10 Books Every Entrepreneur Must Read!
The famous quote of Harry S Truman, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers”, cannot be more apt. You cannot find a single great personality who is not reading any book currently. The genre doesn’t matter. Knowledge is what matters. Bill Gates recently released his collection of must read books and you will be surprised to find the variety in it. Versatility of a businessperson is always admirable. Any YouTube video, Facebook feed, book summary websites or online app cannot replace the importance of reading entrepreneur and personal finance books. So if you dream to make it big one day then start by taking this small step and start reading regularly.
Here is the books that I recommend you to read if you are an entrepreneur.
The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
Entrepreneurship is not like a 9 to 5 job, it is a passion whose essence is rightly captured in this book.
Stay hungry Stay Foolish, Rashmi Bansal
The non-fiction accounts the journeys of circa 25 MBA graduates who started their own businesses. Each journey of course is full of its ups and downs but as a whole it provides a motivation to start something of your own.
Benjamin Franklin, Walter Isaacson
This one is an all time favorite of Elon Musk, a billionaire himself. For most people Benjamin Franklin is only a scientist Elon Musk says he is no less than an entrepreneur because he started his projects from scratch. He recommends this and other books of the author to upcoming entrepreneurs.
As a Man Thinketh, James Allen
The things that happen in your life, feelings and experiences are truly generated from your thoughts. That is what this book professes and helps you understand your thoughts.
Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, René Girard
This piece of French work is loved by Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal. The book’s main stress is on competition that goes to the head of fierce competitors and how people compete for things that don’t even matter.
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!, Richard P. Feynman
The autobiography of the Nobel Prize winning scientist, Feynman is a must read for all. Even though being a scientist, Feynman was interested in many things and had a broader outlook in life. Unlike other scientists buried in books he wanted to be like Da Vinci, to be able to combine art and science.
Meditations, Marcus Aurelius
This one is a collection of philosophical essays. Marcus Aurelius was an ancient Roman emperor and this book accounts his personal writings from a period of chaotic decade in his rule. It contains his interpretation of Stoic philosophy and the art of accepting things that are beyond one’s control.
Zero to One, Peter Thiel
It focuses on how you can harness technology to build a business of the future, and it enforces the importance of knowing what you’re doing before you dive into a startup.
The Innovator’s Dilemma, Clayton Christensen
Many people shelf their idea because of its prevalence in the market already. This book teaches you how to beat the big companies on their own game. Hence a must read.
The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker
Ideas that are now common like managers and team working towards the same goal was popularized by Peter Drucker. This book gives the right tips on decision making and time management.
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