Must-Read Books For Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: The Ultimate List

Maria Petit

Books? Do people even read books? Yes, in fact, according to Publisher’s Weekly, print book sales have increased by more than 8.9% since the pandemic began in 2020! Therefore, if you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, books still are a great source of information and inspiration. 

In this blog post, we will share with you a list of must-read books for business owners and entrepreneurs. These books cover a variety of topics, from marketing to finance to leadership. So whether you are just starting out in your business journey or you are looking for ways to take your business to the next level, these books will help! Keep reading!

If you search for a pattern among all the great entrepreneurs, you will find most of them didn’t learn their entrepreneurial skills at school, instead real-life lessons leverage them to be the leaders they became. We are not, in any way, dismissing higher education yet we are emphasizing not all learning comes from a classroom.

We have at hand a great, ever-lasting tool to keep us constantly learning, and those are books! They provide an opportunity for business owners and entrepreneurs to gain new perspectives and insights that can be applied to their businesses. They also offer a chance to step away from the day-to-day grind of running a business and reflect on larger issues. 

Must-Read Books For Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: The Ultimate List

With that said, here are our top picks for must-read books for business owners and entrepreneurs:

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

The Lean Startup is a how-to manual for creating and managing startups, written by Eric Ries. The book describes The Lean Startup Methodology, which prescribes a set of principles for how to develop and introduce new products or services under conditions of extreme uncertainty. 

The methodology has been adopted by startup companies and startups within larger organizations worldwide. The overwhelming success of The Lean Startup has made it one of the most influential books on entrepreneurship of all time. 

The book has sold over 1 million copies and has been translated into more than 130 languages

The Lean Startup Methodology has been used to create businesses in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, education, consumer goods, and enterprise software. The Lean Startup Approach has also been adopted by government agencies and non-profit organizations. 

Eric Ries was one of the advisors of the “Lean Product Management Courses” offered by edX, an online learning platform.

Purchase a hard copy at $12.99 here

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

The 4-Hour Workweek is a book by Timothy Ferriss, published in 2007. The book has sold more than 1.35 million copies and has been translated into 40 languages. 

The book provides advice on how to work less and live more by outsourcing and automating one’s life and business. The book consists of three parts: 

• Part One is about lifestyle design
• Part Two is about business model design
• Part Three is about tools and tactics

Be cautious that the book has been criticized for its pseudoscience and for its generalizability, yet we are not here to sanction books, and, au contraire, to provide several options for you to choose from!

Up to this date, the book remains popular and continues to be instrumental in helping people rethink the way they work and live.

Find a soft copy at $14.36 here

The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen

The Innovator’s Dilemma is a book by the late American academic Clayton M. Christensen that addresses the problems that companies face when trying to adopt new technologies. The book was first published in 1997 and has been reprinted several times since then. 

The book looks at why companies have difficulty adopting new technologies and how they can overcome these difficulties. The book is divided into three sections: The Innovator’s Dilemma, The Innovator’s Solution, and The Innovator’s Journey. 

• The first section looks at the history of innovation and the problems that companies face when trying to adopt new technologies. 
• The second section provides a framework for understanding and addressing the innovator’s dilemma. 
• The third section looks at the case study of one company that was successful in adopting new technologies. 

It is a useful resource for anyone who is interested in innovation or who is responsible for implementing new technologies within a company

The book is well-written and provides a wide range of insights into the problems that companies face when adopting new technologies. 

Find the kindle version at $13.84 and the hard copy at $17.49 here.

Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear

Atomic Habits is a book by James Clear that provides a framework for making small changes in your life that can have a big impact. The book is based on the idea that atomic habits are the building blocks of our lives and that we can change our lives by changing our habits. 

The book provides practical advice on how to make small changes in your life that can lead to big results. It also includes case studies of people who have used atomic habits to change their lives, including a man who lost 100 pounds, a woman who quit smoking, and a family who saved $50,000. 

The book is an easy read and provides practical tips that can be used to make lasting changes in your life.

Purchase a hard copy at $11.98 here.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, Phil Knight

Shoe Dog is a memoir by the creator of Nike, Phil Knight. The book chronicles Knight’s journey from being a college track star to starting up and running one of the most successful brands in the world. 

Shoe Dog is an inspiring story about following your dreams and never giving up, even when the odds are against you. The book is also a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the early days of Nike, and how Knight and his team were able to grow the company into the behemoth it is today. 

If you’re looking for an uplifting read or are interested in learning more about the history of Nike, Shoe Dog is definitely worth checking out!

Don’t miss Phil Knight talking about his book in an interview by Good Morning America!

Find a hard copy at $15.29 here.

0 to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel

0 to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel is a book about startups. And what an author! Thiel is the co-founder of Pay-Pal, a well-known American multinational financial technology company.

In this book, Thiel provides an overview of what it takes to start a successful startup. He covers topics such as the importance of focus. In the book, Thiel argues that the most important thing for startups is to create something new, rather than trying to copy something that already exists. 

0 to One is an essential read for anyone interested in starting a company or investing in startups

He provides several examples of successful startups that have done just that. Thiel also offers advice on how to build a successful startup, including the importance of recruiting passionate and talented employees, developing a unique company culture, and raising capital from the right investors. 

Purchase a hard copy at $18.49 here.

The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime by M.J DeMarco

The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime by M.J DeMarco is a book that promises to teach its readers how to achieve financial freedom and live a rich life. 

The book starts off by mentioning some of the most common myths about wealth, such as the belief that you need to be born into money or that you need to win the lottery. It then goes on to debunk these myths and provide its own set of rules for becoming a millionaire. 

The book has received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its straightforward approach to wealth-building and others feeling that it is too simplistic. However, The Millionaire Fastlane remains a popular book and continues to sell well.

Get a copy here at $28.95 and find out by yourself!

Give and Take by Adam Grant

If you are into social entrepreneurship, Give and Take by Adam Grant is the book for you! This piece is about the power of giving and taking. The book explores the idea that we can all benefit from giving more, and that by giving more, we can create a more prosperous world for everyone. 

Grant looks at the “takers” who are always out for themselves and the “givers” who are always ready to help others. He argues that both approaches have their merits, but that givers ultimately succeed more because they create a system of reciprocity that benefits everyone involved.

Give and Take is an easy read with many practical examples of how giving can benefit both the giver and the receiver. The book is full of inspiring stories of people who have benefitted from giving, as well as research to back up the author’s claims. 

Purchase a hard copy at $15.99 here.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck is a book about how our mindset can impact our success. Dweck argues that there are two different mindsets- a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. 

People with fixed mindsets believe that their abilities and intelligence are fixed traits that cannot be changed. People with a growth mindset believe that their abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others. 

Dweck’s research has shown that people with a growth Mindset are more successful than those with a fixed Mindset. They are more likely to persevere in the face of difficulties, and they are more open to learning new things. Which are you? 

The Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck is an essential read for anyone interested in achieving success. Purchase a copy at $17.29 here.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Since business life it’s not everything about the business, therefore including some books on personal development is a must!

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a book of Stoic philosophy. Stoicism is the philosophy that holds that the best way to deal with difficult situations is to remain calm and rational. 

Meditations is a collection of Aurelius’ thoughts and musings on Stoic philosophy. The book is divided into 12 books, each of which is further divided into chapters. Aurelius covers a wide range of topics, including how to deal with difficult people, how to maintain your composure in the face of adversity, and how to live a good life. 

Meditations is a classic of Stoic philosophy and continue to be popular even today. It is widely considered to be one of the most important books on Stoicism. 

You can purchase a copy at $15.99 here.

The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Zander and Benjamin Zander

The Art of Possibility is a book by Rosamund Zander and Benjamin Zander that explores the idea that we all have the power to create our own reality. 

The book offers readers a framework for making positive changes in their lives based on the principle that our thoughts and actions are not limited by our circumstances. The authors believe that everyone has the ability to shape their own destiny, and they provide readers with practical tools for making this happen. 

The book has been widely acclaimed by reviewers, who praise its insight and inspiration. The Art of Possibility is sure to help anyone who is looking to make positive changes in their life. Purchase a copy at $16.96 here.

Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy by Martin Lindstrom

Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy by Martin Lindstrom is a book that explores the science behind why we buy the things that we do. 

Lindstrom draws on cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques to study the hidden factors that influence our purchasing decisions. His findings challenge everything we think we know about what motivates us as consumers. 

Buyology is a fascinating look at how our brains really work, and it provides plenty of food for thought for anyone who wants to understand the science behind marketing and consumer behavior. Ready to take your selling strategy to a whole new level?

Find a hard copy at $18.89 here!

This is only a very tiny peek at the variety of books available for people like you who want to thrive in business and entrepreneurship! These books will help you develop the mindset of a successful entrepreneur, learn how to manage your time and resources, understand what motivates people to buy, and much more. 

Final Thoughts

These books are essential reading for any business owner or entrepreneur who wants to achieve success. Each book offers valuable insights and lessons that can help you reach your goals. So what are you waiting for? Start them reading today!

We hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it helpful. Be sure to check back soon for more great content like this. Thanks for reading!

-The Monitask Team

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