As Charles William Eliot once said, “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
As an entrepreneur, you might not think that there are enough hours in the day to leaf through a book. After all – you’re busy trying to better your business, advance your career, and figure out what’s your next “big thing.” The reality is that certain books can help you to realize your potential and achieve all of these goals.
Why would anyone who’s looking to improve themselves – as all business people are – deny themselves access to the teachings of some of the most successful and experienced people in the world? Perhaps you simply can’t narrow down which of these thousands upon thousands of books to read – but that’s why we’ve curated this list of must-reads. You no longer have any excuses!
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Some people think this book has been discussed ad nauseam, but anyone who’s read it knows that there’s no such thing. On the whole, what Kiyosaki is promoting with this book is a new way of thinking – a rich way of thinking. He compares his own dad – who was poor, despite having completed plenty of schooling – to the dad of his friend – who, despite having little education, was very, very wealthy. His firm belief that it was their different mindsets that landed them in different financial situations will really get you thinking – and help you, as an entrepreneur, to adopt the mindset of the rich dad.
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
It’s all-too-often that entrepreneurs are accused of giving up the things that “really matter” in life – though that in itself is subjective – for their work. If this is a fear that lurks in the back of your mind, or if you’d ideally like to have the time to run multiple businesses, you’ll find that The 4-Hour Workweek is truly groundbreaking. He teaches his readers to automate their businesses in such a way that the owner has time to spend the vast majority of his or her time in any manner that’s pleasing. By now, your interest should be piqued.
The Start-Up of You by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha
One of the biggest skills an entrepreneur needs to learn is how to adapt. You should always be in beta mode, argues Reid Hoffman, co-founder of social networking site LinkedIn. Once you recognize that the process of improving is never over, you’ll become successful in the business world – and this book can serve as your endless roadmap on your journey.
Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
If you’re given the opportunity to take advice from Malcom Gladwell, you take it. Not only is Outliers engaging – if you’ve read Blink or any of his NYT pieces, you’ll believe it – but this bestseller is also incredibly profound when it comes to thinking about how much of success is hard work and how much of it is just luck. Then again, what is luck without hard work? Learn how to make luck work in your favor by reading this piece.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
We’ll end with a book that, again, might seem discussed to death but only with good reason. Don’t think for one second that a self-help book has no place on an entrepreneur’s bookshelf, because making friends and influencing people is ultimately what will make or break the success of your business. Learn everything from how to use your body language to get people to like you, to wording your sentences more convincingly. It’ll absolutely change your relationships for the better.
Guest post by Tom Heppard. Tom is an innovative sales and marketing leader for Broadview Networks with expertise launching and supporting profitable product lines across all channels. Proven B2B experience in domestic and international markets. Creative thinker with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a passion employing technology to solve customers' business objectives
Awesome list!I’m always looking for new books about startup or entrepreneurship. I’ve read a few of these and really enjoyed them. I will have to put the others on my reading list as well. Thanks for sharing your recommendations!
Glad you enjoyed them, Anas. Feel free to add some others you like particularly well here in the comments! – Mike, Yaffe Tidbits editor