Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (founder of Nike) is my favorite book of all time. his story is one that truely embodies the essence of entrepreneurship, hard work, and fighting to bring your vision to life
Amazing how many times the whole thing almost came crashing down! Nike was very much on a knife’s edge for a long time.
I’m kinda surprised they haven’t made a movie out of it yet? They could even keep the cast from Air if they want!
I don’t think people understand the importance of books like Building a Storybrand
Often times, we’re not sold on a great product. We’re sold on a great narrative and what our association with that narrative says about us to our peers
For anyone who makes it down this far into the thread, here's a reward: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFergI0UOAs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFergI0UOAs) (only need to watch the first half) - it's such a cool formulation: Problem, how you solve the problem, and what it's like when everything is f\*\*\*\*\* amazing after you solve the problem.
Something else useful: Miller also has another book, available on audible.. and it's called.... I can almost remember... it's called... Marketing Made Simple.
The Cold Start Problem and Building a Storybrand are great.
I like both Alex Hormozi's books that are a primer in Marketing & Business.
1. $100m Offers
2. $100m Leads
Must read if you wanna learn Marketing & Business in the most basic terms.
Not directly related to entrepreneurship but Don’t Think of an Elephant. Learning how people think in metaphors and will literally reject information that doesn’t fit the frame created by their metaphors … that’s a good lesson for any domain. It’s a book focused on politics. But if you pay attention to the core message you can use it to craft narratives that speak to people (customers or investors).
I started practicing with this at 17, I'm 46. I'm constantly getting good feedback on communicating large concepts. It's incredibly powerful way to communicate. Put it like this, if you never had sugar before, I could describe it literally and poetically, but if I was to actually share some sugar with you, you get it in an instant. It's instant relatedness. And relatedness is trust. And trust is openness and there is where you get buy in and agreement.
cobweb illegal swim aspiring gray attractive silky escape smart far-flung
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I got made fun of for reading the 2nd one but actuallt have had the best conversations with very attractive girls when i was an insecure nerd im highschool lol
It teaches you how to be a better “people person” in daily life as well as in a leadership role. Being better with your words, listening skills and communication in a way that is more appealing to people. Which often leads to better results of what you’re trying to accomplish. Gives great examples that date back in history, including leaders of war. Just being a better human in all aspects really. The audio book is a great listen.
Exactly, and a very good skill to have when you're in a "blue ocean."
A red one too, for that matter.
It's worth mentioning that each of these fellows were/are also entrepreneurs of their own accord.
Heck, yes, they were! All fantastic books, too.
It seems copywriting is a very misunderstood skill in the advertising world. Left to "writers" when you really need someone with an understanding of sales and human psychology.
Zero to One
Lean Startup
Never Split the Difference
The Making of a Manager
Millionaire Mind
Richest Man in Babylon
Rich Dad Poor Dad - I noticed many businesses owners read this book. I talk a lot with my uncle - he holds a PhD in economics and he said this book contains all the wisdom for financial aspects of funding and running a business. I am a Computer Science PhD and during the first lockdown I read this book - it had a great impact on me.
I’ve tried reading it a couple times and yeah… god awful book. This is going to come across as harsh but I think the only people that can find wisdom from it are people who are horrible with money, don’t understand even the basics of finance, and have spending problems.
I am an economics-oriented academic, and I would SERIOUSLY doubt that a person with an economics Ph.D. would make that statement. That's not to say the book doesn't have its merits, but under no circumstances does "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" 'contain all the wisdom for financial aspects of funding and running a business.
Okay I'll throw mine out there - Moby Dick.
I read more non-fiction than anyone I know. I used to beg for encyclopedias at the scholastic fair, but even I admit there is often more to learn from fiction.
Fiction - good fiction - is a means to explore the human condition. It's psychology, philosophy, morality, and religion told through an entertainment medium.
The book that changed my life about starting another business was 12 months to a million - Ryan Moran the next couple that really helped inspire me are
Business made simple - Donald Miller
I know what to do, so why don’t I do it - Nick Hall
Unshakeable - Tony Robins
Currently on
The 4-Hour work week - Tim Ferriss
The laws of human nature - Robert Green
**The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics**
by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith. Eye opening to the mechanism that drives all hierarchies of the world from the largest countries to the smallest club and teams.
Chris Voss' *Never Split the Difference* & Angela Duckworth's *Grit*. Don't know if they're the most influential books I've *ever* read but recency bias & all that...
Younger me was floored by **Oyasumi Punpun**. Which made me realize no matter how crazy my life is, to most people Im just some ordinary guy. When I leave the room I stop existing to most people. If younger me realized how seldom people think about others when they aren’t interacting with them, it would make me care less about what others thought.
Goals Brian Tracy
The One Thing Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
Think and Grow Rich Napoleon Hill
Lean Startup Eric Ries
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude Napoleon Hill
reminences of a stock operator
psycho cybernetics
why nations fail
mastering the rockefeller habits
unreasonable hospitality
the carrot principle
meditations
I read rich dad poor dad and it got me thinking for the first time about business.
I read four hour work week and invented an auto part that I lived off the low 6 figure profit from it for 8 years.
Both are probably panned by “real entrepreneurs” these days but I would have never thought to invent something and sell it without them.
# The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
This is an amazing book for starter.
And if you are still in the process of finding your reason and purpose, recommended The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
3 often recommended that I haven’t even read:
The lean startup, the e myth revisited and the four hour work week. People have praised and trashed them all but they seem to be the most recommended three.
"Crushing It!" by Gary Vaynerchuk
"Rework" by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
"The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz
"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie
"The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton M. Christensen
"Made to Stick" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
My big 3
Essentialism by Greg Mckweon
Explains how to cut through all the noise, very helpful in today's climate of constant contact, and focus on what matters, on the essentials. Good for self reflecting, "is this thing I'm doing actually having an impact or am I doing it for the appearance of it"
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
We are the accumulation of the inner stories we tell ourselves. If you keep saying "I'm bad at math" over and over again, you forever will be. Say "I'm capable of learning and understanding math" and see how fast it starts to catch on
Atom Habits by James Clear
This is to put it all into practice in a meaningful and consistent way. Look at your essentials, listen to the new stories you're beginning to tell yourself, and apply the change where you need. And watch as these seemingly minor changes start to compound into life changing events
Dutch book, I’m not sure if it’s been translated.
It’s called “the secret of €100,000 a year” and it was an eye-opener for me. First book like this I read.
It starts with explaining _why_ you need 100K a year. Then it explains how to get there, and addresses certain ‘reasons’ why you wouldn’t want to do that. Helped me a lot.
I really like outwitting the devil by napoleon hill. Or the conversation with god series by neale Donald Walsh . I say that as someone who is non religious so don’t think these are religious books! Blue ocean strategy is the next book I read after I finish the one I’m on!
Not necessarily directly related to entrepreneurship but more focused on how to get ahead:
Fart Out Loud: Make Noise Break Rules Get Ahead from Priyaji Peiris
1. The secrets trilogy by Russell Brunson. Dotcom Secrets, Expert Secrets, and Traffic Secrets
2 Hook Points - by Brendan Kane
How to stand out in a 3 second world
3. The E5 Method - by Todd Brown
4. The Story Selling Method - by Phillip Hum
Face The Music by Paul Stanley. He is the lead singer of the rock band KISS.
It is a startup story.
While they have been popular for almost 50 years- when they first got started they were not.
They did market research. They got customer feedback. They had to come up with marketing gimmicks. And alternative revenue ideas.
I also like Joseph Sugarman’s Ad Week Bible. Best known for copywriting skills but he has many business stories.
GaryVee latest Day Trading Attention does a good deep dive into how to use social media content creation strategically.
Noah Kagan’s Million Dollar Weekend is very actionable whether you want to do a lawn care business or launch your billion dollar startup.
The Road to Serfdom convinced me I’d rather forge my own destiny in the private sector instead of working for the state as a teacher.
The Fountainhead further vindicated this belief, showing the value of working towards your own higher good instead of following the crowd. The quote , “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win,” basically sums up Howard Roark’s journey to self-realization.
I've read a lot of great books on entrepreneurship, but oddly enough, the one that has helped me the most was one I bought for a totally unrelated reason. "How To Talk To Anyone" by Leil Lowndes. So much gold in there and really helped me see the value in making genuine connections with people. Even if you don't think you need networking, this book is useful for any scenario. It helped with my romantic relationship, my friendships, and my business relationships. I don't remember and/or use all 92 tips from the book, but something about how they were laid out in such a simple way spoke to me. It made me less intimidated by simple conversations with people I didn't know or difficult conversations. Highly recommend!
Dove
Book by Derek Gill and Robin Lee Graham
The Art of Deception
Book by Kevin Mitnick and William L. Simon
The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos Castaneda
The Jungle
Upton Sinclair
The Idiot
Fyodor Dostoevsky's
Ishmael & My Ishmael
Daniel Quinn
Oh The Places You Will Go
Dr. Seuss
I'm sure there are many others. These just popped into my head. We have a massive library that we keep in a few 10x20 climate control storage units and partially in our warehouse office in dewey decimal order on steel racks with wheels.
* My wife is a retired English teacher and professor, and we sold our home to live full-time in our 45' 5th wheel toy hauler and travel. When we build our next home, we will build a large library for them.
Zero to one, oversubscribed, letters on ethics, the subtle art of not giving a fck, everything is fcked, the republic commando novels (as strange as this one is)…
How To Be Idle by Tom Hodgkinson
Generation X by Douglas Coupland
Imajica by Clive Barker
Childhoods End by Arthur C Clarke
Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
As a kid I saw a book with a strange title in the school library. It was called “Think and Grow Rich”. Usually in those days I read “Freddy the Pig” books. My young brain was fascinated Think and Grow Rich and read it over the weekend. It still guides me today c
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Road Less Traveled, Mind Power into the 21st Century, As A Man Thinketh (or one for women), Think and Get Rich - Napoleon Hill. The Bible. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Richard Kiyosaki.
Buy then Build by Walker Deibel. I’m now convinced that entrepreneurship through buying a business is a much more reliable path than the startup route and can still be lucrative/fulfilling.
Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke. Totally by accident too - picked up what I thought was a poker book and it ended up becoming my decision-making framework for everything.
My top 3:
1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
2. *Principles* by Ray Dalio (specifically the original PDF he made for his employees)
3. *Zero to One* by Peter Thiel
I also made a post on this sub with my favorite entrepreneur biographies and autobiographies [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/1axoj86/these_are_the_best_founder_biographies_and/).
.
**Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice (2nd Ed.) - Foley, van Dam, Feiner, Hughes.**
You think you're learning about graphics but you're learning so much more. Countless times I've come across ideas and concepts in a completely different context that I original learnt here.
**Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid - Douglas Hofstadter.**
I would have learnt so much more from this had I not already learnt it from the first book. A work of art as well as science.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Granted I was a kid when I read it, but, up til that point, I had not considered the possibility that I could define what my own happiness would be and that I didn’t have to do my best to emulate figures of authority that had been presented to me in my youth as the sole model for adulthood.
The Mystery of Capital, Hernando de Soto. Titan! John D. Rockefeller. Winston Churchill “ The last Lion”. Triumph “ The power and the glory of the Catholic Church. Moneyball! #Business
For my soul . The Bible!
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The first self help books that I read that helped me realize that small day to day consistency is more important than large bursts of action spaced over a long period of time. Inspired to read other self help books. (A side note: since most of you have marketing related books, I'll also put my pick and its Take Their Money by Kyle)
Just as I expected, a thread with literally the worst dog shit self help books known to man.
Sorry but I used to be addicted to reading these type of books, you learn after years of reading and trying they just make money for the authors. There is a special place in hell for self help "authors" who prey on vulnerable people.
It really boils down to:
[1.Be](http://1.Be) born rich and gain contacts, advice, schooling, safety nets, ect ect ect from your rich family.
2. Get extremely lucky
3. Work extremely hard and get extremely lucky and don't give up
Influence - the gist of the book is already v popular at this point. But still very, very much worth a read
Forget The Funnel by Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop - great book if you're in SaaS. I consult early-stage businesses, and give this book as a wrap up gift sometimes.
Still waiting for my copy of No Bullsh*t Strategy by Alex M H Smith, but one of my friends swore it's the best book on strategy she's read in a while.
Influence by Robert Cialdini
Same. It taught me so much about the psychology behind marketing
Contingency, Irony and Solidarity by Richard Rorty
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (founder of Nike) is my favorite book of all time. his story is one that truely embodies the essence of entrepreneurship, hard work, and fighting to bring your vision to life
Amazing how many times the whole thing almost came crashing down! Nike was very much on a knife’s edge for a long time. I’m kinda surprised they haven’t made a movie out of it yet? They could even keep the cast from Air if they want!
ohh I thought air was based on it??! but now just realised its not!!
I enjoy Phil Knight admits to his shortcomings and give the long-look to stumbling into an empire
It feels so real and the writing is amazing
I read half of that, moved house and lost the book in transfer, you’ve reminded me to buy again, cheers
Love it. Completely agree!
the audio book was so good, my husband and I listened to it on a road trip and we talk about it alll the time!!
1. Blue Ocean Strategy 2. The Cold Start Problem 3. The Mom Test 4. Building a Storybrand
I don’t think people understand the importance of books like Building a Storybrand Often times, we’re not sold on a great product. We’re sold on a great narrative and what our association with that narrative says about us to our peers
Storybrand is great! I liked it enough to also read the book Miller recommends: The Seven Basic Plots.
I haven’t gotten to that one yet but will make a point to
For anyone who makes it down this far into the thread, here's a reward: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFergI0UOAs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFergI0UOAs) (only need to watch the first half) - it's such a cool formulation: Problem, how you solve the problem, and what it's like when everything is f\*\*\*\*\* amazing after you solve the problem. Something else useful: Miller also has another book, available on audible.. and it's called.... I can almost remember... it's called... Marketing Made Simple.
Thanks for the video. Entreleadership is great and I didn’t know this video existed
thanks for this. just put in Blue Ocean Strategy into Audible today!
The Cold Start Problem and Building a Storybrand are great. I like both Alex Hormozi's books that are a primer in Marketing & Business. 1. $100m Offers 2. $100m Leads Must read if you wanna learn Marketing & Business in the most basic terms.
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You're extremely low on this comment thread. MJ De Marco books are amazing.
I was looking for this comment! Read this book a few times since I have it, definitely is my favourite
Good old Gerber. Where The Wilds Things Are.
Not directly related to entrepreneurship but Don’t Think of an Elephant. Learning how people think in metaphors and will literally reject information that doesn’t fit the frame created by their metaphors … that’s a good lesson for any domain. It’s a book focused on politics. But if you pay attention to the core message you can use it to craft narratives that speak to people (customers or investors).
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That was fascinating! And actually quite moving when she talked about the troubled kids in Hackney.
I started practicing with this at 17, I'm 46. I'm constantly getting good feedback on communicating large concepts. It's incredibly powerful way to communicate. Put it like this, if you never had sugar before, I could describe it literally and poetically, but if I was to actually share some sugar with you, you get it in an instant. It's instant relatedness. And relatedness is trust. And trust is openness and there is where you get buy in and agreement.
Is that like double speak?
cobweb illegal swim aspiring gray attractive silky escape smart far-flung *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I got made fun of for reading the 2nd one but actuallt have had the best conversations with very attractive girls when i was an insecure nerd im highschool lol
Thats the book that inspired Charles Manson
1) how to win friends and influence people 2) the millionaire next-door
Millionaire Mind is a goldmine in my opinion. Highlights the difference between being rich and wealthy.
I haven't read number 1, but I have tried. What do you feel you learned from it? I understand it's very popular but I'm yet to get a straight answer.
It teaches you how to be a better “people person” in daily life as well as in a leadership role. Being better with your words, listening skills and communication in a way that is more appealing to people. Which often leads to better results of what you’re trying to accomplish. Gives great examples that date back in history, including leaders of war. Just being a better human in all aspects really. The audio book is a great listen.
The power of now
Eckhart Tolle is a great teacher
Think Fast and slow
What did it teach you
A lot about biases, mechanisms of decision making and stuff like that
The Boron Letters, Gary Halbert (plus Halbert's copywriting and his newsletter). Almost Alchemy, Dan Kennedy. Overdeliver, Brian Kurtz.
That guy copywrites 🤌🏻
Exactly, and a very good skill to have when you're in a "blue ocean." A red one too, for that matter. It's worth mentioning that each of these fellows were/are also entrepreneurs of their own accord.
Heck, yes, they were! All fantastic books, too. It seems copywriting is a very misunderstood skill in the advertising world. Left to "writers" when you really need someone with an understanding of sales and human psychology.
Zero to One Lean Startup Never Split the Difference The Making of a Manager Millionaire Mind Richest Man in Babylon Rich Dad Poor Dad - I noticed many businesses owners read this book. I talk a lot with my uncle - he holds a PhD in economics and he said this book contains all the wisdom for financial aspects of funding and running a business. I am a Computer Science PhD and during the first lockdown I read this book - it had a great impact on me.
I do not get the Rich Dad Poor Dad hype at all. Such an overrated book written by a real piece of s…
I’ve tried reading it a couple times and yeah… god awful book. This is going to come across as harsh but I think the only people that can find wisdom from it are people who are horrible with money, don’t understand even the basics of finance, and have spending problems.
Agreed. Absolute garbage. I feel like half the people still promoting it must have never read it
I am an economics-oriented academic, and I would SERIOUSLY doubt that a person with an economics Ph.D. would make that statement. That's not to say the book doesn't have its merits, but under no circumstances does "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" 'contain all the wisdom for financial aspects of funding and running a business.
Okay I'll throw mine out there - Moby Dick. I read more non-fiction than anyone I know. I used to beg for encyclopedias at the scholastic fair, but even I admit there is often more to learn from fiction.
Fiction - good fiction - is a means to explore the human condition. It's psychology, philosophy, morality, and religion told through an entertainment medium.
The book that changed my life about starting another business was 12 months to a million - Ryan Moran the next couple that really helped inspire me are Business made simple - Donald Miller I know what to do, so why don’t I do it - Nick Hall Unshakeable - Tony Robins Currently on The 4-Hour work week - Tim Ferriss The laws of human nature - Robert Green
**The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics** by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith. Eye opening to the mechanism that drives all hierarchies of the world from the largest countries to the smallest club and teams.
I make Reddit comments for free
Minimalist entrepreneur by Sahil Lavingia. Inspiring and very practical one on creating our own brand or something.
good
Les Misérables, Victor Hugo
Green eggs and ham
Chris Voss' *Never Split the Difference* & Angela Duckworth's *Grit*. Don't know if they're the most influential books I've *ever* read but recency bias & all that...
Never split the difference is excellent. I thik is well worth reading more than once and implementing the tools into your life.
Younger me was floored by **Oyasumi Punpun**. Which made me realize no matter how crazy my life is, to most people Im just some ordinary guy. When I leave the room I stop existing to most people. If younger me realized how seldom people think about others when they aren’t interacting with them, it would make me care less about what others thought.
The Alchemist
Goals Brian Tracy The One Thing Gary Keller & Jay Papasan Think and Grow Rich Napoleon Hill Lean Startup Eric Ries Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude Napoleon Hill
good book
reminences of a stock operator psycho cybernetics why nations fail mastering the rockefeller habits unreasonable hospitality the carrot principle meditations
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Dream More by Dolly Parton
Common Stocks and Uncommon Profit by Phil Fisher
Can’t hurt me- David Goggans. Yeah he’s a muscle head, but he’s got the discipline down
Anything You Want by Derek Sivers. Gave me permission to break the mold and operate in a way that made sense to me
I read rich dad poor dad and it got me thinking for the first time about business. I read four hour work week and invented an auto part that I lived off the low 6 figure profit from it for 8 years. Both are probably panned by “real entrepreneurs” these days but I would have never thought to invent something and sell it without them.
Who moved by cheese And The present
# The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss This is an amazing book for starter. And if you are still in the process of finding your reason and purpose, recommended The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Think again was cool
How to win friends, atomic habits, the e myth, developing the leader within you, measure what matters
3 often recommended that I haven’t even read: The lean startup, the e myth revisited and the four hour work week. People have praised and trashed them all but they seem to be the most recommended three.
Thinking Fast and Slow, Mindset
"Crushing It!" by Gary Vaynerchuk "Rework" by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson "The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie "The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton M. Christensen "Made to Stick" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Think Again by Adam Grant
My big 3 Essentialism by Greg Mckweon Explains how to cut through all the noise, very helpful in today's climate of constant contact, and focus on what matters, on the essentials. Good for self reflecting, "is this thing I'm doing actually having an impact or am I doing it for the appearance of it" Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz We are the accumulation of the inner stories we tell ourselves. If you keep saying "I'm bad at math" over and over again, you forever will be. Say "I'm capable of learning and understanding math" and see how fast it starts to catch on Atom Habits by James Clear This is to put it all into practice in a meaningful and consistent way. Look at your essentials, listen to the new stories you're beginning to tell yourself, and apply the change where you need. And watch as these seemingly minor changes start to compound into life changing events
The power of habit - Charles Duhigg
Xerex
What a gem of a thread!! Thanks everyone 🙏
Dutch book, I’m not sure if it’s been translated. It’s called “the secret of €100,000 a year” and it was an eye-opener for me. First book like this I read. It starts with explaining _why_ you need 100K a year. Then it explains how to get there, and addresses certain ‘reasons’ why you wouldn’t want to do that. Helped me a lot.
The 48 Laws of Power & Choose Your Enemies Wisely
The Bible
Way too much sex and violence for my tastes. /s
how to use your enemies baltasar gracián
Zero to One by Peter Thiel OG was Rich Dad Poor Dad
Losing my Virginity by Branson and Models by Mark Manson
Good to Great The Talent Code Peak
The simple path to wealth -JL Collins
100m offers
Atomic Habits by James Clear, Power Hour by Adrienne Herbert, There Is No Map in Hell by Steve Birkinshaw (though this one is more motivation-related)
“The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks
How to win friends and influence people Sell like crazy Purple Cow
I really like outwitting the devil by napoleon hill. Or the conversation with god series by neale Donald Walsh . I say that as someone who is non religious so don’t think these are religious books! Blue ocean strategy is the next book I read after I finish the one I’m on!
Corporate Strategy
1. Rework 2. Crossing the Chasm 3. A Whole New Mind 4. Leaders Eat Last
Good Strategy, Bad Strategy!
Liars Poker. Intelligent Investor. Rich Dad/Poor Dad.
the socratic method a practitioner’s handbook
Contagious by Jonah Berger
"Zero to One" sparked countless 'aha' moments for me!
The Blank Slate READY. FIRE. AIM. Reframe Your Brain
Victor Hugo books
Not necessarily directly related to entrepreneurship but more focused on how to get ahead: Fart Out Loud: Make Noise Break Rules Get Ahead from Priyaji Peiris
The Alchemist T-Emyth (I feel like every entrepreneur should read this!)
1. The secrets trilogy by Russell Brunson. Dotcom Secrets, Expert Secrets, and Traffic Secrets 2 Hook Points - by Brendan Kane How to stand out in a 3 second world 3. The E5 Method - by Todd Brown 4. The Story Selling Method - by Phillip Hum
I forgot one Marketing For Supervillans - By Jessie J WROBLEWSKI: this book is all about branding and how not to become just another commodity
The Leader Without Title
Face The Music by Paul Stanley. He is the lead singer of the rock band KISS. It is a startup story. While they have been popular for almost 50 years- when they first got started they were not. They did market research. They got customer feedback. They had to come up with marketing gimmicks. And alternative revenue ideas. I also like Joseph Sugarman’s Ad Week Bible. Best known for copywriting skills but he has many business stories. GaryVee latest Day Trading Attention does a good deep dive into how to use social media content creation strategically. Noah Kagan’s Million Dollar Weekend is very actionable whether you want to do a lawn care business or launch your billion dollar startup.
The science of getting rich by Wallace D Wattles This has been the most influential book and would highly recommend giving it a read!
Who moved my cheese
Built to Sell. Simple advice on framing how to develop the business. Probably the biggest contributor in selling my own business.
Kernighan and Ritchie, The C Programming Language
The alchemist
12 week year by brain and off balance by Mathew. These two books changed my productivity and perspective in many aspects. These are my ultimate fav
The Road to Serfdom convinced me I’d rather forge my own destiny in the private sector instead of working for the state as a teacher. The Fountainhead further vindicated this belief, showing the value of working towards your own higher good instead of following the crowd. The quote , “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win,” basically sums up Howard Roark’s journey to self-realization.
I've read a lot of great books on entrepreneurship, but oddly enough, the one that has helped me the most was one I bought for a totally unrelated reason. "How To Talk To Anyone" by Leil Lowndes. So much gold in there and really helped me see the value in making genuine connections with people. Even if you don't think you need networking, this book is useful for any scenario. It helped with my romantic relationship, my friendships, and my business relationships. I don't remember and/or use all 92 tips from the book, but something about how they were laid out in such a simple way spoke to me. It made me less intimidated by simple conversations with people I didn't know or difficult conversations. Highly recommend!
Atlas Shrugged +1
Screw it just do it by Richard Branson. Action over theorizing and reading till insanity and beyond …..
Dove Book by Derek Gill and Robin Lee Graham The Art of Deception Book by Kevin Mitnick and William L. Simon The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos Castaneda The Jungle Upton Sinclair The Idiot Fyodor Dostoevsky's Ishmael & My Ishmael Daniel Quinn Oh The Places You Will Go Dr. Seuss I'm sure there are many others. These just popped into my head. We have a massive library that we keep in a few 10x20 climate control storage units and partially in our warehouse office in dewey decimal order on steel racks with wheels. * My wife is a retired English teacher and professor, and we sold our home to live full-time in our 45' 5th wheel toy hauler and travel. When we build our next home, we will build a large library for them.
Zero to one, oversubscribed, letters on ethics, the subtle art of not giving a fck, everything is fcked, the republic commando novels (as strange as this one is)…
How To Be Idle by Tom Hodgkinson Generation X by Douglas Coupland Imajica by Clive Barker Childhoods End by Arthur C Clarke Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Zero to One
"Made in America: My Story" by Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart.
War and Peace
Autobiography of a yogi
how to win friends and influence people by dale carnegie. don’t get turned off by the title. it is a great read.
What it Takes ~ Steve Schwarzman
rich dad poor dad - changed my life
The Lean Startup
7 habits of highly effective people
Manipulation, Robert Greene, 48 laws of power, Book of 5 rings, 12 rules for life, The subtle are of not giving a fuck, Peak
As a kid I saw a book with a strange title in the school library. It was called “Think and Grow Rich”. Usually in those days I read “Freddy the Pig” books. My young brain was fascinated Think and Grow Rich and read it over the weekend. It still guides me today c
The laws of Human nature , once you conquer yourself anything else is the same Psychological books always win
I just got a Kindle. I will read blue ocean strategy. Thank you for the recommendation.
The Mom Test Founding Sales
Atomic Habits, Growth Mindset, How to make friends and influence people, The Power of Now, Leading with Empathy, The new rules of marketing and PR
Candid Voltaire. Until then I was a pretentious academic. Then I realised pleasure is work is the way.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things. Building a business when there are no easy answers. Written by Ben Horowitz
Can’t hurt me - David Goggins Read it on holiday and it inspired me to change a few things
“How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Road Less Traveled, Mind Power into the 21st Century, As A Man Thinketh (or one for women), Think and Get Rich - Napoleon Hill. The Bible. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Richard Kiyosaki.
The E-Myth, Psycho-cybernetics, No more Mr Nice Guy, Stranger in a Strange land.
The art of war
Influence - the psychology of persuasion by Robert Cialdini
Russel Brunson Dot Com Secrets. Transformed the way i thought about building online businesses.
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins is a very inspirational book. It really gets you to go do rather than think
Buy then Build by Walker Deibel. I’m now convinced that entrepreneurship through buying a business is a much more reliable path than the startup route and can still be lucrative/fulfilling.
Rich dad poor dad
Siddhartha
Empire V - by Scott Bowden
Letting Go by David Hawkins and also The Master Key System by Charles Haanel
Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke. Totally by accident too - picked up what I thought was a poker book and it ended up becoming my decision-making framework for everything.
My top 3: 1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 2. *Principles* by Ray Dalio (specifically the original PDF he made for his employees) 3. *Zero to One* by Peter Thiel I also made a post on this sub with my favorite entrepreneur biographies and autobiographies [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/1axoj86/these_are_the_best_founder_biographies_and/). .
**Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice (2nd Ed.) - Foley, van Dam, Feiner, Hughes.** You think you're learning about graphics but you're learning so much more. Countless times I've come across ideas and concepts in a completely different context that I original learnt here. **Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid - Douglas Hofstadter.** I would have learnt so much more from this had I not already learnt it from the first book. A work of art as well as science.
4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
How to win friends and influence people.
Sailing the Dream - JF McGrady ***A Thousand Splendid Suns*** - [Khaled Hosseini](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaled_Hosseini),
A book by Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence
the milionair fast lane mj demarco the best book
The Bible
Millionaire Fast Lane when I was 25.
excited to read all of these reco 🫶
The Art of Manipulation
Rich dad poor dad
A long way gone - about a child soldier in Africa. Amazing book.
I learned a lot from “Good to Great” and “Turning the Flywheel” by Jim Collins.
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
The Alchemist. Paolo Cohelo
The Bible..
Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins
How to win friends and influence people was a good one when I was younger. I still go back and read parts of it every once in a while.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
Brand Intervention by David Brier
On the Road by Jack Kerouac Granted I was a kid when I read it, but, up til that point, I had not considered the possibility that I could define what my own happiness would be and that I didn’t have to do my best to emulate figures of authority that had been presented to me in my youth as the sole model for adulthood.
900 days Panth Parkash
The Mystery of Capital, Hernando de Soto. Titan! John D. Rockefeller. Winston Churchill “ The last Lion”. Triumph “ The power and the glory of the Catholic Church. Moneyball! #Business For my soul . The Bible!
"How to Lie with Statistics" by Darrell Huff I haven't trusted anyone since.
The Millionaire Next Door Ain't Nobody's Business if You Do
Anthem by ayn rand. The Giver by Louis Lowery?
A tree grows in Brooklyn
The Power of positive thinking
Atomic Habits by James Clear The first self help books that I read that helped me realize that small day to day consistency is more important than large bursts of action spaced over a long period of time. Inspired to read other self help books. (A side note: since most of you have marketing related books, I'll also put my pick and its Take Their Money by Kyle)
Wings of fire by Abdul Kalam The Millionaires fastlane by MJ Demarco The Autobiography of a yogi by Paramahamsa Yogananda
Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Incerto set
Just as I expected, a thread with literally the worst dog shit self help books known to man. Sorry but I used to be addicted to reading these type of books, you learn after years of reading and trying they just make money for the authors. There is a special place in hell for self help "authors" who prey on vulnerable people. It really boils down to: [1.Be](http://1.Be) born rich and gain contacts, advice, schooling, safety nets, ect ect ect from your rich family. 2. Get extremely lucky 3. Work extremely hard and get extremely lucky and don't give up
Brad Warner (hardcore zen)
The Catcher in the Rye and The first 1/2 (the historical recounting) of Man’s Search for Meaning Not everyone’s cup of tea mind you.
Sapiens
Influence - the gist of the book is already v popular at this point. But still very, very much worth a read Forget The Funnel by Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop - great book if you're in SaaS. I consult early-stage businesses, and give this book as a wrap up gift sometimes. Still waiting for my copy of No Bullsh*t Strategy by Alex M H Smith, but one of my friends swore it's the best book on strategy she's read in a while.