greeted, you are judged by your clothes, but when sent away—judged by your mind." Everyone must invest in professional editing and design. Many self-published authors underestimate the impact of polished content and appealing visuals. To connect with your wisdom later, the audience should first be “hooked" to buy your book. - Nikola Minkov , Serpact

17. Build An Audience On Social Media

Leverage social media to build a dedicated audience before launching your self-published book. Engaging with your followers through consistent, valuable content creates anticipation and ensures a strong initial sales push. This approach not only boosts visibility but also fosters a loyal readership, enhancing long-term success. - Salvador Ordorica , The Spanish Group LLC

18. Invest In Editing Apps

One tip for self-publishing is to invest in editing apps. Quality editing not only polishes your text, enhancing readability and credibility but also ensures that the content effectively communicates your brand’s message. This attention to detail can significantly impact the book’s reception, helping you build a strong, professional image and connect with your target audience more effectively. - Dr. Malcolm Adams , Avid Solutions Intl

19. Ensure Your Content Is Unique And Engaging

I am convinced that a book is an excellent way to strengthen your brand and advance personally. It’s crucial that the content is unique and engaging. Promoting a book through online services is relatively straightforward today, but it’s essential not to skimp on advertising and PR efforts. Also, organizing a casual meeting with professionals can help establish a closer connection with the audience. - Jekaterina Beljankova , WALLACE s.r.o

20. Establish A Thought Leadership Strategy

A book is just a tool in the development of your thought leadership. To use it efficiently, have a comprehensive strategy of thought leadership development, as a book may not really be the go-to tool with there being possibly better tools. On top of that, any strategy is about execution—and if you don’t have a clear vision, your tools won’t make any sense. - Oleg Chanchikov , CapyGroup

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Playing to Win: Nitish Mittersain on Entrepreneurship, Saxophone and Future of Gaming Today, one is well aware of jargon such as start-ups, funding, venture capital, and equity. However, the late 1990s start-up landscape in India was a barren one. "I struggled to monetize at first, and real monetization was in 2007- 2008," said Mittersain

By Paromita Gupta Sep 18, 2024

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

As children, many of us dream of becoming painters, footballers, dancers, or musicians. But as one grows older, those dreams often take a different path. Very few can make a living from their childhood passion, and Nitish Mittersain is one such exception.

Following his passion for over 30 years now, Mittersain's introduction to the world of gaming was through Atari gifted by his father at the age of five. At seven, he began basic coding games. "It was a natural progression by the time I got to college that I'd do something in gaming. I thought gaming in India would become big someday," said Mittersain at Entrepreneur Summit 2024 . The by-product of his gaming interest took the shape of Nazara Technologies in 1998. At present, its network includes Nodwin Gaming, Nextwave Multimedia, SportsKeeda, Halaplay, Qunami, and Nazara Digital.

Key hurdles: Raising funds and IPO

"My mom always wanted me to do an MBA in the US, but now I often look back and say, I did a more expensive and enriching MBA sitting on the streets of Mumbai trying to figure out my life," Nitish Mittersain, Joint MD, Nazara Technologies shared candidly.

Today, one is well aware of jargon such as start-ups, funding, venture capital, and equity. However, the late 1990s start-up landscape in India was a barren one. "I struggled to monetize at first, and real monetization was in 2007- 2008," said Mittersain.

In the nascent stage, Mittersain's idea found backing in Sandeep Singhal and Westbridge Capital in 2005. In 2017, the "Big Bull" of the Indian stock market Rakesh Jhunjhunwala took an investor seat at the gaming start-up. So, what brought him on board? "I think what he liked about our company is we had raised very little capital from 2000 to 2017, we had raised only USD three million. But the company had grown quite a bit till then. He liked our old-school values in terms of cash flow and profits," he added. Jhunjhunwala came in during Nazara's first attempt at going public.

Having tried for a year to be IPO-ready, Nazara eventually had to postpone the plans due to the changing market dynamics. Contrary to the situation, the start-up reignited its IPO aspirations amid the 2020 pandemic. In March 2021 Nazara Technologies became the first Indian gaming company to go public and currently has a market capitalisation of over INR 8,000 crore. "It was a different time and a different thing. In the first attempt, we didn't get even one X subscription. In the second attempt, we got 175 times the subscription. So things changed… I think there was a concern about how investors will understand gaming," he added.

Since 2007-08, it has been working with 150 telecom entities in 50 countries. In recent times, it has aggressively been acquiring potential smaller bets such as STAN, Fusebox Games, Paper Boat Apps, and PokerBaazi's parent company- Moonshine Technology.

Words of wisdom: Entrepreneurial take

"Nazar became a billion-dollar company in 20 years, today, getting to a billion-dollar company in three years is very much possible," he shared optimistically.

Having procured funds five years into existence, can a start-up grow being bootstrapped? "The Indian market has evolved today… Entrepreneurs should be dreaming big; your business model has to be suitable for that. If you think a business model is something that will grow slowly over a period of time, then bootstrapping it is the best because you retain all equity and all control in the company," he shared.

Mittersain, citing an article, adds that 99.99 per cent of people are grossly underestimating what AI is going to do to our world and lives. He emphasized how one needs to leverage that to move faster, have a faster turnaround, and faster iterations.

On finding the right time to go public, he shares, "Indian public markets look for a minimum level of profitability scale and predictability of growth. Anybody thinking of going public three years before, start thinking of everything related to governance." The amount of value created by start-ups, particularly tech start-ups, in the next decade, will be unparalleled, "I think our NIFTY will convert into the NASDAQ of India."

On a lighter note, he spoke about setting aside time for one's leisure passion. Having played Saxophone for over 20 years in a Jazz band, he feels helps pursue balance while building a start-up.

Future of Gaming

Having been in the space for over 30 years, he highlights the ever-changing nature of the industry and calls it both "an opportunity and a threat." Artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR), Metaverse, and Web3 are expected to play a larger role in the next five years. Notably, Nazara has been eyeing VR since 2010-11 and even played with the idea of establishing a VR lab.

Nazara in times to come

"I think there's no doubt in my mind that Nazara will do something in VR, and we will acquire a VR studio soon," Mittersain shed light on the VR acquisition and expansion plans.

At Nazara, they are also building an AI playbook for testing and reinventing gaming. Mittersain also shares that in the next six to nine months they expect to have an AI playbook for gaming which can be replicated for all studios Nazara is acquiring.

"I think everybody needs to be thinking three years out, uh, because otherwise there will be huge disruption and you don't want to be on the wrong side of disruption," he concludes.

Entrepreneur Staff

Features Writer with Entrepreneur India

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