Reading is often shared among millionaires and billionaires pursuing success and wealth. The business world and various industries are constantly evolving. Successful people understand the value of lifelong learning.
Books often provide a platform for shaping one’s mindset and attitude. Positive thinking, resilience, and a growth mindset can be reinforced through literature. This is why even the most brilliant entrepreneurial minds read books. Some of the most popular ones have been listed below.
The Fountainhead
Snow Crash
Zero to One
Principles
Antifragile
The Ride of a Lifetime
High Output Management
The Remains of the Day
Only the Paranoid Survive
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
The Intelligent Investor
The Fountainhead
| Book | The Fountainhead |
|---|---|
| Author | Ayn Rand |
| Goodreads Rating | 3.88 out of 5 |
Mark Cuban is one of the world’s most liberal-minded billionaires and is a massive fan of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
The book’s protagonist, Howard Roark, is a young, uncompromising architect who rebels against social norms and refuses to give in to pressure from an institution that isn’t open to new ideas. Roark epitomizes what Rand saw as the ideal man, and his struggle reflects Rand’s opinion that individuality is better than collectivism. Ayn Rand stated that the central theme of The Fountainhead was “individualism versus collectivism, not in politics but within a man’s soul.“
Snow Crash
| Book | Snow Crash |
|---|---|
| Author | Neal Stephenson |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.02 out of 5 |
Ev Williams, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Tobi Lütke, Cameron Winklevoss, and Mark Zuckerberg have all recommended the science fiction book Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
In Snow Crash, the brainstem’s programming language is Sumerian, and all characters are personifications of computer and technological components. In a far-off future where technology has developed to the point where organic matter and mechanical parts have been combined, the book’s narrative depicts the impact of technological advances on our daily lives.
Another theme in the story examines how American culture runs and how it glorifies consumerism. The narrator points out that people are constantly attacked by advertisements promoting various items and that an average person can’t avoid them. Stephenson establishes the story following a financial crisis to examine cryptocurrencies and anarcho-capitalism.
Zero to One
| Book | Zero to One |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Thiel |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.16 out of 5 |
Elon Musk is the founder of SpaceX and Tesla and the owner of X (formerly Twitter). His recommendation for young and upcoming entrepreneurs is Zero to One by Peter Thiel. Thiel begins the book by asking a contrarian question: “What important truth do very few people agree with you on?” The intention is to encourage readers to recognize distinctive viewpoints essential for transformational innovation. He applies his experience with the ‘PayPal Mafia’ to investigate how close-knit organizations can grow into successful businesses. He believed that the culture of a corporation should, in some ways, be similar to a cult. Throughout the book, Peter Thiel encourages business owners to go after monopolies, question the current status quo, and concentrate on the last-mover advantage.
Principles
| Book | Principles |
|---|---|
| Author | Ray Dalio |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.12 out of 5 |
Andrew W. Houston and Jack Dorsey are two top American Internet Entrepreneurs who recommend Principles by Ray Dalio. Ray Dalio is an American billionaire, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder, chairman, and chief investment officer of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s most significant hedge funds. This book is divided into three sections: Work Principles, Life Principles, and a thorough description of Dalio’s personal experience. Dalio discusses approximately five hundred high-level, mid-level, and sub-level concepts in his book.
Antifragile
| Book | Antifragile |
|---|---|
| Author | Nassim Nicholas Taleb |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.10 out of 5 |
Vinod Khosla is an Indian-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He is a co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the creator of Khosla Ventures. Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a thought-provoking book that delves into the concept of antifragility. According to Taleb, most individuals, groups, and systems are inherently fragile and depend on comparatively high degrees of predictability and stability to prevent collapsing. In contrast, antifragile systems are designed to flourish in unstable and unpredictable situations.
The Ride of a Lifetime
| Book | The Ride of a Lifetime |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Iger |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.42 out of 5 |
Bill Gates is known not to be a fan of the typical leadership books as he believes they are unrealistic or impractical. However, the one book that he considers to be excellent enough to make an exception is The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger.
The Ride of A Lifetime depicts Robert’s rise to the position of CEO of Disney and illustrates how his vision, tactics, and direction helped the business survive through a period of challenging conditions. Robert Iger’s career has been defined by taking chances and taking calculated risks. Having met an ABC executive by accident, he entered the TV business and helped establish the company’s entertainment and sports sections. After joining Disney and surviving the company’s worst downturn, he worked his way up the corporate ladder to become CEO in 2005.
How Bill Gates Reads Books
High Output Management
| Book | High Output Management |
|---|---|
| Author | Andrew Grove |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.31 out of 5 |
High Output Management by Andrew Grove has been recommended by nine entrepreneurs, including Brian Armstrong, Brian Chesky, Larry Ellison, and Ron Conway. This book will introduce you to the fundamentals of management.
Andrew shares many of the managerial techniques that helped him turn Intel into the world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturer. He served as Intel‘s CEO and Chairman during the company’s rapid expansion. He teaches you how to use concepts in situations such as team management, self-management, the nature of the production process, running successful meetings, recruiting, and much more. Andy also recommends that businesses start with the longest, most difficult step and work their way backward. He also believes that production process issues should be resolved at a cost that is as low as possible.
The Remains of the Day
| Book | The Remains of the Day |
|---|---|
| Author | Kazuo Ishiguro |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.14 out of 5 |
Jeffrey Bezos is an American entrepreneur, media owner, and investor. He is the founder, executive chairman, and former CEO of Amazon, the world’s biggest cloud computing and e-commerce corporation. His number one recommendation is Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day.
The Remains of the Day is the narrative of Stevens, a middle-aged English butler who worked at Darlington Hall from the 1920s to 1956. Stevens has never had the opportunity to reflect on his history, but the time off that he receives from his vacation causes him to do so. The novel’s flashback style helps Stevens criticize himself for devoting so much of his time to revisiting memories that he cannot change. Dignity and greatness are also discussed throughout the novel in a broader sense, with the author suggesting that they do not have rigid definitions.
Only the Paranoid Survive
| Book | Only the Paranoid Survive |
|---|---|
| Author | Andrew Grove |
| Goodreads Rating | 3.97 out of 5 |
Only The Paranoid Survive by Andrew Grove is a book that has been read and recommended by Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Vinod Khosla, and Jamie Dimon. Grove draws on his expertise as Intel’s CEO to provide clear advice on planning for, identifying, and responding to the types of upheavals that drive less adaptable organizations out of business. It is a must-read for everyone hoping to succeed in today’s fast-paced business world as a timeless guide to adaptability and success in the face of constant change. He also presents practical tools and ideas to help the next generation of corporate descendants stay competitive.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
| Book | The Hard Thing About Hard Things |
|---|---|
| Author | Ben Horowitz |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.22 out of 5 |
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz is a book that has been favored by seven highly renowned entrepreneurs, including Google co-founder Larry Page and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg.
In The Hard Things About Hard Things, Ben discusses his experience leading startups and businesses through good and bad times. It discusses decision-making, hiring and firing, developing culture, and dealing with failure. Horowitz offers both particular and general guidance on how to build a successful business while being true to one’s principles. Hard things can be difficult, but they are an unavoidable part of life and needed for growth. Taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health is necessary for remaining focused and motivated throughout these difficult times.
The Intelligent Investor
| Book | The Intelligent Investor |
|---|---|
| Author | Benjamin Graham |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.25 out of 5 |
Berkshire Hathaway owner Warren Buffet says The Intelligent Investor changed his life and recommends reading two chapters from the book in particular- Chapter 8 and Chapter 20. Benjamin Graham’s book The Intelligent Investor is regarded as one of the most influential works on value investing. This book won’t show you how to outperform the market. Instead, it gives you three significant lessons.
Graham covers the unavoidable nature of market fluctuations and the emotional challenges investors face during volatile periods. The analytic sections of the book adapt Graham’s principles to contemporary market conditions and offer up-to-date analysis. He also strongly supports investing with a margin of safety or when the price is significantly lower than the predicted intrinsic value.
Ria Sahni
FAQs
What book does Elon Musk recommend for aspiring entrepreneurs, and what is the main idea?
Elon Musk recommends “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel. The book encourages readers to identify unique and valuable ideas for starting businesses and to focus on building strong company cultures.
What is the concept of “Antifragility” discussed in a book recommended by Vinod Khosla?
Vinod Khosla recommends “Antifragile” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. The book explores the idea of systems that benefit from volatility and uncertainty, rather than just surviving it.
What life-changing book does Warren Buffett recommend for investors?
Warren Buffett highly recommends “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham. The book focuses on value investing principles and avoiding emotional decisions during market fluctuations.
