All Simon Sinek Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)

Simon Sinek Books Cover

Simon Sinek is one of the most influential American authors and inspirational speakers alive today. Born on October 9, 1973, in Wimbledon in the United Kingdom, you most likely know him from his TED talk with over 60 million views. If you’re looking for a full list of all Simon Sinek books, you’ve come to the right place.

In said talk, Sinek shared the main idea from his 2009 bestselling book, Start With Why (2009). Drawing three concentric circles on a whiteboard, he explained that the best leaders and organizations inspire others to take action by communicating first why they do what they do, then how they do it, then what — and most people and businesses do it the other way around! The success of the talk and book created a massive ripple effect around the world and catapulted him to near-overnight fame. Sinek is now one of the best-selling authors and key authorities on leadership and business.

Sinek lives in the US and holds a B.A. in cultural anthropology from Brandeis University. He later pursued Law at London’s City University but left and instead studied advertising, beginning his writing career at ad agencies Euro RSCG and Ogilvy & Mather. Now he runs his own business.

Simon is known to be a diehard optimist who believes in everyone’s ability to build a great future together. Sinek’s “Just Cause,” a concept he introduced in The Infinite Game (2018), is “to build a world in which the vast majority of people wake up inspired, feel safe at work and return home fulfilled at the end of the day.” That is his mission, and his personal WHY for that mission is “to inspire people to do what inspires them so that together we can each change our world for the better.”

 

So far, Sinek has written five books, many of them bestsellers. Leaders Eat Last (2014) landed on both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller list. You can already find 3 of his 5 books in our 1,000-summary index here on Four Minute Books, but we thought we’d compile all of them for you, ranked by both publication date and popularity. We’ve even included a section where we recommend which one you should read first.

You can easily navigate this list by clicking on whichever section interests you the most in the below table of contents. For each of Sinek’s books, we’ve included an image of the cover, a 1-sentence-summary, and our favorite quote. We’ll also share our most important takeaways and why you might want to read the book yourself.

If you want to dive deeper into any given book, simply click the “Read on Four Minute Books” button or use one of our Amazon affiliate links to buy a copy for yourself. Without further ado, here’s the full list of Simon Sinek books!


All Simon Sinek Books (in Chronological Order)

1. Start With Why (2009)

Simon Sinek Books 1: Start With Why (2009)

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?

If you want to do better work, further your career, or become a great leader, this book is for you. It’ll teach you how to inspire action in others. This book will help you find your WHY and HOW, giving you detailed explanations, case studies, and instructions on how to identify and embrace a powerful cause and mission. By the end of this, you’ll have a simple, concise formulation of your mission and purpose, usually no more than a sentence or two. Powerful stuff!

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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2. Leaders Eat Last (2014)

Simon Sinek Books 2: Leaders Eat Last (2014)

Favorite Quote

“It is not the genius at the top giving directions that makes people great. It is great people that make the guy at the top look like a genius.” — Simon Sinek

The Book in One Sentence

Leaders Eat Last teaches you where the need for leadership comes from historically, what the consequences of bad leadership are, and how you can be a good leader in the modern world.

Why should you read it?

In this book, Sinek takes our understanding of organizations and why (or why not) they succeed to the next level. More than just knowing what makes good and bad leadership, you’ll get new perspectives on how people think in general. If you are looking for a book that takes a very human approach at leadership, a book that will not just tell you how to lead but how to become better as a person, you should read this book.

Key Takeaways

  1. Safety means progress.
  2. Responsibility means actually caring about people.
  3. Technology has turned us into performance addicts.

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. Together Is Better (2016)

Simon Sinek Books 3: Together is Better (2016)

Favorite Quote

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.” — Simon Sinek

The Book in One Sentence

Together Is Better is a wonderful, uplifting story about change, growing up, and staying young at heart while not forgetting about the people around us, ideal to get some daily inspiration, say thanks to someone you admire, or give as a gift to someone you love.

Why should you read it?

Sinek wrote this book as a gift to those who want to inspire other people. It’s also for people who want to thank those who have inspired them. The book contains a simple story in just a few pages and pictures, but one that has a profound lesson and impact. It draws on the simplicity and effectiveness of children’s books. This little book is designed to uplift and make people smile. You can keep it for yourself to read, but it also works really well if you give it to someone you are grateful to and for.

Key Takeaways

  1. It takes courage to ask for help, not to try and do everything by yourself.
  2. A team is not a group of people that work together. A team is a group of people that trust each other.
  3. When we fight against something, we’ll focus on what we hate. When we fight for something, we’ll focus on what we love.

If you want to learn more, you can click below or get a copy for yourself.

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4. Find Your Why (2017)

Simon Sinek Books 4: Find Your Why (2017)

Favorite Quote

“Fulfillment is a right and not a privilege.” — Simon Sinek

The Book in One Sentence

Find Your Why is an actionable guide to discovering your mission in life, figuring out how you can live it on a daily basis, and sharing it with the world.

Why should you read it?

If you liked Start With Why, Find Your Why is a good addendum and extension. It’s more practical, with lots of exercises and real-world scenarios, so if you liked the message of Start With Why but felt stuck in applying it to your own life, this book may be the solution. Besides outlining the process for individuals, the book also includes ideas for team workshops and businesses, which rounds it all out nicely.

Key Takeaways

  1. You can find your WHY by going through events from your past that had a big impact on you.
  2. Knowing HOW you work will allow you to live your WHY as best as possible.
  3. After you’ve figured out your purpose in life, share it whenever you get a chance.

If you want to learn more, you can click below or get a copy for yourself.

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5. The Infinite Game (2019)

Simon Sinek Books 5: The Infinite Game (2019)

Favorite Quote

“Our lives are finite, but life is infinite. We are the finite players in the infinite game of life. We come and go, we’re born and we die, and life still continues with us or without us.” — Simon Sinek

The Book in One Sentence

The Infinite Game explains that the world of work and business is an infinite game that requires a long-term mindset, and it will show you how to acquire this mindset and use it to advance your cause, support others, and win in life by being ethical, positive, and service-oriented.

Why should you read it?

This book will show you that poor businesses and leaders only focus on tomorrow, whereas great companies and teams focus on the next generation. It will instill a long-term perspective in you and help you build a healthy organization or contribute to one. Any leader that seeks to create a legacy will find this book eye-opening and extremely helpful. If you are looking to make a true impact through your work and leave a lasting legacy, this book is for you.

Key Takeaways

  1. Infinite games are all around us.
  2. To succeed in the infinite game of business, one must have a Just Cause.
  3. There is no winning in an infinite game. The best we can do is to set ourselves and others up well so we can keep playing.

If you want to learn more, you can click below or get a copy for yourself.

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Simon Sinek Books by Popularity

Want to know which Simon Sinek books are the most popular? Here’s a short reorder of the list based on the total number of Amazon ratings, ranked from most to least.

  1. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (⭐️ 26,000+ Ratings ⭐️)
  2. Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t (⭐️ 11,400+ Ratings ⭐️)
  3. The Infinite Game (⭐️ 5,700+ Ratings ⭐️)
  4. Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team (⭐️ 3,700+ Ratings ⭐️)
  5. Together Is Better (⭐️ 2,100+ Ratings ⭐️)

Sinek’s books have sold millions of copies. Start With Why has sold over one million units alone. Aside from his great advocacy in leadership, Sinek has used the success of his books to build The Optimism Company, a business aimed at making the world (and its organizations) a place where people believe good, do good, and help others. 


In What Order Should You Read Simon Sinek’s Books?

Which of Simon Sinek’s books should you read first? If you ask us, here’s the order in which reading his books makes the most logical sense based on their topics:

  1. Start With Why: This book will show you the core concept holding all of Sinek’s work together, and it’ll help you understand your inner, powerful, driving force. The Golden Circle lies at the heart of every remarkable organization and revolutionary movement. It all starts with WHY.
  2. Find Your Why: This book will help you identify your personal WHY, now that you understand the concept. It’ll also show you how to bring it to life both in your career and your life.
  3. Leaders Eat Last: This one will bring your understanding of WHY to the next level when it comes to your work and career. It shows you that, to be a great leader, you must understand your organization’s WHY, and the book will help you not just do that but also use this knowledge to spur your company on to success.
  4. The Infinite Game: In this book, Sinek will show you how to apply the ideas from James P. Carse’s Finite and Infinite Games to topics of business and leadership. It’ll help you take a long-term view without being swayed by short-term adversities. Learn to create an epic legacy in the infinite game of life!
  5. Together Is Better: This small book is a token of gratitude, ideal as a gift for family and team members, but also inspiring to read through for yourself! It is full of inspiration, reminding you that it’s okay to ask for help — and also help others discover their own courage. It’s a charming story about change and growing up while staying young at heart. A nice pick-me-up on any given day!

And? Do you already know which of Sinek’s books you’ll read first? We hope this list will help you decide. Regardless of which one you’ll pick up first, you’re bound to find some inspiration. All of Sinek’s books are made to inspire you so that you may inspire others in turn.


Conclusion

Simon Sinek’s writing is always uplifting, insightful, and forward-looking. You could do worse than to read a bunch (or even all) of his books. We hope this list will help you pick your favorite and get started! Happy reading!


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Last Updated on December 14, 2022