The 33 Best Business Books for Entrepreneurs in 2024

Reading regularly in adulthood helps you develop analytical skills, makes you a better communicator, stimulates the creative center of your brain, and strengthens your ability to recall information. Books can cheer you up when you’re feeling sad, motivate you to make improvements, and teach you new skills.

Skills like these can benefit just about everyone, but for entrepreneurs, the ability to analyze a situation, apply lessons learned, and come up with innovative solutions⁠ is crucial.

If you’re looking to put together an essential reading list for yourself, here are the best business books to include: 

1. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Goodreads rating: 4.4

Pages: 319

In Atomic Habits, author, entrepreneur, and photographer James Clear offers his personal strategy for rapid self-improvement to anyone looking to change their habits. Clear’s expert analysis of habit formation lifts the veil on why bad habits persist, and offers a plan of action for stopping them. 

He argues bad habits aren’t the result of an unwillingness to change but of a poor strategy for changing them. Atomic Habits offers a framework for understanding why our bad habits exist, and executing effective, practical strategies for changing them.

Clear’s guide covers inspiring stories along the way, from people who’ve used his strategies to build good habits, including Olympic gold medalists, business leaders, and stand-up comedians. Atomic Habits provides entrepreneurs with great inspiration, as well as practical guides to overcoming their bad habits.

Top quote: "Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity."

2. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinkingby Malcolm Gladwell

Goodreads rating: 3.9

Pages: 296

In Blink, journalist and bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell draws on his knowledge in the fields of neuroscience and psychology to explore how we think without thinking. Decisions that are made in the blink of an eye aren’t as simple as they seem. 

Though decisions can be made quickly, they’re driven by complex cognitive processes. In Blink, Gladwell interviews a host of unique experts in decision-making⁠—from a tennis coach who’s able to predict a fault before a player’s racket hits the ball to antique experts able to spot a “fake” within a second.

Gladwell argues the best decision makers aren’t the people who give the most consideration to the decision, but those who have mastered the art of “thin-slicing”: a process where the few factors that matter are filtered out from an overwhelming number of variables instantly.

Top quote: "In life, most of us are highly skilled at suppressing action. All the improvisation teacher has to do is to reverse this skill and he creates very ��gifted’ improvisers. Bad improvisers block action, often with a high degree of skill. Good improvisers develop action."

3. Chillpreneur: The New Rules for Creating Success, Freedom, and Abundance on Your Terms by Denise Duffield-Thomas

Goodreads rating: 4.3

Pages: 304

Chillpreneur documents money mindset coach Denis Duffield-Thomas’s approach to business and finances. It guides you through identifying business models that work for your personality, how to get comfortable with marketing and self-promotion, and ideas for pricing and dealing with other uncomfortable money matters.

For entrepreneurs seeking a book to help them get on top of their cash flow while avoiding burnout, this is a great book to pick up. It’s full of practical and approachable advice with a friendly sense of humor.

Top quote: "Don’t reinvent the wheel! This is such a classic money block—the feeling that we have to work so hard that we have to reinvent the wheel every time."

4. Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business by Paul Jarvis

Goodreads rating: 3.9

Pages: 272

Paul Jarvis is a successful solopreneur who shares his approach to business in Company of One. According to him, you don’t need to grow an empire and hire employees to have a thriving business. In fact, smaller businesses are often more fulfilling than big ones.

Jarvis talks about how one of the biggest advantages to being a business owner is you get to create a life of balance. And not only that, the lack of hierarchy and business politics makes you more efficient. Smart entrepreneurship isn’t necessarily big business—it’s better business.

Top quote: "There’s nothing wrong with finding the right size and then focusing on being better. Small can be a long-term plan, not just a stepping-stone."

5. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 296

Distraction is an issue so many people struggle with. In Deep Work, professor of computer science Cal Newport shares his insight on how to focus deeply on cognitively demanding tasks in a world filled with distractions.

Newport argues the ability to focus without distraction isn’t something people are born with⁠—it’s a skill that must be learned, practiced, and mastered. 

Deep Work offers readers Newport’s personal training regimen, which consists of four rules for practicing deep focus and building good habits. By reframing distraction as an opportunity rather than a burden, Newport offers critical advice to anyone looking for motivation.

Top quote: "To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction. Put another way, the type of work that optimizes your performance is deep work."

6. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t by Jim Collins

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 300

In Good to Great, business management consultant Jim Collins describes how good companies make the transition into great ones, using case studies (both good and bad) of businesses that have succeeded in and failed to make the transition. 

Collins’ book is perfect for entrepreneurs looking to understand what gives successful businesses an inside edge. The insight offered by Good to Great has been praised by a number of CEOs, with several members of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council citing it as the best management book they���ve read.

Top quote: "Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life."

7. How to Be an Overnight Success: Making It in Business by Maria Hatzistefanis

Goodreads rating: 3.7

Pages: 224

In How to Be an Overnight Success, Maria Hatzistefanis shares her journey founding skin care brand Rodial. She talks about starting the company in her bedroom, growing it all on her own. She focused on developing her personal brand to build buzz and awareness, and then turned her audience onto her skin care products—eventually embarking on influencer marketing and celebrity collaborations with big names like Kyle Jenner and Jade Jagger.

This isn’t just a business book about Maria’s story. She shares important lessons along the way, proving that anybody can replicate similar success on their own.

Top quote: "Success is about the relentless pursuit of what you want and hard work is an essential ingredient."

8. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Goodreads rating: 4.2

Pages: 288

Dale Carnegie was a writer and educator who, over the course of his long career, developed training courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, public speaking tips, and other interpersonal skills. 

Written in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People is considered a classic of the self-help genre and, with over 30 million copies sold, is one of the bestselling books of all time. Carnegie’s book was compiled with knowledge he’d gained in the decades he spent teaching business education courses. 

In it, Carnegie explores practical tips for relating to people, both in professional and personal life. He gives advice on making people like you, provides tips on persuading people to your way of thinking, and discusses how to gain respect as a leader without arousing resentment.

Top quote: "It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it."

9. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini

Goodreads rating: 4.2

Pages: 320

Robert B. Cialdini is a professor of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University. In Influence, he explores the psychology behind persuasion and offers a practical framework for influencing people in the world of business and marketing. 

Cialdini argues that in a world filled with distractions, people rely on generalizations and assumptions to make decisions, rather than relying purely on evidence. Cialdini uses empirical studies conducted in the fields of psychology, marketing, economics, anthropology, and social science to make his arguments. 

Influence identifies six principles that guide human decision making, and gives real-world examples of how these principles can guide your decision making when trying to persuade others. The practical tools provided in Cialdini’s book make it one of the most useful marketing books, especially for aspiring entrepreneurs without a lot of business experience.

Top quote: "The truly gifted negotiator, then, is one whose initial position is exaggerated enough to allow for a series of concessions that will yield a desirable final offer from the opponent, yet is not so outlandish as to be seen as illegitimate from the start."

10. Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

Goodreads rating: 3.9

Pages: 217

Sheryl Sandberg penned Lean In as a book to empower women entrepreneurs and leaders in business. In the book, she talks about how women often hold themselves back and don’t allow themselves to pursue business and leadership opportunities. Backed by research and sprinkled with relatable narratives and stories, Lean In also includes actionable tips for women who want to excel in business.

The book isn’t just for women, though. Sheryl also provides insight and advice for men looking to support women in business and leadership. It’s a must-read no matter your gender.

Top quote: "In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders."

11. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

Goodreads rating: 3.8

Pages: 244

Seth Godin is a former business executive and a bestselling author who has been cited by Business Insider as one of the most influential thinkers in business. 

In Linchpin, Godin explores the concept of “linchpin” employees: innovative thinkers who are willing to break the rules and re-invent ways of getting things done. Godin argues linchpins are indispensable, and vital to any company that hopes to grow and thrive. 

Whether you’re a creator looking to understand what makes you a valuable asset or a business owner trying to figure out how to find valuable new hires, Linchpin offers crucial insight into understanding this phenomenon.

Top quote: "An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And an artist takes it personally."

12. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 276

Carol S. Dweck’s Mindset is packed with research exploring the psychology behind success not only in business but across all areas of life. She concludes people behave in a way that reflects the way they view their abilities. She offers two points of view, a “fixed mindset”—believing your abilities are fixed, or set in stone—and a “growth mindset”—believing your abilities can be developed and improved.

The book also dives into the idea of a false growth mindset. In other words, you might think you demonstrate a growth mindset, but the reality is you’re not developing skills like you think. Those who have a true growth mindset can not only achieve personal success more easily, but can also lead and inspire others to do the same.

Top quote: "No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment."

13. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss

Goodreads rating: 4.3

Pages: 288

Chris Voss is a business professor, CEO of Black Swan Group, and a former FBI hostage negotiator⁠—widely considered to be an expert in the psychology of persuasion.

In Never Split the Difference, Voss reveals the strategies he’s used in his own career for approaching high-stakes negotiation. Voss explores how to build trust, overcome emotional obstacles, use empathy as a tool rather than a hindrance, and the language to use to communicate clearly. 

First-time entrepreneurs will need to enter into negotiations with their business partners, investors, employees, contractors, and all sorts of other stakeholders. Never Split the Difference offers tools and techniques for juggling all of the factors of negotiation.

Top quote: "If you approach a negotiation thinking the other guy thinks like you, you are wrong. That’s not empathy, that’s a projection."

14. Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Goodreads rating: 3.9

Pages: 279

Rework comes from Jason Fried, CEO of Basecamp, and David Heinemeier Hansson, the programmer who invented the Ruby on Rails web development framework. 

Fried and Hanson are both entrepreneurs with tech backgrounds who offer great advice for any business owner who might be an expert in their field but a beginner to the world of entrepreneurship. Rework tosses aside conventional business jargon and instead offers advice that’s concrete and straightforward. 

In this New York Times bestseller, Fried and Hanson present their readers with a variety of low-cost ways to grow their business, with lessons on increasing productivity, not getting bogged down by too much planning, and ways of getting exposure for your business without spending too much startup cash.

Top quote: "When you don’t know what you believe, everything becomes an argument. Everything is debatable. But when you stand for something, decisions are obvious."

15. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 253

In Start with Why, author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek examines the lives of great leaders, from Martin Luther King to Steve Jobs, and attempts to develop a common thread in the reason for their success, despite having very different goals and aspirations. 

His conclusion: the greatest leaders ask why. Why do customers buy from certain brands? Why are people loyal to some leaders and not others? Why do companies fail? Great leaders want to understand why things happen and do everything in their power to find the answer. 

Sinek draws on a range of real-life experiences, weaving together a clear vision of what it takes to lead and inspire others. His book is a great read for anyone looking to understand what it means to lead with confidence.

Top quotes: "Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them."

16. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss

Goodreads rating: 3.9

Pages: 308

Tim Ferriss is an acclaimed entrepreneur, investor, author, podcaster, and lifestyle guru. His book The 4-Hour Workweek (the first in a series of 4-Hour books) spent more than four years on the New York Times Best Seller list and is considered one of the best books ever written on productivity. 

In The 4-Hour Workweek, Ferris argues that the idea that success comes from hours and hours of grueling hard work without rest is flawed. Instead, he instructs readers on how to redesign their lifestyle and focus on freeing up time through a number of strategies, like prioritizing important things, learning how to automate income streams, and dropping unproductive tasks. 

Top quotes: "What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do."

17. The Art of Learning by Joshua Waitzkin

Goodreads rating: 4.5

Pages: 263

Joshua Waitzkin is an international chess master, competitive martial artist, and author who rose to fame as a chess prodigy after defeating chess master Edward Frumkin in a game when he was only 10 years old. 

 

In The Art of Learning, Waitzkin gives insight into how he’s cultivated an entrepreneurial mindset and shares his strategy for always learning and adapting. To Waitzkin, failure is an opportunity for more growth. In his book, he teaches readers how to accept failure, learn from it, and use it to grow and understand where your weaknesses are so you can improve.

Top quote: "Growth comes at the point of resistance. We learn by pushing ourselves and finding what really lies at the outer reaches of our abilities."

18. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 257

Don Norman is a researcher, professor and business consultant, renowned as one of the foremost experts in the field of usability engineering. In The Design of Everyday Things, he offers advice on how to design a good product, based on what he’s learned in his long career. 

Norman starts by exploring some of the most timeless product designs⁠—such as doorknobs, light switches, and oven burners⁠—asking us to consider why the most timeless designs tend to be the simplest. 

The answer has to do with how human brains process information. So many designers make the mistake of ignoring human cognitive psychology in an effort to create a product that does everything, rather than a product that does one thing very well. 

Norman’s book is the perfect primer for anyone in the process of designing a new product.

Top quote: "Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible."

19. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

Goodreads rating: 4

Pages: 269

Michael E. Gerber is the founder of Michael E. Gerber Companies, a business skills training company based in California. In The E-Myth Revisited, Gerber explores why 80% of small businesses fail, and offers insight into how to make sure your business isn’t among them. 

Gerber’s thesis is that people mistakenly believe that technical knowledge will translate into business success, which isn’t usually the case. Gerber instructs readers on how to break out of this mindset and set-up a business that relies on “systems” rather than the skills of individuals. 

The E-Myth Revisited is a must-read for tech entrepreneurs, exploring how companies with an innovative product can self-sabotage by not considering how that innovation translates into business success.

Top quote: "Contrary to popular belief, my experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren’t so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more."

20. The End of Procrastination: How to Stop Postponing and Live a Fulfilled Life by Petr Ludwig and Adela Schicker

Goodreads rating: 3.9

Pages: 272

We live in a high-tech world with endless distractions: overflowing inboxes, endless app notifications, and never-ending social media feeds. It’s never been easier to fall into the trap of procrastination. 

In The End of Procrastination, co-founders of Procrastination.com Petr Ludwig and Adela Schicker put forth a practical strategy for overcoming unwanted procrastination and argue that procrastination is not just a waste of time, but detrimental to leading a happy and fulfilled life. 

Ludwig and Schicker explore how the brain responds to motivation and self-discipline, outlining eight easy-to-use tools for anyone looking to overcome their procrastination tendencies.

Top quote: "The amount of opportunities that today’s world offers is staggering. Imagine the extent of these opportunities as if it was the space in between an open pair of scissors. The more opportunities you have, the wider this imaginary pair of scissors—the scissors of potential—opens. Today, they are open wider than they have ever been in history."

21. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz

Goodreads rating: 4.2

Pages: 304

Ben Horowitz is an entrepreneur, investor, author, and co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, he draws on his own experience starting a business to offer advice to anyone looking to become a successful entrepreneur. 

Horowitz doesn’t shy away from talking about challenges that few business writers want to talk about. He explores the hard things about running a business: dealing with failure, conflicts among employees, layoffs, persevering through tough times, and making big, tough decisions that impact the livelihoods of stakeholders in the business.

The essential advice and practical tips that Horowitz offers in his book provide entrepreneurs with crucial advice for taking action in the face of tough choices and leading a successful business into the modern world.

Top quote: "Whenever I meet a successful CEO, I ask them how they did it. Mediocre CEOs point to their brilliant strategic moves or their intuitive business sense or a variety of other self-congratulatory explanations. The great CEOs tend to be remarkably consistent in their answers. They all say, ‘I didn’t quit.’"

22. The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth by Clayton Christensen and Michael E. Raynor

Goodreads rating: 4

Pages: 304

Business consultant and academic Clayton Christensen is world-renowned for developing the theory of “disruptive innovation,” which is an innovation that creates an entirely new market, displacing established products. 

In The Innovator’s Solution, he and business consultant Michael E. Raynor expand on the idea of disruptive innovation, arguing that companies can and should become disruptive to their own industries, especially in the modern, hyper-accelerated digital world. 

Touching on real-world examples, Christensen and Raynor explore companies that have successfully (and unsuccessfully) disrupted their industries, and provide a framework for creating the right conditions and identifying the right time for disruption.

Top quote: "Research suggests that in over 90 percent of all successful new businesses, historically, the strategy that the founders had deliberately decided to pursue was not the strategy that ultimately led to the business’s success."

23. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham

Goodreads rating: 4.2

Pages: 623

Benjamin Graham is an economist, professor, and investor⁠, widely known in the business world as the "father of value investing.” 

Written in 1949, The Intelligent Investor offers advice on investing in the stock market that’s still relevant today. Graham focuses on investments that minimize economic risks and instructs the reader on how to find longer-term, risk-averse investments based on research rather than speculation. 

The Intelligent Investor is a must-read for anyone looking for more guidance on personal finance and wanting to learn how to make sound, financial decisions.

Top quote: "The intelligent investor is a realist who sells to optimists and buys from pessimists."

24. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 299

Eric Reiss is an entrepreneur known for his work in the field of information architecture, usability, and service design. In The Lean Startup, Ries explores why most startups fail and gives insight into how to avoid failure in the early days of your business. 

Ries touches on how the most successful startups leverage human creativity while keeping costs low, with a focus on rapid experimentation, effectively measuring success by eliminating superfluous vanity metrics, and adapting to customer needs.

Reis’s book offers a way for companies to test their vision continuously, and describes how to use innovative techniques to adapt to change. The Lean Startup is a must-read for anyone looking to avoid the pitfalls of startups that failed.

Top quote: "We must learn what customers really want, not what they say they want or what we think they should want."

25. The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller (with Jay Papasan)

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 240

In The ONE Thing, real estate entrepreneur and bestselling author Gary Keller discusses his strategy for success by narrowing his workload to focus on more important tasks without getting bogged down by less important ones. 

Keller argues that while we tend to apply importance to everything, not everything matters equally. Keller’s approach to achieving success involves narrowing your focus to the one thing that matters most. He says that multi-tasking tends to lead to a breakdown in the quality of work performed on each task, and labels the idea of multitasking a lie. 

Keller’s wisdom can be used by anyone, but it’s especially important for entrepreneurs looking for an effective way to evaluate their biggest priorities and effectively manage their time.

Top quote: "Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls—family, health, friends, integrity—are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered."

26. The Ten-Day MBA: A Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering the Skills Taught In America’s Top Business Schools by Steven A. Silbiger

Goodreads rating: 3.7

Pages: 448

In The Ten-Day MBA, MBA and marketing director Steven A. Silbiger gives readers a crash course in everything he’s learned in his years teaching business, covering theoretical concepts along-side practical skills like accounting, finance, marketing strategy, quantitative analysis, operations, economics, organizational behavior, and ethics.

Silbiger’s internationally acclaimed comprehensive guide compiles lessons from business schools across the world, based on the notes of MBA students attending programs at Harvard, Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago, Northwestern, and the University of Virginia.

Top quote: "Marketing is a special blend of art and science. There is a great deal to be learned in marketing classes, but no amount of schooling can teach you the experience, the intuition, and the creativity to be a truly gifted marketer. That’s why those with the gift are so highly paid."

27. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 233

Originally published in 1937 during the Great Depression, Think and Grow Rich is a classic of the self-help and personal development genre. In writing it, Napoleon Hill researched the lives of more than 40 millionaires to discover what common thread ran through them.

He concluded that the starting point of achievement is the desire for something better, and that failure, even when it’s frequent, is a necessary obstacle to achieving success. 

Hill offers practical knowledge about tackling goals by focusing on a single, defined one—arguing that the biggest successes often follow the biggest failures.

Top quote: "The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat."

28. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 499

Daniel Kahneman is a psychologist and Nobel Prize–winning economist renowned for his expertise in the psychology of judgment and decision making. In Thinking, Fast and Slow, he explores how two systems⁠—intuition and slow thinking⁠—work together to shape our judgment and help us make decisions. 

An expert in the field of behavioral economics, Kahneman uses his insight to offer readers an explanation for how decision making can be affected by stress and explores how confirmation bias can make us jump to conclusions. 

Kahneman’s insight is great not only for merchants looking to improve their own decision-making skills, but also for marketers looking for insight into how consumers make decisions.

Top quote: "Intelligence is not only the ability to reason; it is also the ability to find relevant material in memory and to deploy attention when needed."

29. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 707

On his acclaimed business podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, Ferris interviews all kinds of guests, including famous actors, legendary athletes, accomplished scientists, artists, and business leaders. In Tools of Titans, he summarizes and distills the habits, tactics, and routines of the wide-range of guests he’s had on his program. 

Ferriss skips over vague platitudes about effort and attitude and instead focuses on real-world actionable techniques that he’s come across from guests on his show. In Tools of Titans, Ferriss paints a vivid picture of how the lifestyles habits of the most-successful people have contributed to their success. 

Tools of Titans is inspirational, but it also offers practical solutions to readers, and a behind-the-scenes look at how the most successful people have grown to operate.

Top quote: "Creativity is an infinite resource. The more you spend, the more you have."

Read more: The 32 Best Entrepreneur Books of All Time

30. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Pages: 195

Peter Theil is a billionaire entrepreneur and venture capitalist, and co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund. Zero to One is based on a series of essays taken from notes of a lecture Theil gave on startups in 2012. 

Zero to One is a primer on innovation that explores how entrepreneurs develop new ideas by learning to think outside the box, making it a great book for business people looking to carve out a profitable niche. Atlantic writer Derek Thompson cited Zero to One as maybe the best business book he’s ever read.

Top quote: "The founding moment of a company, however, really does happen just once: only at the very start do you have the opportunity to set the rules that will align people toward the creation of value in the future."

31. Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard Rumelt

Goodreads rating: 4.1
Pages: 320

Richard Rumelt is a professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a renowned consultant on corporate strategy. With a background in engineering and management, Rumelt has been a leading voice in strategic thinking for several decades, known for his clear and insightful analysis of business and competitive strategy.

Good Strategy, Bad Strategy offers a critical look at the often misunderstood and misapplied concept of strategy in business. Rumelt emphasizes that good strategy is about making clear, coherent decisions and setting priorities, while bad strategy is characterized by fluff, failure to face challenges, and a lack of focus.

Rumelt delves into the hallmarks of effective strategy and the common pitfalls that lead to poor strategic decisions. He uses real-world examples to illustrate how good strategy involves identifying the key issues and developing a coherent action plan to address them. The book is both a critique of the current state of strategic thinking and a guide for creating better strategies.

Top quote: "The most basic idea of strategy is the application of strength against weakness."

32. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

Goodreads rating: 3.95
Pages: 242

Daniel H. Pink is an acclaimed author and former speechwriter for The White House. With a background in law and business, Pink has written several bestselling books on the changing world of work, motivation, and behavior. His work often draws on social science research to challenge conventional wisdom and provide fresh insights.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us challenges traditional notions of motivation that rely on rewards and punishments, commonly referred to as the "carrot and stick" approach. Pink argues that these methods are outdated and that true motivation comes from intrinsic factors—autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

Pink explores the science behind what drives us and presents a new framework for understanding motivation. He explains that people are more motivated by internal desires to direct their own lives, improve their skills, and contribute to a greater cause. Pink supports his arguments with a wealth of research from psychology, economics, and sociology, and provides practical advice for individuals and organizations to foster a more motivated and productive environment.

Top quote: "Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives."

33. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

Goodreads rating: 4.13
Pages: 452

Robert Greene is an author and speaker known for his books on strategy, power, and seduction. With a degree in classical studies and a varied career that spans several industries, Greene has become a prominent figure in the self-help and business strategy genres. His works are often characterized by their in-depth historical analysis and practical insights.

The 48 Laws of Power is a complete guide to understanding and wielding power. Drawing on historical examples from a wide range of fields, including politics, war, and business, Greene distills centuries of knowledge into 48 concise laws designed to help you navigate the complexities of power dynamics.

This book explains the tactics and strategies used by powerful figures throughout history. Each law is accompanied by historical anecdotes and practical advice on how to apply the principles in various aspects of life. The 48 Laws of Power has been both praised and criticized for its candid and sometimes ruthless approach to achieving and maintaining power.

Top quote: "When you show yourself to the world and display your talents, you naturally stir all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity... you cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others."

Remember, reading is fundamental

Perhaps because it’s also a leisure activity, it can be hard to think of reading the best business books as part of your entrepreneurial journey. In a fast-paced, digital world, a leisurely activity like reading can seem like a waste of time⁠—but this just isn’t true.

Reading is exercise for your mind. We’d never think of jogging or lifting weights as being a “waste of time” for an athlete, and reading shouldn’t be viewed as a waste of time for entrepreneurs.

Reading is learning: it helps us destress, while also nurturing skills in communication, problem solving, and creative thinking that are absolutely necessary in building and growing your own business.