Need some business book ideas to read or even gift for your family and friends? This list of the best business books of all time is enough to get you started (to say the least).

Now that there are more and more ways to access, it doesn’t mean our beloved books need to get lost with every passing generation.

In fact, the best business books are more read than ever before. This spike in popularity is due to it being easier than ever to start a business, many people having side-hustles, and the increase in popularity of Audiobooks and eBooks.

The increase in popularity has come with an increase in content. There is almost an endless supply of non-fiction books getting published.

In an attempt to save something for future generations, we have created a HUGE collection of over 100 of the best business books of all time.

Some of these titles might seem familiar but there will also be many you have never heard of.

I have tried to include a range of books here and each has a short wrote-up on why the book is awesome.

Treat this article kinda like your own encyclopedia. You don’t have to read it all at once. If you find a book you like, you can click through to our summary or purchase it through the links provided. You can always come back later.

I hope you find a great book for your collection, or as the perfect gift for a loved one.

The best business books of all time

Sales And Marketing Books

One of the quintessential business book sub-genres are books based on marketing your business.

Marketing and sales have come a long way since the ‘Mad Men’ days of smokey conference rooms and TV jingles. There are plenty of different styles of marketing book out there these days.

If you’re a small business owner, you may be interested in our list of marketing books for small businesses, click here.

This Is Marketing – Seth Godin

Seth Godin’s This Is Marketing is a personal favorite. Godin’s outlook on what marketing is (and isn’t) serves as a great northern star for those who are responsible for the marketing in their business.

The book dives deep into the essence of marketing, which is giving a solution to a particular somebodies’ problem. I re-read this book regularly.

You can read a summary of This Is Marketing here if you’d like to know more.

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The One Hour Content Plan – Meera Kothand

The first of our content marketing books, The One Hour Content Plan is a simple but effective way for those to start to get a handle of their own content marketing.

This book has one goal, to get you to come up with an entire years’ worth of content in under sixty minutes.

If you’re the type of solopreneur who is trying to get into content marketing but never know where to start, this book is for you. There are plenty of content marketing books out there, but if you want a quick and easy solution, The One Hour Content Plan is a great start.

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Pre-Suasion – Robert Caldini

Pre-Suasion is Robert Caldini’s most famous title, and for good reason. Building on his super-popular title, Influence, Pre-Suasion explains the key moment in trying to persuade is actually the moments before you deliver the message.

With research cited in the book, Caldini proves that when selling, look to change a potential client’s state of mind before you try to persuade.

This can be done with seemingly trivial phrases and items.

An example from the book is stated by a reviewer on the Amazon page:

For example, a company was introducing a new soft drink and had representatives stationed in a mall. Their job was to stop shoppers, explain the features of the new soft drink and attempt to gain the shoppers’ email address in exchange for the promise of a sample. The success rate was less than 33%. But when a Pre-Suasion question, “Are you adventurous?” was asked prior to launching into the discussion about the new soft drink, the results were astounding. First 97% of the people responded that there were in fact adventurous. They all had a better than average sense of humour as well. But what was really amazing was that once people had affirmed they were adventurous, the success rate shot up to 75%.

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Crushing It! – Gary Vaynerchuk

Crushing It! is one of Gary Vee’s most popular books. With stories of successful entrepreneurs who have built their influence online, the book is a great guide to any business owner.

With a special focus on social media, Crushing It! lays out game plans for those business owners who feel they’re behind the 8-ball when it comes to social media.

While the world of social media is constantly changing, Vaynerchuk gives principles that are still incredibly relevant.

We have a book summary on Crushing It! if you want to learn a little more about the book.

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Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim

Blue Ocean Strategy is more than just a marketing or sales book, but it is a way of life.

Often, we find ourselves neck and neck with our competition, fighting over the same market.

What this ends with, is a bloody, red ocean and a group of sharks fighting for the shrinking amount of sales.

What this book suggests, is rather than fight off your competition, find untapped ‘blue oceans’ that you can be an early adopter in.

By following the Blue Ocean Strategy, you can set your business apart from those around you, which, in a shrinking global market, is more important than ever.

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Building A StoryBrand – Donald Miller

What is a Story Brand?

Good question. If you’re a film buff, you probably already know the elements of a story brand. Actually, even if you’re not a movie-head, Story Brands take on storytelling aspects that are as old as time itself and helps you bring them into your business.

What is most important to remember when you’re living a StoryBrand, is that the client is the hero of the story, not you.

Bringing the lessons from the book to your business will help you build better relationships with your prospects, as well as give you a framework to build the messaging for your business.

When it comes to copywriting, this book is one that I love. You can read my summary of it here.

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But I’m Not An Expert – Meera Kothand

Impostor Syndrome is something that is unfortunately far too common with entrepreneurs. In But I’m Not An Expert, Kothand gives a playbook on how to stop feeling like a fraud and start to position yourself with your marketing efforts.

When personal branding is almost a must in a lot of business types these days, this book will help you get over yourself and start to make waves.

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Pitch Anything – Oren Klaff

Oren Klaff has used a system to raise over $400 million dollars for companies. So, you could say he knows what he’s talking about. In Pitch Anything, Oren Klaff shares his STRONG method for everyone to use.

Setting the Frame
Telling the Story
Revealing the Intrigue
Offering the Prize
Nailing the Hookpoint
Getting a Decision

Pitch Anything is a step-by-step guide on how to use Klaff’s STRONG method to pitch anything to anyone.

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Hacking Growth – Sean Ellis

If I told you there was a common method that successful startups like Uber, Pinterest, Facebook and Airbnb all used would you be interested in finding out what that is?

In Hacking Growth, Sean Ellis explores the methodology that all these companies used.

That methodology is called Growth Hacking. What is now a pretty common phase in the startup world, growth hacking has been used by other companies like IMB and Microsoft.

If you’re interested in learning about market share growth, then Hacking Growth is a must-read.

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Sell Like Crazy – Sabri Suby

Sabri Suby is the man behind Australia’s fastest growing agency, King Kong. In Sell Like Crazy, Suby reveals his 8-phase digital marketing and selling system that generates leads and sales.

Sell Like Crazy offers a lot of specific how-to’s and not just vague advice. For example, the book also dives into how you can write Facebook Ads and Google AdWord ads that entice your clients to click.

This book offers easy-to-digest frameworks that you can use in your business, no matter what you’re in.

If you’re an advanced digital marketer, you may not get the entire value from Sell Like Crazy, but any beginner will learn a lot from the book.

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The Boron Letters – Gary Halbert

When it comes to marketing and selling, the art of copywriting is one of the hardest to master.

Gary Halbert is arguably the best copywriter of all time. And if he isn’t the best, he’s definitely the most influential.

When I was studying copywriting, I found that Gary Halbert was almost at the centre of the world copywriting web. It seemed like everyone who I researched was influenced by Halbert’s work.

The Boron Letters is a series of letters that Gary Halbert wrote to his son explaining the secrets of effective marketing.

As this book is literally a series of letters, there is a lot more than just marketing covered. Halbert discusses relationships, health, fitness, and wellbeing, along with how to write effective marketing copy.

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Subscribed – Tien Tzuo

When it comes to marketing and sales, sometimes you have to look at your entire offering. Did you know that, on average, subscription-based companies grow nine times faster than their competition?

Subscription based services are everywhere these days. You can get almost anything in a subscription model these days, from TV to music to razor blades.

In Subscribed, Tien Tzuo looks at how you can transition into relying on individual sales to successfully implementing a subscription model.

If you’re interested in following the subscription model, then this book is required reading, even if it is only for the case studies like Adobe, who quadrupled their valuation by offering cloud services at a monthly fee.

If you want to learn more, you can read our Subscribed summary here.

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They Ask You Answer – Marcus Sheridan

They Ask You Answer is a content marketing guide that cuts through a lot of the BS and gives you a straightforward guide to getting your marketing on track.

If you’re a small business owner who has been overspending on TV and radio ads, then this book will be the change of pace you’re after.

In They Ask You Answer, we look at how you can use the internet to bring customers to you for free by offering the answers to the questions that your ideal customers are asking.

Sheridan found his method when he was a down-on-his-luck pool company owner during the housing collapse in America; As they say, necessity is the mother of invention.

They Ask You Answer offers a simple way to get your marketing on track by focusing on answering and not selling.

If you’d like to know more, you can read our summary here.

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Never Lose A Customer Again – Joey Coleman

When it comes to marketing and selling, there is so much more than just getting the customers through the door initially. The first 100 days after the initial sale can make sure you create raving fans who are loyal customers.

Think of the advertising costs you’d save if 50% more of your customers became repeat-customers.

In Never Lose A Customer Again, Joey Coleman offers a way to drastically increase customer satisfaction, and in turn, retention.

The book goes through the first 100 days after the initial purchase, and what you can do to make sure your customers are with you for life.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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Content Inc. – Joe Pulizzi

When it comes to content marketing, the Content Marketing Institute is the go-to resource. CMI’s founder, Joe Pulizzi is one of the key influencers in the content space and Content Inc. is a great book on the new business model for the online age.

Content Inc. explores how people all over the world are starting a business that is built upon the content they create. From YouTube stars who sell products, to the backyard chicken man that has a booming business, Content Inc. shows that a content first business model can be used by anybody.

The basic premise of the book is to build your audience BEFORE you have anything to sell them. This gives you the opportunity to learn about their pain points and the solutions to those pains.

If you have an established business, you’ll still get something from this book, but this is great if you’re looking at starting a side-hustle.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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Best Leadership And Management Books

In business, leadership and management are skills that will either make or break you as your business grows.

While a lot of leadership comes from experience, you can develop these vital leadership skills quicker by reading some of these leadership books.

Dare To Lead – Brene Brown

Dare to Lead is Brene Brown’s signature book. Brown’s work is in leadership and teaching what it means to rise strong and be a good leader. In Dare To Lead, Brown encourages a culture of daring leadership that goes from the top down in a company.

In doing so, the book answers questions like ‘how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?’

If you’d like to read our summary of Dare To Lead, you can do so here.

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No Bullshit Leadership – Chris Hirst

Based on the author’s hard work and experience, No Bullshit Leadership offers a working manual on how anybody can become a leader.

What I like about this book is that there are direct and simple approaches that cut to the core of modern leadership while skipping over the over-analysis and jargon.

If you want to learn more about the book you can read our summary here.

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7 Habits Of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Convey

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People is one of the most popular non-fiction books in the last fifty years. The book covers… well… the seven habits that highly effective people have (funnily enough).

Those habits are:

• Habit 1: Be Proactive
• Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind
• Habit 3: Put First Things First
• Habit 4: Think Win-Win
• Habit 5: Seek First To Understand Then Be Understood
• Habit 6: Synergize
• Habit 7: Sharpen The Saw

You can read our summary of the book here if you’d like more information.

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The Coaching Habit – Michael Bungay Stanier

Coaching your employees is a way to develop as a leader. In The Coaching Habit, Michael Stanier shows how to become a better and more consistent coach.

The book explores the seven essential coaching questions needed to achieve more by saying less.

Leadership is more about listening than it is talking, and The Coaching Habit is a great book for anyone looking to improve their coaching.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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How To Win Friends And Influence People – Dale Carnegie

How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie may be THE quintessential self-help book. While it isn’t necessarily written as a leadership text, the skills from the classic book translate to becoming a better leader.

If you’ve never read How To Win Friends And Influence People, you should at least read our summary.

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Extreme Ownership – Jocko Willink

There isn’t a lot that is more extreme than the NAVY SEALS!! In Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink discusses the leadership techniques and concept that SEAL use to achieve extraordinary results and how they can be translated.

Yes, that is every part as badass as it sounds.

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The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz

Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz shares his wisdom and experiences about starting and leading a business.

While a lot of business authors talk about the best parts of running a business and being a leader, The Hard Thing About Hard Things talks about all the troubles that every entrepreneur goes through and how to overcome them.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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The Paradox Of Choice – Barry Schwartz

Choice is always seen as a good thing. The more choice, the better. But, is that really the case?

In The Paradox Of Choice, Barry Schwarts teaches that too much choice can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up to fail with expectations that are far too large, and worst of all, it can make you blame yourself if there’s a failure…. After all, you’re the one who chose it.

This book is a great insight to the decisions you sometimes have to make as a leader.

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On Becoming A Leader – Warren Bennis

One of the key researchers in all things leadership, Warren Bennis is of the core belief that leaders aren’t born, they’re made.

On Becoming A Leader has a focus on Bennis’ life of work on leadership and how you can use it to become a better leader.

An engaging read that even experienced leaders will learn something from.

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Reboot – Jerry Colonna

Jerry Colonna is a venture capitalist turned executive coach who helps CEOs and successful entrepreneurs overcome any psychological trauma they may be facing and become more successful.

In Reboot, Colonna gives an insight into his unusual but incredibly successful methods.

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The Score Takes Care Of Itself – Bill Walsh

Bill Walsh changed NFL Football. In Walsh’s tremendous coaching career, he turned the San Francisco 49ers from the league’s laughing stock into perennial Superbowl contenders.

Prior to the legendary coaches’ death, he had a series of sit-down interviews where he discussed his views on leadership. Those interviews make up the book, The Score Will Take Care Of Itself.

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Leading – Sir Alex Ferguson

Speaking of great sports coaches, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Leading covers the iconic managers rise from Scotland to managing Manchester United to more wins than any other manager.

Sir Alex’s leadership mentality has been expertly translated into business. You’ll learn a lot about culture setting, hiring, and everything else that is important when it comes to leading.

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Radical Candor – Kim Scott

As far as a practical guide to leading goes, Radical Candor is one of the best.

The book is a straight shooting, no nonsense, no pontificating approach to how to be a kickass Manager!

Radical Candor is great for leaders of all levels and walks through some foundational things way that doesn’t make you feel stupid.

The best part is that the book gets into how to actually establish trust with your direct reports. As in “say this” and “do this”.

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Leaders Eat Last – Simon Sinek

Part biology book, part leadership book, in Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek explores this unique ability humans have to work together and how leaders make that process happen.

Sinek goes deep and even examines the chemicals that course through us; the ones that tell us we are happy, sad, angry or stressed.

These emotions are the ones leaders must harness to develop and create change.

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Astroball – Ben Reiter

Note, you don’t have to like Baseball to read Astroball.

Not only a narrative on how the joke of the MLB became world series champs, the book is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at so many and varied decision making processes that are made in business. The author does a great job of following good and poor decisions, explaining the processes and the people.

There is so much from this book that you can take with you into your own business.

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Find Your Why – Simon Sinek

So many books on this list aim to narrow-down and cover a lot of the how-tos in business. However, Find Your Why offers so much more.

A big picture that we often forget about.

Without a why you can find yourself drifting from one opportunity to the next, with nothing more than fleeting excitement for a new idea.

This book will give you that starting point and your North Star with your business and your life.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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Best Mindset Books

As a business owner, your mindset can be what makes or breaks you in the long run.

When looking at the best business books of all time, you’ve got to cover mindset books too.

There are a lot of things which can go a little off – or completely mess up – like imposter syndrome, cluttered mind, self-defeating mindset and everything in between.

These books will give you a slight start on how to overcome some of the common business mindset issues.

Unlimited Memory – Kevin Horsley

As a general rule of thumb, I try to avoid books that make some crazy overarching statement in it’s title, as it usually writes cheques that the book can’t cash.

However, Unlimited Memory is a little different.

One of the best-selling non-fiction books on Amazon, Unlimited Memory is a book that lives up to the promises it sets.

You’ll learn the skills that the world’s best memory artists use to remember stupidly long things in a crazy short amount of time.

Just make sure you don’t stop reading at the beginning. The first few chapters are motivational, and focus on getting past your inhibitions and self-limiting mindsets. It is in part two where the real magic happens.

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Ego Is The Enemy – Ryan Holiday

Everybody has a little bit of an ego. Don’t worry, it isn’t just you.

In Ego Is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday gives a practical view of ego compared to traditional scientific views of ego. This makes the book far more relatable than a lot of others that focus on a similar topic. Ego Is The Enemy defines ego as, “an unhealthy belief in our own importance. Arrogance. Self-centred ambition.”

The book is broken down into three main parts that give tips and guidance on dealing with ego, with the use of real-life examples throughout history and literature;

Part I – Aspire
Part II – Success
Part III – Failure

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Declutter Your Mind – S.J. Scott

As a business owner, your life is more than likely crazy at the best of times. You’re constantly burning the midnight oil and seem to never stop thinking.

Declutter Your Mind offers a nice little handbook for learning how to simplify your life and live more “in-the-moment.”

Instead forcing the their reasons down your throat, the author gives you simple and followable exercises that you can do straight away.

The book is quite a quick read, which is perfect for the problem that it’s solving.

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Think Straight – Darius Foroux

In Think Straight, Darius Foroux offers a potential solution to our busy minds.

The book offers insights on practical thinking that may help you in your personal and professional life. Foroux’s writing is straightforward and mixes theoretical thinking (referencing both old and new authors) with his personal experiences.

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Daring Greatly – Brene Brown

I have often found that Finding good books about emotions and feelings can be challenging. Most books are either too sweet, too ethereal, too bland or just off the mark.

Daring Greatly a book about your vulnerability and how to lean into it.

While there can be parts that are a bit repetitive, Brown’s writing style suits the book well and you truly feel as though you’re both on the same side.

If you’re one who constantly battles shame, then you’ll get a lot from Daring Greatly.

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The Dip – Seth Godin

The Dip by Seth Godin focuses on those little areas of shitness in business and in life.

You’re going to go through hard times as a business owner. Knowing when to stick with it and when to quit is so important.

Sure, quitting may go against your own values but The Dip explores the concept that if what you’re doing isn’t working for you, then sometimes the only way you can get ahead is by quitting.

The book is mostly reflected upon the business world, but I can definitely see some real-life applications.

You can read our summary of The Dip here.

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Think And Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill

This book is another one of the classics. Think And Grow Rich may very well be the first ever book on the law of attraction.

Even if being wealthy isn’t your end goal, this book will be helpful in creating proactive strategies for mentally attacking life’s challenges and as whilst maintaining a positive mental attitude.

If you’d like to know more about the book, you can read our summary here.

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The Obstacle Is The Way – Ryan Holiday

While the book isn’t entirely full of new thoughts, The Obstacle Is The Way is a great modern stoic text that makes stoicism more relatable.

Stoicism is the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain or trouble through determination and resilience. Stoics focus on what they can control and not what they can’t. Stoics turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to improve.

If you’re interested in the text, you can read our summary here.

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The 48 Laws Of Power – Robert Greene

All you need to do is go to the Amazon listing for this book and see the sheer amount of five-star reviews and the one-star reviews to work out that this book is polarizing to say the least.

The 48 Laws Of Power dives into the power game that everyone is constantly playing.

There’s no real escape to the power game and thinking you can “not participate” is as dumb as thinking that you could somehow escape the earth’s gravity or make the sun stand still.

The book is almost like the ‘fight club’ for business and has plenty of previously unspoken rules.

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Tribe Of Mentors – Tim Ferris

Before we start, if you’re a Tim Ferris fan and want a book written by him, then Tribe Of Mentors may be a little disappointing for you.

However, if you’re looking for some guidance and are a fan of the basic concept of asking great questions to accomplished people then this is a book that you’ll love.

Ferris asked over 100 high performers the following questions and recorded answers:

• Were my goals my own, or simply what I thought I should want?
• How much of life had I missed from under planning or overplanning?
• How could I be kinder to myself?
• How could I better say “no” to the trivial many to better say “yes” to the critical few?
• How could I best reassess my priorities and my purpose in this world?

You can read our summary of the book here.

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The 10x Rule – Grant Cardone

This book is a kick up the backside that almost everyone needs.

As far as books designed to motivate, The 10x Rule is one of the better ones.

This book is all about creating lofty goals and taking massive action to reach them.

Warning, this book has some cursing in it. However, if you’re gotten this far in and have read this website before, you’re probably okay with that.

If you want to read our summary, click here.

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What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School – Mark H. McCormack

What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School is an eye-opening book written by the godfather of sports marketing, Mark McCormack.

The book is a wonderful guide to what it really takes to lead at the top or run your own business. McCormack offers straight-shooting advice that can be practically applied to everyday life in the business world.

We have a summary of the book if you’re interested in learning more.

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Awaken The Giant Within – Tony Robbins

Awaken The Giant Within is certainly one those “change your life” books for the right person.

Tony Robbins starts the book with the three steps to success and then spends the rest of the book inspiring and guiding the reader to improve their life dramatically.

The book shows that you are a reflection of all of your past thoughts and actions…but you are not your past. Awaken The Giant Within is a great way to get out of a rut.

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The Happiness Advantage – Shawn Achor

A great book on the impact of positive psychology and practicing gratitude.

However, The Happiness Advantage is much more than just a ‘don’t worry be happy’ text.

The book teaches practical skills that as they are applied can change the way you feel and act.

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Mastery – Robert Greene

In Mastery, Robert Greene studied the lives of the great masters of the past and the present, exposing what they really did to become who they are.

This book explains what mastery is and how you can reach it.

What I love about this book is how dedicated those masters are to their craft. It shows what’s truly needed to become a master.

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The Alter Ego Effect – Todd Herman

The Alter Ego Effect is so goddam unique. The book is required reading if you’re not achieving your potential in an area of your life.

If you’ve ever wondered how elite athletes and performers almost become someone else when they’re on stage or on the sporting field? Herman has worked with high performers from a range of different backgrounds to develop alter egos that they can channel when they need to perform.

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Best Productivity Books

As a business owner, you need to be wearing a dozen hats at the same time. To do that well you need to be as productive as possible.

Easier said than done…

If you need to turn yourself into a well-oiled machine, then these productivity books will get you started.

And yes, I am well aware that reading a ten-thousand word blog post about the best business books of all time probably doesn’t feature in any of these productivity books, but that can be our little secret.

The One Thing – Gary Keller

The One Thing is, without a doubt, my favorite book on productivity. The entire book is about one thing (ironically enough), focus.

If you feel as though you’re lacking focus and that is impacting your ability to achieve, then The One Thing is a must-read.

It is a book that I still go back to time and time again as I need a gentle reminder on occasion.

You can read our summary here.

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Getting Things Done – David Allen

At times I can be extremely unstructured; while it can allow me to be creative, it also means I am nowhere near as efficient as I can be.

In Getting Things Done, David Allen describes a structure of immediate lists to look at, calendars, to-do lists, reference lists and so forth to help you efficiently manage your time

You can read our summary here.

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The Bullet Journal Method – Ryder Carroll

If you’re anything like me, Bullet Journaling (and most journaling) was something you generally associate with Instagram-worthy double-page spreads, over-the-top watercolour pens and washi tape (I still don’t know what that is).

However, that was not the original purpose and motivation behind Bullet Journaling.

In The Bullet Journal Method, the method’s creator (I didn’t even know bullet journaling had a creator), Ryder Carroll, discusses what Bullet Journaling actually is and how anybody can do it.

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The 5am Club – Robin Sharma

Part parable, part self-help book, The 5am Club tells a story about a person’s experience in making the most of the first hour of the day.

In addition to the life lessons that you’ll take away from this book, the story is just as incredible.

This is a personal favorite of mine and one I often reccomend to friends.

You can read our short summary here, or even check out our extended summary on Amazon.

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Atomic Habits – James Clear

You’ll probably read a lot of books on changing behavior and building habits but it is likely that James Clear’s Atomic Habits will be a favorite for business owners.

Atomic Habits book separates itself from others in the way it covers a lot of content in the area of self-improvement while seamlessly tying all these ideas back into the central idea of building new habits.

One of the core concepts in Atomic Habits is to focus on the small improvement. While the small improvements may not seem like a lot at the time, they compound into great changes.

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Time Management In 20 Minutes A Day – Holly Reisem Hanna

While this book may not offer a lot of ground-breaking scientific discoveries about time management, this book offers a great start to making the most out of your day.

In under twenty-minutes a day you can become a productivity machine.

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Habit Stacking – S.J. Scott

We often try to change too much at once, which is completely unsustainable.

Kinda like the person who wants to lose weight, so they start going to bed early, waking up at 5am to go to the gym before work, eating healthy and going for a walk every night. There is no way that you can keep that up.

Habit Stacking shows that the best way to change your life is one habit at a time.

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Eat That Frog – Brian Tracy

There’s an old saying that says to eat a live frog at the start of every morning… that way, no matter how bad your day gets, it’s better than eating the frog.

Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy encourages us to focus on the things we’ve been putting off in our day-to-day life.

If you’re anything like me, you probably procrastinate on the tasks that’ll actually move the needle for you, so eating the frog is a great way to live.

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Make Time – Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

We often misuse so much of our time during the day, leaving little time for the things that matter.

Productivity experts Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky have created a four-step framework that anyone can use, packed with more than 80 tactics to help you design your day around the things that matter.

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The 4-Hour Workweek – Time Ferris

In all honesty, I could have included this book in almost every section of this article. However The 4-Hour Workweek is a great book on time management. The key message is stop working harder and start working smarter in your business.

As a business owner, there’s probably a dozen things that you’re doing that you could outsource. Ferris’ book dives into ways you can make the most of your hours as a business owner.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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The Perfect Day Formula – Craig Ballantyne

What I love about the Perfect Day Formula is that it is extremely tailored to business owners.

The concise 150-odd page book is an excellent guide to time management for entrepreneurs and other achievers. However, this isn’t your traditional time management book.

Ballantyne explores the face that no one can really manage time, we can only manage our attitudes and activities.

This book is great for business owners who want to make the most out of every day.

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The 80/20 Principle – Richard Koch

Have you ever heard the theory that 80% of your outcomes usually come from 20% of your efforts?

It is proven to be a round-about fact in almost everything.

Koch goes into great detail of Vilfredo Pareto’s principle that has become ultra-popular in the fast-paced and results-driven world we operate in.

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Best Investing Books

Nothing earns money like money. So many businesses and business owners can further invest to diversify income.

Investing is the art of making your money work for you and not the other way around. Below are some of the best investing books out there.

There is a bit of crossover with some of these books and the list of personal finance books below, so make sure you check both lists out.

Also, take note that some of these books may be area specific in some of the advice they give. So make sure you do your due diligence before purchasing.

The Intelligent Investor – Benjamin Graham

Warren Buffet says it best in the book’s epilogue, “You either get the idea in the first five minutes, or you don’t get it at all”.

Not to mention, that if you’re featuring Warren Buffet in the epilogue of your investing book, you probably know what you’re talking about.

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in investing and would like to start or hone their skills. While this is a great book, to get the most out of it, you’ll need the discipline to treat The Intelligent Investor as a college textbook. Annotate, take notes, and create a guide for yourself.

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A Beginner’s Guide To The Stock Market – Matthew R. Kratter

Looking at the title, there are no prizes to working out what A Beginner’s Guide To Investing is about…

The book does a great job of summarizing many different approaches to investing and trading, and provides solid tips and resources to get started.

No matter if you want the blue-chip ‘set and forget’ stocks, or the more active trading approach (or somewhere in between), this book will get you started.

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The Rich Dad’s Guide To Investing – Robert Kiyosaki

Investing means different things to different people. In The Rich Dad’s Guide To Investing, Robert Kiyosaki covers the basics of investing and how you can create a passive income through your investments.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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The Barefoot Investor – Scott Pape

Note, The Barefoot Investor is a great choice if you’re Australian, as it gives advice on particular Aussie banks.

However, if you are an Aussie, then the Barefoot Investor is a book you should read.

There’s plenty of great actionable advice here, and a step-by-step process on getting your finances fixed and start investing.

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Best Personal Finance Books

There are far too many people out there (including many business owners) who seemingly have no control over their personal finances.

Here are some of the best personal finance books out there to read.

Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki

I bought this book the week after purchasing my first home… shit.

Rich Dad Poor Dad not only challenges the belief that your home is an asset, but it challenges a lot of other beliefs like you need a high income to be rich.

Kiyosaki’s book is great for anybody who wants to start to get their personal finances in order and have their money work for them.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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If You Can – William J Bernstein

Easily the shortest book on the list, If You Can is a great starting point for millennials who want to start investing and organizing their finances.

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I Will Teach You To Be Rich – Ramit Sethi

I Will Teach You To Be Rich is a great six-week guide to getting your finances in order. The book has a focus on making the most of automation to organize your finances for you.

While most of this information is made for Americans, others will get a lot from this book.

If you’d like to know more, you can read our summary here.

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How To Stop Living Paycheck To Paycheck – Avery Breyer

How you manage your money has a huge impact every aspect of your life – your physical and emotional health, relationships, what hobbies you can pursue and where you can live. So, you’d assume that getting your finances right will be worth it.

In How To Stop Living Paycheck To Paycheck, you’ll learn that while you do need to work to fix your finances, it takes less effort than you thought, and the payoff can be massive.

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Pay Off Your Mortgage In Three Years – Eric Blankenstein

A home loan can feel like a prison at time. The book provides multiple ideas to decrease the length of a mortgage and shows how much interest can be saved by decreasing the time required to pay off the loan.

A lot of the exact methods in this book are for American based homeowners, but internationals can still get a lot from the title.

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Total Money Makeover – Dave Ramsey

If you’re sick of watching your bank account drain while your credit card balances rise then Total Money Makeover is a great book.

What separates this book is the seven baby steps that are featured. The baby steps are a series of  do-these-in—the-exact-order money tasks to kill your debt and build wealth.

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Why Didn’t They Teach Me This In School – Cary Siegel

If you’re a parent and you want your children to grow up being financially literate, then you should do them a favour and purchase Why Didn’t They Teach Me This In School.

The book is a great starting point for teens that covers all of the basics in an easy-to-understand format.

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MONEY Master The Game – Tony Robbins

Even if you’re not a fan of Tony Robbins’ other work, MONEY Master The Game is still a book you should read.

While there are endorsements mentioned, it still gives the reader a basic educational background on investment and the importance of discipline and consistency.

There is so much good in this book that comes through a series of interviews, and Tony adding important information and references for further research.

Hell, it’s probably worth it for chapter five alone.

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The Latte Factor – David Bach

While this book only came out in 2019, for me, it skyrockets to the all-time category.

Told as a narrative about a woman named Zoey who is struggling and living pay day to pay day, The Latte Factor will blow you away by it’s simplicity and the strength of the message.

You can read our summary here.

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The Little Little Book Of Common Sense Investing – John Bogle

The Little Book Of Common Sense Investing is a great read. The book was written by John Bogle, who, for those who don’t know, was the founder of The Vanguard Group and is famous for creating the world’s first index mutual fund in 1975, the Vanguard 500 Index Fund.

The book is a good, quick read with great information for anyone who is trying to make sense of personal finance and basic investments.

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The Capitalist Code – Ben Stein

If you’re starting out, then The Capitalist Code is a great read. Ben Stein does some personal myth busting about capitalism, and shows how you can use it to profit.

Basically the book recommends investing in the stock market and specifically in Index Funds. If that interests you, then I’d definitely suggest the book.

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Best Entrepreneurship Books

Starting a business is an exciting prospect. However, there is so much information out there, it can be hard to know where to start.

These books on entrepreneurship and small business will help get you started on your entrepreneurial journey.

The Startup Playbook – David S. Kidder

As a business owner, you’re constantly trying to find the quickest way to learn what you need to know. This book cuts the crap and gives you some key pointers on crucial aspects that you can’t afford to get wrong in your startup.

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LinkedIn Riches – John Nemo

If you’re looking at building your LinkedIn from a social profile to a business-building lead-generation tool, then LinkedIn Riches is a how-to guide you need yesterday.

What I love in particular about this book is the concise steps that are given. You’ll never be blankly staring at your screen wondering what to write in your bio again.

This book also comes with access to a bunch of cool training videos, which is pretty neat.

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Will It Fly? – Pat Flynn

Pat Flynn is one of the biggest names in online entrepreneurship, making his name with the larger than life Smart Passive Income Podcast.

Will It Fly? Was Pat’s first book and offers a great step-by-step system to testing your business or product idea and what you need to do to get it off the ground.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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Rise of the Youpreneur – Chris Ducker

Chris Ducker is a definitive guide to starting a business based around you, your experience and your expertise!

In a world where everybody is accessible, your personal brand is more important than ever before. Rise Of The Youpreneur gives a step-by-step guide on how to develop a personal brand and build your business around it.

Ducker’s book has an online community where likeminded people learn and share their stores.

Chris is extremely generous with his knowledge in the book, and you can really get his personality through the book.

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Company Of One – Paul Jarvis

So many of us read entrepreneurship books that talk about scaling up and building a humungous business that can take the world by storm.

But, what if that isn’t what you’re after?

What if you just want a business that creates a great lifestyle for yourself and allows you to set your own hours.

That is exactly what Paul Jarvis talks about in Company Of One.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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Influencer Fast Track – Gundi Gabrielle

In her book, Influencer Fast Track, Gundi Gabrielle lays out the “To Do List” for the next several months as to how to build your brand and influence for your business.

If you’re a freelancer, coach, consultant or business owner who is struggling to make a splash, then this book will help you stand out from the pack.

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The $100 Startup – Chris Guillebeau

More and more people are starting their own side-hustles. Now, it is common to see teachers, nurses, or anybody also be a business owner.

In The $100 Startup, Chris Guillebeau, host of the Side-Hustle School Podcast, gives advice on how to start a small micro-business in a world where starting a business is easier than ever before.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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The Worst Business Model In The World – Danny Schuman

If you’re looking for a book that will make you endless amounts on money, well, this isn’t the book for you.

However, if you want a business where you can be passionate, creative and endlessly enthusiastic about what you do, this book is a must-read.

Danny Schuman has crafted a book for entrepreneurs who do what they love and want to build a business that is both soul fulfilling and profitable.

You can read our summary here.

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Six Figure Blogging Blueprint – Raza Imam

Whether you’re looking to blog as a business as itself, or just build a content marketing arm of your business, this book will help.

Full of handy information and additional resources that are both paid and free.

This book also gives a lot of outsourcing advice which is always handy.

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Profit First – Mike Michalowicz

How often do you consider the profit ‘that little bit that’s left over once you’ve paid everything’?

Well, Profit First combats that method and urges you to put your profits away first.

The simple, but incredibly effective cash management system flips traditional accounting on its head. The best part of Profit First won’t even in the numbers: the biggest difference will be the weight off of your mind.

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Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook – Gary Vaynerchuk

Combining elements of his other work, Vaynerchuk gives advice on how to connect with your customers and beat your competition.

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook is a social media masterclass that goes into detail on the most popular social networks, and then is very helpful in introducing you to that specific site’s common etiquette.

If you’re looking to start a business and leverage social media, then this book is a must.

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The Million Dollar, One Person Business – Elaine Pofeldt

Many business books are telling the traditional rags-to-riches success stores. However, we know that one person’s story is far from the norm. In The Million Dollar One Person Business, there’s a curated list of several stories from different entrepreneurs who all are from countries, in a number of different industries, and all from completely different backgrounds.

The purpose of this book is to lay out the changing business landscape and let you know that the one person business is profitable option for any entrepreneur.

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Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got – Jay Abraham

I am a huge fan of what Jay Abraham brings to the table… actually Jay has been doing it for so long, he was probably there making the table…

In my favorite book of his, he lays out how you can maximize your business’ profits by working on different pillars of success.

The compounding success from following this book will launch your revenue.

 You can read our summary of the book here.

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Lost And Founder – Rand Fishkin

If you’ve ever Googled how to improve your website’s SEO, you’ve probably come across Rand Fishkin at least once.

The founder of MOZ, Fishkin discusses life as the founder of a tech startup in Lost And Founder.

If you’re thinking of starting a business, or already have one, you can definitely gain a lot from Rand’s advice.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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100 Side Hustles – Chris Guillebeau

Chris Guillebeau, the host of the Side-Hustle School Podcast – Note: a not so subtle brag, I was even lucky enough to be featured in an episode a long time ago for a previous business I owned before this site – gives some of his best stories in 100 Side Hustles.

If you’re on the fence about starting a side business, or just looking for some inspiration, there’s some great stories about regular people who started a business on the side.

If they can do it, you can too.

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The Side Hustle – Nick Loper

Host of the super popular Side-Hustle Show, Nick Loper gives his take on starting a side business in today’s economy.

There are a bunch of interesting ideas mentioned in the book that may take your fancy.

Odds are you won’t love every idea, but that isn’t the point. The point of this book is for any potential side-hustler to find an idea that they can work with.

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The Personal MBA – Josh Kaufman

Most schools offer outdated and mostly useless MBAs. With The Personal MBA, Josh Kaufman offers a summary of several topics related to managing a business.

The book covers value creation, marketing, finance, the human-aspect, and the systems needed to run a successful business.

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Best Business Biography And History Books

There is truly nothing like learning from those who have done it before. Hell, that’s a big reason why we read business books in the first place.

This list of the best business biography books will help you learn from some of the great minds of the business worlds.

Bad Blood – John Carreyrou

This book is a great but horrifying true story of a driven entrepreneur whose only overriding goal was to become insanely rich.

A can’t-put-it-down style book which will have you turning pages and seeing that the biggest villains can be real.

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Elon Musk – Ashlee Vance

Say whatever you like about the controversial entrepreneur, but you can’t argue that Elon Musk gets shit done.

Like Musk, the book’s author is also relentless, as their process for writing the book was one that won Elon’s respect.

The book shows that entrepreneurs like Elon Musk don’t slow down for anybody and always keep going forward. They know they are creating something that will revolutionize the future.

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Shoe Dog – Phil Knight

The story of Nike’s founder, Phil Knight is a great book that will have you not wanting to reach the last page.

Shoe Dog is laugh-out-loud funny; it’s sad; exciting; it’s smart; honest; it’s inspiring.

It is outstanding to see the drive that Knight had when starting a shoe business and how that developed from importing some Japanese shoes to one of the world’s most popular brands.

You can read our summary of Shoe Dog here.

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Pixar And Beyond – Lawrence Levy

A great little book that talks about the rise of Pixar from their rocky start to being the incredibly popular film company.

You’ll be surprised at the number of obstacles Levy and Pixar needed to overcome on the way to success.

The book’s author, Lawrence Levy, was the person Steve Jobs called to help save Pixar after he was fired from Apple in the early 1990s.

You’ll be able to take a lot from Pixar’s successes and take them into your own business.

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The Code – Margaret O’Mara

A book that was only released in 2019, The Code gives a great history to the digital revolution that is more than likely, the backbone to your business these days.

A great history of Silicone Valley and the impact it is having on the modern world.

If you own a business that has a strong presence online, then you’ll have an interest in The Code.

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Barbie And Ruth – Robin Gerber

An inspirational story about how the world’s most famous doll came to be.

This book offers more than just an insight into a few business decisions and the persistence that was needed to get them made, Barbie And Ruth tackles a cultural phenomenon.

If you are looking for a book to give you some courage, Barbie And Ruth will do it for you.

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Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson

There haven’t been many companies that have had a bigger cultural impact on the 21st Century than Apple have.

Apple and Jobs almost spit in the face of the lean business model. Steve Jobs followed his gut and did what he thought the customers needed and wanted.

As a man, Steve Jobs is an intriguing topic for a biography. He was rude, mercurial, arrogant and condescending among other things. On the other hand he was brilliant, had enormous vision, was able to choose the right people to accomplish his goals as he rocked the technical world to its foundations.

Steve Jobs is an incredibly interesting book if you’re interested in reading about the man behind the device you’re probably reading this article on.

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The Snowball – Alice Schroeder

The Snowball is the first and only official biography of Warren Buffet that was written with his cooperation.

Buffet is arguable the world’s best investor of all time. In 1964 he bought a struggling textile firm and grew it to the 12th largest corporation in America though solid investing.

Buffet is a brilliant man, who sees himself as just extrememly lucky. He credits the success of his luck “the ovarian lottery” as he calls it, being born in America first, and then all the other possibilities that came to him by “luck”.

The book is an incredibly interesting read and goes into great detail.

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The Accidental Billionaires – Ben Mezrich

If you’ve watched the movie, The Social Network, you’ll enjoy the book it was based on.

The Accidental Billionaires tells the story of Facebook from its origin to being a wold-wide way of life.

What I love about this, is that it shows that the best ideas aren’t always new ideas. Sometimes you can take something you’ve already got and tweak it.

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The Wolf Of Wall Street – Jordan Belfort

Another book which was turned into a film, The Wolf Of Wall Street tells the story of Jordan Belfort.

The book is an insight to the man himself. Belfort is an unreliable narrator to anybody who knows how the book ends, but he keeps you engaged thoughout.

Sure, you may pick up a few bits and pieces to help your business. However, this book is also a generally great read along with being an insight into how your drive can be self-destructing.

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Losing My Virginity – Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson’s story is one that any business owner can learn from.

Losing My Virginity is a story in risk and doing what you love.

Don’t overlook his early pre-internet experiences and assume that they don’t apply to today’s start-up.

Branson demonstrates how, by being resourceful and persistent, and with a little well-earned luck, any obstacle can be overcome while still having a lot of fun.

You can read our summary of the book here.

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Final thoughts

If you are reading this, you have either:

1. Read through the entire article. If so, then I am super impressed! Congrats on making it to the end. This was a really long and hopefully interesting post to write. I’m sure you have found a business book or two you liked.
2. Skipped right to the end. That’s okay too, you don’t need to read through the entire article to get the most out of it. You just need to find a book or two you like the sound of. If you are having a tough time deciding. Here’s a great book we love.

Either way, please stop reading, put down your phone(or whatever device you are reading this on) and take the next step. Try reading one or more of these books. You don’t to be too selective. If the book you choose doesn’t work for you now, it may do so if you read it another time.