The academic environment in the US defines leadership as a process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common and ethical task. Leadership encompasses the ability of an individual, group, or organization to lead, influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations.
A recent scientific study addresses the long-held question – Are leaders born or made? The answer suggests that leadership is 30% genetic and 70% learned or acquired. Hence, the answer can be construed as that while a person is born with natural leadership qualities, he or she can learn and acquire the skills that are needed to be a good leader.
Books to Learn Leadership
Natural leadership qualities can be honed and sharpened by learning the precise skills of leadership. Fortunately, the knowledge is freely available from the many published books. Some of the best books that teach leadership skills are –
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – A Leadership Fable
Book
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Author
Patrick Lencioni
Goodreads Rating
3.98 out of 5
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
The author has, through his book, provided an in-depth analysis of the five different dysfunctions of a team – the absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. This analysis explains the reasons behind a team’s inability to function and perform cohesively. This book, through its reasoning, helps leaders avoid the struggles and pitfalls that can break a team and rather help them grow and prosper together.
The Leadership Challenge
Book
The Leadership Challenge
Author
James Kouzes and Barry Posner
Goodreads Rating
4.01 out of 5
The Leadership Challenge
This is a great book to read to stay relevant and effective in a modern working environment. The authors put forth their Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership that, if executed well, allow leaders to bridge the chasm between just getting things done and making great things happen. The book teaches leaders how to mobilize others to do extraordinary things within their organizations.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Book
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Author
Stephen R. Covey
Goodreads Rating
4.15 out of 5
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
This book, originally published in 1989 remains as relevant in the current times when challenges have become increasingly difficult. Its holistic, integrated, and principle-centered approach to resolving personal and professional difficulties is what has made this book a number-one national bestseller.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Book
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Author
Dale Carnegie
Goodreads Rating
4.22 out of 5
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Almost all book lists will be incomplete without this masterpiece which was published in 1936 and has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. It helps in achieving maximum potential as a leader through its advice on career advancement, persuasion, communication, and influence that are as relevant today as when they were when the book was published.
Primal Leadership – Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
Book
Primal Leadership – Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
Author
Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee
Goodreads Rating
3.99 out of 5
Primal Leadership – Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
This book expanded the definition of a great leader beyond being strategic, visionary, and brimming with powerful ideas. Great leaders inspire passion and work through emotions. They affect at a much more primal level. The book describes what great leaders must do to become emotionally intelligent leaders. Primal Leadership established ‘emotional intelligence’ in the business lexicon and remains a must-read for anyone that leads or aspires to lead.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – Follow Them & People Will Follow You
Book
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – Follow Them & People Will Follow You
Author
John C. Maxwell
Goodreads Rating
4.15 out of 5
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – Follow Them & People Will Follow You
The book outlines each of the 21 laws as a separate chapter. These laws, when understood and put into practice guide the readers towards setting a direction, aligning the people, inspiring and motivating them to follow a common goal. It aims at creating a leader that people willingly follow. Maxwell is a world-famous leadership expert and the author of several acclaimed books like Leadershift, The 360 Degree Leader, and Leadership Gold.
Leadership
The Effective Executive – The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
Book
The Effective Executive – The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
Author
Peter Drucker
Goodreads Rating
4.08 out of 5
The Effective Executive – The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
He is known as the father of ‘Modern Management’. Peter Drucker wrote this classic in 1967 which remains relevant today as it outlines the five practices that are essential for business management. In his book, he cites that the measure of a truly effective executive is the ability to do the right things at the right time. The book is a brilliant read to learn and understand the fundamentals of what makes a great leader.
The Art of War
Book
The Art of War
Author
Sun Tzu
Goodreads Rating
3.97 out of 5
The Art of War
Dating back to more than 2000 years ago, this book is an ancient Chinese military treatise that is devoted to warfare tactics and strategies. It was written by the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu and is composed of 13 chapters. It is one of the most influential East Asian texts and has influenced countless business tactics, legal strategies, military thinking, and many more.
First, Break All the Rules – What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently
Book
First, Break All the Rules – What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently
Author
Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman
Goodreads Rating
3.94 out of 5
First, Break All the Rules – What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently
This book has been a management bestseller for a long time. It presents the remarkable findings of Gallup’s in-depth study of more than 80,000 managers. What the data reveals highlights that great managers share one trait in common despite varying backgrounds and styles. Great managers do not hesitate nor fear breaking sacred business rules. This book is a great career lesson for managers and leaders.
Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Book
Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Author
Daniel H. Pink
Goodreads Rating
3.95 out of 5
Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
The traditional carrot-and-stick approach to motivation has been cited as a mistake in the current work environment by author Daniel Pink. The new work world that is described in the book is built on leaders who find creative and innovative ways to tap into the deep-seated desires of their team members. They recognize their team members need to be autonomous in their work and continually improve to find a higher purpose. This is one of the essential skills to be an effective leader.
Conclusion
The list that encompasses great books that teach the art of leadership is never ending with many newer publications joining the list consistently. However, these are some of the classics that have remained valid through time.
FAQs
Which are the best books to learn leadership?
Some of the best books to learn leadership are-
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – A Leadership Fable
The Leadership Challenge
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Primal Leadership – Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – Follow Them & People Will Follow You
The Effective Executive – The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
The Art of War
First, Break All the Rules – What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently
Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
What is good leadership capable of?
Leadership encompasses the ability of an individual, group, or organization to lead, influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations.
The most effective way for people to communicate knowledge is through storytelling. Stories are simple to grasp since we can picture what is being spoken. And it’s crucial to understand how to tell a compelling tale while you’re telling one.
Have you ever wondered why people are so captivated by excellent stories when they hear or read them? And why do some stories have such a strong hold on audiences while others seem to slip away? How does one perfect the ability of storytelling and its effects?
To tell a great story, you need to read great books. We’ve included several works by well-known authors to aid in your development of storytelling skills.
This post will introduce you to the top storytelling books that can aid you in developing your stories and improving audience engagement.
Wired for Story – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
Picture recognizing what the brain wants from every story it consumes, what drives each great story to succeed, and what rivets readers. These cognitive tricks are revealed in Wired for Story, which is a game-changer for anybody who has ever picked up a pen. The overwhelming bulk of writing guidance emphasises writing well as though it were the same as telling a wonderful tale. In their quest for exquisite metaphors, genuine dialogue, and intriguing characters, many wannabe authors miss the one element that makes a tale compelling: igniting the brain’s inborn curiosity about what will happen next.
When authors engage with the evolutionary function of the tale and pique our interest, a sweet dopamine surge signals us to pay attention. Even the best prose won’t keep readers’ attention in its absence. Wired for Story presents a groundbreaking look at the story as the brain experiences it, supported by contemporary developments in neuroscience as well as examples from books, movies, and short stories. Each chapter focuses on a particular element of the brain, the discovery it makes about stories, and how to use it to improve your storytelling right away.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Author: Jonah Berger Goodreads Rating: 3.97
Contagious – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
Why are certain things popular? Why do certain things and concepts get more discourse than others? Why do some rumours and tales spread faster than others? What causes internet material to become popular?
If you answered “advertising,” reconsider. People pay attention to their peers more than ads. But why do some things and concepts get more attention than others? Why do some rumours and tales spread faster than others? What causes internet material to become popular?
Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at Wharton, has spent the last ten years providing answers. He has investigated how social influence affects everything from the automobiles we buy to the clothes we wear to the names we give our children. He has also investigated why products obtain word-of-mouth advertising. In this work, Berger exposes the covert science that underlies social and word-of-mouth propagation. Learn how six fundamental factors cause everything from legislative efforts and consumer items to workplace gossip and YouTube videos to become infectious.
Powerful tales and ground-breaking science are combined in Contagious. Learn how a high-end steakhouse gained notoriety for its humble cheese steak, why anti-drug ads may have contributed to a surge in drug usage, and why more than 200 million people shared a film on one of the world’s most mundane products: blenders. Infectious discusses why some tales get spread, emails get forwarded, or videos become viral and demonstrate how to use these ideas to create contagious content.
This book offers a collection of practical strategies for promoting information dissemination, including how to create messages, adverts, and content that will be shared. Contagious will show you how to make your product or concept catch on, regardless matter whether you’re a manager at a large corporation, a small business owner seeking to increase awareness, a politician vying for office, or a health authority attempting to spread the word.
Start With Why
Author: Simon Sinek Goodreads Rating: 4.10
Start With Why – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
Start With Why is a book, that is based on a single key concept, the “WHY” of anything you do. You’re more likely to quit in between, get tired, or lack the enthusiasm required to be your finest if you do not have a strong drive or the “why” set for your brand, job, or field of interest. Besides, the author explains how to reconsider the things you do on a daily basis as well as why you do them.
The book creates awareness among people about the reasons why some people and organisations are more influential and profitable while others continue to struggle to leave a mark on the market and their customers. It lets you know about the ‘WHY’ that led to many organizations’ repeated success stories.
People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers might have very little in common, but one of the similarities is that they all started their work with a “why.” Their inner capability to begin with the reasoning or the “why” gave them the power to motivate people around them and reach great heights in their respective fields.
Today’s world has been and will always be influenced by great men who, according to Simon Sinek, think, act, and converse in the same manner, which is uncommon if compared to the general public out there. Sinek introduces The Golden Circle, a concept popularised by Simon Sinek, which looks at the why as the root of the how and the what and then presents it as the central notion of everything your business revolves around. Modern management might appear to focus more on the what than the why, but in truth, individuals are drawn to businesses that pursue particular products, establish particular brands, or put out particular jobs because of the reasons behind such decisions.
The book helps its readers to introspect and rethink their ideologies regarding “why” their firm exists, “why” consumers will want to purchase products from their firm and not another, and “why” they are doing what they’re doing and not anything else. Because any organisation can describe what it does (service or product), some of them can describe how they provide the service or produce the product; very few, however, can express the sharp reason or the ‘why’ in detail behind the product or service they provide.
Sinek creates a compelling picture of what it really takes to inspire and motivate by building a variety of real-life examples. This book is for anyone looking to encourage others or seek inspiration themselves.
The Storyteller’s Secret
Author: Carmine Gallo Goodreads Rating: 3.88
The Storyteller’s Secret – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
How did a Venice Beach T-shirt salesman become the most prosperous producer in television? How did a businessman who began in a garage produce the most famous product launches in corporate history? How did a shy pastor’s son convince sold-out audiences at Yankee Stadium twice despite having a crippling phobia of public speaking? How did a Facebook executive start a campaign to inspire millions of women to “lean in”? How did a human rights lawyer receive the longest-standing ovation at TED?
They were master storytellers!
Keynote speaker, communication specialist, and bestselling author Carmine Gallo reveals the secrets to telling potent stories that inspire, motivate, educate, build brands, launch movements, and change lives in The Storyteller’s Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch on and Others Don’t. The success stories of 50 icons, leaders, and legends featured in The Storyteller’s Secret, including entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, Sara Blakely, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Sheryl Sandberg; captivating orators like Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., Bryan Stevenson, and Malala Yousafzai; and business leaders behind well-known brands like Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Wyndham, are evidence that a well-told story can be “a strategic tool with irresistible power.
A storyline is your most vital treasure and competitive edge, regardless of whether your objective is to motivate teams, generate money, educate, or establish an award-winning culture.
Gallo demonstrates in The Storyteller’s Secret why the brain is programmed to enjoy stories, particularly rags-to-riches tales, and how the most recent research may help you create an effective story that captures readers’ attention. According to billionaire businessman Richard Branson, “the skill of storytelling may be leveraged to create change.”
Your tale will fundamentally alter your business, your life, and the lives of others you touch because the coming decade will bring about the greatest amount of change our society has ever known. Popular ideas are wrapped in a narrative. The world may be changed by your story. Why don’t you share yours now?
Ego is the Enemy
Author: Ryan Holiday Goodreads Rating: 4.14
Ego is the Enemy – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
“While the history books are filled with tales of obsessive, visionary geniuses who remade the world in their image with sheer, almost irrational force, I’ve found that history is also made by individuals who fought their egos at every turn, who eschewed the spotlight, and who put their higher goals above their desire for recognition.” – from the Prologue
Many of us feel that the outside world is the greatest barrier to living a full, prosperous life. In actuality, our ego is the most prevalent opponent. It hinders learning and the development of skills in the early stages of our careers. It has the potential to make us oblivious to our mistakes and plant the seeds of future issues. Failure amplifies every blow and makes recovery more challenging. We are held back by ego at every point.
The Ego is the Enemy uses a wide range of tales and illustrations from history, philosophy, and literature. We get to know interesting people like Eleanor Roosevelt, Katharine Graham, and Howard Hughes, all of whom overcame their egos to achieve the highest heights of achievement and influence. We can use their approaches and strategies as well.
But in a culture that exalts social media, reality TV, and other instances of blatant self-promotion, why should we bother combating ego? As Holiday puts it, “you will be less engaged in the tale you tell about your specialness, and as a result, you will be liberated to do the world-changing job you’ve set out to complete” if you are equipped with the knowledge from this book.
Author: Chip Heath, Dan Heath Goodreads Rating: 3.97
Made to Stick – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
A lie may go halfway across the world well before the truth can even be put on its boots, according to a quote by Mark Twain. His assessment is factual we know how easily false news reports, conspiracy theories, and urban legends spread. On the other hand, entrepreneurs, educators, politicians, and journalists are among those who are working to make key and factual ideas “stick.”
In this book, Chip and Dan Heath describe the structure of ideas that stick and how to increase the stickiness of ideas by employing techniques like the human scale principle, the Velcro Theory of Memory, and curiosity gaps. All sticky messages, from the famed “kidney theft ring” hoax to a coach’s instructions on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony, derive their force from the same six attributes, as we learn along the road.
Your communication style will change as a result of Made to Stick. It’s a quick tour of achievements (and failures): the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who swallowed a glass of bacteria to demonstrate the existence of stomach ulcers; the organisations that exploit the Mother Teresa Effect; the elementary school teacher whose simulation successfully stopped racial prejudice.
Made to Stick is thought-provoking, eye-opening, and often shockingly amusing. It teaches us the essential laws of successful ideas and explains how to use these guidelines to make our thoughts memorable.
The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human
Author: Jonathan Gottschall Goodreads Rating: 3.71
The Storytelling Animal – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
Humans spend most of their time in their imaginary settings. We conjure up fantasy. We consume plays, movies, and books. Even athletic events and court cases develop as stories. However, the realm of stories has long been an uncharted and unexplored continent. Humans are supposedly “wired” for tales, but why?
Jonathan Gottschall presents the first complete framework of storytelling in this amusing and innovative book. In the same way that flight simulators prepare pilots for challenging situations, he contends that tales assist us in navigating life’s complicated social difficulties. Like other activities, storytelling has developed to secure human survival.
Gottschall explains what it means to be a storytelling animal by referencing the most recent findings in neurology, psychology, and evolutionary biology. Did you realise that a tale alters your conduct the more engrossed you become in it? that regardless of whether they live in a suburb or a slum, all kids act out the same types of stories? that readers of fiction are more sympathetic people?
Our inclination to tell stories has a bad side, of course. Conspiracy theories, commercials, and narratives about ourselves that are more “truthy” than truly become more appealing to us as a result. National myths may sometimes be quite harmful: a legend helped fuel some of Hitler’s goals.
But as Gottschall demonstrates in this outstanding work, storytelling may also improve the state of the world. The best stories have a moral; they guide us in living, whether overtly or covertly, and unite us around shared ideals. We are aware that we are skilled storytellers. Finally demonstrating how tales mould us is The Storytelling Animal.
Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion
Author: Robert B. Cialdini Goodreads Rating: 4.21
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
The classic book on persuasion, Influence, explores the psychology behind why people say “yes” and how to use this expertise. The father of the fast-developing science of persuasion and influence is Dr Robert Cialdini. This well-praised book is the culmination of his 35 years of meticulous, evidence-based research and a three-year programme of study on what motivates people to alter behaviour.
You’ll discover the six universal rules, how to use them to become a persuasive speaker, and how to counter them. The Influence concepts are ideal for people from all walks of life and will propel you toward significant personal transformation and achievement.
The Hero’s Journey
Author: Joseph Campbell, Phil Cousineau (Editor) Goodreads Rating: 4.35
The Hero’s Journey – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
The Hero With a Thousand Faces author, who is also the author of The Masks of God books and The Power of Myth, here uses his powers of observation and analysis to describe his own life’s journey and to convey the thrill of his lifelong study of mythic traditions, which he called “the one great story of mankind.”
Campbell focuses on topics including the origins and purposes of myth, the role of the artist and the necessity for ritual, as well as the struggles of love and passion in dialogues with poets, anthropologists, and philosophers. The Hero’s Journey exposes the reader to Joseph Campbell the person, his findings, his vocabulary, and his thinking. It is illustrated all through with images from his family’s photo collection and has a new, rewritten preface.
Talk Like Ted: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds
Author: Carmine Gallo Goodreads Rating: 3.88
Talk Like Ted – Best Books to Learn Storytelling
In the twenty-first century, ideas are money. You must be able to persuade people to buy your ideas if you want to succeed. The single best talent that will enable you to realise your ambitions is this one. Many people struggle with public speaking anxiety or doubt their capacity to deliver an effective presentation.
The widely acclaimed TED Talks, which have redefined the components of a successful presentation and elevated them to the status of the gold standard for public speaking, are now the focus of public speaking coach and best-selling author Carmine Gallo’s investigation into what makes a great presentation. Leading intellectuals from across the world come together at TED, which stands for technology, entertainment, and design. These are the talks that light up the globe, and the methods employed by the best TED speakers will make any presentation more engaging, energise any team, and give anybody the self-assurance necessary to conquer their fear of public speaking.
In order to uncover the nine secrets of all effective TED presentations, Carmine Gallo examined hundreds of TED talks and spoke with the most well-known TED speakers as well as the foremost experts in the domains of psychology, communication, and neuroscience. Anyone can produce an entertaining, convincing, and memorable presentation using Gallo’s step-by-step methodology.
Top 10 Wall Street Journal Bestsellers by Carmine Gallo Anyone who is uncomfortable speaking in front of an audience will get the skills necessary to persuade others to agree with them, the tools necessary to explain the concepts that are important to them, and the confidence necessary to give the speech of their lives after reading Talk Like TED.
Carmine Gallo’s views are his own, which he expresses in TALK LIKE TED. His book is not supported, approved, or sponsored by TED Conferences, LLC or any of its subsidiaries.
Conclusion
Stories are what give life to facts. Any boring conversation or meeting can be made interesting and thought-provoking with the right style of storytelling. The above-mentioned books are some of the best and are sure to help you master different techniques of storytelling from authors who are skilled storytellers themselves.
FAQs
Which are the best books to learn storytelling?
Some of the best books to learn storytelling are:
Wired for Story
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
The Storyteller’s Secret
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
The Hero’s Journey
Talk Like Ted
The Storytelling Animal
What are the main elements of storytelling?
The most important elements of storytelling include characters, plot, theme, setting, conflict, and a good conclusion to the story.
What skills do I need to master storytelling?
Empathy, persuasion, directness, creativity, great attention to detail, the ability to engage the audience, etc. are some of the important skills one needs to master the art of storytelling.
Books are a wonderful source of inspiration, a condensed collection of years’ worth of knowledge, a dependable companion, an escape into fantasy, and a manual for taking action. Books are no exception when it comes to the constant need for entrepreneurs and founders to adapt and learn from all available sources.
This is particularly true with business biographies, which are frequently authored by the most influential and ground-breaking figures in the industry.
Experience is the best teacher for people. Otto von Bismarck once said, “I prefer to learn from the experience of others.” Reading the biographies of individuals whom you admire is a great method to do the same.
The top 10 business biographies are listed here, carefully chosen to suit all tastes.
Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
An entrepreneur’s autobiography about one of the most significant founders ever, Steve Jobs, is portrayed beautifully in this biography by Walter Issacson. Over 40 interviews with Steve Jobs, his family, and coworkers served as the basis for this biography. You understand through his journey where he received his ideas from and exactly how he overcame difficulties throughout the years. Walters demonstrates how Jobs transformed several sectors, including music, animated films, smartphones, and tablet computers.
In the twenty-first century, he saw that fusing creativity with technology was the perfect approach to generating value. He established a business that combines incredible technological marvels with imaginative breakthroughs.
Although Jobs worked with the author, he requested no say over what was published. Nothing was off bounds, he said. He urged everyone he knew to be open-minded. He was open and honest about the individuals he collaborated with and faced. The emotions, obsessions, foulness, creativity, perfectionism, and drive for dominance that defined his business style and the inventive goods that came as a result are candidly described by his friends, competitors, and coworkers. His story is both educational and warning, and it contains many valuable lessons about creativity, morality, leadership, and principles.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
Author: Ashlee Vance Goodreads Rating: 4.21
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
Elon Musk, the businessman and developer behind Tesla, SolarCity, and SpaceX, sold PayPal, one of his online businesses, for $1.5 billion. From his turbulent beginnings in South Africa and escape to the United States to his stunning technical inventions and economic endeavours, Ashlee Vance portrays the complete grandeur and trajectory of the genius’s career and life. One of the most important issues of our day is explored by Vance using Musk’s story: Can the country of innovators and creators that dominated modern society for a century continue to thrive in the face of intense international competition?
He contends that Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, and Howard Hughes, constitute Musk, who he compares to all of them. Musk has devoted more of his time and resources than any other businessman alive today to envision a tomorrow that is as expansive as the innovators of the Great Era of Science-Fiction and Fantasy.
Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
Duncan Clark, who was given unimaginable access to a wealth of new information and exclusive personal interviews, brings on his first-hand knowledge of key players crucial to Alibaba’s rise to craft a credible, persuasive descriptive account of how Alibaba and its charismatic founder have changed the way that Chinese practise their newly found financial stability, encouraging businessmen all over the world and turning the tables on the Silicon Valley giants.
Jack Ma, a man who came from impoverished circumstances and began his career as an English teacher, developed and grew Alibaba into the second-largest Internet firm in the world in just ten years. The firm was valued more than Facebook or Coca-Cola after its $25 billion IPO in 2014, which was the highest ever. Hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers rely on Alibaba’s eCommerce operations every day, and it also employs and pays millions of individuals.
Duncan covers important issues about the company’s history, development, and prospects. How did Jack Ma create Alibaba from such humble beginnings? What accounts for his unwavering motivation and cunning advantage over his rivals? How long can the business expect to hold its position of dominance with over 80% of China’s eCommerce market? Are Alibaba’s goals constrained, or will the Chinese government take action to restrain them, as the business sets its eyes on the financial and media industries of the nation? And how will Alibaba expand its influence and operations in the US and other international markets as it opens offices in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and LA?
Clark situates Alibaba’s story within the broader narrative of China’s economic boom—the growth of corporate companies and the advancement of web usage has propelled the nation to become the second-largest economy in the world and home to the largest Internet population, which is double the size of the US. He also looks at the social and political backdrop to these significant shifts. Clark is a seasoned insider with unmatched contacts who has a profound knowledge of Chinese business philosophy. As never before, he sheds light on an improbable business giant and analyses the crucial role his company played in changing China while also strengthening its position and influence globally.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Author: Phil Knight Goodreads Rating: 4.47
Shoe Dog – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
For the first time, Nike CEO and founder, Phil Knight, tells the inner tale of the firm’s beginnings as an adventurous startup and how Nike developed to become one of the most recognisable, game-changing, and lucrative companies in the world in this honest and engaging biography.
After graduating from business school in 1962, Phil Knight loaned $50 from his father and started a company with the straightforward goal of importing high-end, reasonably priced sports shoes from Japan. Knight made $8,000 his first year by selling the shoes out of the backseat of his lime green Plymouth Valiant. Nike now has yearly sales of almost $30 billion. In the startup era, the swoosh (Nike’s logo) has developed into a groundbreaking, global icon, being one of the most pervasive and well-known symbols in existence right now.
But Knight, the person responsible for the swoosh, has always been away from the public’s eyes. Here, for the very first time, he shares his narrative, starting with his crossroads experience, in a book that is open, honest, brave, and humorous. After travelling the world on a rucksack at the age of 24, he made the unorthodox choice to launch his own company, one that would be lively and distinctive.
Alongside his early successes, Knight describes the numerous risks and intimidating failures that came his way to realise his objective. Above everything else, he remembers the early connections and very first partnerships and workers, a motley crew of outcasts and explorers who grew to be a close-knit family. Collectively, they developed a company that transformed it all by utilising the tremendous force of a common objective and a strong faith in the divinity of sports.
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
Author: Brad Stone Goodreads Rating: 4.14
The Everything Store – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
Historically, Amazon.com began by sending books to customers by mail. But Jeff Bezos, the company’s imaginative creator, wasn’t happy to only sell books. He envisioned Amazon as the one-stop shop with an unrestricted assortment, alluring accessibility, and game-changing cheap costs. To do this, he created a business culture of unyielding determination and confidentiality that has never been broken. Brad Stone with the help of both current and past Amazon workers as well as members of the Bezos family, provides readers with their first, extensive, bystander vision of how everything worked in the journey of Amazon.
Bezos is a private person in contrast to other top pioneers in technology like Jobs, Gates, and Zuckerberg. He distinguishes out, though, for his relentless search for new markets that have seen him steer Amazon into high-risk projects like the Kindle and cloud computing while also revolutionising shopping in the same way Henry Ford did with manufacturing. The Everything Store is a riveting, comprehensive account of the business that made one of the initial and most significant stands on the world wide web and fundamentally altered how we browse and purchase.
The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
Author: Alice Schroeder Goodreads Rating: 4.13
The Snowball – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
The definitive biography of Warren Buffett, amongst the most admired individuals in the world, is available here. The renowned Omaha investor has never published a book, but he gave one writer, Alice Schroeder, an unparalleled opportunity to interview him and others who were most important to him about his career, beliefs, problems, victories, mistakes, and insights. As a consequence, the person known as “The Oracle of Omaha” has a comprehensive and emotionally engaging biography.
Buffett has never revealed his entire life narrative, even though the mainstream media follows him regularly. Warren Buffett is full of contradictions. He set out to demonstrate that a good person can come in first. He promoted honesty as an investor, CEO, board member, writer, and speaker over the years, treating his investors as partners and serving as their stewards. From the humble Omaha headquarters of his firm Berkshire Hathaway, he simultaneously rose to the position of the richest man in the world. Nothing about this is “basic”.
When Alice Schroeder first met Warren Buffett, she was a skilled writer with a good eye for detail and financial acumen. She also worked as an analyst for the financial industry. He was impressed by her financial articles, and as she got to know him, she discovered that while much had been published about his investment approach, no one had gone further to examine his bigger ideology, which is intertwined with a complicated persona and the specifics of his experience. This led to his deciding to work with her on the autobiography he wouldn’t ever pen down.
Buffett, before this publication, never spent endless hours conversing with a writer, answering questions, allowing them to complete visibility to his family, children, friends, acquaintances, and business partners, unlocking his archives, and remembering his early years. It was a brave thing to do, as The Snowball makes very evident. Being a mortal, his journey has had both pluses and minuses, as most journeys do. Buffett’s principles and beliefs that have improved people’s lives will be remembered instead of his position on the wealth scoreboard, even though his fortune is still remarkable. This story depicts why Warren Buffett is today’s most remarkable example of American business success.
Author: Sam Walton, John Huey (Contributor) Goodreads Rating: 4.11
Sam Walton: Made in America – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
Here is a remarkable success tale of a man whose empire was established by hard work rather than deception.
In Sam Walton’s own words, this is “a tale of risk-taking, work and effort, and business; of understanding where you wish to go and getting prepared to do whatever it requires to achieve that goal. It’s also a tale about adhering to your principles and trusting in your ideas even when others might not.”
It tells the tale of how Sam Walton transformed Walmart, the biggest retailer in the world, from a single discount store in a struggling textile town. He never lacked the common touch while reigning as the unquestioned merchant monarch of the late 20th century. Here, Walton shares his remarkable tale in his unique terms. Genuinely modest yet always confident in his goals and successes, Walton expresses his ideas in a straightforward, plain manner.
Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul
Author: Howard Schultz, Joanne Gordon Goodreads Rating: 3.85
Onward – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
Starbucks’ president and chairman, Howard Schultz (now interim CEO), decided to resume his role as CEO in 2008, 8 years after he had backed away from the regular management of the business and taken on the role of chairman. Schultz was committed to assisting Starbucks in getting back on track, reestablishing its essential principles, and regaining its economic health since he believed the company had wandered off course.
In Onward, he and fellow writer, Joanne Gordon, tells the incredible story of Howard’s comeback and the company’s sustainable change under his management, demonstrating how Starbucks once more successfully achieved sustainability and profitability without losing compassion amid one of the most turbulent economic periods in history.
The book zooms in to reveal, in engrossing detail, how one firm battled and remade itself in the midst of everything. providing readers with a glimpse of a period of history that left no organisation unaffected. The fast-moving story gives readers an insight into Schultz’s mind as he learns to accept his limits and his changing management style while being pushed by the pressure that arises on a daily basis as disputes. The fascinating, honest tale Onward charts the development of both a business and a businessman.
Schultz’s core leadership principle, Onward, is that success is not just about winning, but also about winning the right way. In the end, he gives readers what he works so hard to convey every day: a sense of optimism that, no matter how difficult things become, the future may still be just as successful as the past, or perhaps more successful, depending on how success is defined.
That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea
Author: Marc Randolph Goodreads Rating: 4.21
That Will Never Work – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
The amazing unseen tale of how Netflix evolved from a vision to a business is recounted in the style of Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog, and it is all narrated by co-founder and former CEO, Marc Randolph.
Brick-and-mortar video storefronts previously reigned supreme. Late fines were commonplace, video streaming was unknown, and the mass acceptance of DVDs appeared to be about as far off as flying automobiles. In fact, when Marc Randolph had an idea in 1997, these were the generally recognised rules of the nation. It was a straightforward idea—using the internet to rent movies—but it was one of several, much worse recommendations that Randolph would make to Reed Hastings on their daily journey to work, including those for customised baseball bats and a shampoo delivery company.
But Hastings was fascinated, so the two created a business, with Hastings serving as the main financier and Randolph as the CEO. Netflix’s success now that it has more than 150 million users seems predestined, yet the most revolutionary start-up of the twenty-first century started with very few supporters and disaster at every step. Marc Randolph’s impactful journey illustrates how anyone who possesses toughness, sound intuitions, and persistence can transform the world, even with a suggestion that many folks assume will never function. From having to persuade his own mom to become an investor to the guest house conference hall that functioned as the initial office, to server crashes on launch day, to the now-legendary meeting when Netflix proposed Blockbuster Inc. to acquire them.
But more than simply the insider account of one of the most recognisable corporations in the world is revealed. It offers solutions to a number of our most essential inquiries about taking chances in the company or in life. It is chock-full of counterintuitive topics and written in writing that makes you want to binge. Where do you start? How do you handle failures and dissatisfaction? What is your approach to success? What is success, exactly?
That Will Never Work is not just the quintessential follow-your-dreams tale but also one of the greatest illuminating business tales of modern times, covering topics like idea development, team building, and understanding when to let go.
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
Author: Robert Iger Goodreads Rating: 4.42
The Ride of a Lifetime – Best Entrepreneur Biographies
In this book, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Robert Iger, discusses the principles and concepts that have helped him redevelop one of the most adored companies around the world and motivate those who work there, with the help of fellow writerJoel Lovell.
Amid a challenging period, Robert Iger was appointed CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005. The company’s morale had declined, the market was more fierce, and technologies were evolving more quickly than they ever had. Iger says, “I realised there was nothing to be achieved from fighting over the old days.” “The future was all that mattered, and I thought I knew exactly where Disney needed to go,” he said.
Three concepts stood up clearly:
Produce the best content Disney is capable of.
Instead of resisting innovation, welcome it and employ it
Think larger, think globally, and strengthen the brand recognition of Disney in other countries.
Twelve years later, Disney is the biggest and most reputable media business in the world, with 21st Century Fox, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm among its brands. Iger is regarded as one of the most creative and successful CEOs of his time, and the company is now worth about five times what it was when he joined it.
Conclusion
Many entrepreneurs believe that reading and understanding the stories of the people they look up to has helped them in their journey to success. The above list includes some of the best business biographies of top entrepreneurs, which are sure to help you learn different mantras for your success.
FAQs
What are business biographies?
Business biographies refer to the portrayal of the stories of entrepreneurs as well as the formation and growth of powerful corporations.
Which are the best business biographies to read?
The best business biographies of top entrepreneurs are:
Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
Is there a biography of Elon Musk?
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance is a popular biography of Elon Musk, published in 2015. Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century by Tim Higgins is another biography of Elon Musk.
With a daily reading time of up to six hours, Warren Buffett has a reputation for being an avid reader. “I basically sit in my office and read all day,” he said. For the majority of us, setting aside time during the day to read and reflect is not precisely a widespread practice. We just don’t have the time to do either since we have Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting, numerous duties to manage, and deadlines to meet.
It goes without saying that Warren Buffett’s love of reading has profoundly shaped him as a human since he was a small kid and that this favourite pastime of his must have contributed to the vibrant and successful, for that matter – outlook he has on life.
According to Buffett, your thought process is perhaps your most valuable commodity as an investment. Therefore, it’s crucial to spend time each day developing your intellect by reading and reflecting. Consequently, it’s crucial to spend time each day developing your intellect by reading and reflecting.
Therefore, we’ve put together a list of 15 books Warren Buffett has read himself and would recommend to others.
Shoe Dog – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
In this candid biography, the Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight reveal for the first time ever the back story of his business’ inception as an experimental startup and how it evolved into one of the world’s most iconic, prosperous, game-changing companies.
After receiving his degree in business in 1962, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and founded a startup with the simple objective of importing excellent quality, cost-effective sports shoes from Japan. Knight sold the shoes from the backseat of his car. He started off earning $8,000 in his first year and currently generates about $30 billion in revenue annually. One of the most widespread and very well-known logos in use right now, the swoosh (Nike’s logo) has evolved into a revolutionary worldwide icon in the start-up age.
In this book, which is transparent, truthful, daring, and humorous, Phil; Knight offers his experiences and journey for the very first time. At the age of 24, after backpacking throughout the globe, he took the unconventional decision to create his own firm, something that would be original and full of life.
Knight discusses his early triumphs as well as the many dangers and frightful setbacks he faced in order to accomplish his goal. Above all things, he recalls the early ties and the very first collaborations and employees, a disparate group of dropouts and adventurers who eventually became a close-knit family. Together, they created a business that used the enormous power of a shared goal and a firm belief in the beauty of athletics to reshape everything.
The Intelligent Investor
Author: Benjamin Graham Goodreads Rating: 4.25
The Intelligent Investor – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
This book updates Graham’s timeless advice for the current state of the market.
The finest financial advisor of the 20th century, Benjamin Graham, served as an inspiration to individuals all over the world and a teacher. Graham’s “quality investing” approach, which shields traders from costly errors and assists them in creating and improving goals, has made The Intelligent Investor the share market classic since the book was first published in 1949.
Market shifts over time have confirmed Graham’s strategies as sound. This updated edition preserves the integrity of Graham’s original text while adding the most recent commentary by famous financial writer Jason Zweig. Zweig’s perspective takes into account the reality of the present market, compares Graham’s examples to recent financial news, and helps readers comprehend how to put Graham’s concepts into practice.
The Intelligent Investor, published by HarperBusiness Essentials, is the most crucial guide you will ever read for achieving your financial objectives.
How To Win Friends and Influence People
Author: Dale Carnegie Goodreads Rating: 4.21
How to Win Friends and Influence People – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
You could work for and be successful in obtaining your ideal profession. The career you now have may be improved! If you are able to communicate with others and have their support, you can make any situation and things better working for your side.
More than 16 million copies of How to Win Friends and Influence People have been sold since its 1936 publication. The first book by Dale Carnegie is a classic bestseller that has helped hundreds of now-famous individuals climb the success ladder in both their personal and professional life. It is jam-packed with sound advice.
How to Win Friends and Influence People, one of the all-time greatest books, will instruct you in:
There are six techniques to win someone over.
12 strategies for persuading others to adopt your viewpoint
Nine techniques to influence people without offending them.
With more than 15 million copies sold, this book is a must-read for the twenty-first century!
One Thousand Ways to Make $1,000 – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
The long out-of-print book One Thousand Ways to Make $1000, which was first released in 1936, is credited by Warren Buffett’s biographers with developing the famed investor’s business savvy and giving him his recognisable understanding of compound interest. Buffett predicted he would be a millionaire by the age of 35 after grabbing a copy of One Thousand Ways from a library shelf at the age of eleven and digesting F.C. Minaker’s tenacious and useful business counsel.
This book is full of creative suggestions on how to generate money via good salesmanship, hard effort, and ingenuity. It is written in the direct, conversational manner of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.
While some of the business concepts presented in these pages may seem quaint to us today—dairying goats, producing motor-driven chairs, and renting out billiard tables to local businesses are just a few examples—the underlying principles of business are still as sound today as they were more than seventy years ago.
One Thousand Ways to Make $1000 is a timeless business classic that covers a wide range of issues, including investment, marketing, merchandising, sales, customer relations, and charity fundraising.
Author: John C. Bogle Goodreads Rating: 4.16
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
“Naturally, there are a few excellent investment managers; yet, in the short term, it can be challenging to tell whether a successful track record is the result of ability or fate. Nevertheless, the majority of advisers are much more adept at raising high fees than they are at creating big profits. In actuality, their primary skill is sales.
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by Jack Bogle (John C. Bogle) is a book that investors of all sizes should study rather than succumb to their siren sings.” — Warren Buffett’s 2014 Annual Shareholder Letter to Shareholders, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.
Employing common sense while investing is the secret. The long-term holding of a varied assortment of stocks is a successful approach. Although winning the stock market is a zero-sum game in theory (there must be winners and losers), it really becomes a loser’s game when the high costs of investing are taken into consideration. According to logic and history, the most simple and successful investment strategy is to buy and hold all of the publicly listed firms in the nation at incredibly low prices. The classic index fund that owns this market portfolio is the only investment that guarantees you’ll get your fair share of stock market gains.
The real key to successful investment is to own the whole market while drastically lowering the costs of financial intermediation. That is index investing’s primary objective. And it serves as the focus of this book. The Little Book of Common Sense Investment will show you how to incorporate this tried-and-true investing technique into your plan while also offering in-depth analysis and practical advice. It will also change the way you think about investing in general. Making profitable investments is challenging. (It demands self-control and patience.) But it’s simple. After all, common sense is the key.
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing will demonstrate how to transform investments into profitable activity.
Essays in Persuasion
Author: John Maynard Keynes Goodreads Rating: 4.01
Essays in Persuasion – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
Without a question, John Maynard Keynes was one of the most important philosophers of the twentieth century. His contributions fundamentally altered modern economics’ theory and application. It has had a significant influence on economic policy, as well as how economics is taught and written, globally.
Essays in Persuasion is a remarkable predictive book that covers a wide variety of political economics concerns, especially in light of future events. The reader may see concepts that would later form the basis of Keynes’s most well-known work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, in his writings on inflation and deflation (1936).
Keynes predicted the economic turbulence that would afflict the economies of Europe and the United States with astonishing precision, and he even suggested policies that, had they been adopted at the time, may have prevented a period of global depression. Keynes’ opinions on Soviet Russia, the demise of laissez-faire, and the potential for economic development are still pertinent now as they were then.
Investing Between the Lines
Author: L.J. Rittenhouse Goodreads Rating: 3.42
Investing Between the Lines – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
In Investing Between the Lines, a ground-breaking approach for determining a company’s financial integrity is presented. To figure it out, you don’t need to have a degree in accounting or unique access to “insider” knowledge. In reality, the secret is plainly stated in every shareholder letter, annual report, and business correspondence you get, in black and white.
Investing Between the Lines teaches you how to:
Understand the “FOG” of perplexing corporate communications
Understand corporate jargon and platitudes for what they mean when it comes to yearly reports and quarterly earnings calls, and separate the truth from the hype
Invest in firms that manage investor capital to protect your money.
Corporate leaders and financial experts are frequently expected to produce quick results. To achieve these expectations, they are thus forced to use ambiguous language and accounting procedures.
In Investing Between the Lines, L.J. Rittenhouse outlines her tried-and-true method for identifying at-risk companies before catastrophe arises. She employed the same technique to foresee the demise of Enron and Lehman.
The book Investing Between the Lines demonstrates the effectiveness of Rittenhouse’s approach as one of the most useful resources for investors and business leaders, comparing the financial statements of Ford, GM, and Toyota and explaining why FedEx and Wells Fargo have been so successful. You will be able to read between the lines and determine exactly what a company’s CEO is or isn’t saying to you after you discover the hints to decode CEO communications.
The Making of the President 1960
Author: Theodore H. White Goodreads Rating: 4.15
The Making of the President 1960 – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
Describe the presidential election process. “The most incredible transfer of power in the world—the capacity to marshal and mobilise, the power to send men to kill or be killed, the power to tax and destroy, the power to create and the obligation to do so, the power to lead and the responsibility to heal—all committed to one man.” These words, which Theodore H. White penned in the book’s first chapter, still ring true today just as they did when they were first said more than 50 years ago.
His groundbreaking analysis of a pivotal campaign, in which the young, charismatic John F. Kennedy faced off against the seasoned vice president, Richard M. Nixon, is both an engaging story of character and significance and a fascinating historical document.
In our current age of sound bites, relentless chattering punditry, and the all-consuming influence of television, the reporter’s detailed appreciation of the instinct and experience that shape the political process is a revelation. This influence was first felt in the Kennedy-Nixon debates, which proved to be a crucial factor in the 1960 election.
White offers a useful education in the ways and means of our political life by following seven candidates from the earliest stirrings of aspiration through the rigours of the primaries, the drama of the conventions, and the gruelling campaigning that culminated in one of the closest electoral contests in history.
The Making of the President 1960 is a remarkable book that celebrates the brilliance of American democracy and provides an anatomy of the ambition, cunning, and bravery required of those who wish to hold the country’s highest office. It is a must-read today because of what it can tell us about the factors that decide the fate of presidential contenders.
Limping on Water
Author: Philip Beuth Goodreads Rating: 3.91
Limping on Water – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
Phil Beuth worked for the same organisation his whole radio career. Over 40 years old, Phil worked his way up from being the first employee of a small media business in 1955 as Capital Cities expanded to become one of America’s most significant and prosperous media organisations. Limping on Water is a Dickensian rags-to-riches story about a disadvantaged boy with cerebral palsy who, thanks to luck, grit, character, talent, persistence, and loyalty, rose to the position of a top executive at Capital Cities Communications, one of the country’s most prestigious and prosperous media companies; “The minnow that swallowed the whale.”
In his book, Phil’s kindness, self-deprecating humour, boundless creativity, and warm-hearted cordial talent come through in his very personal account, which is peppered with amusing anecdotes about his partners and famous people like Ted Knight, Lowell Thomas, Charlie Gibson, Sir Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Cher, Jackie Robinson, Red Barber, Nelson Rockefeller, Barbara Walters, Warren Buffett, Sammy Davis Jr., Burt Reynolds, Red Skelton.
More than just memories of a successful career at a renowned firm and the famous people he met along the way, Phil’s account is a perceptive insider’s history of that “Mad Men” golden period of television, a time when broadcasting as we know it began.
It is also a potent lesson in building a successful profession that is moral; in “doing well and doing good.”
The Science Of Hitting
Author: Ted Williams Goodreads Rating: 4.30
The Science of Hitting – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
The best pure hitter who ever lived was possibly Ted Williams. He was a lifetime student of hitting and asked every great hitter—and pitcher—for tips. Williams wrote the all-time hitting masterpiece The Science of Hitting using this guidance as well as his remarkable baseball career. Players of all skill levels will learn how to strengthen their foundations and obtain acute insights into the finer nuances of striking by using its thorough visuals, stories, and succinct instruction, including:
The Three Cardinal Rules for Creating a Smooth Line
The Three Cardinal Rules for Creating a Smooth Line
Secrets of Hip and Wrist Action
Pitch selection
Bunting
Every baseball player who wants to get better at the plate, as well as all coaches and parents who are teaching the game, must read The Science of Hitting.
The Farmer from Merna
Author: Karl Schriftgiesser Goodreads Rating: 3.41
The Farmer from Merna – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
A compelling, motivational story of George J. Mercherle that describes his battle—and eventual victory—to provide honest, low-cost vehicle insurance to Illinois’ rural community
A Farmer from Merna tells the inspiring tale of an Illinois farmer who had a brilliant plan to assist his fellow Illinoisans by launching a business that would offer countless individuals low-cost and reliable vehicle insurance.
Mecherle struggled to establish his business and would never have foreseen its explosive growth. His local auto insurance company, the State Farm Insurance Companies of Bloomington, Illinois, evolved into a sizable business with offices around the nation.
The story of a man who committed his life to an ideal and lived to see the full development of the benefits of his pioneering efforts is told in the incredibly engrossing book, A Farmer from Merna. He fought tirelessly to give a growing number of people access to inexpensive and economical insurance.
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
Author: William N. Thorndike Jr. Goodreads Rating: 4.19
The Outsiders – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
“It is impossible to produce superior performance unless you do something different.” — John Templeton
What characteristics characterise a successful CEO? The term that most people immediately think of is “a seasoned manager with considerable industry understanding.” Others may mention the charm, superb communicative skills, and assured managerial style of today’s so-called celebrity CEOs. But what counts most when running a business? What distinguishes exemplary CEO performance? Simply said, it refers to the long-term profits for the company’s stockholders.
Author Will Thorndike uses his analytical expertise from a successful career in investment to analyse the performance of businesses and their executives in this energising, surprising book.
Through the book, eight CEOs will be introduced to you, and on average, their companies exceeded the S&P 500 by a factor of twenty. This means that an investment of $10,000 made with each of them would have been worth more than $1.5 million in 25 years. Though you might not be familiar with all of their names, you will be familiar with the brands they represent: General Cinema, Ralston Purina, The Washington Post Company, Berkshire Hathaway, General Dynamics, Capital Cities Broadcasting, TCI, and Teledyne. You’ll discover the qualities and strategies—striking for their constancy and unwavering rationality—that enabled these great leaders to deliver such outstanding performances in The Outsiders.
Thorndike offers eye-opening experiences, draws lessons, and presents a compelling alternative model for anybody interested in running a business or investing in one—and earning amazing returns—by drawing on years of research and experience.
The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron
Author: Bethany McLean, Peter Elkind Goodreads Rating: 4.20
The Smartest Guys in the Room – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
There have been several books written on Watergate, but only All the President’s Men gave people the entire story, with all the complexity, detail, and privileged information. Since Enron is presently the biggest business story of its time, Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, senior journalists for Fortune, are the new Woodward and Bernstein.
Surprisingly, Enron was seen as the perfect example of a New Economy business just two years ago due to its rapidly rising earnings and stock price. But it was before McLean’s story, which was published in Fortune and posed the seemingly harmless question, “How precisely does Enron earn money?”
The house of cards that was Enron started to fall apart after that. To provide a definitive book about the Enron crisis and the interesting characters behind it, McLean and Elkind have now conducted a far deeper investigation.
Smartest Guys in the Room immerses the reader in Enron’s history and behind the closed doors of private meetings thanks to its meticulous research and focus on characters. The book recounts Enron’s development from obscurity to the top of the corporate world to its devastating downfall, drawing on a broad variety of unusual sources.
It sheds new light on well-known figures like Cliff Baxter and Rebecca Mark as well as lesser-known ones like Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andy Fastow. The narrative of greed, haughtiness, and duplicity in Smartest Guys in the Room serves as a microcosm of everything that is wrong with American business today. Most importantly, it is an intriguing human tale that will serve as the definitive narrative of the Enron case.
Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger
Author: Charles T. Munger, Warren Buffett (Foreword), Peter D. Kaufman (Editor) Goodreads Rating: 4.43
Poor Charlie’s Almanack – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
Peter D. Kaufman assembled Charlie Munger’s lectures and talks into the book “Poor Charlie’s Almanack” initially released in 2005. The long-time vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway is Charlie Munger. Beyond his infamous remark, “I have nothing to contribute,” this book collects his investment ideas.
Munger advocates using “Multiple Mental Models” for making decisions. There is an iconoclastic decision-making checklist in this compilation of “Big Ideas from Big Disciplines.”
The writing of the book is unorthodox. In keeping with Munger’s theory of “making the mind reach out to the concept” helps increase the idea’s retentiveness in mind. The ideas aren’t presented in any particular sequence but are instead briefly discussed with visuals accompanying them. The illustrations enhance the reader’s retention of the concept and give the book a touch of nerdy comedy.
The confluence of several biases is known by Munger as the “Lollapalooza Effect,” and according to Munger, it is the effect of such confluences that leads to extremism.
Where Are the Customers’ Yachts? : Or a Good Hard Look at Wall Street
Author: Fred Schwed Jr., Peter Arno (Illustrator), Jason Zweig (Introduction) Goodreads Rating: 3.92
Where Are the Customers’ Yachts? – Best Book Recommended by Warren Buffett
On Wall Street, the use of computers has essentially eliminated the use of pencils and graph paper. The fundamentals remain the same, though. The investor’s need to trust in someone is mirrored by the financial advisor’s desire to earn a good life. It is certain that the former will be dissatisfied if any of them must.
This book, which is amusing and humorous, exposes the foolishness and hypocrisy of Wall Street. The anecdote of the traveller to New York who liked the bankers’ and brokers’ boats is referenced in the title.
He innocently enquired as to the location of every customer’s yacht. Naturally, none of the clients could afford yachts, despite the fact that they all obediently followed their bankers’ and brokers’ recommendations. This book keeps enlightening investors about the truth of Wall Street by delivering sage contrarian advice and a realistic view of the world of investing, where brokers prosper while their clients fail.
Conclusion
Warren Buffett is regarded as one of the world’s most successful investors and is ranked among the world’s wealthiest people. The above-mentioned books are some of the best among the recommendations made by him. All these books are sure to help you gain an understanding of aspects of business, investing, and more.
FAQs
What is Warren Buffett most famous for?
Warren Buffett is famous as the most successful investor of the 20th century and is also a big-time philanthropist. He is the Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
Which books are recommended by Warren Buffett?
Warren Buffett has recommended the following books:
The Intelligent Investor
Shoe Dog
One Thousand Ways to Make $1000
Essays in Persuasion
Investing Between the Lines
The Making of the President 1960
Limping on Water
Is Warren Buffett still among the richest men in the world?
According to Forbes, Warren Buffett’s net worth is $118 billion in November 2022, making him the fifth richest person in the world.
Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Facebook, may have made his money through social media and new technology. However, he still recognises the benefits that a good book can offer. As he set out on a goal to read two books a month for a year in 2015, he posted on Facebook, “I’ve found reading books quite intellectually gratifying. They offer an “engaging” experience”, he claims.
As a CEO of a significant technological business, Mark Zuckerberg did something uncommon in 2015, that is, he created a reading club!
About one book every two weeks, Zuckerberg recommended and discussed a few books with the club over that year. It was a fantastic collection of books, 15 of which are talked about in this article.
Therefore, we’ve put together a list of 15 books Mark Zuckerberg has read himself and would suggest to others to uncover what motivated one of the world’s wealthiest individuals to the height of financial achievement.
Author: Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace Goodreads Rating: 4.21
Creativity Inc. – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
The first ever all-access look inside Pixar Animation’s brain, Creativity, Inc. is a guide for anybody who aspires to create and takes readers into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the greatest movies ever produced were created. It is primarily a book on creativity, but it is also an expression of the ideals that will make the best in us attainable.
With such beloved movies as the Toy Story trilogy, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, WALL-E, and Inside Out, which went on to break box office records and win thirty Academy Awards, Pixar has dominated the animation industry for almost twenty years. In some respects, Pixar films serve as a case study for what true creativity looks like thanks to the joy with which they deliver their stories, their clever plotlines, and their emotional realism. Catmull discusses the principles and methods used by Pixar to achieve its success and widespread acclaim in this book.
Ed Catmull had an ambition when he was a young man: he wanted to create the first computer-animated film. He cultivated that goal while pursuing his doctorate at the University of Utah, where many pioneers of computer science began, and then formed a connection with George Lucas that, inadvertently, led to his co-founding Pixar in 1986. Toy Story was released nine years later, profoundly altering the animation industry. The unique environment that Catmull and his colleagues at Pixar created, based on leadership and management philosophies that protect the creative process and defy convention, was a crucial component in that film’s success—and in the thirteen films that followed. Examples of these philosophies include:
If you give a terrific concept to a subpar team, they will ruin it. A great team, however, will either improve a terrible concept or come up with a superior one if you give it to them.
You won’t be well-equipped to lead if you don’t make an effort to discover the unknown and comprehend its nature.
Preventing hazards is not the manager’s responsibility. It is the manager’s responsibility to ensure that others can take them safely.
The price of avoiding errors is frequently far higher than the price of correcting them.
The organisational structure of a corporation shouldn’t be reflected in its communication structure. Everyone ought to be able to communicate with anyone.
Sapiens
Author: Yuval Noah Harari Goodreads Rating: 4.38
Sapiens – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
A minimum of 6 distinct human species were present on Earth 100,000 years ago. Currently, there is only one, Us, humanity.
How did our species win the race for dominance? Why did our wandering nomads establish communities and empires? Why did we develop a belief in gods, nations, and civil rights, trust finance, books, and legislation; and be subject to bureaucracies, schedules, and consumer culture? What changes will our world experience in the coming aeons?
In Sapiens, Dr Yuval Noah Harari explores every aspect of human history, from the planet’s earliest hominids through the groundbreaking – and frequently game-changing – intellectual, industrial, and cognitive discoveries.
He looks at how historical trends have shaped human civilizations, the creatures and plants that live nearby, and even our own mindsets. He makes use of ideas from palaeontology, anthropology, biology, and commerce. Have we been joyful as a result of history? Can we ever free ourselves from the influences of our ancestors? What can we do, if anything, to influence how the centuries will develop?
Sapiens challenge everything of our preconceived notions about what it means to be a person, including our ideas, actions, authority, and future. It is powerful, all-encompassing, and debatable.
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves
Author: Matt Ridley Goodreads Rating: 3.98
The Rational Optimist – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
The quality of life is improving quickly. Globally, the availability of food, money, and life expectancy are all increasing, while sickness, infant mortality, and violence are all down. Even though the world is far from ideal, both essentials and pleasures are becoming more affordable, population growth is moderating, Africa is following Asia out of poverty, and the Internet, cell phones, and container shipping are enhancing people’s lives like never before. The critics who predominate in public debate maintain that we are rapidly approaching a tipping point and that things will begin to deteriorate. However, this has been the case for 200 years.
However, Matt Ridley goes beyond merely outlining the improvements. He justifies it. Everyone working for everyone else leads to prosperity. The practice of trade and specialisation, which dates back more than 100,000 years, has produced a collective intelligence that drives an upward trend in human living standards. Instead of leading to despair, the resulting mutual dependency, trust, and sharing inspire optimism.
From the Stone Age to the Internet, from the decline of the Ming dynasty to the development of the steam engine, from the population boom to the anticipated effects of climate change, this audacious book covers the entirety of human history.
The book concludes with the bold claim that, despite inevitable setbacks along the road and despite humanity’s limitless ability for inventive change, the twenty-first century will see an increase in both human wealth and natural biodiversity. The Rational Optimist will improve your way of thinking about the world since it is acute, invigorating, and revelatory.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Author: Thomas S. Kuhn Goodreads Rating: 4.03
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
A great book actually becomes ingrained in our daily consciousness, permeating our thought processes to the point that we take it for granted and forget how provocative and challenging its ideas once were and still are. A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness. Such a book is The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. It was a significant turning point in the history and philosophy of science when it was originally published in 1962. It still has a lot to teach 60 years later.
With The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Kuhn questioned long-held linear ideas of scientific progress. He claimed that revolutionary ideas don’t emerge from the routine, gradual process of experimentation and data accumulation, but rather that the revolutions in science—those breakthrough moments that challenge conventional wisdom and offer unexpected ideas occur outside of what he called “normal science.” Even though Kuhn wrote during the era of physics dominance in the sciences, his theories on how scientific revolutions provide order to the anomalies that accumulate over time in research trials are still helpful in the biotech era.
An illuminating introduction by Ian Hacking, which defines words Kuhn popularised, such as paradigm and incommensurability, and relates Kuhn’s theories to contemporary science, is included in this new edition of Kuhn’s seminal book in the history of science. Hacking’s introduction, which is helpfully tied to the various sections of the book, gives significant prior knowledge and a contemporary perspective. This version, which has been newly created and has an extended index, will be eagerly awaited by readers in the following generation who want to comprehend the development of our viewpoints on science.
Why Nations Fail
Author: Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson Goodreads Rating: 4.08
Why Nations Fail – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
Why Nations Fail is a brilliant and readable solution to the age-old puzzle of why some countries are wealthy while others are impoverished, split by riches and poor, health and sickness, food and starvation.
Is it geography, climate, or both? Maybe a lack of knowledge about what the best practices are?
Just no. None of these variables is fixed or predetermined. If so, how can it be explained that while other African countries like the Congo, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe are wracked by poverty and conflict, Botswana has had among of the world’s highest growth rates?
Acemoglu and Robinson construct a new political economic theory with immense significance for the major issues of today based on fifteen years of original research and extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, mediaeval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa.
Your perspective on and comprehension of the world will alter after reading Why Nations Fail.
The End Of Power
Author: Moisés Naím Goodreads Rating: 3.63
The End of Power – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
We are aware that power is transferring from the West to the East and from the North to the South, from presidential mansions to public squares, from agile startups to once-dominant corporate behemoths, and slowly but surely, from males to women. However, power is not only distributed and shifted. It’s decomposing as well. The ability of those in power now is more limited, and they are more vulnerable to losing it than before.
Award-winning journalist and former Foreign Policy editor Moisés Nam shed light on the conflict between once dominating mega players and the emerging micro powers confronting them in all spheres of human endeavour in his book The End of Power. Nam demonstrates how the anti-establishment zeal of micro powers may topple rulers, overthrow monopolies, and create amazing new opportunities, but it can also result in chaos and paralysis by drawing on startling, innovative research. The tectonic changes happening in business, religion, education, among families, and in all war and peace-related issues are expertly covered by Nam.
Those in authority maintain it by creating strong barriers to keep potential rivals at bay. Today’s insurgency forces take down such barriers more swiftly and easily than ever, only to discover that doing so leaves them open to attack. Nam provides a groundbreaking look at the impending end of power—and how it will alter your world—in an approachable and engrossing way.
The New Jim Crow
Author: Michelle Alexander Goodreads Rating: 4.52
The New Jim Crow – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
The majority of young black males in major American cities are either in prison or have been given criminal status for life while the country celebrates the “triumph over race” with Barack Obama’s victory. Despite the repeal of Jim Crow legislation, a startling portion of the African American community still lives in a position of inferiority, much like their ancestors did.
Michelle Alexander, a former litigator who is now a legal professor, makes the daring claim that racial caste in America has not been abolished but has instead been reconstructed in her sharp analysis. Alexander demonstrates how, although ostensibly adhering to the idea of colour blindness, the U.S. criminal justice system operates as a modern system of racial domination by focusing on black males and destroying communities of colour. The civil rights community, as well as all of us, are challenged by The New Jim Crow to put mass imprisonment at the forefront of a new campaign for racial justice in America.
The genome has been mapped. What does that signify, though? The book that explains everything, including what it is, how it operates, and what it means for the future, is called Genome by Matt Ridley.
The mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome, arguably the most important scientific discovery of the twenty-first century, poses almost as many questions as it does answers. Questions will have a significant influence on how we see illness, ageing, and free choice. The remainder of your life will be impacted by these questions.
The book, Genome, provides exceptional insight into the implications of this amazing discovery. In his book, Matt Ridley tells the history of our species and its forebears from the beginning of existence to the frontier of future medicine by choosing one newly found gene from each pair of chromosomes and recounting its tale. Ridley explores the scientific, philosophical, and ethical challenges raised by the mapping of the human genome, covering everything from cancer to Huntington’s illness and from gene therapy’s uses to the horrors of eugenics. It will assist you in comprehending the implications of this scientific breakthrough for you, your children, and all of humanity.
Portfolios of the Poor
Author: Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, Orlanda Ruthven Goodreads Rating: 3.95
Portfolios of the Poor – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
Nearly 40% of the world’s population subsists on less than $2 per day on average. It is difficult to imagine if you have never had to make ends meet on a salary this low. How would you afford to feed your family, buy a house, and send your kids to school? How would you manage old age and emergencies? Over a billion people must respond to these questions every day across the whole planet. The first book to methodically show how the poor find answers to their regular financial issues is Portfolios of the Poor.
In Bangladesh, India, and South Africa, the authors conducted year-long interviews with poor peasants and slum residents to compile records that show penny-by-penny how particular households handle their finances. These families’ tales are frequently unexpected and motivating. The majority of impoverished households do not live in poverty, instead using their income to make ends meet. Instead, they use financial instruments, many of which are connected to unofficial networks and familial relationships. They encourage people to save money for reserves, extract cash from debtors when they can, operate complex savings clubs, and take advantage of microloans when they can. Their experiences provide new insights into how to combat poverty and how to imagine the “bottom billion” generation of banks.
Portfolios of the Poor is essential reading for anybody interested in development studies, economics, or microfinance as well as anyone who wants to learn more about poverty and what can be done to combat it.
Dealing With China
Author: Henry M. Paulson Goodreads Rating: 3.76
Dealing With China – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
The book Dealing With China takes the reader inside closed doors to see how China’s state-controlled capitalism was created and developed.
Dealing With China is destined to become the standard and ultimate analysis of dealing with an economic superpower. It is written in the same anecdote-rich, page-turning manner as Paulson’s popular book, On the Brink.
No other foreigner has dealt with China as Hank Paulson has. Paulson played a crucial part in China’s opening to the private industry while serving as the CEO of Goldman Sachs. After that, he established the Strategic Economic Dialogue with the current second-largest economy in the world while serving as Treasury secretary. He protected the fragile American financial system while negotiating economic changes with China. Paulson has collaborated with several prominent Chinese figures, including Xi Jinping, who is currently the country’s most influential person in decades. He now takes readers behind closed doors to see what China’s state-controlled capitalism will look like in the future in his book ‘Dealing With China.
The Varieties Of Religious Experience
Author: William James Goodreads Rating: 4.0
The Varieties of Religious Experience – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
In 1901, William James travelled to the University of Edinburgh to give a series of lectures on “natural religion,” during which he defined religion as “the sentiments, deeds, and experiences of individual individuals in their solitude, so far as they perceive themselves to stand in relation to whatsoever they may conceive the divine.” He began a project that, when finished, stands not only as one of the most significant texts on psychology ever written, not only as a vitally serious contemplation of spirituality but for many critics one of the best works of nonfiction written in the 20th century. He did this by considering religion, not as it is defined by—or takes place in—the churches, but as it is felt in everyday life.
It’s simple to understand the “why” of the situation, after reading The Varieties of Religious Experience. James develops a pluralistic framework in which “the divine can mean no single quality, it must imply a range of virtues, by becoming champions of which in alternation, various persons may all find meaningful missions” by applying his analytic insight to religious explanations from a number of sources. It is a genuine philosophical appeal for religious respect and tolerance, one whose vigour has not waned through the years.
The Better Angels of Our Nature
Author: Steven Pinker Goodreads Rating: 4.16
The Better Angels of Our Nature – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
Unbelievably, we could be experiencing the most tranquil period in the history of our species right now. In his compelling and contentious new book, New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker demonstrates that, despite the constant news coverage of terrorism, crime, and war, violence has really been on the decline for significant periods of time. This ambitious book continues Pinker’s investigation into the fundamentals of human nature by dispelling myths about humankind’s inherently violent nature and the curse of modernity. By fusing psychology and history, it paints an amazing picture of a society that is becoming more and more enlightened.
Energy: A Beginner’s Guide
Author: Vaclav Smil Goodreads Rating: 3.97
Energy: A Beginner’s Guide – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
Einstein noted that all matter might be expressed as energy in his famous equation, E=MC^2. It permeates every single place and item. Vaclav Smil, a well-known author and scholar, introduces the expansive word and helps the reader better grasp energy’s role in both past and contemporary civilization in this fascinating book.
He begins by explaining the idea before moving on to more fascinating subjects like the inner workings of the human body and the search for cleaner, more efficient fuels. This book will help clarify the science underlying global warming, measures to stop it, and how our apparently inconsequential everyday actions impact energy usage as it becomes a major political concern.
Energy: A Beginner’s Guide will astonish and enlighten you, revealing the physics underlying one of the most significant ideas in our world, whether you’re looking for understanding or dinner table discussion.
Rational Ritual
Author: Michael Suk-Young Chwe Goodreads Rating: 3.34
Rational Ritual – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
Why does Super Bowl advertising mostly consist of the Internet, financial service, and beer commercials? How are political rituals supposed to build authority? Why do anthems and ritual speech tend to be repetitive? Why did the French Revolution select circular shapes for public celebrations? These inquiries are addressed in this book using just one idea: common knowledge.
Chwe makes a case for tight reciprocity between the viewpoints of rationality and culture by employing a rational-choice argument to explain many cultural activities. He demonstrates how game theory may be used to solve an unexpectedly wide range of issues while demonstrating in an impressively understandable manner what game theory can contain for social science and humanities students who are not yet familiar with it.
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
Author: Sudhir Venkatesh Goodreads Rating: 4.06
Gang Leader for a Day – Best Book Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg
When it was initially told in Freakonomics, the tale of the young sociologist who investigated a Chicago crack-dealing gang from the inside captivated readers all over the world. The intriguing whole account of how Sudhir Venkatesh was able to join the gang, what he discovered, and how his approach transformed the academic establishment is told in Gang Leader for a Day.
In one of Chicago’s most notorious housing developments, Venkatesh entered an abandoned building to find participants for a multiple-choice survey on urban poverty. He became friends with JT, a gang boss, in his first year of graduate school, and spent the majority of the following ten years within the projects under JT’s protection, recording what he observed there.
Venkatesh watched JT and the other members of the gang over the course of the following seven years as they ran their crack distribution business, engaged in community PR, and moved up or down the gang’s intricate organisational ladder.
An intimate look at the ethically murky, highly complex, sometimes dishonest fight to live in an urban combat zone is provided by Gang Leader for a Day. It is also the tale of a complex friendship between two ambitious young men who are from very different worlds.
Conclusion
Mark Zuckerberg, the man known for co-founding and leading Facebook has been a great supporter of reading and to spread his love for reading among others, he started a book club. All the books mentioned above have been recommended by Mark and according to him, all these books are supposed to emphasise learning about new cultures, beliefs, histories, and technologies.
FAQs
Which books are recommended by Mark Zukerberg?
Mark Zuckerberg has recommended the following books:
Creativity Inc.
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Why Nations Fail
The End of Power
Genome
The New Jim Crow
Portfolios of the Poor
Does Mark Zuckerberg read books?
Mark Zuckerberg has been a great supporter of reading. Mark did something uncommon in 2015—that is, he created a reading club to spread his love for reading among others.
What is Mark Zuckerberg’s book club called?
Mark Zuckerberg’s book club is known as ‘A Year of Books’. Over the course of the year, Zuckerberg recommended and discussed a few books with the club about once every two weeks.
You have aims, objectives, and dreams. And as an observant, you know that your present actions directly affect your continued prospects. In order to go forward, you create a to-do list, set up a system, and make every effort to keep your schedule organised. But regardless of how hard you work, you can’t shake the idea that you aren’t accomplishing enough. Sounds reasonable?
It’s therefore time to review your productivity techniques.
Most likely, reading a book is not the first thing that springs to our heads when considering how to boost productivity. Nevertheless, one of the finest things you can do is actually that. The most innovative productivity hacks, techniques, and technologies may be easily learned through reading and implementing the same in our daily lives.
Read the article further to find a put-together list of the best 10 productivity books to give you some assistance in getting more done.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Author: David Allen Goodreads Rating: 4.00
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity – Best Book to Improve Productivity
This book appears on every productivity book list and is highly recommended, making this book sort of like the current Bible of productivity publications.
The strategies of yesterday just don’t function adequately in the modern environment. David Allen, a seasoned coach and management consultant, reveals in his book Getting Things Done the game-changing techniques for stress-free performance that he has taught to thousands of individuals. Allen’s thesis is straightforward: our capacity for relaxation directly influences how productive we are. We can only be productively effective and fully realise our creative potential when our minds are clear and our ideas are structured.
Allen demonstrates in Getting Things Done how to:
To get your inbox empty, follow the “do it, delegate it, postpone it, dump it” guideline.
Re-evaluate objectives and concentrate in a dynamic environment.
Plan initiatives and find solutions to their problems.
Get through feelings of uncertainty, worry, and overwhelm.
Feel not-bothered about the things you avoided doing.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Author: Stephen R. Covey Goodreads Rating: 3.87
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Best Book to Improve Productivity
This book by Stephen R. Covey is used by everyone, from presidents to CEOs to college students, to help them organise themselves and remain on schedule while accomplishing the tasks that are essential.
This book offers a framework for both life and work, and so a strategy for getting things done. This is a ‘library staple’ item if productivity is something you’re interested in.
Covey’s book transforms your viewpoint on how your choices—both physical and mental—can alter your course for the better or worse. It’s a practical manual for developing healthier habits. We oftentimes aren’t even aware of our patterns. We simply go about living our lives without giving some of our decisions any thought. However, reading Covey’s book forces you to examine both your personal and professional routines and identifies the traits that influence your professional relationships and jobs.
Since its initial 1989 release, more than 25 million copies of this book have been sold. It focuses on a strategy that centres on adhering to your “character ethic,” which is accomplished by developing a set of 7 habits. For optimal efficiency in life, the reader can use these behaviours to transition from dependency to interdependency. If you’re more interested in long-term habit adjustment than in short hacks and tactics, this is excellent high-level productivity read for you.
Atomic Habits
Author: James Clear Goodreads Rating: 4.38
Atomic Habits – Best Book to Improve Productivity
Atomic Habits provides a tried-and-true paradigm for constant improvement, regardless of your ambitions. One of the foremost authorities on habit formation, James Clear, shares actionable techniques that will show you precisely how to develop positive habits, break negative ones, and master the minute actions that produce amazing outcomes.
It’s not you who has to change your behaviours if you’re experiencing trouble doing so. Your system is the issue. Bad habits keep coming back, not because you don’t want to change but rather because your strategy for change is flawed. You fall short of reaching your objectives. Your systems determine how high you can fall. Here, you’ll find a tried-and-true strategy that can help you be a more productive being.
Clear is renowned for his ability to reduce difficult subjects to straightforward actions that can be used in both daily life and the workplace. Here, he applies the best scientifically supported theories from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to produce a simple manual for making good habits inescapable and bad habits unavoidable. Readers will be motivated and amused along the way by genuine accounts of Olympic gold medalists, corporate executives, life-saving doctors, award-winning artists, and famous comedians who used the science of little habits to dominate their profession and rise to the top of their sector.
Eat That Frog!
Author: Brian Tracy Goodreads Rating: 4.06
Eat That Frog! – Best Book to Improve Productivity
There’s an ancient proverb that says you’ll have the fulfilment of knowing that eating a live frog first thing every morning is possibly the worst thing you’ll have to perform throughout the day.
“Eat That Frog” is a metaphor for taking on the most difficult duty of the day, the one that you’re most inclined to put off, but which also has the potential to have the biggest beneficial influence on your life. This book demonstrates how to focus on these important chores and plan your day.
Brian Tracy does an excellent job of inspiring the readers to quit procrastination and just get things accomplished, but unlike other productivity books, you won’t be astounded by fresh facts.
The book is divided into 21 principles that Brian Tracy himself uses to forge his own exceptional achievement. It’s an excellent place for newbies in the field of reading to start because the advice is straightforward and the book is simple to read.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Author: Greg McKeown Goodreads Rating: 4.04
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less – Best Book to Improve Productivity
Have you ever experienced being overextended? Do you feel both busy and not productive at the same time? Are you frequently occupied yet unproductive? Do you feel as though other people’s agendas are continually stealing your time?
The Way of the Essentialist is the solution if any of the above queries apply to you. Essentialism is a book for those who are overwhelmed by their to-do list and lack ample time.
The Amazon description sums this approach up nicely: “By applying a more selective criteria for what is essential, the pursuit of less allows us to regain control of our own choices so we can channel our time, energy and effort into making the highest possible contribution toward the goals and activities that matter.”
It is not the goal of the Essentialist Way to do more in less time. It’s about finishing just the right tasks. It is not a productivity hack or a time management tactic. It is a methodical discipline for determining what is absolutely necessary and then removing everything else that is not, allowing us to contribute as much as possible to the things that truly matter.
The disciplined advancement of less encourages us to reassert authority over our own decisions regarding how to spend our valuable energy and time by pushing us to implement much more choosy standards for what is “Essential”. Instead of implicitly granting others the right to make those decisions for us, this disciplined pursuit of less strengthens us.
Essentialism isn’t just another concept; it’s a completely new way of life. Essentialism is a movement whose time has come, and it is a must-read for every leader, manager, or anyone who wants to learn how to do less, but better, in every aspect of their lives.
Free to Focus
Author: Michael Hyatt Goodreads Rating: 4.10
Free to Focus – Best Book to Improve Productivity
Despite having 168 hours a week available to everyone, it never seems like enough. The majority is taken up by work; many experts put in up to 70 hours a week, leaving fewer and fewer hours for rest, exercise, family, friends or all those wonderful things that make life amazing, you know.
Most individuals believe that being productive involves making or preserving time. Yet it isn’t. Making our time work for us is the goal. Imagine once more having spare time. It’s not just a fantasy.
In Free to Focus, New York Times bestselling author Michael Hyatt offers readers nine tested strategies for succeeding at work so they may finally have time for other aspects of their lives, such as their health, relationships, hobbies, and other pursuits. He assists readers in redefining their objectives, assessing what is working, eliminating the unimportant, concentrating on the most crucial activities, managing their time and energy, and creating momentum for a lifetime of achievement.
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Author: Cal Newport Goodreads Rating: 4.19
Deep Work – Best Book to Improve Productivity
Deep work is the capacity for undistracted concentration on mentally taxing work. It’s a talent that enables you to swiftly grasp difficult knowledge and deliver superior outcomes in a shorter amount of time. You will get more proficient at what you perform and experience the genuine pleasure that comes from crafting via hard effort. Deep work, in our more cutthroat twenty-first-century economy, is akin to a superpower. However, most people no longer have the capacity for introspection, spending their days instead in a frenetic haze of email and social media, unaware that there is a better way.
Author and lecturer, Cal Newport twisted the narrative of effect in a connected world in his book Deep Work. He embraces the power of distraction’s opposite rather than arguing that it is harmful. In the first section of this book, which he divides into two parts, he argues that developing a strong work ethic will have a significant positive impact on practically any line of employment. Then, he offered a demanding training programme, as a series of four “rules”, for modifying your behaviour and mindset to complement this talent.
Deep Work is a blend of cultural criticism and practical guidance. It takes the reader on a voyage through memorable stories, from Carl Jung establishing a stone tower in the forest to fixate his mind to a social networking pioneer purchasing a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air, and no-nonsense advice, like the assertion that the majority of professionals should give up social media and that you should practise being bored.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Author: Charles Duhigg Goodreads Rating: 4.13
The Power of Habit – Best Book to Improve Productivity
Charles Duhigg, an award-winning business writer for the New York Times, takes us on an exciting journey into the scientific findings that explain why habits exist and how they may be altered in his book, The Power of Habit. Duhigg brings to life a whole new view of human nature and its possibilities for transformation with his perceptive intellect and ability to condense massive quantities of knowledge into captivating narratives.
Along the process, we discover why some individuals and businesses take years to change while others appear to transform themselves quickly. Neuroscientists investigate how habits function and where precisely they are located in our brains at the laboratories that we visit. We learn how successful people like civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, and Starbucks Interim CEO Howard Schultz all have the correct habits. We visit Procter & Gamble, Target megastores, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, NFL locker rooms, and the biggest hospitals in the country to learn how establishing so-called keystone habits can generate billions of dollars and mean the difference between failure and success, as well as life and death.
The Power of Habit makes a compelling case that knowing how habits function is essential to attaining success in a variety of areas, including regular exercise, weight loss, raising outstanding kids, increasing productivity, and creating ground-breaking businesses and social movements.
Habits are not your fate. Charles Duhigg demonstrates how we may alter our businesses, communities, and lives by utilising this new science.
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
Author: Gary Keller, Jay Papasan Goodreads Rating: 4.13
The One Thing – Best Book to Improve Productivity
A masterwork of life improvement is Gary Keller and Jay Papasan’s The One Thing. The book’s purpose is to teach you how to focus on the important things in life while navigating the chaos of work, life, well-being, love, family, hobbies, and spare time.
You’re attempting to accomplish too much and need to do less, which is the shockingly straightforward fact behind remarkable achievements. You must specifically carry only one action. That one thing, what is it? It is not a particular task. Anything might be the case. Just be careful to focus on accomplishing one task at a time rather than two. That is, you shouldn’t do two things in each aspect of your life, and if you have too many, you might want to eliminate some of them.
Cutting through clutter is an excellent and crucial notion, but it’s nothing new, is it? Even though it’s painfully obvious, Keller and Papasan have developed the fact about focusing on ‘The One Thing’ into a powerful strategy that can help you in every aspect of your life.
The goal is to identify the one item that, in every circumstance, will enable you to achieve amazing achievements. Find the one thing you can do or perspective you can change in every aspect of your life that will make everything else simpler or unnecessary.
The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy
Author: Chris Bailey Goodreads Rating: 3.95
The Productivity Project – Best Book to Improve Productivity
Chris Bailey declined attractive employment offers in order to fulfil a longstanding ambition: to devote a year to conduct a thorough analysis experiment into the quest for productivity, a topic he has been fascinated with since he was a youngster. He started a blog after earning his business degree to document a year-long set of productivity experiments he carried out on himself. He also kept up his research there and did more interviews there with some of the top experts in the world, including Charles Duhigg and David Allen.
He undertook a number of experiments, including one in which Bailey survived for several weeks on little to no sleep, one in which he gave up caffeine and sugar, one in which he lived in complete isolation for ten days, and one in which he used a smartphone for just one hour each day for three months, one in which he gained ten pounds of muscle mass, one in which he extended his workweek to 90 hours, and one in which he, a late riser, got up at 5:30 AM every day.
Chris’s year-long journey led to the creation of the Productivity Project and the insights he learnt along the way. The surprising understandings Chris Bailey will impart to you include:
slowing down to operate more methodically;
reducing or getting rid of the unnecessary;
the principle of threes;
the pursuit of imperfection;
allotting less time to pressing matters;
the 20-second strategy to divert attention from distractions that are unavoidable;
Additionally, there is an idea of ‘productive procrastination’.
Bailey provides a wealth of ideas and over 25 recommended practices in an eye-opening and thoroughly informative book that will help you do more.
Conclusion
Hence, these are some of the best books that will help you improve your productivity. You can pick any of the above-mentioned books for reading and try to apply different productivity techniques and strategies to make the most of your time and achieve better results in life.
FAQs
Which is the best book to improve productivity?
Some of the best books to help improve your productivity are:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Atomic Habits
Eat That Frog!
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Free to Focus
Does reading increase productivity?
Reading is an excellent exercise to increase productivity as it helps to improve your focus and sharpen your memory.
How can I improve my productivity?
Some of the common ways to improve your productivity include:
Books are a big source of inspiration, it helps you travel the world and provide the knowledge that you needed, in a beautiful and subtle way. A person can find worldly knowledge and information in books. Not only that, it can create a deep impact on our minds and provide us with enough motivation to live our lives freely.
There are a huge number of successful people who recommend books because the books lead them to self-improvement and are their cause of euphoria. They can be entertaining, motivational and an eye-opener; sometimes it also helps you in realizing your own dream.
One of the most successful people in the world, the founder of Microsoft, William Henry Gates III, also known as Bill Gates is a huge bibliophile. It is said that he reads at least 50 books every year and that is something enormous. Even in his busy schedule, he always finds a way to read books, and the best part he in his own dedicated blog called GatesNotes shares about the book he is reading and recommends the best ones. So, are you not curious to know, what the founder of one of the biggest technology companies read?
In this article, we will disclose all the books that Bill Gates has recommended over the span of 7 years. This list is comprised of science, technology, business, fiction, non-fiction, history, biography, and others So, let’s get started.
Bill Gates’s love for books knows no bounds, every year in the summer and winter he recommends some of his favourite books that he has read in his blog. Some of the popular books from the last seven years are listed below. So, Let’s look at the Books Recommended by Bill Gates.
“Whether I’m at the office, at home, or on the road, I always have a stack of books I’m looking forward to reading.”
1. The Magic Of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True
Author: Richard Dawkins
Originally published: 15 September 2011
The Magic Of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True
This 2011 book written by Richard Dawkins made its place on the list of Gates’s recommended books in 2015. The book is a favourite amongst children and young adults as it is written for them. It deals with re-telling the myths that are famous all over the world.
The origins of particular phenomena are also penned here. It is filled with interesting facts about the world that one should know about. This is a good book on science and answers the questions that one can have about the universe.
2. Hyberbole And A Half
Author: Allie Brosh
Originally published: 29 October 2013
Hyperbole And A Half
The 2013 book written by Allie Brosh is all about the stories of her daily life full of hysterical stories that are extremely funny. Hyperbole And A Half is a blog and a webcomic. Then it has now become a book, where all the stories including the author’s childhood experience are also contained in this book.
3. What If?
Author: Randall Munroe
Originally published: 2 September 2014
What if
This book by Munroe is non-fiction in which the author answers all the hypothetical science-related questions that are sent by the people who read his comic site ‘xkcd’. He compiles all the answers to the questions that he has answered in his webcomic and has published them in this book.
4. On Immunity
Author: Eula Biss
Originally published: 30 September 2014
On Immunity
This 2014 non-fiction book reasons why vaccination is so important for children. All the myths about the conception of immunity. It breaks all those misconceptions that people have about vaccination and are against it. This book showcased how vaccination is important for children as we cannot protect them on our own.
5. How To Lie With Statistics
Author: Darrel Huff
Originally published: 1954
How To Lie With Statistics
This book by Darrel Huff can be considered as an introduction of statistics to readers. It elaborates on the misuse of statistics that can happen through errors while interpreting statistics that can lead to the wrong conclusions.
6. Should We Eat Meat?
Author: Vaclav Smil
Originally published: 2013
Should We Eat Meat?
This 2013 book talks about how eating meat has played a role in the evolution of humans and how its influence is increasing in recent days. The book also details the production of meats in modern days. This book answers if we can produce meat for people without harming the planet. This book is very informative and does not just answer if we should eat meat or not.
7. The Road To Character
Author: David Brooks
Originally published: 14 April 2015
The Road To Character
In the month of December 2015, Bill Gates included The Road To Character written by the columnist of The New York Times, David Brooks. This book has blended psychology, politics, and spirituality together and talks about the deeper values that we should have in our life.
It shows how some of the world’s greatest thinkers are able to create a strong and rich inner character. It is considered one of the best books for self-improvement and is named one of the best books of the year 2015 by The Economist.
8. Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff In Simple Words
Author: Randall Munroe
Originally published: 24 November 2015
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff In Simple Words
The book is quite interesting and fascinating because the author just used 1000 English words that are very much common to explain the complicated things of various complex 54 subjects. The subject includes pencils, atom bombs, and aeroplane engines. The book also has some jokes to entertain the readers.
9. Being Nixon: A Man Divided
Author: Evan Thomas
Originally published: 16 June 2015
Being Nixon: A Man Divided
This book is a New York Times bestselling biography of Richard Nixon. This book follows the growth of Nixon and his psychological profile, his childhood influences, and most importantly his career in politics. An insightful look into his political journey and how some of his decisions and weaknesses prove to be the villain and destroyed his presidency.
10. Sustainable Materials With Both Eyes Open
Author: Julian M. Allwood, Jonathan M, Cullen, and Mark A. Carruth
Originally published: 2012
Sustainable Materials With Both Eyes Open
This 2012 book talks about how we should save energy for the future. It is a follow-up to the book Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air and talks about how one should concentrate on making materials in such a way that they can be sustainable and will be available for future generations.
11. Eradication: Ridding The World Of Diseases Forever?
Author: Nancy Leys Stepan
Originally published: 2011
Eradication: Ridding The World Of Diseases Forever?
This book by award-winning historian Nancy Stepan talks about the advantages and disadvantages of helping the world to get rid of some diseases one by one. The different approaches that have been tried to erase the diseases and the time that it failed to reach a conclusion that proved a success. Gates said that the book is written in an academic style.
12. Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success
Author: Carol S. Dweck
Originally published: 28 February 2006
Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success
This book showcases how our mindset can change our entire life. We can achieve success in almost every area, be it school, work, or sports, if we have the right mindset, nothing is impossible. A fixed mindset will help you in the growth of your life. This book is truly very inspirational and helps you in getting motivation.
Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens made a place in the list of Bill Gates’s summer book recommendations in the year 2016. This book answers the question, what makes us sapiens? This 2011 book talks about the history and the future of human beings on the planet and busts some ancient myths that are part of human society for a long time. This Non-fiction was even a part of Gates’s spring vacation.
14. Seveneves
Author: Neal Stephenson
Originally published: 19 May 2015
This book is a science fiction novel and tells the story of all the efforts made to save human beings when the Earth faces an apocalypse after the moon got destroyed. All the nations across the world joined their hand to ensure the survival of the humans in outer space at the time of the apocalypse.
15. How Not To Be Wrong
Author: Jordan Ellenberg
Originally published: 29 May 2014
How Not To Be Wrong
Another New York Times Best Selling book that made its place on Gates’s list. This 2014 book showcases how different economics and philosophies of society are connected with mathematics and statistical principles. Basically how mathematics is connected with our everyday.
16. The Vital Question
Author: Nick Lane
Originally published: 2015
The Vital Question
This book by Nick Lane talks about the origin of life and its evolution. The vital question tries to answer the complexity between the biology of life and energy. The book mainly focuses on answering why are we here and why are we like this?
17. The Power To Compete
Author: Ryoichi Mikitani and Hiroshi Mikitani
Originally published: 20 October 2014
The Power To Compete
As Gates said in his blog, if someone wants to know more about Japan, it is a must-read for them. This book gives the viewpoint of all the issues that are faced by Japan and they are not recognized despite being the fourth-largest economy in the world. The authors talk about how the problem can be solved to make the country’s future more bright.
18. String Theory
Author: David Foster Wallace
Originally published: 10 May 2016
This book by David Foster Wallace may sound like something that deals with Physics but in reality, this book talks about Wallace’s favourite sport, Tennis. In the year 2016, this was one of the many books on the list of Gate’s winter collection. It contains everything about tennis, a competitor’s insight, a fan’s enthusiasm, and many other things. A must-read for a sports enthusiast.
19. Shoe Dog
Author: Phil Knight
Originally published: 26 April 2016
Shoe Dog
Almost everyone is familiar with the sportswear brand Nike, this book is written by its co-founder Phil Knight and talks about the history of Nike and the challenges that the company faces, and how it has become one of the most profitable and recognizable companies in the whole world.
20. The Gene
Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee
Originally published: 17 May 2016
The Gene
This 2016 book is all about genes and genetic researches. Siddhartha Mukherjee is a physician and oncologist who focuses on the power of genes that is related to the traits of human beings in this book.
21. The Myth Of The Strong Leader
Author: Archie Brown
Originally published: 2014
The Myth Of The Strong Leader
This book by Archie Brown explains that a strong leader will not always be a successful leader. This book features Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Tony Blair and discusses the types and qualities of their leadership.
22. The Grid
Author: Gretchen Bakke
Originally published: 26 July 2016
The Grid
The book talks about how the electrical grid in America that are made in the 20th century is now becoming a nuisance in the present time as they do not fit in modern times. It also talks about the various challenges faced by the grid in recent times.
Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2017
23. Born A Crime
Author: Trevor Noah
Originally published: 15 November 2016
Born A Crime
This book by Trevor Noah was published in the year 2016 and Bill Gates put it in his 2017 book list. Trevor Noah is an award-winning comedian from South Africa. It has the detailed story of Noah’s life and how he was termed illegal for being born of a mixed race. The struggles and the prejudices he faced while growing up is all detailed here.
24. The Heart
Author: Maylis de Kerangal
Originally published: 2013
The Heart
It is a medical fiction novel that surrounds the death of a 19-year-old, Simon Limbres who died in a car accident. The story then focuses on how the transplantation of Simon’s heart affects his parents, the doctors, the recipient, and their families in the span of 24 hours.
25. Hillbilly Elegy
Author: J.D. Vance
Originally published: 28 June 2016
Hillbilly Elegy
The book deals with the themes of class and social mobility, economic inequality, and family. It talks about his ethnic Appalachian values, their social problems. It is also a New York Times Bestseller book that deals with health and economic problems as well.
This 2015 book is an autobiography of the author Jimmy Carter who was the former American President. It is after his 90th birthday how has lived a pretty interesting life.
28. Energy And Civilization: A History
Author: Professor of Geography Vaclav Smil
Originally published: 2017
Energy And Civilization: A History
This book by Professor Vaclav Smil details how energy makes life possible and is a prime factor to make society works. The book talks about fossil fuel-driven civilization that is extremely dependent on energy and how humans are the only beings that can create energies outside their bodies through different technologies.
29. The Best We Could Do
Author: Thi Bui
Originally published: 7 March 2017
The Best We Could Do
The book follows the journey of the author, Thi Bui’s parents. Their life before the Vietnam War and the situation during the war and how they escape from Vietnam and become a refugee in the United State of America. The theme also includes the trauma that one suffers after the war.
30. Evicted: Poverty And Profit In The American City
Author: Mathew Desmond
Originally published: 1 March 2016
Evicted: Poverty And Profit In The American City
The book follows the journey of eight families during the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 and how they were struggling to pay their rent. The issues that are highlighted in this book are economic problems, extreme poverty and affordable housing.
31. Believe Me
Author: Eddie Izzard
Originally published: 13 June 2017
Believe Me
It is a New York Times Bestseller book that is an autobiography of Izzard himself and talks about how the death of his mother affected him in his childhood and shaped his future. It also talks about his life in comedy, film, politics, and philanthropy.
32. The Sympathizer
Author: Viet Thanh Nguyen
Originally published: 2 April 2015
The Sympathizer
This 2015 best-selling novel received the Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for Fiction. The story deals with love, friendship, and betrayal and is about a communist double agent and classic war fiction where the protagonist’s political belief is standing against his loyalties.
Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2018
33. Leonardo da Vinci
Author: Walter Isaacson
Originally published: 17 October 2017
This 2017 book by Walter Isaacson made it on Gates’s list in the year 2018. This book detailed how one of the greatest painter’s skills can also be improved in us. Observation, curiosity, and imagination can be developed and nurtured in ourselves. The book also stated how the great painter was an immense believer in science and technology. Bill Gates considered Leonardo one of the most fascinating people ever in his blog.
34. Everything Happened For A Reason And Other Lies I’ve Loved
Author: Kate Bowler
Originally published: 6 February 2018
Everything Happens For A Reason And Other Lies I’ve Loved
This 2018 book is an autobiography that focuses on the life of the author herself. Kate Bowler is a 35-year-old professor, after giving birth to her baby, she started experiencing stomach pain and was diagnosed with colon cancer. This book talks about her life history and all the struggles she has gone through.
35. Lincoln In The Bardo
Author: George Saunders
Originally published: 14 February 2017
Lincoln In The Bardo
This book is an experimental novel by George Saunders that deals with how Abraham Lincoln deals with his grief after the death of his son, William Wallace Lincoln. It is a very critically acclaimed book that has been ranked as one of the best novels of the decade by many publications.
36. Origin Story: A Big History Of Everything
Author: David Christian
Originally published: 14 May 2018
Origin Story: A Big History of Everything
This 2018 book talks about the creation of the Universe and how it is now a complex planet where over 7 billion humans exist. It talks about the big bang, the creation of living and non-living beings, and everything that has led to recent times.
37. Factfulness
Author: Hans Rosling
Originally published: 3 April 2019
Factfulness
The book was published after the death of Hans Rosling. This book talks about how most people are actually wrong about the situation of the world. Here, the author talks about how it is unfair to divide the world into developed and developing countries. As per him, people who deemed the world as unhealthy, full of poverty are actually misinformed.
38. Educated
Author: Tara Westover
Originally published: 18 February 2018
The 2018 memoir by Tara Westover and made its place in Gates’s list as well as in the best sellers list. This book describes Westover’s life, her father’s paranoia of hospitals. Her family was isolated from the world and she was 17 years old when she first enters school and how she educated her own self.
39. Army Of None
Author: Paul Scharre
Originally published: 24 April 2018
Army Of None
This 2018 book explores what happened when the era of automatic weapons arrive. In a world where weapons that can identify their own target exists, what will be the outcome if they get hacked? This book gives all those answers.
40. Bad Blood
Author:John Carreyrou
Originally published: 21 May 2018
Bad Blood
This 2018 non-fiction book follows the rise and fall of the company, Theranos by Elizabeth Holmes. It was a multi-billion dollar biotech startup. How Elizabeth Holmes was involved in a scam and everything else. This book has also won the 2018 Financial Times and Mckinsey Business Book of the Year Award.
41. 21 Lesson For The 21st Century
Author: Yuval Noah Harari
Originally published: 23 August 2018
This 2018 book gives insight into all the important issues that exist in the present world. It covers all the political, social, technological, and existential situations and how should we deal with them. This book provides all those lessons to the readers.
42. The Headspace Guide To Meditation And Mindfulness
Author: Andy Puddicombe
Originally published: 2011
The Headspace Guide To Meditation And Mindfulness
This book teaches the strong techniques of meditation that helps in providing a positive impact in your life. This also conveys that meditation can help in changing your life and one can achieve a different level of calmness and happiness through it. One just needs to give 10 minutes of their day to meditation.
43. Upheaval: How Nations Cope With Crisis And Change
Author: Jared Diamond
Originally published: 7 May 2019
Upheaval: How Nations Cope With Crisis And Change
This Non-Fiction by Jared Mason Diamond was published in 2019 and immediately become a part of Bill Gates’s book list. This book gives insight into how humans and nations can manage when crises and challenges arise in life. It talks about the six modern nations have managed when they face some catastrophes. This shows how if one sets their minds they have the ability to solve problems.
44. Nine Pints
Author: Rose George
Originally published: 23 October 2018
Nine Pints
This book dwells inside the cultural history and science of blood. The importance of blood in life and how it saves lives from deadly infection everything that needs to be known about blood can be found in this book. It also talks about how menstruation is still a topic of taboo.
45. A Gentleman In Moscow
Author: Amor Towles
Originally published: 6 September 2016
A Gentleman In Moscow
This historical fiction of 2016 deals with the theme of romance, parenthood, politics, and poetry and follows the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who was ordered to spend his entire life in a luxury hotel.
46. Presidents Of War
Author: Michael Beschloss
Originally published: 9 October 2018
Presidents Of War
This 2018 book talks about the Presidents of America during the time of war. It consists of American history and how Presidents had to take all the difficult decisions while there was a war. It also talks about how 21st-century leaders have the power of Nuclear warfare in their hands.
47. The Future Of Capitalism
Author: Paul Collier
Originally published: 4 October 2018
The Future of Capitalism
This book by world-renowned economist Paul Collier focuses on modern times’ economic and social inequalities. The book has provided some solutions that are given by some world-known social scientists to save capitalism from itself and minimize the negative aspect that it brings.
48. An American Marriage
Author: Tayari Jones
Originally published: 29 January 2018
An American Marriage
An American Marriage is written by Tayari Jones was first published in the year 2018. This fictional story deals with an African-American couple named Celestial and Roy, who faced a big turmoil in their life when Roy was wrongfully accused of rape that he did not commit. This book shows how two people were separated and suffered and how moving forward is sometimes the only option.
49. These Truths
Author: Jill Lepore
Originally published: 18 September 2018
These Truths
This is a book of American history and has focused on how all truths regarding American politics, laws, and everything has played a role in the evolution of the nation. The book is divided into four sections including a part of modern times as well.
50. Growth
Author: Vaclav Smil
Originally published: 6 September 2019
Growth
This 2019 book focuses on the growth of nature and society from tiny microorganisms to big empires. It includes man-made objects as well and talks about the growth of humans from their childhood to their adulthood.
51. Prepared: What Kids Need For A Fulfilled Life
Author: Diane Tavenner
Originally published: 17 September 2019
Prepared: What Kids Need For A Fulfilled Life
The book talks about how the parents should help their children in preparing for their future, instead of worrying about it. Diane Tavenner founded a school in 2003, called Summit Public School. In this book, the author shares some personal stories and lessons of the teachers and the students and asks the parents to learn this lesson so that they can prepare their children for the future.
52. Why We Sleep
Author: Matthew Walker
Originally published: 28 September 2017
Why We Sleep
This 2017 book highlights the importance of sleep in our life and how it helps us in living a healthy life. Sleep is the prime thing that has a huge impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of a human being. The author is a neuroscientist and sleep expert who explains in this book how sleep can secure us from fatal diseases as well. In this book, he also suggests some ways that can guarantee a good night’s sleep.
This memoir written by businessman Bob Iger was able to make into the list of Bill Gates. In this book, Iger talks about the achievement of his life and the lessons he has learned while being the CEO of Walt Disney Company for 15 years.
Here, he has shared all the ideas and values that he has perceived in these years and how he believed optimism, courage, and fairness can help in becoming a better person. Bill Gates said it is one of the business books that he’ll unapologetically recommend, that gives tips on how to build a business.
54. The Choice: Embrace The Possible
Author: Dr. Edith Eva Eger
Originally published: 2017
The Choice: Embrace The Possible
It is an autobiography of Edith Eger when at the age of sixteen she was a gymnast and ballerina and was sent to Auschwitz. This book also includes the point where she saved her sister, in this book she has explained that our mind has become a prison, how freedom can be possible if only we confront our misery.
55. Cloud Atlas
Author: David Mitchell
Originally published: March 2004
Cloud Atlas
This 2004 book is a merge of historical fiction and science fiction. This story is about the 19th century Hawai in a post-apocalyptic future. It consists of six stories and Bill Gates considers it ‘A wonder mind-bending novel.’
56. The Great Influenza
Author: John M. Barry
Originally published: 2004
The Great Influenza
This non-fiction talks about the havoc created by the 1918 flu that was one of the worst pandemics in history. The entire history of the 1918 pandemic can be found in this book, how it started, spread, and the invention of medicine to fight against it.
57. Good Economics For Hard Times
Author: Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Originally published: 12 November 2019
Good Economics For Hard Times
This 2019 Non-fiction was written by the 2019 Nobel prize winner duo and talks about different economics research that will help in solving the problems faced by the different societies and the modern economies. It includes immigration, inequality in income, climate change, and others.
58. The Spy And The Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story Of The Cold War
Author: Ben Macintyre
Originally published: 18 September 2018
The Spy And The Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story Of The Cold War
This book by Ben Macintyre was published in the year 2018 and tells the tale of Oleg Gordievsky. This spy thriller throws light on the cold war era and how Gordievsky worked for the West and exposed several Russian spies and destroyed their plans. The story brings the reader to the world of betrayal and is considered one of the best spy thriller books.
59. The New Jim Crow
Author: Michelle Alexander
Originally published: 5 January 2010
The New Jim Crow
This 2010 book covers the topic of race in America and how the justice system sometimes targets people from different communities and colours especially, black people. Racial discrimination is real and this book enlightens people of its horror and its consequence.
60. Range
Author: David Epstein
Originally published: 28 May 2019
Range
In this book, Epstein talked about the world’s most successful people from different fields. He argued that generalists find their path late but they really good at what they do. The book talks about how it is okay to start late and gain lots of experience.
61. The Splendid And The Vile
Author: Erik Larson
Originally published: 25 February 2020
The Splendid And The Vile
This book by Erik Larson talks about the years 1940 and 1941 when the citizens were worried that Germany would bomb them any day. The fear and anxiety that the people experienced at that time and how Winston Churchill help them out during this period of time.
62. Breath From Salt
Author: Bijal P, Trivedi
Originally published: 8 September 2020
Breath From Salt
This 2020 book by Trivedi talks about the amazing scientific invention that helps cystic fibrosis patients. The emotions of the family of the patient, the doctor including the patients as well, the book described everything.
Books Recommended by Bill Gates in 2021
63. Lights Out: Pride, Delusion And The Fall Of General Electric
Author: Thomas Gryta and Ted Mann
Originally published: 21 July 2020
Lights Out: Pride, Delusion And The Fall Of General Electric
This 2020 book is a Wall street journal bestseller that describes how America’s one of the biggest companies General Electric failed. In here all the mistakes that are done by the company have been explained that has resulted in its downfall.
64. Under A White Sky: The Nature Of The Future
Author: Elizabeth Kolbert
Under A White Sky: The Nature Of The Future
This book by Kolbert has mainly focused on numerous types of environmental crises. It talks about how taking the help from technologies for countering climate change can lead to some more problems. This book also talks about the role of technology in our lives in modern times.
65. A Promised Land
Author: Barack Obama
Originally published: 17 November 2020
A Promised Land
This 2020 book by Barack Obama, the former President of the United States of America is an autobiography and a memoir and talks about his political career and the years that have changed the history of the country. One of the events that are also included here is the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011.
66. The Overstory
Author: Richard Powers
Originally published: 3 April 2019
The Overstory
This 2019 book by Powers is an environmental fiction and talks about 9 people from America and their experience with trees and their connections with them that made them realize the importance of trees and what consequences the destruction of forest will bring in the world.
67. An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science Of The Immune System
Author: Matt Richtel
Originally published: 12 March 2019
An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science Of The Immune System
This 2019 book will help you understand the human immune system and its defence network. The book describes how our immunity helps us in healing wounds, fighting deadly diseases, and basically keeping humans alive. Gates considers this book a guideline that will help humans in taking valuable steps to stop Covid-19.
68. Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
Originally published: 4 May 2021
Project Hail Mary
This 2021 Science Fiction tells the tale of Ryland Grace, a teacher-turned astronaut who is suffering from amnesia after waking up from a coma. Although he is the last hope of humanity, he doesn’t remember his name. Project Hail Mary talks about discovery and survival. Gates considers it a fun book to read as the plot is woven amazingly.
69. A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence
Author: Matt Richtel
Originally published: 2 March 2021
A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence
This book talks about the theory of intelligence and the mystery of brains. It also talks about what will be the future of AI in our world. The book answers some of science’s greatest questions. Gates considered this book fascinating as it talks about the whole architecture of the brain.
70. Hamnet
Author: Maggie O’Farrell
Originally published: 31 March 2020
Hamnet
This 2020 book set a fictional situation where the author meets Sakespeare’s son Hamnet, who died at the young age of 11. The book shows how the grief-stricken family has been torn apart after the death of the little child. Gates said that the book is well written.
71. The Code Breaker : Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
Author: Walter Isaacson
Originally published: 9 March 2021
The Code Breaker : Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
This book is basically the biography of the 2020 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Jennifer Doudna. Doudna won the prize for showing gene editing where one can cure blood diseases by cutting DNA. It was the number one book on New York Times Bestseller list.
Books Recommended by Bill Gates in 2022
72. The Power
Author: Naomi Alderman
Originally published: 27 October 2016
The Power
This 2016 Novel is Science fiction and the plot is surrounded on women who got the ability to produce electric jolts from their fingers, thus making the female gender powerful. The book was recommended by Gates’s daughter to him. The book basically talks about gender equality what could happen when the female gender gets an upper hand.
73. Why We’re Polarized
Author: Ezra Klein
Originally published: 28 January 2020
Why We’re Polarized
This 2020 Non-fiction book talks about the political polarization in the United States of America between the two main parties in the country. The book shows you that political ideologies have split up the people of the country and it also talks about the human psychology behind it.
74. The Lincoln Highway
Author: Amor Towles
Originally published: 5 October 2021
The Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway is a sequel to a book called A Gentleman in Moscow. The plot surrounded two brothers who are en route to California from Nebraska in search of their mother. The book shows how our journey is never predictable and is full of twists and turns.
75. The Ministry for the Future
Author: Kim Stanley Robinson
Originally published: 6 October 2020
The Ministry for the Future
This 2020 Novel is a Science fiction that revolves around the future world and how climate change has affected the planet. The complexity of the situation has been well explained in the book which could happen in the future if one is not aware of the difficult situation now.
76. How the World Really Works
Author: Vaclav Smil
Originally published: 27 January 2022
How the World Really Works
The 2022 book covers various topics and is written for general audiences. This book like its title actually talks about how the world works. From food production to energy conservation, it consists of all the basic information that involves our survival on the planet. Gates has considered this book a masterpiece and a must-read.
Bill Gates has recommended many books and asked people to read them because he strongly believes that a reader becomes a leader in the future. He is an ardent reader himself and reads almost 50 books a year. All these books in the list above will entertain, educate and inspire people with their interesting content and can be considered as treasures for book lovers.
FAQs
Who is Bill Gates?
Bill Gates is an American businessman, author, developer, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of a multinational technology company.
How many Books does Bill Gates read every year?
Bill Gates reads approximately 50 books every year.
Does Bill Gates have a Blog?
Yes, Bill Gates does have a personal blog and its name is Gates Notes.
More than half of the population have heard the name Elon Musk in recent events, who is very known for many reputable titles- Founder, CEO & chief engineer of SpaceX, CEO of Tesla, founder of The Boring company & PayPal, and Co-founder of Neuralink, Zip2, and OpenAL.
As everybody knows, Elon became the richest person on earth, as of November 2021. Generally, Elon was born to an African-American parent on 28th June 1971. At a very young age, Elon built an intent in computers & entrepreneurship, whereby he created a video game at the age of 12.
Besides, People inspire him for a reason, for instance, to cut off the huge expense of launching rockets, he established SpaceX that helps make affordable rockets. On the other hand, to conduct a smooth digital payment method, Elon Musk developed PayPal intending to change society.
For that matter, Elon Musk grew an interest in electric cars and built a company ‘Tesla’ that is considered to have done exceptional work in his career, which turned the entire world upside down.
Here are list of 70 books recommended by Elon Musk.
One of the best books suggested by Elon musk is Superintelligence. Nick Bostrom argued that machine brains surpass human brains in general intelligence, whereby superintelligence could replace human brains and live as a dominant on earth.
2. Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway
Merchants of Doubt
Generally, this book tells you about the scientists disclosing the truth behind Tobacco which ultimately leads to Global warming.
3. Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark
Life 3.0
The author discusses the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the future of life on earth and beyond.
4. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
As is the case of Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple. He became an inspiration for many people. On the matter of this, Elon Musk recommends Steve Jobs autobiography to his followers.
5. Zero to One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel
Zero to One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel
The name itself proved that a person with zero knowledge could gain everything by reading Zero to One book. This book is all about building the future by developing startups.
6. Chapterhouse Dune by Frank Herbert
Chapterhouse Dune by Frank Herbert
As we know that this book ‘Dune’ has been the talk of the town in recent times. Dune is a science fiction novel that focuses on the future happening in a stellar society in which many noble houses control planetary lands.
7. Deep Learning by Ian Goodfellow, Yoshua Bengioand Aaron Courville
Deep Learning by Ian Goodfellow, Yoshua Bengio and Aaron Courville
Deep Learning emphasizes the concept of techniques used in industry and on account of this Elon Musk said, “Written by three experts in the field, Deep Learning is the only comprehensive book on the subject.”
8. Benjamin Franklin- An American Life by Walter Isaacson
Benjamin Franklin- An American Life by Walter Isaacson
This book is a biography of an eminent U.S statesman- Benjamin Franklin. Elon musk suggested Benjamin Franklin an American life to improve the standard of living in terms of many facts. Elon recommends this book to acknowledge the adventures of an apprentice Benjamin Franklin.
9. Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
This book is a fiction novel that narrates the life of Cheradenine Zakalwe.
10. Acts of Love by Talulah Riley
Acts of Love by Talulah Riley
Acts of Love is a modern love story. According to Elon Musk the characters in the book sound fictional even though the plot is based on real events.
11. The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R Tolkein
The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R Tolkein
Novels are better than movies. However, both the novel and film series of The Lord Of The Rings have been captivating us to date. The Lord of the Rings is an epic and fantasy-filled novel written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The novel is about a group of heroes who thrive to save their origin from evil.
12. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Elon Musk has recommended Adam Smith’s one of the finest works to give us all a gist of the industrialized capitalist network that was overturning the mercantilist network.
13. The Big Picture by Sean M. Carroll
The Big Picture by Sean M. Carroll
We all know, popular astrophile Elon’s fondness for the universe is distinctly evident. In that case, the book The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe is a salient piece for the theory of poetic naturalism.
14. Our Final Invention by James Barrat
Our Final Invention by James Barrat
it’s quite debatable why the Tesla CEO has recommended this book as Our Final Invention by James Barrat: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era discusses the pros and cons of artificial intelligence about the human race.
15. Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov
The first best trilogy in science fiction, The Foundation is one of the recommended books by Elon Musk. Initially, the trilogy was published in 1951 by Issac Asimov, utterly describing the downfall as well as the rebirth of a huge interstellar empire in the universe of the coming future.
16. Lying by Sam Harris
Lying by Sam Harris
On the other hand, Lying by American Author and neuroscience Sam Harris is a book that yields the readers to reflect on their own lives and lies. Rationally, this book has a great theme implicating that instead of lying, one can tell the truth to improve and simplify one’s life in society.
17. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The 1957 science fiction novel by Ayn Rand is about the concept of the murder of a man’s body. Ayn Rand has delineated that the murder is not the end, but the start or rebirth of a man’s spirit.
18. Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks
Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks
Iain M Banks’s first science fiction novel takes people into an unrealistic world filled with human and alien races. Starting from the exploration of the nature of war, morality, and the limitless bounds of mankind’s imagination, Consider Phlebas is a great piece to read.
19. Screw Business As Usual by Richard Branson
Screw Business As Usual by Richard Branson
For business ventures, Elon recommends this book to readers who aspire for a noteworthy future. Moreover, this book has the best, exciting, and inspiring stories of people that can certainly stimulate any reader.
20. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The best-selling book is surprisingly also one of Elon’s recommendations. The book explores how cancer affects those who are diagnosed and how their families and friends react to their diagnoses.
21. A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
Game of Thrones is one of the best series of all time. However, Elon’s favorite is its novel ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’. In a similar narration, A song of Ice and Fire is all about magic, realism, politics, society, with an incredible portrait of characters, violence, sexuality, feminism, religion, and food.
22. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
The once famous play is now a great book, in which Whitley focuses on the human condition, absurdism, nihilism, and friendship. On the whole, the author captures the true meaning behind a meaningless existence.
The notion to perceive the biology of selfishness and altruism can be achieved by giving a read to The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins. Not only humans but also animals are capable of sacrificing themselves for others is evident.
24. Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie
Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie
The award-winning story has captured readers with the mere portrait of a woman. It’s a powerful story of a fourteen-year-old German princess, who has traveled to Russia, and eventually, becomes one of the most memorable and powerful women.
25. Structures by J.E Gordan
Structures by J.E Gordon
Elon has recommended this book, especially for engineers, builders, and architects. The plot eventually concludes about uniting together in the end, no matter what.
26. The Story of Civilization: The Age of Faith by Will and Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Faith by Will and Ariel Durant
This book is solely about cultural history and known for its wonderful narrative history. Moreover, the book is a very informative piece, if one wants to know about cultural creation, its origin, its development, and so on.
27. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
This science fiction is every sci-fi reader’s go-to fantasy. The novel by Robert A Heinlein depicts the story of a human who comes to earth in early adulthood after being born on Mars and brought up by Martians.
28. Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore
Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore
The biography of Stalin written by Simon Sebag Montefiore gives a fine narrative of dear, betrayal, privilege, debauchery, family life, and the murderous cruelty of this secret world.
29. The Story of Civilization Our Oriental Heritage by Will and Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization: The Reformation by Will and Ariel Durant
On the other hand, this volume of The Story of Civilization Our Oriental Heritage depicts the Near Eastern history until the fall of the Achaemenid Empire in 330BC, plus the history of India, China, and Japan.
30. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy by Douglas Adam
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy by Douglas Adam
The adaptation of Douglas Adams’s radio series, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy is about a human who wanders the universe after the annihilation of the earth with extraterrestrial occupation.
31. The Story of Civilization: The Renaissance by Will and Ariel Durant
Meanwhile, this volume of The Story of Civilization implicates the history of the Renaissance, that is the country Italy. The story predominantly underscores the contributions of famous characters in history.
32. Ignition by John Drury Clark
Ignition by John Drury Clark
The writer creates the story with an idea on the development of the explosive fuels that could help with the search for a rocket propellant in a notion to men into space.
33. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
The Moon is a harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
The 1996 science factor is about a lunar colony’s revolt against absentee rule from the earth.
34. Das Kapital by Karl Marx
Das Kapital by Karl Marx
Elon’s recommendation for capitalism readers is here! The book Das Kapital delivers knowledge of capitalism, from how the capitalist system works to how it ends.
35. Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger
Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger
A crystal clear narration about the experiences of combat on the front line is what makes Storm of Steel a memoir of astonishing power, savagery, and ashen lyricism.
36. A Woman makes a Plan by Maye Musk
A woman makes a plan by Maye Musk
The author Maye Musk shares her experiences through the book A Woman Makes a Plan. Apparently, as a nutritionist and model, Maye has inspired Elon to a greater extent.
37. Modern Engineering for Design of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines by Dieter K Hazel
As the title says, the book is the introduction to the design of liquid rocket engines and every component used to engineer them.
38. Daemon by Daniel Suarez
Daemon by Daniel Suarez
Daemon, the book is about a computer application named Daemon, which begins to change the real world after the original programmer’s death.
39. Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
The storyline is about a love story between Pelorat and a woman named Bliss. When people are forced to lead a life in the future in the galaxy, whereby their lives are at stake.
40. The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
The stainless steel rat by Harry Harrison has given us one of the famous fictional characters named ‘slippery Jim’.
41. The history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
The history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
The novel is about the history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire between 1776 and 1788.
42. Twelve against the Gods by William Bolitho
Twelve against the Gods by William Bolitho
Over and above, Twelve against God is to honor without hypocrisy the deeds of men and women with larger destiny.
43. The Age of Napoleon by Will & Ariel Durant
The Age of Napoleon by Will & Ariel Durant
A well-written portrait of the age of Napoleon that depicts his heroism and revolution of western civilization.
44. The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster
The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster
The reality of men’s reliance on machines is well-written by E.M Forster through his novel The Machine Stops.
45. Human Compatibility by Stuart Russell
Human Compatibility by Stuart Russell
The depiction of risks to humanity from advanced Artificial Intelligence is seen in Stuart Russell’s Human Compatibility.
46. The Story of Civilization: The Age of Reason Begins by Will and Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Reason Begins by Will and Ariel Durant
This book is about the understanding of modern European history, which tells about religious strife and other scientific progress between the period 1550 and 1650s.
47. Liftoff by Eric Berger
Liftoff by Eric Berger
Elon Musk recommended this book by saying ‘Just Read It’, where the inside story of the first four historic flights that launched SpaceX– the world’s leading-edge rocket company.
48. Surface Detail by Iain Banks
Surface Detail by Iain Banks
The story is set in 2970 AD, where the plot covers the six to eight hundred years events of Surface Detail.
49. Matter by Iain Banks
Matter by Iain Banks
This book ‘Matter’ set in his Culture universe, was published on 25th January 2006 by Iain Banks, whereby the story revolves around a pre-industrial human civilization.
50. The Story of Civilization: The Age of Louis XIV by Will and Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Louis XIV by Will and Ariel Durant
This book is the eighth volume of the Pulitzer series, which is based on a history of European civilization in the period of Pascal, Moliere, Cromwell, Milton, Spinoza, Newton, and Peter the Great around 1648 to 1715.
It is a short story collection by Iain Bank, a Scottish writer that was published in 1991, and tells about the fictional universe.
52. Excession by Iain Banks
Excession by Iain Banks
Another fictional novel of Iain Bank- Recession which featured a utopian fictional interstellar society, so-called ‘The Culture’.
53. The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain Banks
The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain Banks
It is a science fiction novel based on the techno-utopian cultural universe which was published on 4th October 2012 by Iain Banks.
54. The Story of Civilization: The Life of Greece by Will and Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization: The Life of Greece by Will and Ariel Durant
The plot revolves around the golden age of historical writing, before specialization that had invaded the field. Besides, the story talks about the statesmanship, science, arts, religion, literature, philosophy, and morals of the ancient Greeks.
55. The Player of Games by Iain Banks
The player of games by Iain Banks
Another novel in the series Culture by Iain Bank was published in 1988, is based on a character named- Jernau Gurgeh. He was an expert player of games, rarely lost in competition, and still felt unworthy, whereas he takes place in an ultimate advanced & convoluted game that supported an entire civilization.
56. If the Universe is Teeming with Aliens… Where is Everybody?
If the Universe is teeming with Aliens… where is everybody?
The story If the Universe is teeming with Aliens… where is everybody? is coherent and understandable and covers a diverse range of topics about various research fields.
57. Look to Windward by Iain Banks
Look to Windward by Iain Banks
It is science fiction as the sixth novel in the series Cultural by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks which was published in 2000. Notably, the plot revolves around the events of the Indian-Culture war, whereby Windward deals with the aftermath of the war events.
58. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and a Quest for a fantastic future by Ashlee Vance
Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance
Elon Musk, himself recommended his autobiography book ‘Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and a Quest for a Fantastic Future’ which was published on 19th May 2015.
59. Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Issacson
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
The Journalist and American author Walter Isaacson prescribes the life and Universe of the great scientist Einstein in such a way that is acclaimed very well.
60. Lord of Flies by William Golding
Lord of Flies by William Golding
The Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding published ‘Lord of Files’ which is focused on a group of British boys stranded on an isolated island and their attempts to govern themselves written so intellectually and interestingly.
61. Empire: The life, legend and the madness of Howard Hughes by Donald L. Barlett
Empire: The life, legend and the madness of Howard Hughes by Donald L. Barlett
The storyline emphasis on an aviator, playboy, Entrepreneur, and Recluse- Howard Hudges, which is written by Donald L.Barlett and published in 1979.
62. The Story of Civilization: The Reformation by Will and Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization: The Reformation by Will and Ariel Durant
This book discusses the events of European civilization from Wyclif to Calvin, i.e 1300-1564. Furthermore, the book speaks about the lives of Charles V, Columbus, Durer, Erasmus, Henry VII, Knox, Luther, More, Rabelais, Wolsey, Mary I, and Chaucer.
63. Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Another book of Issac Asimov and the fifth novel in the in-universe chronology and the third novel of the Foundation series was published in 1953 by Gnome publishers.
64. The Story of Civilization: The Age of Voltaire by Will and Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Voltaire by Will and Ariel Durant
This volume of The Story of Civilizationcovers the history of Europe and the Near East from 1559 to 1648.
65. Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
The story covers how the enterprising General Bel Rise of the Galactic Empire launched an attack against the Foundation.
66. The Story of Civilization: Rousseau and Revolution by Will and Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization: Rousseau and Revolution by Will and Ariel Durant
The plot is set on the history of civilization in France, England, and Germany from 1756 and in the remainder of Europe from 1715-1789.
67. Forward The Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Forward Foundation by Isaac Asimov
It is the second of two prequels to the foundation series that was published in 1993 by an American author Issac Asimov.
68. Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov
It is the fifth and last novel in the series Foundation by Issac Asimov, generally, the plot is all about the future, whereby humans colonize the galaxy.
69. Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert
Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert
Another fifth book in the science fiction series is Dune, which is ranked for best-selling book in 1984. The story is focused on the aftermath of Tyrant Leto II’s death.
70. God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert
God emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert
It is the fourth book in the franchise of Dune’s six novels which is based on the God-Emperor, Leto II Atreides, who has become a hybrid of humans and giant sandworms and ruled the universe for 3500 years.
As it is known, Elon Musk’s love for books is inevitable, so it’s no little surprising how intellectual and inventive he is. Thus, books are great, the moment when you open one and sink into it you can escape from the real world into a fictional story that’s more interesting than yours will ever be.
He is not only a great book recommender but also, one of the greatest entrepreneurs and business magnates of this decade. His love for books can simply tell us how he has molded throughout his career.
As you read earlier, these are the top books suggested by Elon Musk to his fans, by taking us into his private library. Eventually, it is proven that books are what made the Entrepreneur Elon Musk today. Over and above, in 2015, an author named Vance has officially published a biography book on Elon titled ‘Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and a Quest for a Fantastic Future.
FAQ
Did Elon Musk read 2 books a day?
Yes, According to his brother, Elon Musk would read through two books per day.
What is Elon Musk’s favorite book?-
Elon Musk’s favorite book is “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”.
What book does Elon Musk recommend?
The top book recommendations of Elon Musk are, “Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down” by J.E. Gordon, “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” by Walter Isaacson, “Einstein: His Life and Universe” by Walter Isaacson, “Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies” by Nick Bostrom and “Merchants of Doubt” by Erik M.
If you want to be your own boss, freelancing is an excellent way to make money and develop experience. When you are a freelancer, you are in control of your work hours, your income and the type of job you want to do. Convenience and the ability to work from home are the main advantages. Working on freelancing assignments usually means you can work from your home during your preferred hours. You’ll have to meet deadlines, but you’ll be able to choose when and where you work.
When it comes to freelancing, the sky’s the limit, and practically anyone with the necessary skills can do it. For specific jobs, many businesses choose freelancers over full-time staff since it is more efficient and beneficial for both sides. However, when it comes to freelancing, proper supervision is critical, particularly if you are new to the field. These days, there are many places to acquire good counsel, but the best is to read and listen to what professionals have to say.
In this article, we’ll look at the benefits and drawbacks of freelancing, as well as some outstanding books written by experts that can help aspiring freelancers get started.
When someone works for clients or companies as a freelancer, they do it on a contract basis rather than as a full-time employee. The person working provides their skills and knowledge to the assignment without committing to a single client. The quantity of projects or tasks one can take depends solely on their ability to complete them as requested.
Freelancing is a tempting career path. It solves practically all of the challenges that a typical service-class individual faces. Freelancers either acquire work via third-party platforms like Fiverr, 99designs, and others, or they leverage their network to get more work and give quality services to their clients.
Advantages of Freelancing
1. You are in charge of your own.
As a freelancer, you have the freedom to choose the projects you want to work on and the clients with whom you want to work. The nicest aspect is that you can work whenever you want. No one will mind if you work from home or from the beach as long as you make your deadlines.
2. All profits are yours to retain
Your entire reward from your hard work is yours to retain, and no one in senior management will take your hard-earned money and reduce it to a little monthly pay. This benefit is one of the most appealing aspects of freelancing. You can set a price for your abilities and hard work by negotiating with your client.
3. No office meetings and less hassle
Working as a freelancer eliminates the need to attend tedious workplace meetings and eliminates the waste of time and effort. You can do all of your tasks without having to deal with the hassles of workplace meetings and formality.
When you work for a company, it is your boss’s responsibility to pay you at the end of the month. However, as a freelancer, you are solely accountable for this. You don’t have the convenience and security of working full-time for an employer.
2. It is difficult to get paid
As a freelancer, it might be difficult to get compensated for your job because customers may try to pay you in the form of exposure and notoriety rather than money, which can be aggravating.
3. Lower level of assurance
Freelancing can be stressful at times because there is no guarantee of having a full-time job, and every freelancer endures the continual stress of losing assignments and not generating any money.
Now that we have discussed what freelancing is and its pros and cons, it is time to look at some great books that can help you on your freelancing journey.
The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
Best Books for Freelancers | Best Books about Freelancing
Tim Ferriss is well-known for his impact and easygoing but informative writing style. Tim Ferriss discusses the need of not taking things too seriously in order to make a solid living freelancing, especially if you are inexperienced and lazy. Any freelancer would clearly benefit from learning his way of thinking and also how he manages to be so productive while remaining so laid-back. The book provides all of the necessary knowledge for a freelancer to understand and will prepare you for your adventure as a freelancer.
The Freelancer’s Bible by Sara Horowitz
Best Books for Freelancers | Best Books about Freelancing
This book is a massive hit, and it provides all of the essential information you’ll need to succeed as a freelancer. The book covers a wide range of subjects, like building networks and negotiating with clients, that can be quite beneficial to a new freelancer. Sara Horowitz, the founder and executive director of Freelancer’s Union, one of the world’s largest freelancing NGOs, penned the Bible. This ensures the book’s quality and reliability.
The Freedom Figure by Adam Fletcher
Best Books for Freelancers | Best Books about Freelancing
The Freedom Figure is a lighthearted, amusing, and honest book on the ins and outs of the freelancing world. For example, Adam begins by humorously clever and thought-provokingly outlining the whys and hows of the worldwide market change. He talks about it in strange analogies about overloaded gatherings, and then veers off into a tangent about roasting older folk. Altogether, The Freedom Figure is a lovely book that teaches you how to live a more future-proof existence filled with thrill, excitement, freedom, travel, riches, and purposeful jobs.
Company Of One by Paul Jarvis
Best Books for Freelancers | Best Books about Freelancing
Paul Jarvis, writer, tech designer, and accomplished freelancer, has been dubbed “the friend that every creative needs” for his “against the grain” attitude to freelance. Based on his 20 years of freelancing experience, Paul urges real soloists to take advantage of the potential new territory as an opportunity to expand and flourish in the profession.
Best Books for Freelancers | Best Books about Freelancing
In The Freelance Blueprint, Tyler Ford delves into the ins and outs of the freelancing sector. He claims in the book that the vicious loop of freelancers bidding against each other for $5/hour assignments is unsustainable, and he recommends a template that almost all top-earning freelancers appear to follow. Tyler breaks down the freelance blueprint into tiny, specific, and actionable stages that any freelancer can implement in 90 days or fewer to become a top-earning freelancer.
The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
Best Books for Freelancers | Best Books about Freelancing
The $100 Startup is a game-changing book on living life to the fullest, discovering direction and significance, and doing so while making a decent livelihood. The best part of this book is that Guillebeau doesn’t merely give counsel without providing concrete examples. In fact, he finds over 50 of the most fascinating case studies of people who have established enterprises worth $50,000 or more from a $100 investment. The $100 Startup is a great option as a sourcebook to refer to if you’re considering expanding your freelance business into an enterprise.
Conclusion
Freelancing is a fantastic way to make money using your talents and experience without having to commit to a single company. There are numerous advantages, but there are also numerous disadvantages. As a result, it is critical to conduct extensive research and learning, and there are numerous expert-authored books available to read in order to gain a better understanding of the profession.
FAQs
What do freelancers do?
Freelancers are self-employed individuals that work for numerous clients at the same time.
Is freelancing good for beginners?
Freelancing websites are a simpler way to generate money online if you are a novice. These platforms make it simple to search for employment that match your qualifications.
Is it simple to work as a freelancer?
Some people are capable of handling certain situations, while others are not. Your attitude, working style, and ability to accept uncertainty may all play a role in how difficult freelancing is for you.
Benjamin Franklin said “Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.” In other words, you can rely solely on first-hand experiences to gain sales knowledge but it might be painful. There are plenty of blogs and websites dedicated to SaaS out there, but sometimes nothing beats a good book.
An expertly written book offers a great way to learn in-depth strategies and tactics that you can explore in your day-to-day tasks and along your long-term career path. It’s always a good idea to explore new resources to continually grow your knowledge, so I present you some of the best sales and marketing books. Some are sales related, some offer a fresh perspective on content marketing and others cover great growth hacking techniques.
Most Recommended Sales and Marketing Books
Get one or more of the books listed below, read them cover to cover and enthusiastically apply the techniques these experts reveal to help your SaaS business enter new realms of growth.
Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth
– by Gabriel Weinberg, Justin Mares.
Traction
In Traction, serial entrepreneurs Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares give startups the tools for generating explosive customer growth. Most startups don’t fail because they can’t build a product. Most startups fail because they can’t get traction. Building a successful company is hard. Smart entrepreneurs know that the key to success isn’t the originality of your offering, the brilliance of your team, or how much money you raise. It’s how consistently you can grow and acquire new customers.
Traction will teach you the nineteen channels you can use to build a customer base, and offers a three-step framework to figure out which ones will work best for your business. No matter how you apply them, the lessons and examples in Traction will help you create and sustain the growth your business desperately needs.
This advanced handbook explains how to acquire customers for your site/app, and how to entice them to purchase. It is widely recommended within Silicon Valley because it actually teaches growth marketing to a professional level. It doesn’t waste time on self-evident, nonsense advice.
Julian says “If you’re skeptical of marketing advice, know that I am too. This handbook is unique in that I have years of diverse data: I’ve run thousands of experiments for clients like Microsoft, Imperfect Produce, Perfect Keto, Webflow, Tovala, Clearbit, and others.” This material applies to companies of every size and vertical. It covers both introductory and advanced B2B and B2C tactics. Marketers of every skill level will encounter new material.
SaaS Marketing Essentials
– by Ryan Battles
SaaS Marketing Essentials
SaaS Marketing Essentials by Ryan Battles is a great primer covering essential marketing strategies and tactics with concrete, actionable examples. Whether you’re kicking a SaaS idea around in your head or are looking to level-up your current recurring revenue, this book shows you how to attract & convert new users. This book gives so many great ways to find and convert customers, it’s a no-brainer for anyone that wants to grow a successful SaaS product.
Smarter, Faster, Cheaper
– by David Siteman Garland
Smarter, Faster, Cheaper
With huge recent shifts in the way enterprises are built, marketed, and monetized, these are “wild west” times for business. Smarter, Faster, Cheaper gives you an innovative, approachable new guide on how to market, promote and improve your business drawing on real world examples and offering practical advice as opposed to fluffy theory.
It presents a complete roadmap for marketing and promoting your business with the latest techniques. Strategies and ideas are easy to understand, digest, and immediately put to use. From learning when to skimp and when to splurge to mastering the art of online schmoozing, Smarter, Faster, Cheaper will save you time, money, and aggravation whether you’re building your tenth business or your first.
Launch
– by Jeff Walker
Launch
Launch will build your business—fast. Whether you’ve already got a business or you’re itching to start one, this is a recipe for getting more traction. Launch is the treasure map into that world—an almost secret world of digital entrepreneurs who create cash-on-demand paydays with their product launches and business launches. Once Jeff started teaching his formula to other entrepreneurs, the results were simply breathtaking.
Tiny, home-based businesses started doing launches that sold tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions of dollars in sales with their launches. Whether you have an existing business, or you have a service-based business and want to develop your own products so you can leverage your time and your impact, or you’re still in the planning phase—this is how you start fast. This formula is how you engineer massive success.
With the help of this book, discover the outbound sales process that, in just a few years, helped add $100 million in recurring revenue to Salesforce.com, almost doubling their enterprise growth, without cold calling or a boiler room approach. This is NOT another book about how to cold call or close deals. This is an entirely new kind of sales bible for CEOs, entrepreneurs and sales VPs to help you build a sales machine, and a sales culture that people love.
This book answers the questions like what does it take for your sales team to generate as many highly-qualified new leads as you want, create predictable revenue, and meet your financial goals without your constant focus and attention? What does it take to attract top sales talent, people who exceed and want to stay and grow with your company?
From Impossible To Inevitable
– by Aaron Ross and Jason Lemkin
From Impossible to Inevitable
From Impossible to Inevitable details the hypergrowth playbook of record-breaking companies like Zenefits, Salesforce and EchoSign. Whether you’re a small business owner or have a $1 billion firm, you can use the insights from these notable companies to learn what it really takes to break your own revenue records. The authors show how you can grow your company by developing repeatable processes that will consistently drive revenue and increase your growth. This book is a seminal work in the field of SaaS sales and focuses in on a number of critical cogs in the growth process of a business.
They Ask, You Answer
– by Marcus Sheridan
They Ask, You Answer
They Ask You Answer is a straightforward guide to fixing your current marketing strategy. Regardless of your budget, you are almost certainly overspending on television, radio, and print ads, yet neglecting the number-one resource you have at your disposal: the Internet. Content marketing is no longer about keyword-stuffing and link-building; in fact, using those tactics today gets your page shuffled to the bottom of the heap.
Quality content is the key to success, and you already have the ingredients in-house. This book shows you how to structure an effective content strategy using the same proven principles that have revolutionized marketing for all types of businesses, across industries.
The Lean Startup approach fosters companies that are both more capital efficient and that leverage human creativity more effectively. Inspired by lessons from lean manufacturing, it relies on “validated learning,” rapid scientific experimentation, as well as a number of counter-intuitive practices that shorten product development cycles, measure actual progress without resorting to vanity metrics, and learn what customers really want. It enables a company to shift directions with agility, altering plans inch by inch, minute by minute.
Rather than wasting time creating elaborate business plans, The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs—in companies of all sizes—a way to test their vision continuously, to adapt and adjust before it’s too late. The book provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successful startups in a age when companies need to innovate more than ever.
Start Small, Stay Small
– by Rob Walling
Start Small, Stay Small
Start Small, Stay Small is a step-by-step guide to launching a self-funded startup. This book intentionally avoids topics restricted to venture-backed startups such as: honing your investment pitch, securing funding, and figuring out how to use the piles of cash investors keep placing in your lap.
This book assumes:
You don’t have $6M of investor funds sitting in your bank account.
You’re not going to relocate to the handful of startup hubs in the world.
You’re not going to work 70 hour weeks for low pay with the hope of someday making millions from stock options.
There’s nothing wrong with pursuing venture funding and attempting to grow fast like Amazon, Google, Twitter, and Facebook. It just so happened that most people are not in a place to do this.
Start Small, Stay Small also focuses on the single most important element of a startup that most developers avoid: marketing. There are many great resources for learning how to write code, organize source control, or connect to a database. This book does not cover the technical aspects developers already know or can learn elsewhere. It focuses on finding your idea, testing it before you build, and getting it into the hands of your customers.
Conclusion
I hope that this list provides enough books to keep you busy for a while – and to help transform your business. Give them a try and understand how it changes your startup. Also, give us suggestions of books that you read and can benefit others in the comments section.
Avantika Bhardwaj
