The 60 Best Business Books of All Time (Will Forever Change How You Think About Organizations)

“There is no skill called ‘business,’” Naval Ravikant says. That’s… an odd thing to say for a businessman. Naval briefly worked for Boston Consulting Group, a firm that advises businesses, and he founded and successfully sold his own business, Epinions. What Naval means is that “business” is a composite activity, a mix of engineering, research, product development, marketing, sales, psychology, ethics, mathematics, and a lot more. So if we want to succeed in business, actually, we’ll need a broad variety of skills, and that’s why we should business books across the board rather than just a few generic ones!

As a beginner, you can read a few introductory books about business, sure, but as soon as you commit to a company you want to see succeed, be it your own or someone else’s, you’ll need specific skills depending on your role and goal at any given time. As a startup founder, you might want to start with idea validation and product development. If you’re an accountant, there are good books about business finances you can read. And if marketing is your chosen field of battle, there are great guides for that too.

At Four Minute Books, we’ve summarized over 1,000 books. Today, we’d like to share the 60 best ones about business with you. We think these are the best business books of all time, and whether you agree or not, we’re 99% certain you can find a title in here that’ll teach you something new. From starting a business to scaling one to developing a flourishing company culture, you’ll find whatever you (and your business) need right now on this list.

To help you get to the exact book that’s most useful for you quickly, we’ve sorted this list into various categories. We’ll start with the best business books overall, then share some good ones for beginners. From there, we’ll move through business books for managers, employees, and leaders, right on to books about teamwork and company culture. After that, we’ll cover productivity, startups, and strategy. Then, we’ll go from starting a business to scaling one and from small business owners to solo creators. Finally, we’ll address sales, marketing, and share some inspiring biographies from great CEOs and business leaders.

For each of the books on our list, we’ve included our favorite quote, a one-sentence-summary of the book, as well as why and when you might want to read it. We’ve also added the three key takeaways from each title and some big buttons for you to decide between: Do you want to read the full summary of that book on Four Minute Books? Or insta-buy a copy for yourself on Amazon (affiliate links)?

Just use the clickable table of contents below to jump to any specific book or category, and instantly start learning more about business!

Ready to succeed at and with your work? Here are the 60 best business books of all time!

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Best Business Books Overall

1. Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Favorite Quote

“Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.” — Greg McKeown

The Book in One Sentence

Essentialism shows you a new approach to productivity and life by allowing you to be extremely selective about the essential things in your life and then ruthlessly cutting out everything else.

Why should you read it?

The core idea of this book is embedded in a beautiful graphic showing 12 arrows for the 12 hours in your day. In one case, they all point in different directions, showing how scattered focus leads to meager results. In another version of the image, they all point in one direction and thus add up, explaining the powerful impact of focus in a single picture. A lot of time management books are about prioritizing, but they do it in the form of “Do this, then that,” which just leads to your laundry list of work getting even longer than it was before you read the book. This book says “Do this and nothing else,” and that’s what makes it one of the all-time greatest. It’s a philosophy for you, for your business, and for life in general, and that’s why it tops our list.

Key Takeaways

1. Doing nothing and doing everything are both signs of learned helplessness.
2. Become the editor of your own life with the 90% rule.
3. Always give yourself a buffer of 50%.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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2. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

Favorite Quote

“The only thing that prepares you to run a company is running a company.” — Ben Horowitz

The Book in One Sentence

The Hard Thing About Hard Things is an inside look at the tough decisions and lonely times all CEOs face, before showing you what it takes to build a great organization and become a world-class leader.

Why should you read it?

Many books make being a CEO sound like it’ll be the time of your life. On most days, it won’t. It’ll be boring, challenging, and uncomfortable. This book is one of few shining a light on the tough realities of leadership, and that’s why it’s valuable. Some real-talk for blue-eyed optimists that’ll make you feel stronger and more resilient by the time you’re done listening to (or reading) it.

Key Takeaways

1. The CEO should be the first one to shout when shit hits the fan.
2. There are 2 types of CEOs.
3. Great CEOs must learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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3. Good to Great by Jim Collins 

Favorite Quote

“By definition, it is not possible for everyone to be above the average.” — Jim Collins

The Book in One Sentence

Good to Great examines what it takes for ordinary companies to become great and outperform their competitors by analyzing 28 companies over 30 years, who managed to make the transition or fell prey to their bad habits.

Why should you read it?

If your business has been around for some time but feels like it’s just cruising along, read this book. It’ll show you how to get on top and stay there, which is something few businesses ever achieve. If you need long-term motivation and big-picture strategy for an established company, this is the book to grab. Also by Jim Collins, also great: Built to Last and Great by Choice.

Key Takeaways

1. Find your Hedgehog concept.
2. Only adopt new technology if it helps you reach your goal.
3. Confront nasty facts head on but don’t lose hope.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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4. The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker

Favorite Quote

“Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge are essential resources, but only effectiveness converts them into results.” — Peter F. Drucker

The Book in One Sentence

The Effective Executive gives leaders a step-by-step formula to become more productive, developing their own strengths and those of their employees.

Why should you read it?

Are you a role model in any capacity at work? Then there’s no one better than Peter Drucker to turn to. The “father of modern management,” as he is often called, will help you lead with grace and by example. He’ll show you how to develop your own skills in order to help others build theirs, and thus spread efficiency and good decision-making all throughout your organization. Honorable mention: the wonderful Managing Oneself.

Key Takeaways

1. To be an effective executive you must lead by example, first developing your own skills.
2. Learn how to make the right decisions and stand by them, no matter what others say.
3. Focusing on the talents of your employees will build an efficient working environment.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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5. Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim

Favorite Quote

“Create. Don’t Compete.” — W. Chan Kim

The Book in One Sentence

Blue Ocean Strategy talks about a new type of business strategy that doesn’t necessarily rely on gaining a competitive advantage over your rivals, but on innovating your way out of the current market to create your own ocean of opportunities.

Why should you read it?

Humans are social animals. We love imitating and copying. It provides us with a sense of comfort. In business, this is fatal. If you want your startup or small business (or even your huge corporation) to be anything more than an “us-too” competitor in your industry, perhaps it’s time to invent your own market altogether. Don’t compete — lead! If you’re stuck in a tough market with fierce competition, this one’s for you.

Key Takeaways

1. A company must switch its focus from Red to Blue Oceans.
2. The business canvas strategy allows you to define your company and focus on your core strengths.
3. Making the competition seem irrelevant compared to your innovations is what the Blue Ocean strategy is all about.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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6. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell 

Favorite Quote

“People don’t care what you know until they know what you care.” — John C. Maxwell

The Book in One Sentence

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership shows you that leadership is learned not inherited and that you can become a leader too, if you internalize some of the universal principles at play in any leader-follower-relationship.

Why should you read it?

Did you recently first become responsible for other people in your company? Do you aspire to be a leader? Then this classic by John Maxwell will provide you with some solid foundations on how to earn the respect of others, mobilize people towards a common goal, and inspire folks to follow where you’re trying to lead them. Also worth reading by John Maxwell: The 5 Levels of Leadership and Leadershift.

Key Takeaways

1. Make sure you stand on solid ground and uphold the rules you want to inspire others to keep.
2. Keep earning the respect of your followers.
3. It’s okay to be a bad loser – it keeps you focused on winning.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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

Favorite 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.” — Dale Carnegie

The Book in One Sentence

How to Win Friends and Influence People teaches you countless principles to become a likable person, handle your relationships well, win others over and help them change their behavior without being intrusive.

Why should you read it?

I don’t think much needs to be said about this book. It’s an all-time classic almost everyone has at least heard of. This book is full of simple tips to make other people like you, be a kind person, and cultivate efficient, well-oiled relationships in all areas of life. I’d recommend it to anyone. Side note: If you’d like more specific advice around marketing and sales from Carnegie, try The Sales Advantage.

Key Takeaways

1. You can make a great first impression just by smiling.
2. To be interesting to others, talk about their favorite topic: themselves.
3. If you want to convince people, get them to say yes a lot.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Beginners

8. 21 Days to a Big Idea by Bryan Mattimore

Favorite Quote

“In the scheme of things, the time spent upfront in the idea-generation phase is so minor compared to the time needed to develop that idea.” — Bryan Mattimore

The Book in One Sentence

21 Days to a Big Idea shows you how to combine the creative and rational sides of your brain to come up with cool, new ideas and fun ways to implement them, which might even help you create a sustainable business in the long run, in as little as 21 days.

Why should you read it?

Stuck on the ideation phase of your business? If you’re early in the starting-a-business game or need creative breakthroughs as a team, this book will guide you through the process. It’s a short, simple, actionable read and an elegant way to come up with good ideas quickly whenever you need them.

Key Takeaways

1. Ask yourself what you wished for as a kid to find areas to innovate in.
2. Use the “and” technique to come up with ideas in seconds.
3. Try billboarding to see which ideas could become a business.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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9. Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff 

Favorite Quote

“There are limits to the human attention span, which is why a pitch must be brief, concise, and interesting.” — Oren Klaff

The Book in One Sentence

Pitch Anything relies on tactics and strategies from a field called neuroeconomics to give you an entirely new way of presenting, pitching, and convincing other people of your ideas and offers.

Why should you read it?

For those who get dry mouth when they so much as read the word “presentation,” this book can be a life-saver. Whether you realize it or not, you’re constantly pitching — ideas to coworkers, products to the market, even recommendations to friends. You might as well learn how to be good at it. This skill will come in handy much more often than you think it will.

Key Takeaways

1. Your pitch must speak to your audience’s neanderthal brain.
2. Make yourself the prize.
3. Use multiple so-called frames to trigger a gut decision in your favor.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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10. Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk

Favorite Quote

“There no longer has to be a difference between who you are and what you do.” — Gary Vaynerchuk

The Book in One Sentence

Crush It is the blueprint you need to turn your passion into your profession and will give you the tools to turn yourself into a brand, leverage social media, produce great content and reap the financial benefits of it.

Why should you read it?

Need some inspiration to get your business butt in gear or, rather, the chair? Look no further. Gary Vee is the Tony Robbins of business. This book includes his personal story as well as grounded advice and a heavy dose of motivation. Pick it up whenever you need a pick-me-up!

Key Takeaways

1. In order to profit from your passion, you have to turn yourself into a brand.
2. Pick a medium that fits you to tell stories people want to hear.
3. Always be authentic in your content.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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11. #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

Favorite Quote

“Take the opportunity to seek out what you are good at, and find a place where you can flourish. Once you do, you’re going to kill it.” — Sophia Amoruso

The Book in One Sentence

#GIRLBOSS shows that even an unconventional life can lead to success when you discover your passions and improve your skills in unusual and unpredictable ways.

Why should you read it?

Did you suck in school? Do you feel it’s too late for you to succeed in business? Has the business world shoved you into a corner because you’re a woman? This book will teach you better. An empowering read, not just but for women in particular, that’ll show you it’s okay to take an unconventional path to success — and that’ll help you map out yours.

Key Takeaways

1. Even opportunities that seem off your chosen path can teach you about yourself, enhance your skills, and open new and better doors for you.
2. Once you have started doing what you like, know your business inside and out and stay focused on it, ignoring what other people think of you.
3. If you want your company to flourish, create a community and work with like-minded people in an environment that suits you.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Managers

12. The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman

Favorite Quote

“Business schools don’t create successful people. They simply accept them, then take credit for their success.” — Josh Kaufman

The Book in One Sentence

The Personal MBA will save you a few hundred grand by outlining everything you really need to know to get started on a thriving business, none of which is taught in expensive colleges.

Why should you read it?

College professors make free markets sound theoretical and complicated. Actually, business is one of the most practical areas of life there is! Having written a world-class blog about business for almost 20 years, Josh Kaufman will make sure you’ve got your head on straight. Especially recommended for anyone considering an MBA. Read this first, then decide.

Key Takeaways

1. Make sure your business addresses at least one of the four core needs.
2. Think about the context of your marketing message.
3. If you ever need to make a deal, do the work up front, so the negotiation becomes easy.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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13. What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School by Mark McCormack

Favorite Quote

“If you aren’t afraid to fail, then you probably don’t care enough about success.” — Mark McCormack

The Book in One Sentence

What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School teaches why succeeding in business has less to do with accumulated theoretical knowledge through schooling and books, and more about people and communication.

Why should you read it?

If you’ve ever tried applying a business strategy that sounded perfect on paper but totally didn’t work out in real life, this book is for you. It’ll explain what and why MBA classroom lessons rarely translate 1:1 to the real world, and where you can find the common sense and good people skills that often beat years of formal education.

Key Takeaways

1. Learn the personalities, attitudes and what makes your business colleagues tick in order to predict their behavior. 
2. Listen to your feelings – discomfort and rejection are signals to spur on your efforts.
3. Approach work and play with the idea of realistic balance in mind and don’t deviate from that pattern.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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14. The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard

Favorite Quote

“The best minute I spend is the one I invest in people.” — Ken Blanchard

The Book in One Sentence

The One Minute Manager gives managers three simple tools, which each take 60 seconds or less, but can tremendously improve how they do their job: getting people to stay motivated, happy and deliver great work.

Why should you read it?

Being in business means dealing with other people all day long. After all, it’s people you’ll need to transact with to make your business successful. Whether you want to use these three simple tools to better manage your employees, deliver feedback to your boss, or handle difficult customers, they’ll be great additions to your business belt.

Key Takeaways

1. Set three goals for each of your employees, which you can review in one minute or less.
2. Use one minute praise to give your employees positive feedback.
3. A one minute reprimand is more than enough to express your dissatisfaction.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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15. A Year With Peter Drucker by Joseph A. Maciariello

Favorite Quote

“There is nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency that which should not be done at all.” — Joseph A. Maciariello 

The Book in One Sentence

A Year With Peter Drucker compiles 52 lessons with weekly exercises into one comprehensive, year-long curriculum for managers, leaders, and those who aspire to be one or the other, based on the teachings of the father of modern management.

Why should you read it?

Being a great manager doesn’t happen overnight. If you want to become a better leader but have limited time to study and practice your soft skills, this book is for you. The weekly structure of insights combined with exercises will make becoming a better manager more manageable (ha!), and Drucker’s wisdom has held up well for decades. A solid, hands-on manual for leaders of all kinds!

Key Takeaways

1. Start using feedback analysis to learn about your strengths and weaknesses early on.
2. Work on your concentration and information literacy.
3. Take a sabbatical to develop your skills in the non-profit sector.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Employees

16. Linchpin by Seth Godin

Favorite Quote

“Transferring your passion to your job is far easier than finding a job that happens to match your passion.” ― Seth Godin

The Book in One Sentence

Linchpin shows you why the time of simply following instructions at your job is over and how to make yourself indispensable, which is a must for success today.

Why should you read it?

I used to think being an employee was a safe bet, until some of my friends and even my girlfriend went through a massive wave of layoffs when the economy was struggling. It’s not fun and often random who gets to stay and who needs to leave. Your best bet? Build skills that set you apart and are in demand, and become indispensable. That’s what this book will teach you, and it’ll help you whether you’re at the top or the bottom of your company’s hierarchy.

Key Takeaways

1. Linchpins pour their heart, soul, and energy into their work.
2. You have to make a conscious choice to overcome your fears to become a linchpin.
3. Give genuine gifts, without expecting anything in return.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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17. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Favorite Quote

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” — Stephen R. Covey

The Book in One Sentence

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People teaches you both personal and professional effectiveness by changing your view of how the world works and giving you 7 habits, which, if adopted well, will lead you to immense success.

Why should you read it?

This book is another classic that needs little introduction. The 7 habits are a holistic, principle-focused approach to solving both personal and professional problems. Following them will help almost anyone show up to work with integrity, persevere in the face of adversity, and quickly adapt to our fast-pacing modern work environments.

Key Takeaways

1. Do the funeral test.
2. Learn how to say no.
3. Practice active listening.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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18. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

Favorite Quote

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” — Spencer Johnson

The Book in One Sentence

Who Moved My Cheese? tells a parable, which you can directly apply to your own life, in order to stop fearing what lies ahead and instead thrive in an environment of change and uncertainty.

Why should you read it?

If you prefer books that teach life lessons through metaphors, you’ll love this book. It might be the best book for managers in the “story-based” category. Two mice scurrying through a big maze looking for cheese will teach you everything you need to know about how people try to navigate the organizations they work at — including how you can do so and find your cheese, whatever it may look like.

Key Takeaways

1. Thinking too much about your cheese might paralyze you, so just start looking.
2. Nothing lasts forever, so keep your eyes open for approaching changes.
3. You can always find new cheese, and the minute you start moving things will get better.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Leaders

19. Drive by Daniel Pink 

Favorite Quote

“Control leads to compliance; autonomy leads to engagement.” — Daniel Pink

The Book in One Sentence

Drive explores what has motivated humans throughout history and explains how we shifted from mere survival to the carrot and stick approach that’s still practiced today – and why it’s outdated.

Why should you read it?

If you happen to work in a carrot-and-stick environment (or perhaps even are leading one from the top down), give this book a go. It’ll change how you think about motivation at work and thus either make you a happier, more productive employee, or a better, more inspiring leader.

Key Takeaways

1. The carrot and stick approach is dead.
2. Extrinsic motivation destroys intrinsic motivation.
3. Strive for the flow state in everything you do.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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20. Principles by Ray Dalio

Favorite Quote

“Rather than thinking, ‘I’m right.’ I started to ask myself, ‘How do I know I’m right?’” — Ray Dalio

The Book in One Sentence

Principles holds the set of rules for work and life billionaire investor and CEO of the most successful fund in history, Ray Dalio, has acquired through his 40-year career in finance.

Why should you read it?

Everyone needs a philosophy, a set of rules they live by. When it comes to your philosophy at work or in how you run your business, this book is the way to go. It’ll lay out the distilled lessons from one of the world’s most celebrated and successful money managers, and they are useful well beyond the world of work and business. Highly recommended.

Key Takeaways

1. Principles are powerful weapons in the fight against flawed thinking.
2. Radical truth and transparency are two of Ray’s most important ideas.
3. Great businesses use principles to create environments where the best ideas win.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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21. Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

Favorite Quote

“The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing, it’s about the courage to show up when you can’t predict or control the outcome.” — Brené Brown

The Book in One Sentence

Dare to Lead dispels common myths about modern-day workplace culture and shows you that true leadership requires nothing but vulnerability, values, trust, and resilience.

Why should you read it?

This book will help you get past the misconceptions of leadership. Brown shatters the myth that leaders must always appear strong. If you want to become the glue that holds your team together and build work relationships based on trust, honesty, and loyalty, all while staying true to yourself, this book is for you.

Key Takeaways

1. Courage and vulnerability always go together.
2. If you can narrow your core values down to just two, you can navigate even the toughest of times.
3. The seven behaviors that create trust can be summed up with the acronym BRAVING.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books About Teamwork & Culture

22. ReWork by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson

Favorite 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.” — Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson

The Book in One Sentence

ReWork shows you that you need less than you think to start a business – way less – by explaining why plans are actually harmful, how productivity isn’t a result from working long hours and why hiring and seeking investors should be your absolute last resort.

Why should you read it?

Startups quickly become like corporations once they grow beyond a certain size — which often happens fast. Billion-dollar unicorns raise millions in funding, then find themselves bogged down in red tape once they use that money to hire hundreds of people. If you work at an early- or even late-stage startup where inflexible structures are starting to creep in, read this book.

Key Takeaways

1. Take a stand for something you believe in and then pick a fight with an incumbent.
2. Screw big corporate marketing, stay honest, personal and nimble.
3. Don’t let long hours and meetings prevail, they actually hurt productivity.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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23. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Favorite Quote

“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” — Sheryl Sandberg

The Book in One Sentence

Lean In digs deep into gender inequality and why women are still underrepresented as a valuable part of our global workforce, showing how they unintentionally hold themselves back, as well as outlining ways for us to enable and support them, including how you as a woman can take the lead and hold the flag of women in work high.

Why should you read it?

If you’re a woman trying to make a name for yourself, hoping to build a career thanks to your hard work and ambition, read this book. It’ll help you avoid some of the pitfalls that still prevail in many male-dominated industries — which is most of them — and navigate even complex organizations with poise and confidence.

Key Takeaways

1. Treat your career like a jungle gym.
2. Learn to strike a balance between ambition and appeal.
3. Before you become a mother, lean into your career as much as you can.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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24. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Favorite Quote

“When people don’t unload their opinions and feel like they’ve been listened to, they won’t really get on board.” — Patrick Lencioni

The Book in One Sentence

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team uses a fable to explain why even the best teams struggle to work together and offers actionable strategies for them to overcome distrust and office politics to achieve important goals as a cohesive, effective unit.

Why should you read it?

This fable-based book will help you and your team get and stay on the same page which, according to the book, is the most important principle of all if you are to accomplish something big together. You’ll learn how to find common denominators and get everyone invested in the same outcome, even if not everyone always agrees it’s the right one to pursue.

Key Takeaways

1. As a group, be open about weaknesses and mistakes to facilitate trust. 
2. Everybody needs to be committed to decisions, no matter what the consensus is.
3. Hold a common goal instead of looking for individual results.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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25. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

Favorite Quote

“Money alone isn’t enough to bring happiness. Happiness is when you’re actually truly okay with losing everything you have.” — Tony Hsieh

The Book in One Sentence

Delivering Happiness explains how mega online shoe retailer Zappos built a unique company culture and customer experience worth remembering, which turned it into a billion dollar business.

Why should you read it?

The business lessons are poignant and helpful, but, truly, this is a book you read for the inspiration factor. Discovering Tony’s story from his worm farm business at nine years old to leading a billion dollar company in making millions of customers happy through positivity and a great customer experience will kick your butt in gear like little else.

Key Takeaways

1. Company culture is more important than customer service.
2. Choose one thing you want to be best at, and then focus on that.
3. Invest $0 in marketing and everything in your product.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Productivity

26. Getting Things Done by David Allen

Favorite Quote

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.” — David Allen

The Book in One Sentence

Getting Things Done is a manual for stress-free productivity, which helps you set up a system of lists, reminders and weekly reviews, in order to free your mind from having to remember tasks and to-dos and instead let it work at full focus on the task at hand.

Why should you read it?

If you’re good at sticking to systems once you’ve implemented them, this might be the Bible of productivity books for you. GTD is a handful, but it’s easy to see its appeal and efficiency once in place. Also, if you’ve never experimented with productivity before, this is a great first read. Chances are, you’ll implement at least some of Allen’s ideas and be all the better for it.

Key Takeaways

1. Use a “collection bucket” to store things outside your mind and stay focused.
2. Create a “next actions” list for all your projects to avoid thinking in the moment.
3. Do a weekly review of everything, or else!

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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27. Measure What Matters by John Doerr

Favorite Quote

“An effective goal-setting system starts with disciplined thinking at the top, with leaders who invest the time and energy to choose what counts.” — John Doerr 

The Book in One Sentence

Measure What Matters teaches you how to implement tracking systems into your company and life that will help you record your progress, stay accountable, and make reaching your goals almost inevitable.

Why should you read it?

Has your company finally entered the big leagues? Was it perhaps bought by a larger, more established competitor? Or did you just become a manager with number-oriented targets for the first time? In any of these cases, this book is for you. You’ll learn how successful companies measure data and condense it into useful pointers for making smart strategic decisions. It’s a book aimed at executives but helpful for anyone who can no longer operate on gut instinct alone.

Key Takeaways

1. Use objectives and key results (OKRs) to keep you going in the right direction toward achieving your goals. 
2. Account for your efforts by implementing consistent tracking measures to help you stay on course.
3. To achieve great success, stretch yourself by setting your sights high. 

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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28. The ONE Thing by Gary Keller 

Favorite Quote

“It is not that we have too little time to do all the things we need to do, it is that we feel the need to do many things in the time we have.” — Gary Keller

The Book in One Sentence

The ONE Thing gives you a very simple approach to productivity, based around a single question, to help you have less clutter, distractions and stress, and more focus, energy and success.

Why should you read it?

If you’re looking for a simple productivity system that you can understand and apply in a few minutes, read this book. All of the other stories and tools supplied around it are helpful. They’ll get you to absorb the idea and make it a mindset. That said, even if you only read a few chapters of this one, there’s a chance you’ll forever approach your to-do list differently afterwards. Worth a shot!

Key Takeaways

1. You can figure out your long- and short-term priorities and goals with a single question.
2. In order to get focused, you have to learn how to say no.
3. Never sacrifice your personal life for work.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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29. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

Favorite Quote

“Confronting the worst-case scenario saps it of much of its anxiety-inducing power. Happiness reached via positive thinking can be fleeting and brittle, negative visualization generates a vastly more dependable calm.” — Oliver Burkeman

The Book in One Sentence

Four Thousand Weeks explores the popularized concept of time management from a different point of view, by tapping into ancient knowledge from famous philosophers, researchers, and spiritual figures, rather than promoting the contemporary idea of high-level productivity and constant self-optimization.

Why should you read it?

Would you like some anti-productivity advice that argues from the other side? The one that doesn’t blindly accept that we should all have to-do lists and try to check them off as quickly as possible? Then this book is for you. It’s both philosophical and practical, and if you’re a creative or someone who struggles with structure, then it will be a liberating, validating, and useful read.

Key Takeaways

1. As humans started to analyze and understand time, it became more valuable to them.
2. Boost productivity by leaving room for procrastination and prioritizing your tasks.
3. Spare time should be used for family activities and hobbies.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Startups

30. Zero to One by Peter Thiel

Favorite Quote

“Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius.” — Peter Thiel

The Book in One Sentence

Zero to One is an inside look at Peter Thiel’s philosophy and strategy for making your startup a success by looking at the lessons he learned from founding and selling PayPal, investing in Facebook and becoming a billionaire in the process.

Why should you read it?

This is a radical and eye-opening book I would recommend to almost anyone in business. It does away with the incremental approach our environment often teaches us. “Just make slightly more comfy shoes” will no longer cut it in today’s cutthroat world. Instead, you’ll learn how to go big and approach everything you do with an entirely different mindset because of it. If you have even the slightest entrepreneurial itch, read this book.

Key Takeaways

1. The biggest leaps in progress are vertical, not horizontal.
2. Monopolies are good, for both business and society.
3. Founders need a vision to take their business from zero to one.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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31. Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore

Favorite Quote

“Entering the mainstream market is an act of burglary, of breaking and entering, of deception, often even of stealth.” — Geoffrey A. Moore

The Book in One Sentence

Crossing the Chasm gives high tech startups a marketing blueprint, in order to make their product get the initial traction it needs to eventually reach the majority of the market and not die in the chasm between early adopters and pragmatists.

Why should you read it?

Are you involved in innovation? If you work in research, technology development, or big pharma, for example, this book is a must-read. It’ll give you a concept you’ll learn once but know and use forever, explaining why it’s so hard to get people to use new technology — and how your company can overcome the potentially fatal chasm between early adopters and the all-important mainstream customers.

Key Takeaways

1. The chasm is a gap between visionary early adopters and the pragmatic majority.
2. Crossing the chasm requires securing a specific niche as a beachhead first.
3. Position yourself as a market leader in your niche by making a strong claim.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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32. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Favorite Quote

“The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.” — Eric Ries

The Book in One Sentence

The Lean Startup offers both entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs a semi-scientific, real-world approach to building a business by using validation, finding a profitable business model and creating a growth engine.

Why should you read it?

If you want to start a business without wasting any time on anything that doesn’t matter, grab this book. It’ll give you a step-by-step plan you can follow that’ll save you tons of time in your early research and go-to market approach. As someone who dodged the bullet of making a bad product several times thanks to idea validation, I can vouch for it: The stuff in this book works.

Key Takeaways

1. Find a business model that works through validation.
2. Use split-testing to tell value from waste.
3. Never ever indulge in vanity metrics.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Strategy

33. The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen

Favorite Quote

“Disruptive technology should be framed as a marketing challenge, not a technological one.” — Clayton M. Christensen

The Book in One Sentence

The Innovator’s Dilemma is a business classic that explains the power of disruption, why market leaders are often set up to fail as technologies and industries change and what incumbents can do to secure their market leadership for a long time.

Why should you read it?

For a better understanding of how disruption happens, read this book. Perhaps your company is an established player about to lose its grip on the market — or an upstart trying to disrupt one. In any case, this is another useful business concept anyone trying to bring about change should have in their belt.

Key Takeaways

1. There are two kinds of technologies: disruptive and sustaining.
2. If a company’s resources, processes and values don’t match the market, no management can save it.
3. Market leaders can solve the innovator’s dilemma by acquiring or founding subsidiaries.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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34. Business Model Generation by Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur

Favorite Quote

“Companies should focus on one of three value disciplines: operational excellence, product leadership, or customer intimacy.” — Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur

The Book in One Sentence

Business Model Generation teaches you how to start your own company by explaining the details of matching your customer’s needs with your product’s capabilities, managing finances, and everything else involved in the planning stages of entrepreneurship.

Why should you read it?

If you enjoy sketching, whiteboarding, and mapping out strategic plans, this one’s for you. It provides a model with various puzzle pieces and several template blank canvases to implement it with. Also great for group brainstorming!

Key Takeaways

1. Market channels, value propositions, and customer groups are the basis for a good business model. 
2. You need to know your customer’s relationship with you, how money is coming in, and what physical things that you need to run your company.
3. Plan for what you’ll do from day to day, who you’re going to work with, and what your cost structure will be.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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35. Sprint by Jake Knapp

Favorite Quote

“We’ve found that magic happens when we use big whiteboards to solve problems. The room itself becomes a sort of shared brain for the team.” — Jake Knapp

The Book in One Sentence

Sprint completely overhauls your project management process so it allows you to go from zero to prototype in just five days and figure out if your idea is worth creating faster than ever.

Why should you read it?

I was so excited about this concept when I first heard about it that I bought the book on the spot. Developed by Knapp at Google, the design sprint is actually a universal tool to help you prototype and iterate quickly, getting new ideas out the door fast and testing their validity in just a few days. A wonderful book to make more of a positive difference in your customers’ lives faster.

Key Takeaways

1. Sprints consist of a deadline, a team in one room and a prototype.
2. Focus on the defining moment in the customer journey and work backwards.
3. Sketch out existing solutions and see how you can combine them.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Starting a Business

36. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau

Favorite Quote

“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” — Chris Guillebeau

The Book in One Sentence

The $100 Startup shows you how to break free from the shackles of 9 to 5 by combining your passion and skills into your own microbusiness, which you can start for $100 or less, yet still turn into a full time income, thanks to the power of the internet.

Why should you read it?

If you got stuck with your execution while reading The 4-Hour Workweek (I did multiple times), this might be the right book for you. It works in smaller chunks, focuses on little, actionable to-dos, and works like a true step-by-step guide for first-time entrepreneurs. There’s nothing wrong with starting from zero — as long as you actually start!

Key Takeaways

1. Passion is only 1/3 of the equation, you also need skills and customers.
2. If you want your passion to be more than a hobby, focus on income and costs.
3. Keep your plans simple, because action beats them every time.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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37. Choose Yourself by James Altucher 

Favorite Quote

“The only predictor of a successful tomorrow is a successful today.” — James Altucher 

The Book in One Sentence

Choose Yourself is a call to give up traditional career paths and take your life into your own hands by building good habits, creating your own career, and making a decision to choose yourself.

Why should you read it?

Do you lack confidence? Did your family and friends tell you your ideas are crazy or that you’ll never succeed in the arts or with being an entrepreneur? Then pick up this book. It is a firework of inspiration and will show you that it’s okay, even normal, to fail several times before you succeed. It’ll also provide some hard evidence that choosing yourself is actually the safest bet you can make, at least in the long run.

Key Takeaways

1. The American dream the middle class keeps chasing is dead.
2. You have to make yourself the only person who controls your dreams.
3. Choosing yourself begins with a daily practice of good habits in 4 areas.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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38. The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki 

Favorite Quote

“Positioning should be about what you do for your customers — not about what you want to become.” — Guy Kawasaki

The Book in One Sentence

The Art of the Start is your guide to beginning a company and explains everything from getting the right people on board to writing a winning business plan and building your brand.

Why should you read it?

This book will provide some startup advice from someone who had a front-row seat and defining role in Apple’s success. The original version is from the early 2000s, but version 2.0 offers an update, and many of the lessons are foundational and still sound.

Key Takeaways

1. Your first goal as an entrepreneur must be to create meaning, not make money.
2. Prepare your Milestones, Assumptions, and Tasks to have direction and purpose right from the start.
3. Set yourself up for success by creating a business plan.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Scaling a Business

39. Blitzscaling by Reid Hoffman

Favorite Quote

“The world keeps getting faster — Silicon Valley is just the first place to figure out how to keep pace.” — Reid Hoffman

The Book in One Sentence

Blitzscaling is the strategy some of today’s most valuable companies have used to achieve huge market shares, insanely fast growth, big profit margins, and become corporate giants in a very short time.

Why should you read it?

This one is full of non-Silicon Valley style advice from someone who lived and made it there, which is refreshing. The LinkedIn founder combines professionalism with the best of startup tactics, which makes this a great read for everyone who wants to build a big business fast without drinking the San Francisco kool-aid.

Key Takeaways

1. The definition of blitzscaling includes growing rapidly, but also requires your company to stay sustainable at all times.
2. Businesses who quickly want to reach massive scale must maximize four different growth factors.
3. Two big obstacles to achieving blitzscaling are product-market fit and operational scalability.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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40. Built to Sell by John Warrillow

Favorite Quote

“Don’t be afraid to say no to projects. Prove that you’re serious about specialization by turning down work that falls outside your area of expertise. The more people you say no to, the more referrals you’ll get to people who need your product or service.” — John Warrillow

The Book in One Sentence

Built to Sell shows you how to become a successful entrepreneur by explaining the steps necessary to grow a small service company and one day sell it.

Why should you read it?

Some people want to build a business they’ll raise like a child and run until they retire. Others don’t know what they want, stumble into doing something useful for others, or simply want to get rich so they can focus on something else, perhaps something that’s not financially lucrative. All of these are fair goals, and if you’re in the latter camp, this book is the one for you. If you want to build a business you can sell, just be honest about it and focus on that outcome from day one.

Key Takeaways

1. You will be more successful in business if you specialize in one service.
2. If you’d like to one day sell your company, you as a founder need to work to make sure that you’re replaceable.
3. Don’t rely on one big client, it’s risky and makes your business less attractive to those that may buy it.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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41. Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday

Favorite Quote

“When intelligent people read, they ask themselves a simple question: What do I plan to do with this information?” — Ryan Holiday

The Book in One Sentence

Growth Hacker Marketing uses a 4-step framework to explain how today’s startups remove the barrier between marketing and product development to make the product itself the best way to get new customers.

Why should you read it?

If you’re looking for a concise primer on modern marketing, insta-buy this book. Seriously. You can read it in less than two hours. It’s a short, step-by-step run-through of some of the fastest-growing companies of the internet age and what exactly they did to succeed. Follow along, implement as you go, and waste zero time on outdated marketing tactics.

Key Takeaways

1. Marketing for startups today is different than it was 20 years ago.
2. Target one small, but focused group of customers first.
3. Make your product go viral by turning customers into marketers.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Small Business Owners

42. The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss 

Favorite Quote

“Doing something unimportant well does not make it important.” — Tim Ferriss

The Book in One Sentence

The 4-Hour Workweek is the step-by-step blueprint to free yourself from the shackles of a corporate job, create a business to fund the lifestyle of your dreams, and live life like a millionaire, without actually having to be one.

Why should you read it?

This is one of those rare books that combines giving you a huge motivation boost with providing tons of actionable steps, interesting insights, and practical tools. When I first read it, I spent loads of time on planning my business, but I also ran through a lot of the exercises. An all-time favorite for budding entrepreneurs and even useful for employees who like their jobs. Would recommend this to almost anyone despite its age.

Key Takeaways

1. Be effective, not efficient.
2. Validate all of your business ideas.
3. Charge a premium to make your life easier.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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43. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

Favorite Quote

“If your business depends on you, you don’t own a business — you have a job. And it’s the worst job in the world because you’re working for a lunatic!” — Michael E. Gerber

The Book in One Sentence

The E-Myth Revisited explains why 80% of small businesses fail, and how to ensure yours isn’t among those by building a company that’s based on systems and not on the work of a single individual.

Why should you read it?

If you’re thinking about starting or turning your business into a franchise, there’s no way around this book. Think first, then implement everything in ways that can be automated, outsourced, and easily repeated from the get-go. One of the great books on thinking and building in systems.

Key Takeaways

1. Having great technical skills does not mean you know how to run a business.
2. Imagine your business as a nationwide franchise from day one, then build the first store.
3. The franchise approach makes sure you build a business based on systems, not people.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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44. Small Giants by Bo Burlingham 

Favorite Quote

“Success means you’re going to have better problems. I’m very happy with the problems I have now.” — Bo Burlingham

The Book in One Sentence

Small Giants is your guide to keeping your company little but mighty that will allow you to pass up deliberate growth for staying true to what’s really important, which is your ideals, time, passions, and doing what you do best so well that customers can’t help but flock to you.

Why should you read it?

Would you like to fly and stay solo? Not in life, but in business, I mean! Then this one’s for you. As a solopreneur who still does most things by himself nearly a decade into business, I relate deeply to this book and its message. Staying small is not a crime and can often be a blessing in disguise. If your gut tells you a small operation might be the right way to go, read this book.

Key Takeaways

1. It’s okay for your company to decide not to grow.
2. Owners of little but mighty companies get to keep doing what they love by keeping things in their control.
3. Small giants have a real soul because their employees are more passionate about their work.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Solo Creators

45. Company of One by Paul Jarvis

Favorite Quote

“Business success does not lie in growing something quickly and massively, but rather in building something that’s both remarkable and resilient over the long term.” — Paul Jarvis

The Book in One Sentence

Company of One will teach you how going small, not big when creating your own company will bring you independence, income, and lots of free time without the hassles of having to manage employees, long meetings, and forced growth.

Why should you read it?

If you feel like neither a normal 9-to-5 nor a long-hour grind or crazy startup environment are right for you, this book might help. Why not become a freelancer? Why not start a company of one? Jarvis is a great living example, and this book can be your guide to working on your own terms too.

Key Takeaways

1. If you want to make it as a solopreneur, you need to stay small and deliberately limit your growth.
2. The smaller your audience, the higher your chances of success.
3. Technological advancements make it possible to skip large investments and create quick cash to get the ball rolling.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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46. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

Favorite Quote

“All revenue is not the same. If you remove your worst, unprofitable clients and the now-unnecessary costs associated with them, you will see a jump in profitability and a reduction in stress, often within a few weeks. Equally important, you will have more time to pursue and clone your best clients.” — Mike Michalowicz

The Book in One Sentence

Profit First explains why traditional business finances are upside down and how, by focusing on profit first and reasoning up from there, you can grow your business to new heights more sustainably, all while being less stressed about money.

Why should you read it?

If you struggle to manage your business’s finance, try this book. It’s a big mindset shift to think of profit — something that’s usually not a fixed percentage — first, then make everything else work from there. But in the book, you’ll quickly see why it makes sense, and you’ll likely feel a lot calmer after you implement this system.

Key Takeaways

1. The reason so many businesses get hung up in debt is that the regular way of doing things makes you fight against human nature.
2. If you want to be more successful at managing your finances you must work with smaller amounts of money.
3. Your profits, and your company, will go further if you look for ways to make your business more financially efficient.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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47. Will It Fly? by Pat Flynn

Favorite Quote

“A sure-fire way to predict the future is to take no action at all. When you do nothing, you get nothing.” — Pat Flynn

The Book in One Sentence

Will It Fly? is a step-by-step guide to testing your business idea, making sure your new venture matches who you are, and not wasting time or money on something people won’t want, so your business won’t just run, but fly.

Why should you read it?

There aren’t that many books about idea validation specifically, and this is one of the best ones, since Pat ruthlessly applied this concept to every single product he ever launched. If you’re afraid your first dollar-generating idea will flop, read this book, and you’ll have everything you need to make sure it won’t.

Key Takeaways

1. Make sure the business you create is in line with who you are by interviewing your future self.
2. Create a Customer P.L.A.N. to make sure your idea matches your audience.
3. Always validate financially by getting 10% of your target group to buy the product up front.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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48. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Favorite Quote

“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.” — Steven Pressfield

The Book in One Sentence

The War of Art brings some much needed tough love to all artists, business people and creatives who spend more time battling the resistance against work than actually working, by identifying the procrastinating forces at play and pulling out the rug from under their feet.

Why should you read it?

If you’re trying to be a solo creator or work in the arts or any creative industry, please read this book. It is one of my all-time favorites. Full of inspiration and equipped with a new concept — Resistance — you’ll never forget for as long as you live. Beat the fear and create your best work!

Key Takeaways

1. You’re not alone, everyone struggles with Resistance.
2. You have to treat your dream like a full-time job.
3. Commit to a territory and you might change the world.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books for Sales

49. Influence by Robert Cialdini

Favorite Quote

“Our best evidence of what people truly feel and believe comes less from their words than form their deeds.” — Robert Cialdini

The Book in One Sentence

Influence has been the go-to book for marketers since its release in 1984, which delivers six key principles behind human influence and explains them with countless practical examples.

Why should you read it?

This is Marketing 101, but it’s also “How To Avoid Succumbing to Marketing 101.” You’ll learn both how to use and spot biases and thus be able to more convincingly present your ideas and products, all while learning more from your competitors. Cialdini also wrote a follow-up book decades later, which is called Pre-Suasion and also worth picking up.

Key Takeaways

1. You can use the reciprocity bias to build up a massive good karma account.
2. The scarcity bias works, because we hate to miss opportunities.
3. Make a small commitment to trigger your consistency bias and reach your goal.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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50. Never Split the Difference by Chriss Voss

Favorite Quote

“He who has learned to disagree without being disagreeable has discovered the most valuable secret of negotiation.” ― Chris Voss

The Book in One Sentence

Never Split the Difference explains why you should never compromise and how to negotiate like a pro both in business and in your everyday life.

Why should you read it?

Negotiating is an essential life skill none of us learn in school. It’ll help you at work, be it for getting promotions and raises, convincing your boss of an idea, or hiring new employees, and all throughout life. From compromises with your spouse to staying-up-late negotiations with your kids, this book will change your life.

Key Takeaways

1. Build trust through mirroring and using the right tone of voice.
2. Label the emotions of the other person to position yourself well in a negotiation.
3. Take things slowly, don’t accept demands, and do not compromise.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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51. The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy

Favorite Quote

“Help yourself warm up and prepare mentally by repeating, ‘I feel happy! I feel healthy! I feel terrific!’ It is not possible for you to talk positively to yourself, using words like this, without immediately feeling happier and more confident.” — Brian Tracy

The Book in One Sentence

The Psychology of Selling motivates you to work on your self-image and how you relate to customers so that you can close more deals.

Why should you read it?

This is one of the older (but golder, hoho) books on sales psychology. The ideas are basic but solid, and if you’re in sales or want to get better at it, this is a good read.

Key Takeaways

1. Utilize the power of your subconscious to become more successful.
2. You will get more motivation and passion if you learn from the right people.
3. Questions are the holy grail of unearthing customers’ needs and they will help you make more sales.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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52. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

Favorite Quote

“99% of people don’t market in the year that we actually live in.” — Gary Vaynerchuk

The Book in One Sentence

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook is a message to everyone who’s not on the social media train yet, showing them how to tell their story the right way on social media, so that it’ll actually get heard.

Why should you read it?

Not everyone is a fan of Gary Vee’s abrasive and in-your-face aura, but the formula he presents here for succeeding on social media and with marketing and sales in general is rock solid. Rather than based on sleazy tactics and clever tricks, you’ll learn how to move more product by being a kind, ethical human being — and a book that spreads this kind of mindset is always worth recommending, I believe.

Key Takeaways

1. If you’re not on social media, you’re going to lose.
2. You have to constantly deliver great content, that’s custom-tailored to the platform, before asking for something in return.
3. Instagram is your best bet for massive engagement among the masses.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books About Marketing

53. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout

Favorite Quote

“Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products.” — Al Ries & Jack Trout

The Book in One Sentence

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is an absolute marketing classic, outlining 22 rules by which companies function, and, depending on how much you adhere to them, will determine the success or failure of your products and ultimately, your company.

Why should you read it?

If you need a quick primer on marketing because you’re new in the industry, starting a business, or because you want a full-scale marketing philosophy you can adopt wholesale without having to turn to multiple sources, this is the go-to book for that. A classic with timeless appeal and a set of ideas that is simple enough to keep handy on one printed page after you finish the book so you’ll never forget what you’ve learned.

Key Takeaways

1. If you can’t be first, be first in peoples’ heads.
2. Create your own category to avoid competition.
3. Remember that each product comes with an opportunity cost.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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54. Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Favorite Quote

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” — Simon Sinek

The Book in One Sentence

Start With Why is Simon Sinek’s mission to help others do work, which inspires them, and uses real-world examples of great leaders to show you how they communicate and how you can adapt their mindset to inspire others yourself.

Why should you read it?

This book will change how you communicate with anyone in your company, from the CEO to the janitor, and chances are, even the people outside of work. Be sure to watch Simon’s world-famous TED talk as well. It’s a great starting point before diving into the book, which will help you master the specifics of why-based communication.

Key Takeaways

1. If you want to inspire others, always communicate your why first.
2. Excited employees are the best resource for any business.
3. You don’t need sleazy sales tactics when you start with why.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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55. This Is Marketing by Seth Godin

Favorite Quote

“Persistent, consistent, and frequent stories, delivered to an aligned audience, will earn attention, trust, and action.” — Seth Godin

The Book in One Sentence

This Is Marketing argues that marketing success in today’s world comes from focusing more on the needs, values, and desires of our target audience, rather than spamming as many people as possible with our message.

Why should you read it?

Seth Godin has been marketing for over 40 years, and this is a comprehensive collection of his best ideas around it, grouped together into one coherent philosophy. I can’t think of a better person to learn marketing from, and he’s a true role model for me. If you only read one book about marketing in your life, make it this one. You won’t regret it.

Key Takeaways

1. Trying to use the internet to get your product or service in front of your audience isn’t as effective as targeting those individuals you want to serve and their traits. 
2. Bring your audience together into a tribe by using language that connects with their worldview. 
3. Utilize the power of networks to take your offering from initial fans to the general public.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Best Business Books About Inspiring CEOs & Leaders

56. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Favorite Quote

“The only time you must not fail is the last time you try.” — Phil Knight

The Book in One Sentence

Shoe Dog is the autobiography of Nike’s founder Phil Knight, who at last decided to share the story of how he founded one of the most iconic, profitable and world-changing brands in the world.

Why should you read it?

Nike is one of the most well-known brands in the world. If someone was at the heart of building something that almost anyone on the planet will recognize, that sure must have been one hell of a ride. In Phil’s case, it is absolutely a journey worth learning from, one he tackled with grit, wit, and optimism at all times. Super inspiring read!

Key Takeaways

1. If you’re young and don’t have much to lose, it’s best to go for broke.
2. Get a mentor and partner on board, who will believe in you and complement your skills.
3. Don’t tell people how to do things. Let them do their thing.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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57. Sam Walton: Made in America by Sam Walton

Favorite Quote

“There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” — Sam Walton

The Book in One Sentence

Sam Walton: Made in America shines a light on the man behind the biggest fortune ever amassed in business and explains how he built Walmart into a billion-dollar empire with hard work, incessant learning and an unrivaled resolve to make every single customer as happy as can be.

Why should you read it?

This isn’t only for people who work in retail or want to build an e-commerce business. This man single-handedly put his entire family on the Forbes list of the world’s richest people, and he did it by being thrifty, competitive, and always, always on the side of the customer. If you want to know what kind of person you’ll have to be to succeed on a global scale, this book offers one template — and makes for an entertaining read along the way.

Key Takeaways

1. Good artists copy, great artists steal.
2. Always put the customer first. Always.
3. Share your financial success with your employees.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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58. The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger

Favorite Quote

“Ask the questions you need to ask, admit without apology what you don’t understand, and do the work to learn what you need to learn as quickly as you can.” — Robert Iger

The Book in One Sentence

The Ride of a Lifetime shares the inspirational story of Robert Iger, including his journey to becoming the CEO of Disney and how his vision, strategy, and leadership guided the company through a time when it’s future was uncertain.

Why should you read it?

How do you preserve a legacy you didn’t create? How can you be a good steward of a brand that’s been around for decades? This book answers those questions and teaches clear thinking, good decision-making, and continued courage along the way.

Key Takeaways

1. Pay attention to what you might consider coincidence, it just may end up leading you to success.
2. Even if an idea you have sounds crazy, try it anyway because you never know what great opportunities will come from it until you do.
3. Don’t give up on even the toughest of aspirations, remember that you can utilize your connections to make great things happen.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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59. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Favorite Quote

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs

The Book in One Sentence

Steve Jobs is the most detailed and accurate account of the life of the man who created Apple, the most valuable technology company in the world.

Why should you read it?

The foundations of Apple, the modus operandi of Steve Jobs, and understanding some of the technology he created are business basics for almost anyone. As a school teacher, I would not blink twice before handing my students this book. You’ll gain an understanding of the history of the personal computer, what makes great hardware and technology more than just “products,” and how to get customers to be so loyal to your brand they’ll queue for 24 hours and then some just for your new product launch. A must-read!

Key Takeaways

1. Steve Jobs’s team invented a name for his most important skill, the reality distortion field.
2. The Apple name was chosen for a very specific reason.
3. Apple didn’t make Steve Jobs a billionaire, Pixar did.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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60. Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

Favorite Quote

“Most ‘necessary evils’ are far more evil than necessary.” — Richard Branson

The Book in One Sentence

Losing My Virginity details Richard Branson’s meteoric rise to success and digs into what made him the adventurous, fun-loving, daring entrepreneur he is today and what lessons you can learn about business from him.

Why should you read it?

Want to grow a business while having fun? Do you enjoy taking risks and going on adventures? Then perhaps Richard Branson is the right role model for you. He never did anything by the rules — and it often worked out for the better. If you’re looking for a more fun-oriented, different style of leadership, try this book.

Key Takeaways

1. Don’t feel bad if you haven’t been born and bred as an entrepreneur.
2. Always look out for the next thing, but take it one adventure at a time.
3. The number one skill you should practice is creativity.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

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Conclusion

There might be no single skill called “business,” and business school will never teach you how to successfully operate a company, but if anything, these are reasons to spend more time studying the many parts that go into running a thriving business, not less — just more strategically than you might have if you had thought of business as one mysterious “thing” someone does.

Whether you want to start your own company or already have, hope to better serve the organization you work for, or would like to round out the multi-decade skill set you’ve developed, we hope our list of the best business books of all time will help you accomplish your business goals. Pick your favorite, learn a lesson, and never stop building towards a better future — and if you have any feedback or suggestions, shoot us a note on Twitter. Like any business, this list is a constant work in progress, and if you can help us make it better, everyone wins! Thanks for reading, and we’ll read you soon!

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Other Book Lists by Topic

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Other Book Lists by Author

Looking for more books by the world’s most celebrated authors? Here are all of the book lists by the author we’ve curated for you:

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Last Updated on August 29, 2023