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18 Best Business Biographies to Read

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: October 21, 2021

You found our list of top business biographies .

Business biographies are narratives that tell the stories of entrepreneurs and the birth and growth of influential companies. These works deal with topics such as childhood influences, education and early career, business founding, and the evolution of entrepreneurial empires. The purpose of these books is to provide further context and insight into the personal factors that contributed to the creation of companies, and to inspire and educate current and future entrepreneurs.

These works are a subset of business books and are similar to entrepreneur books and CEO books .

This list includes:

• autobiographies of business founders
• biographies of business leaders
• entrepreneur biographies
• business biographies about women

Here we go!

List of business biographies

Here is a list of biographies of business leaders that shed light on how to launch and nurture legacies and empires.

1. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Shoe Dog is one of the most popular autobiographies of business founders of all time. This memoir has received endorsements from the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.

In his own words, Nike founder Phil Knight recounts the journey of founding the sneaker company and its ascent into a top athletic wear brand. Knight gives a peek into his early life and influences, as well as insights into his leadership and business philosophy. Shoe Dog is a masterful illustration of tenacity, vision, and the business lifestyle.

Notable Quote: “Beating the competition is relatively easy. Beating yourself is a never-ending commitment.”

Read Shoe Dog .

2. Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire by Brad Stone

Amazon Unbound is Brad Stone’s followup to the bestselling book, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon. This latest biography about the founder of Amazon charts the company’s rise to global titan status and chronicles Bezos’ evolution as a leader within the past decade. The work includes the company’s development of cloud technology, Alexa, and Prime Video, as well as acquisitions of Whole Foods and The Washington Post . The book continues the narrative of the story of Amazon and its founder and lays forth the next chapter in the saga of the e-commerce giant.

Notable Quote: “Jeff is master of ‘this isn’t working today, but could work tomorrow.’ If customers like it, he’s got the cash flow to fund it.”

Read Amazon Unbound .

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3. Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca

Iacocca: An Autobiography is a firsthand account of the life of the legendary auto executive. Lee Iacocca’s life is a prime example of the American dream– raised by immigrants, he rises up the ranks in corporate America and dominates the auto world. In the course of this journey, Lee Iacocca revolutionized the automobile industry and earned icon status. The autobiography traces the highlights of Iacocca’s illustrious career, from his part in creating the Mustang and ascent to president of Ford, to saving the Chrysler brand, and defeating hurdles along the way. Iacocca: An Autobiography is a motivational read and a rallying call for resilience.

Notable Quote: “In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product, and profits. People come first. Unless you’ve got a good team, you can’t do much with the other two.”

Read Iacocca: An Autobiography .

4. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow

Titan  traces the life of legendary businessman John D Rockefeller. This biography aims to examine Rockefeller through a new lens. Many other accounts either overly-glorify Rockefeller as a hero or condemn him based on The Standard Oil Company’s later scandals. Ron Chernow angles to lift the veil on and gain insight into the notoriously private Rockefeller by compiling a comprehensive account of his full life. The book follows John Rockefeller Sr from his childhood to death. In doing so, the author not only recounts the moves and deals that helped build a business and charity empire, but also shares stories and quotes that more thoroughly flesh out the figure behind the great deeds.

Notable Quote: “Rockefeller equated silence with strength: Weak men had loose tongues and blabbed to reporters, while prudent businessmen kept their own counsel.”

Read Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

5. The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution by Gregory Zuckerman

The Man Who Solved the Market is a bestselling book about Jim Simons, the mathematician who pioneered an algorithm-driven approach to investing that achieved unheard-of market returns. The book unpacks Simon’s backstory by tracing the codebreaker’s early adolescence, education at MIT, early career, and finally the late-life acclaim and founding of Renaissance Technologies. Gregory Zuckerman connects Simons’ story to the broader current climate and notes the influences the discovery had on the wider world. The Man Who Solved the Market also holds lessons about teamwork and professional collaboration.

Notable Quote: “Scientists and mathematicians are trained to dig below the surface of the chaotic, natural world to search for unexpected simplicity, structure, and even beauty”

Read The Man Who Solved the Market .

6. How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life by Scott Adams

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big is equal parts amusing and profound. In this book, Dilbert comic creator Scott Adams traces his career, paying special attention to the flops, setbacks, and disappointments. By focusing on failure, Adams explains how he was able to transform losses into lessons and eventual opportunities. The author’s signature wry sense of humor elevates the underdog narrative beyond motivational fluff and into actionable advice.

While telling his own tale, Adams drops tidbits such as:

• Goals are for losers. Systems are for winners.
• The most important metric is to track your personal energy.
• Conquer shyness by being a huge phony (in a good way.)

While this book is structured more like a self-help guide than a traditional biography, it is full of personal anecdotes that provide a much more rounded picture of the famous cartoonist.

Notable Quote: “Failure always brings something valuable with it. I don’t let it leave until I extract that value.”

Read ​​ How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big .

7. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

The Snowball provides a personal portrait of the Oracle of Omaha. In this exclusive biography, Warren Buffet allows Alice Schroeder and the readers intimate access into his inner life by way of years of one-on-one interviews with the author. The book reveals previously non-public details about Buffet’s childhood, career, and relationships, and sheds light on the investor’s inner-drivers, values, and areas of personal growth. The Snowball shows Warren Buffet’s human side and gives extra context to the magnate’s extraordinary accomplishments.

Notable Quote: “Intensity is the price of excellence.”

Read The Snowball .

8. Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last by Wright Thompson

Pappyland is a tale of familial entrepreneurial duty and legacy preservation. The book tells the tale of Julian Van Winkle III’s battle to save his father and grandfather’s lifework and the reputation of the family whiskey business. The work chronicles Van Winkle’s early struggles to keep the business afloat in leaner years to the eventual rise to several-hundred-dollar-a-bottle prestige, and the resulting need for innovation and reinvention that stayed true to the company’s roots. Few entrepreneur biographies touch so heavily on themes of family devotion and obligation, making Pappyland a moving and relatable read as well as a practical business study.

Notable Quote: “That’s the work of adulthood. Sorting out the good and bad within.”

Read Pappyland .

9. The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger

The Ride of a Lifetime is a self-penned profile of Disney executive Robert Iger. The book recounts Iger’s rise from entry-level employee at ABC to head of the most powerful media company in the world. Iger reflects on the industry changes that he saw and had a hand in during his long and lucrative career, and highlights the keys to his professional success. While the book is not strictly a memoir, Iger structures this guide with personal details that give context to his business behaviors. The Ride of a Lifetime provides a direct look at the philosophies of the man behind the mouse.

Notable Quote: “Ask the questions you need to ask, admit without apology what you don’t understand, and do the work to learn what you need to learn as quickly as you can.”

Read The Ride of a Lifetime .

10. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson’s official profile on Steve Jobs ranks as one of the best biographies of business leaders. Drawing on over 40 interviews with Jobs and hundreds more with family and friends, colleagues, and rivals, Isaccson weaves a thrilling account of the icon’s life. The result is a comprehensive collection of life events that shaped the subject told from multiple perspectives. From childhood to college, inventions and product launches, collaborations and clashes, career setbacks and redemptions, and roller-coaster relationships, Steve Jobs paints an appropriately complex portrait of a larger than life figure with undeniable human flaws.

Notable Quote: “One way to remember who you are is to remember who your heroes are.”

Read Steve Jobs .

11. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance

Ashlee Vance’s Elon Musk is a profile of a monumental current businessman. This biography retells Musk’s extraordinary story of overcoming childhood adversity in South Africa only to become one of the most influential figures in Silicon Valley and modern industry. The book touches on Musk’s early pursuits in PayPal, the founding of Tesla, as well as the eventual decision to set sights on space and enter the aerospace frontier. The book is an exploration of Musk’s character and vision, charting his life through his innovations and ideas.

Notable Quote: “Good ideas are always crazy until they’re not.”

Read Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future .

12. Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton

Sam Walton: Made in America is the story of Walmart and the man who made Walmart the behemoth that it is today. This autobiography reveals how Walton grew a single dime store into a retail giant. The book explores how Walton built his foundations, structured his business, grew the company, bounced back from missteps, and kept control over his mission even as his empire expanded around the country and the world. Sam Walton: Made in America is a book about big business world ambition paired with small-town values, and is a distinctly American tale of commercial success and the achievement of a distinct vision.

Notable Quote: “Great ideas come from everywhere if you just listen and look for them. You never know who’s going to have a great idea.”

Read Sam Walton: Made In America .

13. Empire State of Mind: How Jay Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office by Zack O’Malley Greenburg

Empire State of Mind is a love letter to Jay Z’s business acumen. This biography recounts the rapper’s meteoric rise from ghettos to boardrooms. The book highlights some of the key points in Carter’s career, including the inception of Roc-a-Fella records, marriage to Beyoncé, birth of Roc Nation, and expansion into the streetwear, alcohol, and streaming spaces. Viewing Jay-Z as a businessman above all and hailing his hustler mindset, Empire State of Mind spins a tale of entrepreneurship, self-creation, and re-invention.

Notable Quote: “One of the main reasons for this success is Jay-Z’s ability to build and leverage his personal brand. As much as Martha Stewart or Oprah, he has turned himself into a lifestyle.”

Read Empire State of Mind .

14. Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans by Paul Van Doren

Authenti c is one of the final projects of Vans founder Paul Van Doren. The memoir tells the tale of how a high school dropout went on to helm one of the most beloved shoewear brands in the world. This autobiographical account charts Van Doren’s journey of working in a rubber factory as a teenager to creating the renowned skateboard shoe company, to preserving the legacy throughout the decades. The book examines the decisions that made the foundations of the empire and the elements that rocketed the company to fame. The story also deals with the personal and professional obstacles that threatened and informed the work. Authentic is a parable for following passions and staying true to style and vision even in the face of change.

Notable Quote: “What I’ve accomplished comes down to one thing: my knack for identifying and then solving problems. What I do better than anything else is cut out distractions. If a system isn’t working efficiently, I can see where it’s jammed, eliminate the problem, and find a way to keep everything moving forward.”

Read Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans .

15. Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable by Jamie Kern Lima

Believe IT tells the life story of Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics and waitress-turned-entrepreneur who overcame the odds to build a company worth a billion dollars and to become the first female CEO of a L’Oreal brand. The book lays out defining events such as Lima learning of her adoption in early adulthood, and shows how the authors’ life hardships prepared her to face the adversity of a beauty industry that constantly told her she would not succeed. Believe IT is part manifesto and part memoir, and full-throttle motivational read.

Notable Quote: “How we react to times of uncertainty, and whether we make decisions based in love or fear, can change the course of our life. Champions aren’t made when the game is easy. In any area of life.”

Read Believe It: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable .

16. The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It by Tilar J Mazzeo

The Widow Clicquot is a historical business biography, and is one of the most fascinating business biographies about women. The book tells the tale of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, a businesswoman who gained control of her family’s business and revolutionized champagne. The biography describes how Clicquot Ponsardin turned misfortune into fortune and made a mark on the world at a time when opportunities for women were limited. The Widow Clicquot is an empowerment message and fascinating historical story wrapped into one riveting account.

Notable Quote: “Widowed at the age of twenty-seven, with no formal business training and no firsthand experience, Barbe-Nicole transformed a well-funded but struggling and small-time family wine brokerage into arguably the most important champagne house of the nineteenth century in just over a decade.”

Read The Widow Clicquot .

17. Losing My Virginity: How I’ve Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way by Richard Branson

Losing My Virginity is billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson’s first autobiography. The book pinpoints the most essential events and influences in Branson’s life. As most business biographies do, the work starts with the executive’s upbringing and moves through his life chronologically. Branson’s many adventures include professional forays into the music and airline industries, as well as personal exploits such as trying to circle the globe in a hot air balloon. Alongside his colorful stories, the businessman shares his personal and professional philosophies, chiefly the belief of working hard yet having passions and wins beyond work. Losing My Virginity advocates for living a full and rounded life and taking control in both personal and business spheres.

Notable Quote: “I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive then I believe you are better off not doing it. A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.”

Read Losing My Virginity .

18. Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built by Duncan Clark

Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built is a striking profile of the founder of one of the most expansive eCommerce companies in China and the world at large. The book highlights Ma’s humble beginnings as an English teacher as well as his late start to the world of entrepreneurship, and explores how the businessman rapidly climbed from running a company out of an apartment to securing a record-setting multi-billion dollar IPO. Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built provides a comprehensive history of Jack Ma’s life and professional journey and Alibaba’s evolution.

Notable Quote: “Today is brutal, tomorrow is more brutal, but the day after tomorrow is beautiful. However, the majority of people will die tomorrow night.”

Read Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built .

Founders, CEOs, and industry leaders are so often mythologized and painted as larger-than-life, that it can be easy to forget that these figures are humans with backstories and deeply personal lives. Business biographies provide perspective and additional insight into the motivations and influences of these legends and help flesh out more fully-formed profiles of these grand personas. These memoirs also portray the history of major companies and can paint fuller portraits of organizations’ origins and growth. By reading biographies on business leaders, professionals can be more mindful and in-control of their own work aspirations.

For more reading recommendations, check out this list of books on leadership or these business books by women .

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FAQ: Business biographies

Here are answers to common questions about business biographies.

What are business biographies?

Business biographies are narrative nonfiction works that follow the lives of industry leaders and chart the launch and growth of important organizations. These books often draw from interviews and mix facts and history with philosophy.

What are the best business biographies?

The best business biographies include Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, The Snowball by Alice Schroeder, and Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com.

Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Entrepreneurs and founders must constantly adapt and learn from every possible source, and books are no exception.

This is especially true for business biographies, as they tend to be personally written by the most powerful and game-changing people in the business world.

Below there’s a list of the best 25 business biographies, carefully picked to satisfy everyone’s taste.

25 Best Business Biographies

1) alibaba: the house that jack ma built.

Name of book : Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built

Description of the book : This excellent entrepreneur biography tells the ultimate story about the world-famous Chinese entrepreneur and founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma. 

The author, Duncan Clark, was an early advisor to Jack Ma in early 1999 when Alibaba was founded. You can read everything about Jack Ma, his breakthrough idea, and the impact it made in the e-commerce sector.

Entrepreneurs can also read about the humble beginnings of Alibaba, how Jack overcame his Silicon Valley rivals, and the story of Alibaba’s domination, with 80% of the market share. 

Author : Duncan Clark

Length : 304 pages

‍Notable quote : “Customers first, employees second, and shareholders third.”

2) Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Name of book : Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Description of the book : Onward is an excellent entrepreneur biography that presents the story of the popular coffee brand Starbucks and how they managed to stay on ‘top of their game’ during the 2008 crisis. 

The former CEO Howard Schultz describes his return after 8 years and the methods he implemented afterward. 

The biography offers a deep look at how Howard overcame all odds during the most challenging economic times in history and how Starbucks saved its soul and regained its profitability without sacrificing anything.

Author : Howard Schultz and Joanne Gordon

Length : 350 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Beverages have to be created. And they’re created by looking at what trend is in, say, the fashion industry – what color’s hot right now.”

3) Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Name of book : Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Description of the book : Steve Jobs is a well-presented entrepreneur autobiography regarding one of the most influential founders ever. The book is based on over 40 interviews with Steve Jobs, his family members, and colleagues. 

You can see how Steve Jobs got his ideas and how he rose above the challenges throughout time. Walters shows how Jobs revolutionized multiple industries, including music, animated movies, phones, and tablet computers.

As an entrepreneur, you will undoubtedly find this book quite helpful as it shows Steve's methods and work ethic during his journey and how to maintain your sanity during extreme times.

Author : Walter Isaacson

Length : 627 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “You should never start a company with the goal of getting rich. Your goal should be making something you believe in and making a company that will last.”

4) Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Name of book : Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

Description of the book : Nike’s CEO and founder Phil Knight decided to open up and tell his story behind one of the most iconic brands today, Nike. 

His idea to sell high-quality and cheap-priced shoes imported from Japan was born in 1962. Knight shares all details from his journey, including obstacles he overcame, risks he took, and the sacrifices made for Nike to become what it is today.

You can also read plenty about the first partners and relationships with his employees, proving to us that everything is possible through teamwork and loyalty.

Author : Phil Knight

Length : 400 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Let everyone else call your idea crazy... just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where ‘there’ is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop.”

5) Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Name of book : Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Description of the book : Have you ever wondered how Rockefeller gained his reputation and wealth? Well, award-winning biographer Ron Chernow explored that subject and wrote a book about it, too. 

Titan shows the impressive story behind the most controversial family in the US and their place in history. Chernow tells us a detailed story about John D. Rockefeller, Sr, and his ruthless methods and ethics that made him the world’s first billionaire.

You can clearly see how Rockefeller founded the most powerful and feared monopoly in American history, Standard Oil , all the way to his demise at the behest of President Teddy Roosevelt.

Author : Ron Chernow

Length : 832 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Success comes from keeping the ears open and the mouth closed”

6) Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony

Name of book : Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony

Description of the book : Made in Japan takes you on a journey behind Sony Corporation , from its co-founder, Akio Morita. 

As one of the best entrepreneur biographies, you can take a deep look at Japan’s business techniques and methods and how the Japanese think, which can be priceless information for founders.

The story narrated by the authors is centered on how Sony was built, from its humble beginning after World War II to its meteoric post-war rise as the most influential company for music entertainment, and multimedia.

Author : Akio Morita , Edwin M. Reingold and Mitsuko Shimomura

Length : 352 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Curiosity is the key to creativity.”

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7) The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Name of book : The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Description of the book : The Everything Store is the definitive biography of Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos. Brad Stone narrates the story of Jeff Bezos’s corporate culture and the methods he implemented at Amazon . 

You will read what it took for Jeff to build this company and how he changed how we shop and read... Forever!

Author : Brad Stone

Length : 384 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Some of these investments will pay off, others will not, and we will have learned another valuable lesson in either case.”

8) Sam Walton: Made in America

Name of book : Sam Walton: Made in America

Description of the book : This is considered one of the greatest entrepreneur biographies because it describes the origin story of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club . You will read how Sam founded the biggest retail stores in history and the largest private employer in the world. 

The authors clearly state what it took for Sam to create Walmart and what techniques he used in that process. Also, you will read about all methods regarding the planning and hiring process that attracted many workers. Today, Walmart is the largest corporation in terms of revenue.

Author : Sam Walton and John Huey

Length : 346 pages

‍Notable quote : “Great ideas come from everywhere if you just listen and look for them. You never know who’s going to have a great idea.”

9) Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Name of book : Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Description of the book : Ashlee Vence presents the detailed life of Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX . It gives you a deep look into Musk’s ideas and innovations about the future he envisioned. Everything changed when Elon sold PayPal and shifted his focus on future investments, like clean automobiles and space programs.

Musk’s story is used to explore the question: can inventors still compete in today’s fierce global competition?

Author : Ashlee Vence

Length : 392 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Good ideas are always crazy until they’re not.”

10) The Snowball; Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Name of book : The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Description of the book : The Snowball presents the story of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors in history and the founder of Berkshire Hathaway Holdings.  

Alice Schroeder narrates this well-read CEO biography about the life of Warren Buffett and the idea to create a holding company that owns stocks in multiple famous corporations like Coca-Cola, American Express, and Apple.

As an entrepreneur, you will find important information about Warren’s secrets despite living in privacy for most of his life.

Author : Alice Schroeder

Length : 960 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.”

11) Morgan: American Financier

Name of book : Morgan: American Financier

Description of the book : One of the best business biographies, Morgan gives you a never-before-seen insight about J. Pierpont Morgan, one of the greatest investors in US history. 

In this book, you will read how Morgan reorganized the nation’s railroad and appointed himself as a one-man central bank. The author also guides the reader into Morgan’s life outside his business.

Author : Jean Strouse

Length : 816 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form. The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking.”

12) Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles

Name of book : Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles

Description of the book : Here, There and Everywhere is one of the best business biographies regarding The Beatles chief engineer, the man responsible for their unique sound. 

Geoff Emerick describes his journey from the start of The Beatles in 1962, all the way to their meteoric rise to the top. In the book, you will find out how Geoff pioneered innovative recording techniques and how he achieved the sound of their most famous songs that changed rock music forever.

As an entrepreneur, you can learn that starting at a young age can be the best move you can make - just like Geoff did when he was 15 years old!

Author : Geoff Emerick

‍ ‍Notable quote : “It was down to me—not George Martin, not anyone else—to turn the Beatles’ new vision into a reality.”

13) Bloomberg by Bloomberg

Name of book : Bloomberg by Bloomberg

Description of the book : Bloomberg by Bloomberg is the origin story of Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg L.P. 

Written by Michael himself, this book takes us deep into Bloomberg’s life and his idea of creating his own company after he got fired at the age of 39.

Throughout the book, readers will learn more about his creative mind and the challenges he faced at Wall Street , all the way up to founding the fastest-growing media empire on Earth.

Author : Michael R. Bloomberg

Length : 272 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : If you're going to succeed, you need a vision, one that's affordable, practical, and fills a customer need. Then, go for it.”

14) Carnegie

Name of book : Carnegie

Description of the book : Carnegie takes us on a journey into the life of Andrew Carnegie, one of the major figures in American history. 

Peter Krass describes the origin story of the titan who made his fortune through the steel industry and how he used the wealth upon his retirement.

The readers can take a look at how Andrew influenced the world’s political stage and the way he founded the largest and the most profitable steel industry on the planet. As a founder, you will learn how Andrew became one of the biggest philanthropists in the world, despite his notorious reputation.

Author : Peter Krass

Length : 612 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “The poor enjoy what the rich could not before afford. What were the luxuries have become the necessities of life. The laborer has now more comforts than the landlord had a few generations ago.”

15) Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company

Name of book : Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company

Description of the book : Every manager must understand that eventually everything changes. This is the critical point in Only the Paranoid Survive by former Intel CEO Andrew Grove. 

The charismatic innovator narrates his story in Intel and how he helped the company to remain the largest chip producer. Readers will discover the strategic inflection points or SIPs Andrew faced in his career and how he beat the Japanese competition.

Only the Paranoid Survive can be the ultimate lesson about leadership skills, which you can benefit almost instantly.

Author : Andrew S. Grove

Length : 224 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Only the Paranoid Survive.”

16) iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Name of book : iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Description of the book : Take a deep look into the creation of Apple and the first personal computer, brought to you by the charismatic Steve Wozniak. 

In iWoz , you will read about the early starts for Wozniak and the idea behind Apple . Narrated by Steve himself, he presents details about his personal life like never before and describes his groundbreaking idea to combine the first real personal computer named Apple I . 

Authors : Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith

Length : 313 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “The world needs inventors--great ones. You can be one. If you love what you do and are willing to do what it really takes, it's within your reach. And it'll be worth every minute you spend alone at night, thinking and thinking about what it is you want to design or build. It'll be worth it, I promise.”

17) My Life and Work: Autobiography of Henry Ford

Name of book : My Life and Work; Autobiography of Henry Ford

Description of the book : Published in 1922, this entrepreneur autobiography gives you the slightest details regarding Ford’s beginnings, the strategies he used to revolutionize the automotive industry, and how he got into the business.

Henry Ford guides the reader through his history and his own business philosophy used to create Ford Motor Company. 

Author : Henry Ford

Length : 204 pages

‍Notable quote : “There is no disgrace in honest failure; there is disgrace in fearing to fail

18) Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Name of book : Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Description of the book : This is the detailed story about Cornelius Vanderbilt, the forefather of modern American business. 

Readers will find out how Cornelius built his fortune and his vision to turn New York into the financial capital we see today. This book sheds light on Cornelius’s private life from previously unreleased articles.

Author : Edward J. Renehan Jr.

Length : 364 pages

‍Notable quote : “Never tell anyone what you are going to do till you have done it.”

19) Jack: Straight from the Gut

Name of book : Jack: Straight from the Gut

Description of the book : Many readers would agree that this book is one of the best business biographies. The authors will introduce you to the life of former General Electrics Chairman and CEO Jack Welch. 

You will find out how Jack managed to run one of the biggest corporations of our time in a robust economic era in the US.

Authors : Jack Welch , John A. Byrne , and Mike Barnicle

Length : 496 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : "There is no straight line to anyone's vision or dream."

20) Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Name of book : Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Description of the book : Written directly by former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, this entrepreneur biography contains detailed information and tips on how to manage your company. 

Entrepreneurs and founders will read about Tony’s early start and learn the creativity he used to run Zappos to the top of its industry.

Author : Tony Hsieh

Length : 246 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “I had decided to stop chasing the money, and start chasing the passion.”

21) Iacocca: An Autobiography

Name of book : Iacocca: An Autobiography

Description of the book : Let’s dive into the automotive world once again. Lee Iacocca, the former legendary President at Ford and Chairman at Chrysler, is the man behind this book . 

In this entrepreneur biography, Lee guides the reader from his humble beginnings and working at Ford and how he saved Chrysler Corporation from bankruptcy during the 1980s. 

Lee presents his vision and how he came up with the idea to create the Mustang , one of Ford’s famous models.

Authors : Lee Iacocca and William Novak

Length : 357 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Get all the education you can then go out and do something - do anything.”

22) American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company

Name of book : American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company

Description of the book : American Icon gives us a magnificent story about Ford Motors and its turnaround of the leadership from its CEO Alan Mulally. 

The book explains how Alan managed to save the company in the 2008 crisis, upon rejection of financial help from the government. 

Alan implemented the methods he used in Boeing , reorganized Ford’s management, and turned the corporation into the largest automotive producer during those difficult times.

Entrepreneurs can read this book and see what plans Alan used to prevent Ford’s collapse.

Author : Bryce G. Hoffman

Length : 432 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “You have to expect the unexpected, and you have to deal with it.”

23) The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Rev olution

Name of book : The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution

Description of the book : The Man Who Solved the Market is a best-selling book about mathematician Jim Simons and his pioneering algorithm-driven approach to investing. 

The book follows Simons’s path to success, starting with his early years, education at MIT and work at IBM, and finally, his late-life acclaim as the founder of Renaissance Technologies. 

The is a great entrepreneur biography for those wanting to learn more about finances, teamwork, and professional collaboration.

Author : Gregory Zuckerman

Length : 359 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Any time you hear financial experts talking about how the market went up because of such and such—remember it’s all nonsense.”

24) The Animated Man: A Life Of Walt Disney

Name of the book : The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney

Description of the book : Michael Barrier is the man behind one of the best business biographies, the origin story of Walt Disney. In this book, readers will discover important details from Walt’s life and how he got the idea to make cartoons.

Michael recorded countless interviews with Disney’s partner and friends to write this book.

You will see what challenges Walt overcame and how he battled out of the disaster that occurred in 1941.

Author : Michael Barrier

Length : 393 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : "I am not a literary person. As far as realism is concerned, you can find dirt anyplace you look for it. I'm one of those optimists. There's always a rainbow. The great masses like happy endings. If you can pull a tear out of them, they'll remember your picture.”

25) I’d Like the World to Buy a Coke: The Life and Leadership of Roberto Goizueta

Name of the book : I’d Like the World to Buy a Coke: The Life and Leadership of Roberto Goizueta

Description of the book : I’d Like the World to Buy a Coke takes us on a journey in the life of Roberto Goizueta, one of the longest-serving and highest-paid CEOs in history. 

The book explains Roberto’s arrival from Cuba in the 1960s and his rise while working in Coca-Cola. You will find out how Roberto reorganized Coca-Cola, the leader in the soft-drink industry, and his marketing strategies that made Coke the most popular beverage on Earth. 

Author : David Greising

Length : 334 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Not to take risks is the biggest risk.”

What Business Biographies Did We Miss?

So there you have it!

25 of the best entrepreneur biographies out there that can undoubtedly give you some sort of inspiration as you prepare yourself for the next ‘big’ step. 

All of these biographies are written with the purpose of helping entrepreneurs, as many of them come from groundbreaking founders and investors that reshaped the business world. 

Just like always, if we missed any biography that deserves a spot on our pretty list , don’t forget to send us an email - we’re more than happy to update our list with more and more entrepreneur biographies.

Questions About Business Biographies

What are business biography books.

Business biography books tell the behind-the-scenes stories of the greatest minds in the business industry, including Walt Disney, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos.

What Are The Best Business Biographies?

The best business biographies are Alibaba, by Duncan Clark, Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson, and Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight.

What Are The Best CEO Biographies?

CEO biographies are a segment of business biographies, which share the stories of the CEOs of the biggest companies. Only the Paranoid Survive, by Andrew Grove, Jack, by Jack Welch, and Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh, are the best CEO biographies.

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100 Best Business Biography Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best business biography books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Phil Knight | 5.00

Bill Gates This memoir, by the co-founder of Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes. I’ve met Knight a few times over the years. He’s super nice, but he’s also quiet and difficult to get to know. Here Knight opens up in a way few CEOs are willing to do. I don’t think Knight sets out to teach the reader... (Source)

Warren Buffett The best book I read last year. Phil is... a gifted storyteller. (Source)

Andre Agassi I've known Phil Knight since I was a kid, but I didn't really know him until I opened this beautiful, startling, intimate book. And the same goes for Nike. I've worn the gear with pride, but I didn't realize the remarkable saga of innovation and survival and triumph that stood behind every swoosh. Candid, funny, suspenseful, literary - this is a memoir for people who love sport, but above all... (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Ashlee Vance | 4.76

Richard Branson Elon Musk is a man after my own heart: a risk taker undaunted by setbacks and ever driven to ensure a bright future for humanity. Ashlee Vance's stellar biography captures Musk's remarkable life story and irrepressible spirit. (Source)

Casey Neistat I'm fascinated by Elon Musk, I own a Tesla, I read Ashlee Vance's biography on Elon Musk. I think he's a very interesting charachter. (Source)

Roxana Bitoleanu A business book I would definitely choose the biography of Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, because of Elon's strong, even extreme ambition to radically change the world, which I find very inspiring. (Source)

Walter Isaacson | 4.73

Elon Musk Quite interesting. (Source)

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2012.] (Source)

Gary Vaynerchuk I've read 3 business books in my life. If you call [this book] a business book. (Source)

The Everything Store

Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Brad Stone | 4.70

Doug McMillon [I read and give this book because] you need to understand what you’re up against. (Source)

Santiago Basulto I love to read biographies and stories of companies. Hatching Twitter is a really good book, and if you’re into that sort of books, bios of Steve Jobs (by Isaacson) or Jeff Bezos are great too. (Source)

Tracy DiNunzio It's a great book and especially for people starting out. (Source)

Made in America

Sam Walton, John Huey | 4.59

"Here is an extraordinary success story about a man whose empire was built not with smoke and mirrors, but with good old-fashioned elbow grease." (Detroit Free Press)

Jeff Bezos Expounds on the principles of discount retailing and discusses his core values of frugality and a bias for action—a willingness to try a lot of things and make many mistakes. Bezos included both in Amazon’s corporate values. (Source)

Rob "Crypto Bobby" Paone @tmac604 Read it earlier this summer, a great book 👍 and also hilarious to compare to current corporate excess ala WeWork (Source)

Life and Work

Ray Dalio | 4.58

Mark Cuban The book I wish I had as a young entrepreneur. (Source)

Tony Robbins I found it to be truly extraordinary. Every page is full of so many principles of distinction and insights—and I love how Ray incorporates his history and his life in such an elegant way. (Source)

Bill Gates Ray Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights that are now available to you in Principles. (Source)

The Ride of a Lifetime

Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Robert Iger | 4.56

Brian Chesky Bob's book is great and he's an excellent CEO. (Source)

Brené Brown I expected a book written by the person who has led Disney for decades to be defined by both gripping storytelling and deep leadership wisdom. [The author] delivers, and then some! [This book] is leadership gold—you won’t forget the stories or the lessons. (Source)

Karlie Kloss [Karlie Kloss] says [this book] really inspired her to become a better boss. (Source)

The Art of the Deal

Donald J. Trump, Tony Schwartz | 4.48

Jim Hanson You already had Trump officials testifythey disagreed w/ @realDonaldTrump Interesting thing about executive power The executive has the power Not the advisers Here's a good book on it https://t.co/KGlUpucCNI Time for the acquittal https://t.co/xICCPPuvM5 (Source)

Marc M. Lalonde The easiest way to Clean Up my Friends List is to post this... I love this book! | Let's get to know each other a little. I'll start... Here's MY Story: https://t.co/o8gIl1TxR7 #AskLalonde #marcmlalonde #wealthy #inspiration https://t.co/6ULSKHiIj3 (Source)

Secret Agent Number Six The failing George W. Washington and his dad George H.W. Washington were fake Presidents. They did not think of The Constitution before I did.They stole all of my ideas for it from "The Art of the Deal" which you should read right now because its the best book ever. No collution! (Source)

The Outsiders

Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

William N. Thorndike | 4.47

Warren Buffett In his 2012 shareholder letter, Buffett praises The Outsiders as "an outstanding book about CEOs who excelled at capital allocation." Berkshire Hathaway plays a major role in the book. One chapter is on director Tom Murphy, who Buffett says is "overall the best business manager I've ever met." (Source)

Michael Dell Thorndike explores the importance of thoughtful capital allocation through the stories of eight successful CEOs. A good read for any business leader but especially those willing to chart their own course (Source)

Mason Hawkins The Outsiders is a must-read for leaders—and aspiring leaders—striving to become exceptional CEOs, and for investors interested in partnering with exceptional stewards of corporate capital. (Source)

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Ben Horowitz | 4.45

Larry Page Ben's book is a great read - with uncomfortable truths about entrepreneurship and how to lead to a company. It's also an inspiring story of a business rebirth through sheer willpower. (Source)

Mark Zuckerberg Ben's experience and expertise make him one of the most important leaders not just in Silicon Valley but also in the global knowledge economy. For anyone interested in building, growing or leading a great company, this book is an incredibly valuable resource - and a funny and insightful read. (Source)

Dustin Moskovitz [Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book during a Stanford lecture.] (Source)

Don't have time to read the top Business Biography books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Ron Chernow | 4.41

Ryan Holiday A biography has to be really good to make read you all 800 pages. To me, this was one of those books. Since reading it earlier this year, I’ve since found out it is the favorite book of a lot of people I respect. I think something about the quality of the writing and the empathic understanding of the writer that the main lessons you would take away from someone like Rockefeller would not be... (Source)

Adam Townsend @Sociopathlete Great book (Source)

Anas Alhajji @Morg2006 Yep, I already have it. great book. (Source)

The Millionaire Next Door

The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy

Ph.D. Stanley, Thomas J., Ph.D.; Danko, William D. | 4.39

Dave Collum @cullenroche You ever read "Millionaire Next Door"? You just described parts of it. Great book, IMO. (Source)

The Intelligent Investor

The Classic Text on Value Investing

Benjamin Graham | 4.39

Warren Buffett To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information. What's needed is a sound intellectual framework for making decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework. This book precisely and clearly prescribes the proper framework. You must provide the emotional discipline. (Source)

Kevin Rose The foundation for investing. A lot of people have used this as their guide to getting into investment, basic strategies. Actually Warren Buffett cites this as the book that got him into investing and he says that principles he learned here helped him to become a great investor. Highly recommend this book. It’s a great way understand what’s going on and how to evaluate different companies out... (Source)

John Kay The idea is that you look at the underlying value of the company’s activities instead of relying on market gossip. (Source)

The Snowball

Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Alice Schroeder | 4.37

Marvin Liao My list would be (besides the ones I mentioned in answer to the previous question) both business & Fiction/Sci-Fi and ones I personally found helpful to myself. The business books explain just exactly how business, work & investing are in reality & how to think properly & differentiate yourself. On the non-business side, a mix of History & classic fiction to understand people, philosophy to make... (Source)

John Kay It’s on the list, firstly, because Buffet is the most successful investor in history. (Source)

Chude Jideonwo It's been so long, and I've been so busy that I haven't been able to recommend a book. I am sorry! I have read so many fantastic ones though, no matter how busy I have been. And I am soooooo excited to recommend this one. I love Warren Buffett ... https://t.co/ML0pM3G29k https://t.co/6yhfhT8WF5 (Source)

Creativity, Inc.

Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace | 4.33

Mark Zuckerberg This book is written by the founder of Pixar and is about his experience building a culture that fosters creativity. His theory is that people are fundamentally creative, but many forces stand in the way of people being able to do their best work. I love reading first-hand accounts about how people build great companies like Pixar and nurture innovation and creativity. This should be inspiring to... (Source)

Timothy Ferriss No matter your circumstances, storytelling and creativity are two 'meta-skills' that can take your business and life to the next level. Ed is a master. (Source)

Ezra Klein An amazing, amazing book. (Source)

Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Sheryl Sandberg | 4.33

Mark Zuckerberg For the past five years, I've sat at a desk next to Sheryl and I've learned something from her almost every day. She has a remarkable intelligence that can cut through complex processes and find solutions to the hardest problems. Lean In combines Sheryl's ability to synthesize information with her understanding of how to get the best out of people. The book is smart and honest and funny. Her... (Source)

Oprah Winfrey Honest and brave... The new manifesto for women in the workplace. (Source)

Richard Branson If you loved Sheryl Sandberg's incredible TED talk on why we have too few women leaders, or simply believe as I do that we need equality in the boardroom, then this book is for you. As Facebook's COO, Sheryl Sandberg has first-hand experience of why having more women in leadership roles is good for business as well as society. Lean In is essential reading for anyone interested in righting the... (Source)

High Output Management

Andrew S. Grove | 4.33

Mark Zuckerberg [Andy’s] book played a big role in shaping my management style. (Source)

Ben Horowitz Andy Grove, who built himself from nothing to run Intel, stopped what he was doing to teach us his magic. And not through some ghostwriter either — Andy wrote this book himself. What an incredible gift. (Source)

Drew Houston The best book on management ever written. (Source)

Poor Charlie's Almanack

The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

Peter D. Kaufman, Ed Wexler, Warren E. Buffett, Charles T. Munger | 4.32

Warren Buffett From 1733 to 1758, Ben Franklin dispensed useful and timeless advice through Poor Richard's Almanack. Among the virtues extolled were thrift, duty, hard work, and simplicity. Subsequently, two centuries went by during which Ben's thoughts on these subjects were regarded as the last word. Then Charlie Munger stepped forth. (Source)

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2011.] (Source)

Naval Ravikant I always recommend [this book] as my top business book. (Source)

A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice

Bill Browder | 4.28

Eric Ries This reads like a thriller, but is an urgent and important story about the dangers of Putin’s Russia and the events leading to the Magnitsky Act. (Source)

Anand Sanwal @geoffreysbatt @patrick_oshag 2/ Reminded a bit of the story of @Billbrowder as told in the remarkable book Red Notice which chronicles his investments in Russia very early before everyone saw the opportunity (Source)

Jonathan Kay Am reading @Billbrowder's amazing book Red Notice. Did not know incredible story of Bill's dad, who got his @Princeton math PhD at age 20. Like many Jews of era, suffered massive discrimination, stigmatized because of his own dad's communism. Then Eleanor Roosevelt saves the day https://t.co/Bp5PFiIxm1 (Source)

Delivering Happiness

A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Tony Hsieh | 4.27

Chip Conley [The author] is a wise guy. Sincerely. He’s one of the wisest and most thoughtful business leaders of the modern age. (Source)

Adam Johnston Inspiring case study into building brand and customer service. (Source)

Julie Rice [At SoulCycle] we’re all big fans of [this book]. (Source)

The Power Broker

Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

Robert A. Caro | 4.27

Barack Obama He may have the country’s finest experts at his fingertips, but it still doesn’t hurt to read up on environmental and economic issues. (Source)

Ryan Holiday It took me 15 days to read all 1,165 pages of this monstrosity that chronicles the rise of Robert Moses. I was 20 years old. It was one of the most magnificent books I’ve ever read. Moses built just about every other major modern construction project in New York City. The public couldn’t stop him, the mayor couldn’t stop him, the governor couldn’t stop him, and only once could the President of... (Source)

Ben Greenman Well, if you look at a picture of a place, you can normally get a sense of what it’s like. But hopefully what books do, or what thinking does, is to show you what that place is like underneath. The Power Broker is the definitive history of how, in modern America, cities get built, power gets thrown around, neighbourhoods are overpowered by developers and politicians. It’s gigantic and it’s a... (Source)

This is Going to Hurt

Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

Adam Kay | 4.23

Quinn Cummings @lorapenza You might love @amateuradam's book. (Source)

The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

Daniel Yergin | 4.21

Chris Goodall A wonderfully readable history of the development of the oil age. (Source)

Losing My Virginity

The Autobiography

Richard Branson | 4.20

Yaro Starak Richard Branson, another guy with his second bio came out just recently, sort of like the part II of his life, the next 20 years. I grabbed that because his bio… I should actually go back and answer your first and second question about biggest impact and “Losing My Virginity” by Richard Branson was a huge one back in the late 90s for me, more about big thinking. The guy is crazy and I would never... (Source)

Holger Seim When it comes to biographies I particularly like Losing My Virginity. (Source)

Robin Sharma I encourage you to read his autobiography “Losing My Virginity” as well as his book “Business Stripped Bare” if you haven’t gone through them yet. Uber-inspiring. For people who want to become Remarkable Entrepreneurs – and express their absolute best. (Source)

My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business

Dick Van Dyke | 4.20

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith | 4.19

Elon Musk Adam Smith FTW obv. (Source)

Barack Obama Obama, unsurprisingly, appears to be more drawn to stories sympathetic to the working classes than is McCain. Obama cites John Steinbeck’s “In Dubious Battle,” about a labor dispute; Robert Caro’s “Power Broker,” about Robert Moses; and Studs Terkel’s “Working.” But he also includes Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” and “Theory of Moral Sentiments” on his list. (Source)

Neil deGrasse Tyson Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Wealth of Nations (Smith) [to learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)

Hit Refresh

Satya Nadella, Greg Shaw, Jill Tracie Nichols | 4.18

Bill Gates With every new technology, there are challenges. How do we help people whose jobs are replaced by AI agents and robots? Will users trust their AI agent with all their information? If an agent could advise you on your work style, would you want it to? That is what makes books like Hit Refresh so valuable. Satya has charted a course for making the most of the opportunities created by technology... (Source)

Aviers Lim I would recommend biographies of Elon Musk and Satya Nadella. (Source)

The 1-Page Marketing Plan

Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd

Allan Dib | 4.16

The Elon Musk Blog Series

Wait But Why

Tim Urban | 4.15

Setting the Table

The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

Danny Meyer | 4.15

Chip Conley One of the best books on hospitality ever written. (Source)

Noah Kagan A few months ago, I was drinking a Noah’s Mill whiskey (cute) with my good buddy Brian Balfour and talking about life... During the conversation, we got on the topic of books that changed our lives. I want to share them with you. I judge a book's success if a year later I'm still using at least 1 thing from the book. (Source)

Julie Rice We did a lot of reading [this book] at SoulCycle. (Source)

One Up On Wall Street

How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market

Peter Lynch, John Rothchild | 4.15

Patrick Swalls Read this if you want to learn more about the stock market. (Source)

Cable Cowboy

John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business

Mark Robichaux | 4.15

The Reckoning

David Halberstam | 4.14

David J Lynch This one sort of speaks to something I’ve long been interested in. We get this general education in schools that follows the basic themes of presidents and wars and that kind of thing and then there’s this alternative history of finance and economics, and Lords of Finance impressed me because it gives you that alternative history, particularly through the inter-war years from the end of World War... (Source)

How to Win at the Sport of Business

If I Can Do It, You Can Do It

Mark Cuban | 4.13

Jason Khalipa I like it because it gets me fired up. (Source)

An Autobiography

Lee Iacocca, William Novak | 4.13

Ramit Sethi Every few years for the last 20 years, Ramit has read Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca and William Novak. (Source)

Shankar Sharma Reading the Iacocca autobio at age 21, was absolutely transformational. Taught me more than an MBA degree. The second book that did something similar at that age for me, was "The Mind of The Strategist" by Kenichi Ohmae. Such great business wisdom in these books. RIP Lee https://t.co/PCpkRiKwUV (Source)

Grinding It Out

The Making of McDonald's

Ray Kroc, Robert Anderson | 4.13

Aj Joshi @brianadgey Great book 👍🏼 very inspiring (Source)

The First Tycoon

The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

T.J. Stiles | 4.12

Josh Sternberg @mhbergen @nitashatiku “If [Cornelius Vanderbilt] had been able to sell all his assets at full market value at the moment of his death he would have taken one out of every 20 dollars in circulation.” From great book on Vanderbilt https://t.co/7SljC6fmbG (Source)

Skunk Works

A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed

Ben R. Rich, Leo Janos | 4.12

Chris Anderson @elidourado @pmarcas_likes What broke was our risk tolerance. The "Skunkworks" book is a great insider story of that. The day that the financial auditors outnumbered the engineers was the day the innovation died: https://t.co/ncrsulEZyC (Source)

Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

James Wallace and Jim Erickson | 4.12

Trillion Dollar Coach

The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell

Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle | 4.12

Sheryl Sandberg Bill shared his wisdom generously, expecting nothing back but the joy he got from teaching others. I was privileged to have him as my coach for several years. Many times since then, when asked for advice by others, I think of Bill and try to live up to the example he set. (Source)

Tim Cook Bill's passion for innovation and teamwork was a gift to Apple and the world. Trillion Dollar Coach has captured his tireless spirit so future generations can learn from one of our industry's greatest leaders. (Source)

Sundar Pichai Whenever I saw Bill, he gave me great perspective about what really matters. At the end of the day, it's the people in your life. Bill had such strong principles around community and how to bring people together. We used those principles - detailed in Trillion Dollar Coach - to form the foundation of Google's leadership training, so all of our leaders can continue to learn from Bill. (Source)

How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Howard Schultz, Joanne Gordon | 4.12

Ron Conway Story of his return to Starbucks, and the success of the company in a tumlutuous economic time in history. (Source)

In the Plex

How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives

Steven Levy | 4.11

Bill Slawski In The Plex is a great introduction to Google, and the many who work there. I knew many by the patents they file, so it was good to learn more about them as people. Some good insights to some algorithms in the book, too. https://t.co/TVz7GsD8nX (Source)

Alan Pierce I’m currently reading “In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works and Shapes Our Life" and am excited on gaining more insight into how google is changing the world and hopefully to get some valuable understanding I can use to maximize business decisions and read future trends while assessing investment opportunities for my company, ABM Investments. (Source)

Straight from the Gut

Jack Welch and John A. Byrn | 4.11

Warren Buffett In his 2001 shareholder letter, Buffett gleefully endorses Jack: Straight from the Gut, a business memoir of longtime GE executive Jack Welch, whom Buffett describes as (Source)

Tudor Mihailescu In every industry, there would be many relevant books but nothing would replace being in touch with the customers and people in own organisation. It’s a vast of space to recommend books, but I would suggest that learning how proven entrepreneurs or managers have done this as a good start (read about Jake Welch – Straight from the Gut, Steve Jobs, Shoe Dog – Phil Knight or Elon Musk) – admittedly,... (Source)

Annika Falkengren I read Jack Welch’s book back in 2003 and it was at the time a great source of inspiration. There were a couple of things that got stuck in my mind and in some cases changed my mind: that there are no shortcuts, that facts always must be faced no matter how brutal and that losing or failing had a value as long as your learn from them. His thoughts on how crucial the soft values are, inspired me a... (Source)

What It Takes

Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence

Stephen A. Schwarzman | 4.11

Eric Schmidt Reveals how [the author] has achieved the rarest kind of leverage in multiple fields. (Source)

Norman Ornstein What it Takes remains the best book written about American politics and politicians. i reread every few years. Want to know about Biden? Read it! https://t.co/ZlLwbRqADa (Source)

Trailblazer

The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change

Marc Benioff, Monica Langley | 4.11

Bill Gross I've been waiting "im"patiently for @Benioff 's new book to come out. It just came out on Kindle 10 minutes ago. It's terrific. Such a powerful, simple, but important lesson and message, "Values create Value!" I'll be sharing more highlights as I read further.. https://t.co/KAgrFs31fC (Source)

Jim Cramer I love this book and have already used it as the basis for several @MadMoneyOnCNBC segments and a talk to young entrepreneurs !!! https://t.co/fLYtdYAMxC (Source)

Natalie Petouhoff Trailblazer: @salesforce Founder and co-CEO Marc Benioff’s Inspiring New Book Shows How Business is the Greatest Platform for Change @Benioff https://t.co/lcIQbvG1Qo https://t.co/TKCiIpK6ZB (Source)

The House of Morgan

An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance

Ron Chernow | 4.11

Made in Japan

Akio Morita and Sony

Akio Morita, Edwin M. Reingold, Mitsuko Shimomura | 4.11

Bill Graham Presents

My Life Inside Rock And Out

Bill Graham, Robert Greenfield | 4.11

James Murphy Bill Graham Presents My Life Inside Rock and Out because I think it’s very important for young people to understand the history of the concert business before trying to jump into it. You need to have a clear understanding of where it’s been to know where it’s going and how you can help take it there. (Source)

Built from Scratch

How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion

Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank, Bob Andelman | 4.10

When a friend told Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank that, "You've just been hit in the ass by a golden horseshoe," they thought he was crazy. After all, both had just been fired. What the friend, Ken Langone, meant was that they now had the opportunity to create the kind of wide-open warehouse store that would help spark a consumer revolution through low prices, excellent customer service, and wide availability of products.

Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people-and their associates-built a business from nothing to 761...

Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people-and their associates-built a business from nothing to 761 stores and $30 billion in sales in a mere twenty years.

Built from Scratch tells many colorful stories associated with The Home Depot's founding and meteoric rise; shows that a company can be a tough, growth-oriented competitor and still maintain a high sense of responsibility to the community; and provides great lessons useful to people in any business, from start-ups to the Fortune 500.

Great Stories

A Company with a Conscience

Great Lessons

Bernie Marcus is a cofounder of The Home Depot and currently serves as chairman of the board. From the company's inception until 1997, he served as CEO. With his wife, Billie Marcus, he founded the Marcus Developmental Resource Center, which provides support services for mentally impaired children and their parents. He sits on many boards of directors, including the New York Stock Exchange, and participates in many civic organizations, including the City of Hope, a cancer research center.

Arthur Blank is a cofounder of The Home Depot and is the company's president and CEO. He serves on the board of trustees of several organizations, including the North Carolina Outward Bound School, the Carter Center, Emory University, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He was inducted into the Babson College Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs and was honored by the City of Hope for his fund-raising leadership.

Bob Andelman lives with his wife and daughter in St. Petersburg, Florida, and has collaborated on many bestselling business books, including Mean Business and The Profit Zone .

Frank Blake Very meaningful to me, not only because it’s the story of the founding of the Home Depot, but also because of my start as the CEO of Home Depot. (Source)

Rich Dad Poor Dad

What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That The Poor And Middle Class Do Not!

Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter C.P.A | 4.10

Will Smith [Will Smith mentioned sharing this book with his son.] (Source)

The Man Who Solved the Market

How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution

Gregory Zuckerman | 4.10

Abhishek Kar @Singh7575 ~The man who solved the market Nice book and interesting insights from Jim's life. Read it last month. Happy reading👍 (Source)

Andy Sum I finished reading a book! Pretty interesting biography and background on some of the emotions involved in quantatative trading. Worth reading. https://t.co/doi843dcGN (Source)

Steve Burns The new book on Jim Simons is in my top 5 favorite trading books of all time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It is already the #19 best seller in Amazon nonfiction The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution Kindle Edition by Gregory Zuckerman https://t.co/FAZFigNNXy https://t.co/Jjz38Qpdnu (Source)

Let My People Go Surfing

The Education of a Reluctant Businessman--Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual

Yvon Chouinard, Naomi Klein | 4.10

Alastair Humphreys @SecondS37175185 A fantastic book. (Source)

Paul Kedrosky @dpfishman Yes, fantastic book by incredible human. (Source)

Holger Seim When it comes to biographies I particularly like Let My People Go Surfing. (Source)

Shark Tales

How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business

Barbara Corcoran, Bruce Littlefield | 4.09

Trust Me, I'm Lying

Confessions of a Media Manipulator

Ryan Holiday | 4.09

Timothy Ferriss Ryan is part Machiavelli, part Ogilvy, and all results. From American Apparel to the quiet campaigns he's run but not taken credit for, this whiz kid is the secret weapon you've never heard of. (Source)

Dov Charney Behind my reputation as a marketing genius there is Ryan Holiday, whom I consult often and who has done more for my business than just about anyone. (Source)

Tucker Max The strategies Ryan created to exploit blogs drove sales of millions of my books and made me an internationally known name. The reason I am standing here while other celebrities were destroyed or became parodies of themselves is because of his insider knowledge. (Source)

Jack Welch, Suzy Welch | 4.09

Living Proof

Onyx Moonshine's Journey to Revive the American Spirit

Adam von Gootkin | 4.09

Capital Gaines

Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff

Chip Gaines | 4.09

The Unbeatable Legend in Business World

All About Microsoft and How it Became The Most successful enterprise on The Earth!

Rahul Doshi | 4.09

Liar's Poker

Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street

Michael Lewis | 4.09

With the eye and ear of a born storyteller, Michael Lewis shows us how things really worked on Wall Street....

With the eye and ear of a born storyteller, Michael Lewis shows us how things really worked on Wall Street. In the Salomon training program a roomful of aspirants is stunned speechless by the vitriolic profanity of the Human Piranha; out on the trading floor, bond traders throw telephones at the heads of underlings and Salomon chairman Gutfreund challenges his chief trader to a hand of liar's poker for one million dollars; around the world in London, Tokyo, and New York, bright young men like Michael Lewis, connected by telephones and computer terminals, swap gross jokes and find retail buyers for the staggering debt of individual companies or whole countries.

The bond traders, wearing greed and ambition and badges of honor, might well have swaggered straight from the pages of Bonfire of the Vanities . But for all thier outrageous behavior, they were in fact presiding over enormous changes in the world economy. Lewis's job, simply described, was to transfer money, in the form of bonds, from those outside America who saved to those inside America who consumed. In doing so, he generated tens of millions of dollars for Salomon Brothers, and earned for himself a ringside seat on the greatest financial spectacle of the decade: the leveraging of America.

John Lanchester It’s still a wonderfully entertaining book: An absolutely hilarious, very, very dark, vivid account of how Michael Lewis came out of Princeton and, with basically no qualifications, got a job in the bond trading department of Salomon Brothers (Source)

Audrey Russo Question: What books would you recommend to young people interested in your career path? Answer: Anything by Peter Senge. The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz Once you are Lucky, Twice you are good – Sara Lacey Revolutionary Wealth – Alvin Toffler Black Swan – Taleb Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change, by Ellen Pao. Creative Class – Richard Florida Creativity Inc. by Ed... (Source)

How the Internet Happened

From Netscape to the iPhone

Brian McCullough | 4.08

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator

The Classic Novel Based on the Life of Legendary Stock Market Speculator Jesse Livermore

Lefevre Edwin, Price Tim | 4.08

Steve Burns "By far, the best investing book is Reminiscences Of A Stock Operator. Everything in that book is true about how markets work, how human nature works, the mistakes people make, the greed that they have, the ways they get themselves in trouble." - Gundlach https://t.co/asuBsN0BvM (Source)

Alykhan Satchu My all time favorite Book https://t.co/UxwPMlAcXU (Source)

Joshua M. Brown Each new generation of traders gets inspired by this book but I have come to love it as more of a cautionary tale. and FYI, this is the better book for that context: https://t.co/116lNciXCF https://t.co/mEYn2ZAqPI (Source)

The Big Payback

The History of the Business of Hip-Hop

Dan Charnas | 4.08

Lords of Finance

The Bankers Who Broke the World

Liaquat Ahamed | 4.07

Barry Ritholtz It covers a 50-year period from before World War I and leading up to World War II. Even if you’re not interested in finance, it’s a great read. (Source)

David J Lynch Lords of Finance gives you that alternative history, particularly through the inter-war years from the end of World War I into the Great Depression. (Source)

Pour Your Heart Into It

Highbridge | 4.07

Yaro Starak There were also more traditional books or businesses I read about, like the biography of Starbucks. It’s really more the biography of the CEO, Howard Schultz, a lot about him growing the Starbucks brand. Since I spent a lot of time writing in Starbucks cafés, that was an important company to me. (Source)

Jilliene Helman I really, really like company biographies. They're just kind of the style of book that I've gotten really into. [...] I've read the Starbucks CEO book. (Source)

The Unauthorized Autobiography

J.T. Owens | 4.07

Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out

Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch, and How Craft Beer Became Big Business

Josh Noel | 4.07

Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Steven Levy | 4.06

American Gun

A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms

Chris Kyle, William Doyle | 4.06

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big

Kind of the Story of My Life

Scott Adams | 4.06

Timothy Ferriss Scott has an incredible approach to 'career planning' that's as effective as it is unusual. He’s beaten all the odds and can help you do the same. (Source)

Gennady Batrakov [One of the] few books that made a great deal of impact on my life. (Source)

The Birth of Loud

Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll

Ian S. Port | 4.06

Confessions of an Advertising Man

David Ogilvy, Sir Alan Parker | 4.06

Rory Sutherland @GuruAnaerobic Love it. His best book. (Source)

Ronn Torossian Considering the overlap of similarities between PR and advertising, it is vital to learn from such legends as Ogilvy. His concepts, tactics, and techniques and are a must-read for not only those in marketing and PR but business in general. (Source)

Ola Olusoga For business, I've read Influence by Robert Cialdini 3 times, and Traction by Gabriel Weinberg twice, so if number of times read indicates favor, then those are it. There are a whole bunch of others, like The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman, Confession of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy, The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss, and Running Lean by Ash Maurya, that I've also enjoyed and recommend to... (Source)

Andrew Carnegie

David Nasaw | 4.06

Charles T. Munger The definitive biography of an industrial genius, philanthropist, and enigma. At the meeting in May of this year, Munger also mentioned the Mellon Brothers as people to study. (Source)

Where Wizards Stay Up Late

The Origins Of The Internet

Katie Hafner | 4.05

At last, Hafner and Lyon have written a well-researched story of the origins of the Internet substantiated by extensive interviews with its creators who delve into many interesting details such as the controversy surrounding the adoption of our now beloved "@" sign as the separator of usernames and machine addresses. Essential reading for anyone interested in the past...

At last, Hafner and Lyon have written a well-researched story of the origins of the Internet substantiated by extensive interviews with its creators who delve into many interesting details such as the controversy surrounding the adoption of our now beloved "@" sign as the separator of usernames and machine addresses. Essential reading for anyone interested in the past -- and the future -- of the Net specifically, and telecommunications generally.

Lev Grossman If you want to go all the way back, Janet Abbate’s Inventing The Internet really takes it all the way back to the Eisenhower administration and the very beginnings of electronic computers. (Source)

Every Tool's a Hammer

Life is What You Make It

Adam Savage | 4.05

Scott Smith When @Alchemister5 and I decided to open @dnpeek, he gave me this book that @donttrythis wrote. I personally love hammers Jason. ;) https://t.co/ZabTx6JxGX (Source)

Learning to Breathe Fire

The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness

J.C. Herz | 4.04

Lead from the Outside

How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change

Stacey Abrams | 4.04

Wild Company

The Untold Story of Banana Republic

Mel Ziegler, Patricia Ziegler | 4.04

Against the Odds

James Dyson | 4.04

Console Wars

Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation

Blake J. Harris | 4.04

The King of Oil

The Secret Lives of Marc Rich

Daniel Ammann | 4.03

This Is Not a T-Shirt

A Brand, a Culture, a Community--A Life in Streetwear

Bobby Hundreds | 4.03

Gary Vaynerchuk Simply put, Bobby Hundreds is a social beast. He knows how to tell a story, where to tell that story, and he's great at bringing people together. He's also crazy dedicated to his work and has the laser-focused attention to detail needed to not only build an everlasting globally relevant brand, but any successful business. (Source)

Jessica Alba Building a brand is about identifying and fulfilling a need in a way that no one else can. It takes vision, dedication, and attention to detail. The Hundreds is a prime example of what it looks like when you've combined all these elements along with tapping into a culture and community. This is Not a T-Shirt guides you through methods and tools you can apply to get you one step closer to... (Source)

Tony Hawk This is Not a T-Shirt tracks the history of surf and skate culture and their relationship to streetwear—from the Zephyr skate team of the 1970s to brands like Stüssy, Supreme, BAPE, and, of course, The Hundreds, which has managed to stay relevant for more than fifteen years in a fickle market. This book is an insider's guide to the prevailing trends in youth culture of the last few decades that... (Source)

Sell It Like Serhant

How to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine

Ryan Serhant | 4.03

Climate of Hope

How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet

Michael Bloomberg, Carl Pope | 4.03

iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon

How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Steve Wozniak, Gina Smith | 4.03

The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products

Leander Kahney | 4.03

Bitcoin Billionaires

A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption

Ben Mezrich | 4.03

Kim Dotcom The Winklevoss brothers mailed me this awesome must-read book #bitcoinbillionaires with a really nice personal note. Thank you @winklevoss and @tylerwinklevoss. Facebook was stolen from you but what you’ve created since then is even more impressive. Crypto is the future. https://t.co/iAkfU1Dm65 (Source)

Bill Lee Thank you @tylerwinklevoss @winklevoss for sending me the must read @benmezrich book with the nice signed note. You guys are ushering in the crypto revolution and have captured lightning in a bottle again. #respect #BitcoinBillionaires https://t.co/QNaJLkQPJa (Source)

Negro with a Hat

The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey

Colin Grant | 4.03

The Facebook Effect

The Inside Story of the Company That is Connecting the World

David Kirkpatrick | 4.03

Craig Pearce If you read to maintain motivation and be entertained, I recommend a few books that in addition to telling great stories, also contain lessons and learnings. You won’t gain many step-by-step type lessons from these books but you will come away realizing that not all startups, regardless of what stage they are in, are as well polished as they make you think. You will realize that they make... (Source)

Angela Pham The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick made me a fan of Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg years ago. I didn’t hesitate to take my current role at Facebook because I feel so strongly about their integrity and leadership, no matter the negative sentiments and media narratives the company has endured recently. (Source)

The Attention Merchants

The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads

Tim Wu | 4.02

Yuval Noah Harari A very insightful book that surveys the history of modern information technology and its political implications, from the age of print and radio to the era of Google and Facebook. It gives the context of the current battle to control human attention. (Source)

Marvin Liao I tend to jump from book to book and may switch if I am interested in some new topic. This is a pleasure for me (which I also do benefit work wise from too). It’s quite a random list because I have eclectic interests (or just scatterbrained most likely) on tech business, AI, general global economy, geopolitics, rising Biotech economy & history. I'm basically 15% to 50% into all these books. (Source)

Rafat Ali Have to say @superwuster is best business writer there is. Just finished Master Switch , now reading “Attention Merchants”, the best history-in-context-with-rigor-and-intellectual-analysis writer/explainer there is. If I ever write a book, want to write it like Tim Wu. (Source)

Kevin Freiberg | 4.02

The House That Jack Ma Built

Duncan Clark | 4.02

Tim Draper Duncan Clark gets into the heart and soul of Alibaba and its founder, Jack Ma, who deftly maneuvered through the discontinuities and barriers in China to create one of the greatest companies in the world. China has thrived under the leadership of Jack Ma. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the present China and the heartbeat of a great entrepreneur. (Source)

Ken Wilcox This book provides excellent insight into the world of Jack Ma, perhaps the most famous of the leaders of the new economy in China. Duncan Clark is a real China 'Old Hand', unique in his knowledge of the Jack Ma generation. This book is definitely on the short list for those who wish to understand the Chinese economy today. (Source)

Erik Cheong I am a big fan of Jack Ma, I have 4 different books talking about Jack. He is a top entrepreneur & visionaire, who started out as a modest English teacher and built Alibaba into one of the world’s largest companies, an e-commerce empire on which hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend on. I am impressed about how he overcame his humble origins and early failures to achieve massive... (Source)

Paul Allen | 4.02

An Invisible Thread

The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny

Laura Schroff | 4.01

LeBron, Inc.

The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete

Brian Windhorst | 4.01

My Years with General Motors

Alfred Sloan | 4.01

Ben Horowitz My Years at GM by Alfred Sloan was very interesting particularly on scale issues. (Source)

Bogdan Iordache If you have to read just one business book to understand the global corporate world we live in today, I think this is it. And I think Bill Gates said this first. Alfred P. Sloan was the CEO of General Motors in its early beginnings, and he went through all the stages of the growth, going bust, growth and then consolidation of the beginning (when some companies were creating mechanical horses - no... (Source)

The Virgin Way

Everything I Know About Leadership

Richard Branson | 4.01

Madalina Uceanu I would recommend any biographies of business people, but definitely I would have on the list any of Richard Branson's books. That should cover a better business and mentality understanding. (Source)

Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit

William Knoedelseder | 4.00

The Maverick and His Machine

Thomas Watson, Sr. and the Making of IBM

Kevin Maney | 4.00

Just for Fun

The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary

Linus Torvalds, David Diamond | 4.00

Death of the Territories

Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever

Tim Hornbaker | 4.00

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The Best Business Memoirs Of All Time

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This story was written in collaboration with Forbes Finds . Forbes Finds covers products and experiences we think you’ll love. Featured products are independently selected and linked to for your convenience. If you buy something using a link on this page, Forbes may receive a small share of that sale.

Former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca doing a TV commercial for his cars. (Photo by Ted Thai/The LIFE ... [+] Picture Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)

If you’re looking for inspiration and actionable insights from the successes and challenges of great entrepreneurs and executives, each book on this list tells an eye-opening story in the words of the person who was its catalyst.

This gives every title, some of which are recently published, some of which are classic, essential value for anyone planning, managing, or growing or a business. Or an empire.

Some Stories: Lessons from the Edge of Business and Sport   by Yvon Chouinard

Some Stories by Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia)

You would expect that the charmed life of Yvon Chouinard–climber, environmentalist and founder of Patagonia–to be so distinct from the rest of us that it would naturally offer inspiration and wisdom when in print.  Some Stories , which was released earlier this year, certainly offers plenty of that, but the thoughts and the example set by Chouinard may also upset the equilibrium of any reader who has become stuck in their work or in how they spend their days.  It's a n essential read and a worthy successor to Chouinard’s previous work, the well-known Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman .

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Yes is the Answer! What is the Question?   by Cameron Mitchell

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants has been in business for more than 25 years with some 60 restaurants in its portfolio and employs somewhere north of 5,000 people.  Yes is the Answer! What is the Question?   takes you on a ride with Mitchell from his early days as a runaway and small-time drug dealer to where he and his company are today. Along the way, he spells out his belief in “culture first” and in support for employees as the company’s North Star.

My Father's Business: The Small-Town Values That Built Dollar General into a Billion-Dollar Company , by Cal Turner, Jr. with  Rob Simbeck

My Father's Business by Cal Turner Jr. (Center Street)

The Dollar General of today is a publicly-traded company with 15,000 stores across America. Few realize that it’s a multi-generational business whose roots go back to the Depression. That’s when author Cal Turner, Jr.’s grandfather started buying and liquidating bankrupt, small-town general stores one by one. Taking us from there to today, Turner reveals the often-stressful dynamics of family involvement in a business, his own need to evolve his leadership style along the way, and the unique realities involved in becoming a prominent, publicly traded firm.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (Scribner)

Ask any aspiring or established entrepreneur, including Bill Gates, and they'll have Shoe Dog somewhere on their list of favorite business books.  In his memoir, Phil Knight details how he went from selling sneakers out of the trunk of his car to building Nike, which would become one of the most globally recognized brands. The memoir by the creator of Nike not only follows the history of his career and company but offers valuable startup lessons, including the difference between being a manager and being a leader and how company culture can make or break your company.

The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade   by Thomas Lynch

The Undertaking by Thomas Lynch (W. W. Norton & Company)

Thomas Lynch is principal of a family-owned funeral home in Milford, Michigan. He’s also a National Book Award finalist and a poet of renown. Combining his gorgeous prose style with a unique, emotion-laden subject makes  The Undertaking , which also spawned a PBS special, an extraordinary read about a business niche that is rarely discussed in the general business press.  

Growing a Business   by Paul Hawken

Growing a Business by Paul Hawken (Simon & Schuster)

This may be the most flat-out encouraging business memoir you’ll ever read (and re-read; it’s worth more than one time through)—particularly if you’re in the early days of building a company.   Paul Hawken takes you step-by-step through his founding of Smith & Hawken Tool Company: from the beginnings, when he had to shoot his own catalog photos (because there was no money to hire a pro) through the company’s ultimate, runaway success on a national level.

Hawken discusses the nitty-gritty of making payroll, the near-impossibility of getting a loan when you actually need it, and why too much  capital, as opposed to too little, is the bigger danger for a company that’s just getting started.  

Personal History by Katharine Graham

Personal History by Katharine Graham (Vintage)

You can watch Meryl Streep play Katharine Graham onscreen or you go straight to the source and read her autobiography. When  Graham became president of The Washington Post , it was just a small family-owned newspaper. By the early ‘70s she would become CEO and one of the first women to lead a major U.S. paper. In addition to publishing the Pentagon Papers, she supported investigations into the Watergate scandal, which of course lead to the resignation of President Nixon. By the time Graham stepped down as CEO in 1991, The Washington Post would grow into a media conglomerate with newspaper, magazine, television and cable businesses. But Graham's autobiography is about so much more than her career. The trailblazer is brutally honest about her life as a dutiful daughter and wife to Phil Graham, who suffered from depression and ultimately committed suicide. The following decades would usher in more first-female CEOs of major companies, including Meg Whitman of Hewlett-Packard and Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo.

Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey by Carly Fiorina

Rising to the Challenge by Carly Fiorina (Sentinel)

Speaking of the first wave of women to lead major corporations, Carly Fiorina becme the first woman to lead a company listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Average when she became CEO and president of Hewlett Packard in 1999. Her first memoir, the bestselling  Tough Choices , tracks her journey from the secretary for a small real estate office to the leader of a major Fortune 50 company—but it wasn't a smooth ride to the top. She had to deal with a storm of criticism that her male peers never had to face. Fiorina took the helm at HP during dotcom bubble of the '90s yet managed to steer the company toward a period of revenue growth and innovation. Her more recent memoir,  Rising to the Challenge ,  packs more insights and takeaways for other women aiming to reach their fullest potential. It also explores aspects of her life beyond  HP, giving the reader a deeper look into her life as a philanthropist, women's rights advocate and political activist. 

Setting the Table  by Danny Meyer

Settting the Table by Danny Meyer (Harper Perennial)

Setting the Table is both a business memoir and one of the best treatises ever written on customer service, or what Danny Meyer prefers to call “hospitality.”  The s ubjects that Meyer, the founder of the Union Square Hospitality Group and a restaurateur renowned in New York (and internationally via Shake Shack, a development that postdates this book), touches on range from the very personal (what it took for his marriage to survive the death of their twin infants) to the nuts-and-bolts practical to the soaringly inspirational.   While an obvious must-read for those in the restaurant business, it’s equally essential for anyone who’s aspiring to improve their interactions with and treatment of customers.

Iacocca: An Autobiography   by Lee Iacocca

Iacocca by Lee Iacocca (Random House)

Lee Iacocca had at least two great acts: First, he led the Ford Motor Company and then swept in an era of great innovation for Chrysler in the 1980s. In addition to saving the auto giant, he was also credited for rebuilding Ellis Island. The autobiography of arguably one of the best executives of the 20th century also touches on his life as a philanthropist and activist. While Iacocca   was the bestselling business book of both 1984 and 1985, his leadership lessons still ring true today. M ake a trilogy out of it and pick up Talking Straight , in which he lists his ten rules for good management, and, his last book, Where Have All the Leaders Gone?  in which he outlines tough questions leaders must address to help restore America.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

There has never been another entrepreneurial/political/diplomatic/inventing/publishing career like Ben Franklin’s, and there’s no other business autobiography like this one.   You’ll want to read it both for the extraordinary life it describes and for Franklin’s sometimes bluntly practical tips for getting ahead (one key to his ascension in the printing business was to forgo drinking at lunch, even though this made him an outcast among his fellow printshop workers, whom he describes as “beer guzzlers").

In one particularly telling moment in  The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin ,  he sets up an elaborate roadmap for how, with daily effort, he'll cure himself of all his vices and replace them with virtues.   Unfortunately, one of these intended virtues is “humility,” which Franklin ultimately gives up on achieving. Why? Because even if achieved, he calculates, he would then be proud of his newfound humility.

Instead, he settles for the appearance of humility. His strategy for achieving this is brilliant and served him throughout the rest of his public life, including his famous stint as ambassador to France: “I made it a rule to forbear all direct contradiction to the sentiments of others, and all positive assertion of my own,” as well as “the use of every word or expression in the language that imported a fixed opinion, such as  certainly ,  undoubtedly , etc., and I adopted, instead of them, I  conceive , I  apprehend , or I  imagine  a thing to be so or so, or it so  appears  to me at  present. ”  

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• Post author: Archie Black
• Post published: October 16, 2023
• Post category: Recommendations

Business biographies offer a unique glimpse into the lives and minds of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and leaders. They can teach us lessons about leadership, business, and life, and they can inspire us to achieve our own goals.

In this blog post, I’ve compiled a list of the 15 best business biographies of all time. These books are well-written, informative, and inspiring. They’ll give you a new perspective on business and help you to become a better leader and entrepreneur.

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1. Shoe Dog , by Phil Knight

A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Published in 2016 by Scribner.

In this candid and inspiring memoir, Knight tells the story of how he built Nike from a small shoe company to a global powerhouse. He shares his insights on business, leadership, and the importance of perseverance.

2. The Ride of a Lifetime , by Robert Iger

Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Published in 2019 by Random House.

This memoir by the former CEO of Disney tells the story of his life and career, as well as the challenges and triumphs of his leadership at Disney. Iger shares his insights on business, leadership, and the importance of creativity.

3. Bad Blood , by John Carreyrou

Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

Published in 2018 by Knopf.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning book tells the story of Theranos, a once-promising startup that was exposed as a fraud. Carreyrou provides a gripping account of the rise and fall of Theranos and the hubris of its founder, Elizabeth Holmes.

4. Elon Musk , by Walter Isaacson

Published in 2023 by Simon & Schuster

This authorized biography provides a comprehensive and intimate look at the life and career of one of the world’s most fascinating and controversial entrepreneurs. Isaacson interviewed Musk extensively and gained access to his closest friends and family. The book explores Musk’s early childhood, his business ventures, and his ambitious plans for the future. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Musk, entrepreneurship, or the future of technology.

5. The Hard Thing About Hard Things , by Ben Horowitz

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Published in 2014 by Harper Business

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz is part biography, part management guide, and part self-help book. It is based on Horowitz’s personal experiences as a computer science student, software engineer, cofounder, CEO, and investor in technology companies.

6. Zero to One , by Peter Thiel

Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future, by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters

Published in 2014 by Crown Currency

This book by the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies provides a contrarian perspective on business and startups. Thiel argues that the best way to succeed is to build a monopoly by creating something new and valuable.

7. Titan ,  by Ron Chernow

The Life of John D. Rockefeller Sr.

Published in 1998 by Random House

This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography tells the story of John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in American history. Chernow provides a comprehensive and insightful look at Rockefeller’s life, business career, and philanthropy.

8. Steve Jobs , by Walter Isaacson

Published in 2011 by Simon & Schuster

This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography is the definitive account of one of the most innovative and influential entrepreneurs of all time. Isaacson interviewed Jobs extensively over the course of two years, and the book provides a fascinating look at his life, career, and philosophy.

9. The Everything Store , by Brad Stone

Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Published in 2013 by Little, Brown and Company.

This well-researched and engaging biography tells the story of Amazon’s rise to dominance. Stone examines Bezos’s unique business acumen and his relentless drive to succeed.

10. The Snowball , by Alice Schroeder

Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Published in 2008 by Bantam

This biography tells the story of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time. Schroeder provides a fascinating look at Buffett’s investment philosophy and his approach to life.

11. Sam Walton: Made in America , by Sam Walton with John Huey

Published in 1992 by Bantam

This memoir by the founder of Walmart tells the story of how he built his company from a single five-and-dime store into the world’s largest retailer. Walton shares his insights on business, leadership, and the importance of customer service.

12. Hard Drive , by James Wallace and Jim Erickson

Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

Published in 1992 by Harper Collins

This biography tells the story of Bill Gates and his rise to power at Microsoft. Wallace and Abramson examine Gates’s business acumen and his ruthless drive to succeed.

13. The Innovators , by Walter Isaacson

How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution

Published in 2015 by Simon & Schuster

This book tells the story of the people who created the digital revolution, including Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Tim O’Reilly, and Larry Page, and Sergey Brin. Isaacson examines their lives and careers and the impact they have had on the world.

14. The Man Who Solved the Market , by Gregory Zuckerman

How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution

Published in 2019 by Portfolio Penguin

This biography tells the story of Jim Simons, a brilliant mathematician who founded one of the most successful hedge funds in the world. Zuckerman provides a fascinating look at Simons’s life and career, as well as the world of quantitative investing.

15. Losing My Virginity , by Richard Branson

How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way

Published in 1998 by Crown Currency

Losing My Virginity is a 1998 autobiography by British businessman Richard Branson. This book chronicles Branson’s early life and his rise to success as the founder of the Virgin Group, a multinational conglomerate that now includes over 400 companies in a wide range of industries, including aviation, music, retail, and telecommunications.

Check out our other Business & Economics recommendations:

7 Books That Will Revolutionize Your Approach to Innovation

10 Essential Books for Aspiring Marketers

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16 Essential Entrepreneurship Books for Success

9 Must-Read Economics Books

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18 Biographies of the Most Successful People in Business

It’s officially summer, so Fortune put together a reading list for those of us who can’t just sit idly by the pool with a mindless beach read.

With the help of Term Sheet readers, we compiled a list of some of the best business biographies of all time. These timeless reads are entertaining and deeply personal as they detail the lives of business magnates, tech titans, and media powerhouses.

Now, onto your suggestions:

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

A Bill Gates (and Term Sheet reader) favorite, Shoe Dog offers an inside look at how Phil Knight built his startup Nike into the global brand it is today.

Personal History by Katharine Graham

You’ve seen the movie, now read the book. Katharine Graham is the woman who led the Washington Post through the scandals of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate. This one has it all — courage, candor, and dignity.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

This is a personally revealing and complete biography of the man known everywhere as “The Oracle of Omaha.” Warren Buffett is one of the most respected businesspeople of our time, but his life has been a mix of strengths and frailties. As revealed in this book, Buffett’s legacy will not be his ranking on the scorecard of wealth — it will be his principles and ideas.

Related: The Best Business Books of All Time

THE ORIGINALS

Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson

You may already know that Franklin was a writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, but this is a look into how this country’s ultimate founder helped define America’s national identity.

Titan by Ron Chernow

John D. Rockefeller has been referred to as “the Jekyll-and-Hyde of American capitalism.” He was a ruthless business magnate while also being a major philanthropist. This one is a business staple.

Carnegie by Peter Krass

One of the major figures in American history, Andrew Carnegie was a businessman who made his fortune in the steel industry and ultimately gave most of it away. He used his wealth to ascend the world’s political stage, influencing the presidencies of Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt. In this compelling biography, Peter Krass reconstructs the complicated life of the titan who came to power in America’s Gilded Age.

Morgan, American Financier by Jean Strouse

For decades, J. Pierpont Morgan served as America’s unofficial central banker. He was the force behind mammoths like General Electric , U.S. Steel, and vast railroad empires. Since his death, he has remained a mysterious figure — both celebrated as a hero of industrial progress and also vilified as a rapacious robber baron.

The Patriarch by David Nasaw

This biography examines the life of Joseph P. Kennedy, the founder of the 20th century’s most famous political dynasty. It tracks the path of a man who participated in the major events of his times — the booms and busts, the Depression and the New Deal, two world wars, a cold war, and the birth of the New Frontier.

THE SELF-MADE

Sam Walton, Made in America by Sam Walton/John Huey

Over the course of his life, Sam Walton built one of the world’s largest and most powerful corporations from scratch. This is the story of a small-town folk hero who revolutionized retail distribution and changed the game as we know it. Hard to believe that was once a single store in a tiny town is now a behemoth with revenue to the tune of $500 billion.

I Love Capitalism! by Ken Langone

The life of Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone is a perfect portrayal of the American Dream. He recounts how a poor boy from Long Island became one of the most successful businessmen in America. In this memoir, Langone walks readers through how he struggled to get an education, broke into Wall Street, and scrambled for an MBA.

Jack, Straight From the Gut by Jack Welch

Under Jack Welch’s leadership, General Electric reinvented itself several times over by integrating new and innovative practices into its many lines of business. This book recounts his career and the style of management that helped to make GE one of the most successful companies of the last century.

THE TECH TITANS

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and The Age of Amazon by Brad Stone

It is mind-boggling to think Amazon started out as an online bookstore. That wasn’t nearly enough for its wildly ambitious founder, Jeff Bezos. This is an in-depth account of how Bezos’ large bets forever transformed the retail industry.

Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance

I personally like this book because it delves into the psyche of one of the most innovative (albeit unusual) entrepreneurs of our time. Vance gives readers an exclusive look into SpaceX , Tesla, and SolarCity, while also giving us a better understanding of Elon Musk’s mind.

Wild Ride by Adam Lashinsky

Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky wrote about Travis Kalanick, one of the most polarizing figures in Silicon Valley. Lashinsky takes readers on quite a ride as he meticulously details Uber’s meteoric rise — and its jaw-dropping plunge into controversy.

THE DISRUPTORS

A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War by Ronald K. Fierstein

This biography delves into the life of Edwin Land, the breakthrough inventor of the Polaroid. At the time of his death, he stood third on the list of most prolific inventors, behind only Thomas Edison and one of Edison’s colleagues. It’s a compelling look at the man behind one of the most important legal battles over intellectual property of our time — Polaroid versus Kodak.

Bloomberg by Bloomberg by Michael Bloomberg

Brash, aggressive, and supremely self-confident, Michael Bloomberg has been hailed as the new standard for what it takes to win in the Information Age. His specialized media approach — including manipulable online data feeds, a global newswire, and extensive magazine and broadcast outlets — have turned the business of business news upside down.

THE LEADERS

Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead by Cecile Richards

Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards has been an activist since she was taken to the principal’s office in seventh grade for wearing an armband in protest of the Vietnam War. She had a remarkable childhood in conservative Texas, where her civil rights attorney father and activist mother taught their kids to be troublemakers. In the Richards household, the “dinner table was never for eating—it was for sorting precinct lists.”

The House of Dimon by Patricia Crisafulli

In a candid look at Wall Street’s top banker, former business journalist Patricia Crisafulli goes behind the scenes to recount the critical events that have shaped Dimon’s career. He managed to survive one of the most difficult and most tumultuous periods in Wall Street history. This story reveals how he did it and explores what lies ahead.

PS: I also asked Twitter for more biography suggestions — you can find them here .

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11 Biographies That Will Teach You More Than Any Business Book

Sometimes a 360-degree portrait of a real-life person beats general principles for business insight..

Say you're looking for expert guidance on how to advance your career or build a better business. Where do you turn? There are, of course, millions of books  offering advice and abstract principles on every aspect of business. But even after reading them, you may be left thinking, "That all sounds well and good, but what does that actually look like in practice?"

The place to turn, according to one entrepreneur, is biographies. On Twitter recently, founder and CTO Colin Landforce confessed that he's traded in general advice for deeper dives into the lives of past innovators . "I stopped reading business books a while ago. I'm reading history and biographies instead," he tweeted. 

Looking for titles to add to his to-read queue, Landforce asked his 20,000-plus followers to suggest great biographies and memoirs. More than 100 ideas poured in. Landforce helpfully sorted through the suggestions to weed out repetitions and self-promoters, coming up with a final tally of 43 recommendations. The full list is here or, to get you started, here are a handful of the most promising. 

1. The Tycoons by Charles R. Morris

A group biography of four Gilded Age men who created the modern American economy (for better and for worse): Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, and J.P. Morgan. 

2. The Innovators by Walter Isaacson  

The Innovators is celebrated biographer Walter Isaacson's deep dive into the history of the digital revolution, tracing the origins of the internet from its beginnings with Ada Lovelace to the contributions of contemporary visionaries like Tim Berners-Lee and Larry Page. 

3. The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen 

This book has nothing to do with fish or whales but is instead "the fascinating untold tale of Samuel Zemurray, the self-made banana mogul who went from penniless roadside banana peddler to kingmaker and capitalist revolutionary," according to Amazon. Booklist insists "it is nearly impossible to put the book down."

4. American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography traces the life of physicist Robert Oppenheimer from his early career to his work on the Manhattan Project developing the atom bomb to his later misgivings about the impact of his life's work upon the world. 

5. The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro  

Another Pulitzer Prize winner, this biography of New York politician and "master builder" Robert Moses  garnered ecstatic reviews. The Sunday Times called it "simply one of the best nonfiction books in English of the past 40 years." Focused not just on the man but also on the city he remade, the book is "surely the greatest book ever written about a city," according to legendary journalist David Halberstam. 

6. The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger 

Best-selling author Brené Brown had this to say about the former Disney CEO's memoir : "I expected a book written by the person who has led Disney for decades to be defined by both gripping storytelling and deep leadership wisdom. Bob Iger delivers, and then some! The Ride of a Lifetime is leadership gold."

7. The Box by Marc Levinson

A biography of a technology rather than a person, this book by economist Marc Levinson unravels how the rise of container shipping quietly remade our economy and fueled the rise of globalization. 

8. Grinding It Out by Ray Kroc 

 In Grinding It Out , the McDonald's founder explains how he revolutionized the restaurant business at the not-so-tender age of 52 while also opening up about his personal life and philosophy. 

9. Tap Dancing to Work by Carol J. Loomis

This collection of writings from a journalist and longtime friend of Warren Buffett 's charts the rise of Berkshire Hathaway and attempts to explain what about Buffett's character and approach led him to become one of the world's most successful investors. 

10. The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

Actually a historical novel about the battle between Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla to electrify America, The Last Days of Night was Mark Zuckerberg's pick for his top summer book. Read it for entertainment value as much as historical and business insight. 

11. The Man Who Solved the Market by Gregory Zuckerman

This biography that reads like a page-turner tells "the unbelievable story of a secretive mathematician who pioneered the era of the algorithm--and made $23 billion doing it," according to Amazon. 

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10 Must-Read Inspiring Biographies of Business Leaders Take a page from the book of the lives of these famous entrepreneurs.

By Lindsay LaVine Feb 13, 2013

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Starting a business from the ground up can be at times lonely, stressful and all-consuming. Take a break and read the advice from successful entrepreneurs who've mastered the fields of technology, fashion, retail, real estate and more.

These men and women have been in your shoes and lived to tell the tale. Read on to find inspiration in their trials and triumphs.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Steve Jobs (Simon & Schuster , 2011) By Walter Isaacson

What began in Steve Jobs' parents' garage in the 1970s laid the groundwork for revolutionary innovation in technology. From personal computers to animated films, how we listen to and purchase music, use our phones and even read books, Jobs left his indelible print on how we communicate, entertain and live. Based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs himself and hundreds more with those who knew him, this no-limits, warts-and-all biography sheds light on a complicated man and his vision for how technology could be.

Inspirational Quote: "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." -- Steve Jobs

Related: Remembering Steve Jobs: One Year Later

Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way (Crown Business, 2011) By Richard Branson

Don't be intimidated by the more than 600 pages in this entertaining autobiography. In Losing My Virginity, Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, shares how his early experiences shaped his later business ventures. When he met with "experts" who advised he not enter an already crowded field, Branson followed his gut, with his trademark slogan, "Oh, screw it. Let's do it." Part memoir, part business guide for entrepreneurs, Branson's belief that customer service reigns supreme is a theme throughout his businesses, from airlines to mobile and beyond.

Inspirational Quote: "Most 'necessary evils' are far more evil than necessary." --Richard Branson

Related: Richard Branson on Entrepreneurial Determination

Built from Scratch by Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus

Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew the Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion (Crown Business, 1999) By Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, with Bob Andelman

In 1978, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank were executives who'd just heard the two words that strike fear in the hearts of employees everywhere: You're fired. Their perspective changed, however, when a friend told them they'd "been kicked in the a** with a golden horseshoe." The firings, in fact, were a blessing in disguise. Built from Scratch is the inside story of how two determined executives constructed the Home Depot empire from the ground up.

Inspirational Quote: "You want a formula for success? Take two Jews who have just been fired, add an Irishman who just walked away from a bankruptcy and an Italian running a no-name investment banking firm." -- Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hseih

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose (Business Plus Hachette Book Group, 2010) By Tony Hsieh

Tony Hsieh's entrepreneurial spirit emerged when he was just nine years old and launched his first business -- a worm farm. When that didn't pan out, he moved on, undeterred, to businesses ranging from publishing a newsletter and selling it to classmates and running garage sales, all before high school. In 1998, at age 24, he sold his company LinkExchange, an online banner advertising program, to Microsoft for $265 million. He joined Zappos shortly after and helped create a company culture that infuses the science of happiness into its business model. That vision statement, to deliver happiness to the world, has drawn new and repeat customers to the site.

Inspirational Quote: "We wanted to run our own business, and be in control of our own destiny. We had no idea where it would lead us, but wherever it was, we knew it had to be better than feeling bored and unfulfilled. We were ready for an adventure." -- Tony Hsieh

By Invitation Only by Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop (Penguin Group, 2012) By Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

Fashionistas, rejoice! The co-founders of Gilt Group, the first invite-only online trunk show brought excitement to thousands of savvy shoppers and brought the thrill of a daily sample sale to the masses when it started in 2007. What began as a friendship at Harvard Business School over a shared love of fashion blossomed into a business reportedly valued at over $1 billion. With chapters ranging from how to hire an effective team to dealing with the recession, By Invitation Only shares the inspiring true story of one of the most successful startups of the past decade.

Inspirational Quote: "On that first day we sensed something revolutionary was happening: people were genuinely excited about Gilt. We had created a website that could potentially change the rules of retail, for both shoppers and brands." -- Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

Idea Man by Paul Allen

Idea Man: A Memoir by the Co-Founder of Microsoft (Penguin Group, 2011) By Paul Allen

In 1974 at 21 years old, Paul Allen teamed up with childhood friend Bill Gates to create programming language for the first personal computer. They worked together since their teens on professional programming jobs, but believed they were the ones who could write the code that, at the time, engineers didn't believe was possible. The famously private Allen opens up about the founding of Microsoft, as well as his adventures after he stepped down from the company he helped create (advances in space travel and brain mapping, to name a few).

Inspirational Quote: "Any crusade requires optimism and the ambition to aim high." -- Paul Allen

Wild Company by Mel and Patricia Ziegler

Wild Company: The Untold Story of Banana Republic (Simon & Schuster, 2012) By Mel and Patricia Ziegler

When Mel and Patricia Ziegler met (in the newsroom of the San Francisco Chronicle) they wanted to travel the world, but as a young writer and artist they lacked the money or means to do so. Wild Company tells the story of how the pair, armed with creativity and passion (but no business training), built an empire from military surplus clothing finds plucked from their travels to create Banana Republic.

Inspirational Quote: "The only asset we had was our own oblivion. That would keep us blissfully ignorant of the bewildering and arbitrary impediments that would entangle us until we became so embroiled that quitting was no longer a possibility." -- Mel Ziegler

Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie

Start Something That Matters (Spiegel & Grau, 2011) By Blake Mycoskie

In 2006, Blake Mycoskie traveled to Argentina to take some time off from his fourth startup and explore the culture of another country. What he found was a great need among children's charities for shoes. Mycoskie knew he had to help, and the idea for TOMS shoes was born. The concept for the company is simple: Sell a pair of shoes today, give a pair of shoes to a child in need tomorrow. Mycoskie shares with readers lessons learned while creating TOMS, how to develop and tell your company's story, and how to be resourceful without having resources.

Inspirational Quote: "You don't have to have a lot of money, a complicated business plan, or a great deal of experience to start something." -- Blake Mycoskie

Shark Tales by Barbara Corcoran with Bruce Littlefield

Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 Into a Billion Dollar Business (Penguin Group, 2011) By Barbara Corcoran with Bruce Littlefield

Before becoming one of the Sharks on ABC's Shark Tank, Barbara Corcoran held 22 jobs by the age of 23. It was number 23, a small real estate company that would eventually lead her to founding the Corcoran Group, a $6 billion dollar company. Combining lessons learned from her childhood in New Jersey among nine brothers and sisters with lessons from the cut throat world of New York real estate, Corcoran offers entrepreneurs valuable advice for starting their own business. Inspirational Quote: "The story of my billion-dollar business starts like this: I borrowed $1,000 from a friend." -- Barbara Corcoran

The Martha Rules by Martha Stewart

The Martha Rules (Rodale, 2005) By Martha Stewart

The Martha Rules consists of ten rules and a roadmap for entrepreneurs to create their own successful businesses. The book started as a project to help fellow inmates during her incarceration in a federal prison in 2004. The Martha Rules examine the importance of passion, quality, growth and taking risks. The first chapter, for example, is devoted to finding your passion and developing a business. Later chapters tout the importance of continued learning, innovation, and surrounding yourself with the right people.

Inspirational Quote: "Build your business success around something that you love -- something that is inherently and endlessly interesting to you." -- Martha Stewart

Lindsay LaVine is a Chicago-based freelance writer who has worked for NBC and CNN.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

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Thought Leaders: 7 Business Biographies That Will Actually Teach You Something

Business biographies are a fascinating niche. Part how to, part battle against the odds, they can provide a helpful jolt of inspiration and motivation when we need it most.

That’s not to say by reading Richard Branson’s autobiography you’re suddenly on course to set up a luxury space travel business, but there’s certainly tidbits of transferable knowledge in there that might help you in a variety of circumstances.

Here’s our pick of the most informative, inspiring, entertaining and motivating business biographies.

Losing My Virginity – Richard Branson

“You will either go to prison or be a millionaire.” So said Richard Branson’s former headmaster, a line which Branson enjoys recounting in his autobiography, Losing My Virginity. As far as entrepreneurial autobiographies go it’s unmissable reading, chronicling the life of a man who along with Elon Musk is currently giving NASA a run for their money on the space travel front.

With ample sections dedicated to business and pleasure, adventure and bravado, it’s a rip-roaring business yarn chronicling an extraordinary life.

Key Takeaway: Taking risk. Business is full of them and of course risk does not always equal reward but from being brave enough to rival BA to the Tubular Bells punt that bankrolled his music label, gut-driven risk-taking has paid off handsomely for Branson.

Buy now at Amazon

That Will Never Work – Marc Randolph

Mark Randolph’s That Will Never Work acts a trip down memory lane for the entrepreneur as he talks readers through the early years of a little company he co-founded called Netflix. Rising from the ashes of a dead industry it was the power of algorithms that sparked real momentum when recommendations for niche and non-blockbusters allowed the company to save money licensing popular titles.

Two buy-out attempts, by Amazon and Blockbuster, were batted away before the company went public in 2002.

Key Takeaway: Don’t sit around waiting for a eureka moment. Randolph stresses this in the book and debunks the myth that it was consistent late fees on a rental copy of Apollo 13 that inspired Netflix. Instead, it’s the constant back and forth and refinement of ideas that leads to success.

Banking On It – Anne Boden

Anne Boden has said in interviews that Banking On It is not a memoir as there’s still so much to come, but despite this, Boden’s retelling of the Starling Bank story and its revolutionary entrance onto the post-2008 banking scene is part business book, part financial tell-all.

From the much reported Monzo coup to the remarkable almost miss of the message that secured funding, the Starling Bank story is a blue chip epic that will no doubt one day lend itself handsomely to the big screen.

Key Takeaway: Be the revolution you wish to see in the industry. So you, a 5ft Welsh woman in your fifties, want to challenge the most monolithic, exclusive industry on earth, do you? Pull the other one. But that’s exactly what Boden did. No mountain is too high.

Buy now at WHSmith

Let My People Go Surfing – Yvon Chouinard

The name Yvon Chouinard probably won’t ring as many bells in the UK as it does in the United States, but after the rising popularity of outdoor and technical wear , his brand Patagonia certainly will.

Chouinard’s book tells the story of an outdoors enthusiast who reluctantly fell into business creating the clothes he himself wished to go on adventures in. His company soon skyrocketed but his morals and convictions remained the same and as a result he’s steered his company towards being one of the most sustainable and forward-thinking on earth.

Key Takeaway: You don’t have to be a dick. It might sound simple, but you can run a multimillion pound business and not be a money-hungry bastard, hell-bent on world destruction in the pursuit of profits. Innovation can go hand-in-hand with conservation.

Buy now at Blackwells

Shoe Dog – Phil Knight

Starting with the company’s inception in 1960 and finishing with the debut public offering in the 1980s, Shoe Dog is the memoir from Nike Founder Phil ‘Buck’ Knight.

It’s difficult to compile any list of business biographies without it and needless to say it’s a fountain of intriguing insight and transferable lessons. From picking a logo and name to the importance of overcoming setbacks, Shoe Dog is a monumental piece of writing from one of the most notable businessmen of the 21st century.

Key Takeaway: Growth can be low and slow. Knight’s account of Nike in the book starts in 1962, but there’s a whole decade of low-key trials and tribulations and gradual but not particularly dramatic progress until genuine recognition in 1972 when his consistent appearances at track and running events are rewarded with uptake of the brand. Be patient.

Zero To One – Peter Thiel

Transforming online payments forever, and making a fortune whilst doing so, Paypal founder Peter Thiel is one of Silicon Valley’s most recognised icons. Zero To One compiles his thoughts and the lessons learned building one of the most successful start ups ever out of what has been the modern California gold rush.

Tinged with Thiel’s trademark outspoken manner, Zero To One covers everything one needs to consider when running a tech business, from teams to monopolies.

Key Takeaway: Be unique. Simple enough, huh? Yet Thiel has some good points to make: it’s not enough for your idea to be unique, it has to be equally valuable. However, if it’s both of those, you save yourself a lot of competition and you can swap the hassle of marketing wars for time spent focusing on development.

How I Built This – Guy Raz

The last entry on our list isn’t a biography or memoir per say, but along with its namesake NPR podcast, How I Built This is a must for those interested in business, entrepreneurialism and how some of the world’s most notable brands came to be.

Pulling together the lessons learned from interviews with company founders spanning the likes of Patagonia, Headspace and Dell, to name but a few, the book is the perfect written companion to the award-winning podcast and bursting with insight and human experience.

Key Takeaway: Resilience is key. The stories businesspeople recount to Raz are as much about riding through hard times as they are of smart, innovative ideas. With world-challenging ideas often comes equally large problems and setbacks. The the most successful people batten down the hatches and hold on for dear life until the storm is over.

Buy now at Waterstones

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Founders pick the 12 best books on entrepreneurship that every business owner should read in 2023

• Books are a great way for aspiring and early founders to learn from successful business owners.
• Founders said they'd learned business theories and financial advice from books by entrepreneurs.
• Here are 12 of the best books to read to prepare for the new year as a founder.

There's a continued interest in becoming a founder: 418,905 businesses launched in November , and more than 10 million business applications have been filed since the start of 2020.

For entrepreneurs, including those who started businesses in the past three years, books can be a valuable resource for advice and guidance from some of the most successful founders. What's more, books on business, team building, or founder stories can offer invaluable insight and knowledge.

Insider asked founders to recommend the one book they'd suggest all aspiring or early entrepreneurs read in the new year. Everything from financial advice to various business theories are explored in the pages of the following 12 books.

'Who Says Elephants Can't Dance' by Louis V. Gerstner Jr.

"Who Says Elephants Can't Dance" was written by Louis V. Gerstner Jr., a businessperson best known for his time as the chair of the board and CEO of IBM from 1993 to 2002.

His story covers his time at IBM, including how he transformed its company culture and turned around the firm's finances.

"It's about organizational theory and how IBM changed who they were as a company," Gina Luari, a 31-year-old a restaurant-group owner in Hartford, Connecticut , said, adding that the book had resonated with her since she was in college.

"It spoke a lot about culture, how companies and departments talked to one another, and what really makes the inner workings of a company," she said 

Buy the book here .

'The One Thing' by Gary Keller

"The One Thing" is by Gary Keller, an author and the founder of the real-estate company Keller Williams Realty Inc., and Jay Papasan, an author and the vice president and executive editor at Keller Williams.

It covers productivity through the lenses of clutter, distractions, stress, energy, and success, as well as how entrepreneurs can cut through the noise.

For Luari, the book's message aligns with how she runs her business.

"We're just focused on brunch — we don't do anything else," she said, adding that she believed in the theory that sticking to one thing and doing it well was the route to success.

"I really recommend reading it, especially if somebody's just trying to be an entrepreneur, launch a product or a service," she said. "It really explains how being hyperfocused on one thing is going to give you exponential results." 

'We Should All Be Millionaires' by Rachel Rodgers

"We Should All Be Millionaires" was written by Rachel Rodgers, an attorney, business owner, and self-made millionaire. She founded Hello Seven, a membership and coaching community that helps women and underrepresented people build wealth through businesses. 

The book shares a step-by-step approach to support, confidence, and financial success in business.

"Reading from other people who have been in my shoes, and using some of their advice coupled with what I've learned, is really helping me," Deidre Mathis, the founder of the hostel company Wanderstay , said. "It's going to continue to help me through this whole process."

'The Millionaire Next Door' by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko

"The Millionaire Next Door" was written by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. Stanley was a business theorist and author who covered wealthy Americans. Danko is an author covering consumer behavior and wealth and a professor of marketing at the State University of New York in Albany.

The book covers seven traits of people who have accumulated wealth. 

"Planning for your financial future is something that our society doesn't really teach enough," Seth Fowler, a cofounder of Apthcry, a sock company, said.

Fowler was not good with his money in his 20s, he said.

"As I finally got to the end of my 20s into my 30s, I'm focusing on a lot more," he added. "I think having a foundation for retirement is really important."

'Shoe Dog' by Phil Knight

"Shoe Dog" was written by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. The book is a memoir of Knight's journey running the brand through its launch and evolution. 

"Now you see this amazing finished brand that's worth billions of dollars, but you don't see him selling shoes out of the back of his car or working with manufacturers in China," Fowler said, adding that the book included aspects of Nike's humble beginnings that readers may not know or remember. 

'Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant' by Robert T. Kiyosaki

"Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant" was written by Robert T. Kiyosaki, the founder of Rich Global LLC and the Rich Dad Co., a financial-education company.

In the book, Kiyosaki teaches readers methods for gaining wealth and describes four types of people: solopreneurs, employees, business owners and investors. He then explains the differences between these people and how some can work less but earn more.

The personal-finance book helped Kenny Young , the founder and CEO of the glamorous-camping-event company Pitched Glamping, as he determined where he wanted to take his business next.

"It really comes down to what you want to build," he said. "There are times I wish I was a solopreneur, but I know that what I want to build, it can't exist with just a solopreneur model."

'The Mystery of You' by Emilio Diez Barroso

"The Mystery of You" was written by the entrepreneur and investor Emilio Diez Barroso, the owner of the private-equity firm Nala Investments. The book is about finding inner peace while being successful.

Lauren Bush Lauren, the founder of the accessories brand Feed Projects, called it a "beautiful" book and told Insider she planned on bringing it with her to her company's annual retreat. 

"So much of how we show up at work relates to how we show up in life," she said, adding that Diez Barroso was a friend of hers. "He relates it back to work and his own journey," she said.

'Shortcut Your Startup' by Courtney Reum and Carter Reum

Brothers Courtney and Carter Reum are former Goldman Sachs investment bankers who became entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. They founded and sold the liquor brand VEEV Spirits, then started an investing platform called M13. "Shortcut Your Startup" is a guidebook based on their experience running their businesses and investing in more than 130 companies, including Lyft, Warby Parker, and Pinterest.  

Jonathan Zacharias, a cofounder and the president of the marketing agency GR0, recommended the book for its breadth of insight, from tactical operational advice to how to run a marketing campaign.  

"It gives you a ton of tricks on how to start and grow a business fast from two impressive guys who have funded over 10 unicorns and know exactly how to start and exist businesses," he wrote in Insider's founder survey. 

Buy the book here. 

'The Billionaire Who Wasn't' by Conor O'Clery

The biography "The Billionaire Who Wasn't" details the life of Chuck Feeney, who founded Duty Free Shoppers, credited as the world's largest duty-free retail chain. His fortune landed him on Forbes' richest list in 1988. Meanwhile, he donated his wealth to his foundation Atlantic Philanthropies and inspired a movement of billionaires who dedicate a majority of their wealth to charity.

Alpay Koralturk, the founder and CEO of the furniture-resale platform Kaiyo, recommended this book in Insider's founder survey. 

"It's a page-turner about the life of one of the most natural born entrepreneurs ever to live, who also happens to be one of the most giving people on the planet," he wrote. "I think every entrepreneur should know about Chuck Feeney and consider adding him to their list of role models." 

Buy the book here.  

'The Power of Now,' by Eckhart Tolle

"The Power of Now" is a spiritual self-help book in which author Eckhart Tolle teaches readers to live in the present and find their true selves. 

Brian Meiggs , the founder of the media company My Millennial Guide, recommended this book for founders because it shows them how to be present and focused when starting a new business. 

"One of the biggest mistakes founders make is trying to improve their ideas rather than explore new ones," he wrote in Insider's survey. "If you can learn to focus on the tasks at hand instead of getting distracted by your thoughts and trying to change them, you will be much more successful in life and business."

Buy the book here.

‘Scaling Up’ by Verne Harnish

"Scaling Up" is a business book written by entrepreneur Verne Harnish, who owns an executive education and coaching company by the same name. He shares his tips for scaling a company based on what he calls the "Rockefeller habits" which organizes company decisions into four categories: people, strategy, execution, and cash.

Dee C. Marshall, founder and CEO of training and development company Diverse & Engaged, recommended this book in Insider's survey as a resource for founders who are growing their businesses. 

"This book is helpful for any founder who wants to scale their business because of the proven steps known as the Rockefeller Habits," she wrote, adding that it pairs well with the author's online course.

'Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity' by David Allen

"Getting Things Done" is a business book written by management consultant and executive coach David Allen. He breaks down how to define productivity and what it looks like, then gives his methodology for time management. 

Valerie Seid, a cofounder of home healthcare service Pardigm, read the book after attending one of the author's productivity seminars, she wrote in Insider's survey. 

"Allen teaches that you must capture, clarify, and organize absolutely everything, even the seemingly insignificant tasks," she wrote. "My favorite rule: if you can do it in two minutes, do it now, otherwise delegate it or defer it."

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more .

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Small Business Trends

Best business books of all time.

If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more .

Table of Contents

What Business Books Should I Read?

Below is our must-read list of the best business books of all time.

This list isn’t just a compilation; it’s a gateway to the wisdom of experts, offering insights into the business world’s triumphs and failures. These timeless books have helped shape the course of business history, providing valuable lessons to readers.

Perhaps you are a beginner just entering the business world or are looking for the best entrepreneur books. Or perhaps you are an experienced professional seeking the best management books. Or maybe, just maybe, you want to find the best books on how to run a small business.

No matter your stage in the business world, our list offers value. From novice entrepreneurs to experienced managers and small business owners, there’s something for everyone. It provides a broad spectrum of knowledge, catering to diverse business interests and expertise levels.

Reading great business books is one of the most cost-effective methods to become a whip-smart business person. As business book editors, we read a lot of books — and this curated book list is to bring you the best choices.

Indeed, reading top-notch business books is a smart investment of time and money. As business book editors, we’ve navigated the sea of literature to distill the most potent wisdom and strategies for you. This list will guide you towards making the right choices in the business landscape.

Top 10 Business Books of All Time

• “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
• “This Is Marketing” by Seth Godin
• “Deep Work” by Cal Newport
• “The Innovator’s Dilemma” by Clayton M. Christensen
• “First, Break All The Rules” by Marcus Buckingham
• “Positioning” by Al Ries and Jack Trout
• “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz
• “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini
• “Good to Great” by Jim Collins
• “Built to Last” by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras

Our first list focuses on the top business books overall, some of which may be familiar to you as they’ve attained the status of classics. These universally admired selections constitute some of the most widely-read and influential business books, making them compulsory reading for anyone looking to expand their business acumen.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

How to Win Friends and Influence People is a classic for any professional person, with timeless ideas that are still relevant to today’s business environment. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is about people and that’s the secret. Use the Dale Carnegie system to win friends, influence people, and connect with employees and team members in an authentic way.

This is Marketing

This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See is an Amazon bestseller by veteran marketer Seth Godin. You don’t have to be a professional marketer to realize that marketing is everywhere. Seth Godin addresses the colossal shift in marketing from pushing your message and your offer down the throats of unwilling customers, to focus your marketing efforts on “people like us”. Get this Seth Godin book on Amazon.

If you want to get the right things done, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport will show you how. Instead of multitasking. Deep Work shares research and a common-sense process that will inspire you to dig in and get stuff done. If you need to get and stay focused on achieving your goals, read Deep Work .

The Innovators Dilemma

In the age of disruption, you need a solid guide for figuring out how to pivot. The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen. Christensen focuses on showing you how to listen to customers so that you know where to invest your resources.

First Break All the Rules

If you want to be the best founder you can be, you’ll have to break some rules. First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham is based on an extensive research study by the Gallup Organization.

Positioning

First published in 1989, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout is a classic marketing book. If you do nothing more in marketing, you should learn how to position your brand in the mind of your customer. Ries and Trout include dozens of real-world cases and insightful analyses. Positioning is required reading if you are looking for tips on breakthrough advertising.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Ben Horowitz is considered an icon by many entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers is based on Horowitz’s popular blog and provides strategies for navigating building and running a startup. Ben Horowitz shares his best advice on how to fire employees (even a friend), confront competitors, and maybe most importantly, how to cultivate a CEO mentality.

When it comes to influence and persuasion, the one name that comes up most often is Robert Cialdini. His groundbreaking book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion is a book that gives you greater insight into the psychology behind persuasion and marketing in a way that will help you grow personally and professionally, Robert Cialdini outlines the six principles of persuasion in a logical manner.

Good to Great

Ever wondered why some companies succeed and others don’t? Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins provides a compelling answer. First published in 2001, the primary lesson in Good to Great has remained relevant over the years — discipline. Even though some of the companies listed weren’t able to sustain their greatness, the insights by the author remain relevant.

Built to Last

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras is the result of a six-year research study about what qualities make visionary companies. The authors focused on 18 well known, well established, and healthy companies (‘visionaries’), and compared them to a counterpart in their niche or industry. Bet you didn’t know that the term “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” was coined by Jim Collins in Built to Last.

Best Business Books for Beginners

For those just embarking on their business journey – be it a recent graduate, a newly promoted manager, or an emerging entrepreneur – the following books are just what you need. Chosen for their timeless lessons and universal insights, these books offer a solid foundation for beginners.

• “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey
• “Getting Things Done” by David Allen
• “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss
• “The New One Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
• “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
• “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath
• “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” by Al Ries and Jack Trout
• “Rework” by Jason Fried
• “Dare to Lead” by Bréne Brown
• “The Psychology of Selling” by Brian Tracy

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition by Steven Covey is just as relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1989. You may think of this book as a self-improvement book, but at the heart of every successful entrepreneur is self-discipline and good habits. To gain the habits of highly effective people, get this book on Amazon or the Franklin Covey site.

Getting Things Done

The original Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen was published in 2001 and started a productivity movement that has changed how we work. Reprinted in 2015, the new version of Getting Things Done stays true to the key principles of staying relaxed and getting everything out of your head and into a system.

4-Hour Workweek

There’s a difference between being efficient and effective. The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated by Timothy Ferriss challenges the cultural norms of working life and our assumptions. The book helps you design a lifestyle to get away from the drudgery of mind-numbing work and build a life you love. Author Tim Ferriss has added an additional 100 pages to this updated 4-Hour Workweek, with case studies, tips and templates.

The New One Minute Manager

As engaging today as it was when first published in 1981, The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson is a parable of a young man looking for an effective manager — and more relevant than ever. With barely more than 100 pages, the book embodies the lesson it seeks to teach that short management moments yield big results.

Think and Grow Rich

If there were ever a classic, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill meets the definition. First published in 1937. Some people today question Hill’s abilities, but there’s a reason this book appears on so many lists of best business books for beginners. You can get this book on Amazon, but you can sometimes find it online for free.

Made to Stick

Why do some messages spread and others don’t? There are six traits that stand between a marketing message that falls flat and one that flies around the world in a viral wave. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath, outlines the anatomy of ideas that stick and explains ways to make ideas stickier. Understanding viral content will make you a better marketer.

Laws of Marketing

Some things work and others don’t and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason. In The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing , authors Al Ries and Jack Trout try to provide a sense of predictability by laying out 22 Laws of Marketing that you can use to create breakthrough advertising. Written in 2009, read this book for the big ideas like be first, be patient, be humble and not the specifics.

Just because you learned it in school or you may have practiced it years ago, doesn’t mean it’s still true. Rework by Jason Fried is a book that shows you how to see your world for what it is and manage accordingly. Jason Fried shares advice like stop glamorizing the startup, the “hustle” and workaholic behaviors. Instead, use simplicity as a differentiator. The key message from this management book is that not every piece of advice works for everyone. Be clear-headed about your business.

Dare to Lead

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Bréne Brown is a New York Times best seller for a reason. Bréne Brown has made being vulnerable and authentic a strength in today’s working environment. Brown engages vulnerability as a strength by providing research, sharing personal narratives, as well as offering practical advice, tips, and tools. The book is inspiring, easy to read, and has lots of positive reviews from past readers.

The Psychology of Selling

There are a lot of selling systems out there.  But The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy is a classic.  You will get an easy outline of the sales process and fantastic techniques to improve yourself and your sales presentations to close more sales.

Best Management Books

Effective leaders inspire action, boost employee engagement, and unlock a team’s potential. The ensuing list of management books, packed with powerful decision-making strategies and mindsets, will provide a roadmap for enhancing your leadership prowess and building high-performing teams.

• “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek
• “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim and Renée A. Mauborgne
• “Essentialism” by Greg Mckeown
• “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell
• “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek
• “Upstream” by Dan Heath
• “Never Split the Difference” by Chriss Voss
• “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg
• “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg
• “Hooked” by Nir Eyal

Start With Why

Great leaders inspire everyone. This job becomes much easier when you understand your why and can communicate it to your team. If you don’t have a burning desire or “why” established for your business, you’ll have a difficult time managing your team in a way that will help you reach your goals. In Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action , Simon Sinek breaks down how to rethink what you do each day in a different light.

Blue Ocean Strategy

Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by management experts W. Chan Kim and Renée A. Mauborgne, was first published in 2014 . The new and expanded edition of Blue Ocean Strategy brings all of the original case studies and examples up to date. It adds new material that addresses a manager’s key challenges and trouble spots in putting blue ocean strategy into practice.

Essentialism

Feel busy but not productive? Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown is the book you should be reading. Think of essentialism as minimalism. The idea is to pare down your “stuff” to what really matters to create a better life. Do less, do it better. Think of Essentialism as a productivity technique for figuring out what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that isn’t.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell is a book that analyzes the way people make decisions. Gladwell says that people use one of two strategies to come to a decision; a conscious strategy and an unconscious strategy in which a person’s brain reaches a conclusion in a matter of seconds. These conclusions are what we call hunches or instincts. It is the development and reliability of these types of decision making strategies that Malcolm Gladwell outlines in this book.

Leaders Eat Last

Leadership is more about helping people thrive and find meaning in their work than managing numbers. Unfortunately, many a manager seems to have lost sight of this fundamental truth. In Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t , Simon Sinek explains where we’ve gone wrong and puts out an urgent call for real leaders to step forth to make a positive difference.

Are you sick and tired of reacting to problems? Then  Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen  by Dan Heath us a must-read if you’re ready to stop the madness and prevent those problems from robbing you of your time and sanity. Dan Heath outlines three barriers to upstream thinking; Problem Blindness, Lack of Ownership, and Tunneling.

Never Split the Difference

Perhaps the most important management skills are conflict resolution and negotiation. Top FBI negotiator, Chriss Voss uses his negotiating skills to secure business deals in his book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It . You’ll learn nine effective principles, counter-intuitive tactics, and strategies that you can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal life.

The Power of Habit

Is management a talent or a skill? This question is deftly answered by Charles Duhigg in The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business . This book explores how habits are formed, what influences them, and how to create new habits. This isn’t just about personal habits. It’s about how to implement habits within an organization. This is a great book for understanding the social psychology and science behind habits, while providing practical tips that are relevant to today’s business environment.

One way to see where you stand on management as a woman leader is to read Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer. This book generated responses on all ends of the spectrum; both negative and positive.

As a manager, you’ll most likely be involved in creating, developing and selling products. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal is a great book for a manager who wants to understand insights around the user journey. This book will teach you how to create a lasting engagement with the user instead of designing for a one-off experience.

Best Entrepreneur Books and Startup Books

Venturing into entrepreneurship? You’re in the right place. The following selection comprises the best books for budding entrepreneurs and invaluable startup books for swiftly navigating the initial hurdles. These guides will assist you in effectively setting up and growing your business.

• “The Art of the Start 2.0” by Guy Kawasaki
• “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael Gerber
• “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
• “Escape From Cubicle Nation” by Pamela Slim
• “The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan” by Tim Berry
• “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries
• “The $100 Startup” by Chris Guillebeau
• “Grit” by Angela Duckworth
• “Start Your Own Business” by Rieva Lesonsky and the Editorial Staff of Entrepreneur Magazine
• “The Thank You Economy” by Gary Vaynerchuk

The Art of the Start 2.0

Written by iconic entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki, The Art of the Start 2.0: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything is an unvarnished take on what every startup should keep in mind when starting a business. Art of the Start covers topics such as innovating, recruiting, fundraising, and branding.

The E-Myth Revisited

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber is the updated version of his original groundbreaking book. The E-Myth assesses the most common problems faced by founders and co-founders. Michael Gerber guides small business owners through the process of embracing your “why” and then creating a process that shares that process and passion with team members.

Zero to One

In Zero to One: Notes on Start-Ups, or How to Build the Future , Peter Thiel and Blake Masters argue that as more and more businesses come into existence, innovation will be the gate to survival, and the monopoly may very well be the key. Peter Thiel and Blake Masters advise startups to think for themselves — don’t get caught up in culture or movements.

Escape From Cubicle Nation

Thinking about leaving your day job? Then read Escape From Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur by Pamela Slim. The book covers how to determine if you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur, how to recruit a team of advisors and tips on breaking free from your corporate job.

The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan

The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan (StartUp Series) by Tim Berry simplifies the planning process and reveals how to create business plans that grow with you. This book covers instructions to help you quickly build the type of plan that helps you take total control, improve profits, raise capital, operate a profitable enterprise, and stay ahead of the competition.

Lean Startup

The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries has become a classic. The Lean Startup gives entrepreneurs a way to test their vision, adapt, and adjust before it’s too late. Eric Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing a successful and lean startup in an age when companies need to innovate more than ever.

The $100 Startup

You don’t need a ton of money to start your business. In The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau, you’ll learn how to connect your skills and interests with what people want and how to test pricing and positioning to generate the highest profits.

If there’s anything that an entrepreneur needs, it’s grit; the ability to persevere in the face of obstacles, challenges, and rejections. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth gives entrepreneurs proof that you don’t have to be a genius to start and build a successful venture.

Start Your Own Business

Start Your Own Business: The Only Startup Book You’ll Ever Need by Rieva Lesonsky and the Editorial Staff of Entrepreneur Magazine is written with millions of freelancers in mind. This book will help you get through the first three years of being on your own. Find tips on everything from testing ideas to Facebook ads.

The Thank You Economy

The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk is like the “B-side” song that never became a big hit, but should have. Written in 2009, when Gary Vaynerchuk was more like everyone else than a celebrity. The Thank You Economy offers a customer-first strategy any entrepreneur can implement. This book is one of the best books for entrepreneurs because it gives practical, real life advice to use when building a business.

These are the best books for entrepreneurs that business owners can use to get real life advice that will help them on a business plan.

Best Books on How to Run a Small Business

While launching a business might seem straightforward, running it successfully requires dedication and discipline. For those seeking guidance, here is a collection of the best books on operating a small business, curated to equip you with essential tools and insights.

• “Built to Sell” by John Warrillow
• “J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes” by Barbara Weltman
• “Simple Numbers 2.0” by Greg Crabtree
• “Fix This Next” by Mike Michalowicz
• “Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business” by Fred S. Steingold
• “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki
• “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz
• “Atomic Habits” by James Clear

Built to Sell

You want to work on your business and not in it, but how? Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow shows you how. This book is written as a parable. The main character, Alex is struggling to sell his advertising agency. Alex turns to Ted, an entrepreneur and old family friend, who helps him transform his company.

J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes

J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes 2021: Your Complete Guide to a Better Bottom Line by Barbara Weltman is a must-read for owners who want to understand business taxes. After all, it’s not just about how much revenue your company generates, but how much you keep to turn into big profits.

Simple Numbers 2.0

If you had to choose between investing in yourself or the stock market — choose yourself. Simple Numbers 2.0 – Rules for Smart Scaling: A Play by Play Analysis for Pure Growth by Greg Crabtree shows you how to generate big profits. This book provides advice from Greg Crabtree on how to use data to find hidden opportunities for maximum return on investment.

Fix This Next

According to author, Mike Michalowicz, the biggest problem owners have is not knowing what their biggest problem is. Fix This Next: Make the Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business provides a simple problem-identification model that you can use to help you focus on the most important thing your company needs right now.

Legal Forms for Starting and Running a Small Business

Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business: 65 Essential Agreements, Contracts, Leases & Letters by Fred S. Steingold is an ideal book that contains all the forms you’ll need to manage and run your company. Each document comes with thorough, plain-English, line-by-line instructions.

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki highlights different attitudes towards money, work, and life and the need to build assets not debt. The author shares advice about what it takes to be financially literate — something every owner needs.

Profit First

Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz shows you how to use the “pay yourself first” philosophy to guarantee that your company is profitable.

Atomic Habits

Don’t let negative people drag you down. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

Best Business Biographies

Extraordinary leaders often start with a mere vision and inspire the creation of companies we admire today. The following business biographies offer unparalleled insights into the journeys of these leaders. Invest your time in understanding how they transformed into influential figures, with our goal being to provide value through these narratives.

• “Shark Tales” by Barbara Corcoran and Bruce Littlefield
• “The Everything Store” by Brad Stone
• “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” by Ashlee Vance
• “Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography” by Walter Isaacson
• “Empire State of Mind” by Zack O’Malley Greenburg
• “Business the Bill Gates Way” by Des Dearlove
• “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight
• “Warren Buffett on Business” by Warren Buffett
• “Losing My Virginity” by Richard Branson
• “Grinding It Out” by Ray Kroc

Shark Tales

Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran and Bruce Littlefield will inspire everyone to take action. After failing at 22 jobs, Corcoran borrowed $1,000 to start her real estate office in New York. In this book, she shares her common-sense advice on how to turn lemons into lemonade.

The Everything Store

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone tells the story of Amazon icon, Jeff Bezos. In July of 1995, Jeff Bezos started an online book store. But he wanted more than that. The Everything Store tells the story of Amazon and how it implements his vision of becoming the world’s most customer-centric company.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Experience a deep dive into controversial entrepreneur, Elon Musk. Written by Ashlee Vance, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future compiles more than forty hours of interviews into this fascinating history of one of today’s most visionary entrepreneurs. It’s ideal for those interested in innovative ideas or inspiring stories.

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

This Silicon Valley icon is just as popular today as he was decades ago. After hundreds of interviews with friends, family, and associates, Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson offers an unvarnished view of Steve Jobs and his obsessions, flaws, and genius.

Empire State of Mind

An inspirational biography of JayZ and how he went from being a rapper to entrepreneurial superstar. Written by Zack O’Malley Greenburg Empire State of Mind: How Jay Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office tells Jay Z’s story from the perspective of classmates, friends and the people who convinced him to focus on music.

Business the Bill Gates Way

Believe it or not, it’s hard to find a good biography about Bill Gates. After reviewing several, we chose Business the Bill Gates Way: 10 Secrets of the World’s Richest Business Leader by Des Dearlove. This book highlights universal strategies and identifies lessons that can be applied to any career.

Have you ever wondered what made Nike the iconic brand it is today? Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight tells the story of how he took $50 that he borrowed from his father and started building a shoe empire.

Warren Buffett on Business

The name Warren Buffett is synonymous with success with common sense. Warren Buffett on Business: Principles from the Sage of Omaha is a practical management handbook. Before Warren Buffett was a billionaire, he was a small business owner. You’ll learn how Warren Buffett incorporates his personal style and values into corporate governance: patience, perseverance, admitting mistakes, value-investing and having a sense of humor.

Losing My Virginity

Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way explains entrepreneurial icon Richard Branson’s meteoric rise to success. The book outlines what made him the daring, adventurous, go-with-the-flow entrepreneur he is today and what lessons you can learn from him.

Grinding it Out

You’re never too old to start a business. Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s by Ray Kroc is the personal story of the man behind McDonald’s meteoric growth. It’s a timeless story that’s still applicable to today’s businesses.

And that concludes our list. If we had more room we would have included such classics as Business Adventures by John Brooks, which Bill Gates called one of the best business books ever.

Our Methodology: The Best Business Books

Choosing the right business books can provide valuable insights, strategies, and inspiration for entrepreneurs and small business owners. To evaluate the top options, we employed an objective list of criteria.

Each factor we considered is listed below and rated on a scale of one to ten in terms of importance, with ten being of utmost importance. Here are the things we took into consideration when creating our list:

• Books that address current market trends and business technologies.
• Insights into contemporary business challenges and solutions.
• Authors with proven expertise or experience in their field.
• Credibility backed by real-world success or academic research.
• Actionable advice and strategies that can be applied to your business.
• Case studies or examples for practical understanding.
• Books that offer new, innovative viewpoints.
• Challenging conventional wisdom and presenting unique solutions.
• Positive feedback from other entrepreneurs and business professionals.
• Recommendations from trusted sources in the business community.
• Well-written and engaging content.
• Accessibility to readers with different levels of business expertise.
• Comprehensive coverage of the topic.
• Depth of content that provides a thorough understanding.
• Books that motivate and inspire entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.
• Relevance to a wide range of industries and business sizes.
• Books that offer enduring lessons, not just short-term trends.

Through this lens, we can sift through the plethora of business literature and highlight those books that are most likely to offer meaningful, transformative insights for business professionals.

Here’s a handy summary of the books mentioned in the article:

The Best Business Books on Digital Transformation in Business

As the business world continues to evolve with the advent of new technologies and digital platforms, understanding the impact of digital transformation has become crucial for entrepreneurs, managers, and business professionals.

Books to Explore:

• “Digital Transformation: Survive and Thrive in an Era of Mass Extinction” by Thomas M. Siebel : Siebel explores how businesses can navigate the massive shifts brought about by new technologies, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This book offers a roadmap for understanding and leveraging these changes for business success.
• “The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies” by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee : The authors delve into how recent advancements in digital technology are revolutionizing business, the economy, and society. They provide insights into harnessing these changes for innovative growth and competitive advantage.
• “Leading Digital: Turning Technology into Business Transformation” by George Westerman, Didier Bonnet, and Andrew McAfee : This book offers a framework for leaders to transform their organizations through digital technologies. It includes case studies and practical advice for integrating digital into your business strategy.
• “Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy—and How to Make Them Work for You” by Geoffrey G. Parker, Marshall W. Van Alstyne, and Sangeet Paul Choudary : Learn about the rise of platform-based businesses and how they are changing the rules of traditional business models. The authors provide strategies for creating and participating in these powerful ecosystems.
• “New Rules for the New Economy: 10 Radical Strategies for a Connected World” by Kevin Kelly : Kelly outlines the principles that govern the new digital economy, emphasizing the importance of networks, distributed innovation, and the power of the collective. This book is a guide for navigating and prospering in the interconnected world.

How Do You Choose a Business Book?

The factors to choose a good book are not always what you think. Successful people go beyond big-name authors or books about well-known figures. Such books don’t always have sufficient practical help for a startup entrepreneur or owners of smaller companies. We suggest you consider:

• Your goals – The business book category is broad, encompassing everything from Wall Street finance to marketing approaches, to stories about famous entrepreneurs. Pick the type of book to meet your need.
• Skill gaps – You don’t have to be an expert in everything. But you do need general knowledge about leadership, marketing, finance, management and more. Find your gaps and fill them.
• Inspiration – What will get you fired up? One thing that’s awesome about books is their ability to inspire and motivate.

Additional Reading Lists

See other best books for business people:

• Millionaire Books
• Top 10 Leadership Books
• Top Business Books for Kids
• Business Books for Women
• 10 Best Marketing Books
• 88 Great Sales Tips to Supercharge Your Sales Strategy
• Top Social Media Books

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The best business books of 2023: the financial times business book of the year award, recommended by andrew hill.

WINNER OF THE 2023 FT BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD

Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive by Amy Edmondson

If you like nonfiction books that will get you up to speed with what's going on in the world, the Financial Times annual book prize is a great place to start. If you run a business, one or two useful books also feature. Andrew Hill , the newspaper's senior business writer, talks us through the books that made the 2023 shortlist, from cobalt extraction in the Congo to how to manage the AI genie that's out of the bottle and coming towards us at speed.

Interview by Sophie Roell , Editor

Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway

How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between by Bent Flyvbjerg & Dan Gardner

Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara

The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma by Michael Bhaskar & Mustafa Suleyman

1 Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway

2 right kind of wrong: why learning to fail can teach us to thrive by amy edmondson, 3 how big things get done: the surprising factors that determine the fate of every project, from home renovations to space exploration and everything in between by bent flyvbjerg & dan gardner, 4 elon musk by walter isaacson, 5 cobalt red: how the blood of the congo powers our lives by siddharth kara, 6 the coming wave: technology, power, and the twenty-first century's greatest dilemma by michael bhaskar & mustafa suleyman.

B efore we get to the books, tell me a bit about this year’s Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award. What were the highlights of 2023?

For only the second time that I can remember, we had a book that the judges called in and put directly onto the shortlist. This was Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk. As the person who administers the prize, I would want it to be as rare as once a decade, because you want books to have gone through the longlist process. Isaacson’s book muscled its way onto the shortlist on the basis of being the newsy new book. That’s unusual but doesn’t say anything about its prospects to come out as a winner.

It’s an interesting shortlist because it divides into three pairs. One is natural resources and the environment – not so much climate change (although there was a climate change book on the longlist). Two of the books are about extractive natural resources. Those are Material World by Ed Conway and Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara.

Another theme was technology and AI . I didn’t think we would have any books about generative AI, because the big ChatGPT breakthrough that seemed to revolutionise everything didn’t happen until November of last year. But we had a couple of books on the longlist and Mustafa Suleyman’s The Coming Wave , which is about technology advances, got through to the shortlist. A lot of books on the longlist addressed the effect of technology and automation on jobs and people. I guess one could put the Musk biography into that category because of the various technologies that he’s worked on.

Let’s go through the books individually. Shall we start with Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future , by Ed Conway ? I remember reading the beginning and being quite struck by it. He is watching gold being extracted and thinking, ‘I wonder whether I really needed that gold wedding ring, now that I’ve seen what has to happen in order for it to come into existence.’

What I like about this book—and he makes this point very clearly—is that this is stuff that you can see. Ed Conway is a journalist for Sky News and of course TV journalists are always looking for things that can be filmed. Our review of the book pointed out that it’s a shame that there aren’t more pictures in it. He’s trying to paint a picture, and you want to see what he’s seeing, which is the extraordinary effort that goes into mining the six vital materials that he focuses on: salt, sand, iron, copper, oil, and lithium .

Let’s turn to Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive , by Amy Edmondson, one of the two books about failing you mentioned. In recent years, I’ve read quite a bit about failure being good for you. What does this book bring to the picture?

Amy Edmondson is a very distinguished Harvard researcher, best known for having explored the concept of ‘psychological safety.’ This is the idea, which she pursues further in this book, that you can only advance and become more successful if you are in an environment where you can safely admit—and indeed call out—errors and mistakes being made.

She did a lot of work, which recurs in this book, in the healthcare sector. That’s where she started and where she discovered—slightly to her astonishment—that it wasn’t the teams that were making the fewest errors that were the most successful. It was the teams that were admitting to the most errors, because they were then able to correct and work together to improve.

That is the fundamental underpinning of her research and that of others in this area. She bases this on a fundamental point: that if we’re not able to admit to failure and to approach failure in a constructive way, we’re never going to want to take any risks. We’re not going to be able to make the smarter and more adventurous decisions that lead us to advance.

I find it a very compelling hypothesis, well backed up by research and interesting tales – everything from the Columbia shuttle disaster to open heart surgery – to show how we reached the level of sophistication that we now have in some of these vital areas. I think it’s an important book from an important researcher.

So it’s not so much a self-help book about me, personally, failing in my daily life and learning from that — it’s more about society at large?

Let’s go on to the other failure book: How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors Behind Every Successful Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration , by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner. That sounds exciting, it’d be nice to get some big things done right now.

This book is exceptionally interesting. Bent Flyvbjerg is an Oxford-based Danish academic. He is the main writer and it’s mainly based on his work, with Dan Gardner as co-author. Flyvbjerg’s work is to look at megaprojects and he poses a law of megaprojects: that they generally go over budget and over time and why this is bad.

In the current circumstances, in the UK, there’s HS2, which Flyvbjerg has written about and talked about, but there are lots of great examples. He’s very fond of the Sydney Opera House debacle because it was a Danish architect who designed it. He points out that it essentially deprived the world of this architect’s future work because he was in such despair at the portrayal of the Sydney Opera House as a failure that he didn’t design anything much after that.

Let’s move on to Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson. I’m not generally drawn to biographies of tech gurus, but I read Isaacson’s book about Steve Jobs to prepare for a Five Books interview, and I was blown away by it. I was expecting great things from his Elon Musk book, but the reviews have been mixed. What’s your impression of the book?

The first thing to mention is that this is the second Elon Musk biography that has been on the short or longlist of the award. A few years ago, Ashlee Vance’s Elon Musk biography, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future , was on the longlist. Everybody thought it was great, but obviously Elon Musk was in an earlier phase of his rise to multibillionaire-dom.

This book is at a later phase, but it still isn’t done, as the book makes clear. Inevitably, you’ve got to put a full stop somewhere. The Steve Jobs biography came out just after Jobs had died, so, in a sense, there was a roundness to it that any Musk biography that comes out now isn’t going to achieve.

Isaacson sat at the feet of Musk – literally, in the same room as Musk – for two or three years, I think. The whole second half of the book is about the last three years, so it’s very detailed. It’s very much reporting. He doesn’t step back except right at the end, and then to make a rather general point about how you need the good and the bad in order to have a genius (which was similar to the Steve Jobs conclusion, if I remember correctly). Isaacson doesn’t say, ‘I’m now going to make a judgment on what’s happened.’ It’s very much an account of being with this extraordinary, tempestuous entrepreneur.

From that point of view, it fits into the historical record. Some of the things that have happened in the last few years, including the Twitter takeover, SpaceX, and Tesla — all the events that we’ve read about — are recounted from the Musk point of view in quite a lot of detail.

It’s a long book with very short chapters. It’s quite punchy, in that sense of ‘OK now we’re moving on’ which gives you a bit of an impression of what it must be like to live with or work with Elon Musk. But it doesn’t then step back and say how significant it is.

And, surprisingly, as somebody else pointed out recently, it’s not much about his businesses, as you might expect. There’s not a whole lot about ‘how has he managed to build this?’ It’s very much about the entrepreneurial leader.

Is there anything about Elon Musk that perhaps we don’t know that we’ll learn from this biography?

I think one of the revelations is that he has more children than we thought.

Putting my management hat back on, you get a bit more of an impression of this dynamo who is driving everything. One thing that stuck with me was this idea that he’ll take what had been, until Musk came along, a bureaucratic process, like launching a rocket, a lot of which is to do with safety and protocols, and he will tear it down to its bare essentials.

Let’s turn to Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara. At the beginning of the book, the author goes to the mining region of Katanga. It’s like scenes from the 19th century, with people working for very little money in horrible conditions.

Yes. I’ve been reading it on an iPad and it does make you put down your iPad and think, ‘What is in this thing that I am reading from?’ It’s about cobalt, a vital raw material and one that probably could have made it into Ed Conway’s Material World as a seventh critical material. It’s vital, particularly for rechargeable batteries, and therefore hugely in demand.

Siddharth Kara goes, literally, deep into the holes being dug, mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, by artisan miners who are pulling rocks from the ground in the most extraordinary circumstances. Kara interviews the workers and the traders who are buying it and, he alleges, putting it into the formal supply chain. There’s a shocking moment where he just throws in that none of them has ever held a mobile phone. And yet, they’re at the very end of the chain that leads to our iPhones and our electric cars.

It is a shocking account, and he sets it in the context of the terrible history of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo – previously Zaire, and before that the Belgian Congo – as a place that has been exploited, from the word go, for these minerals, which could have made its people wealthy and prosperous and well looked after.

It’s a shocking indictment and his underlying polemical point is that there are big companies who are whitewashing this out of the record, who are claiming to have a clean supply chain. His essential contention is there is no such thing as clean cobalt.

What’s upsetting is that this is a country of nearly 100 million people.

Yes, and his point is that at the top end – the bottom end, ethically speaking – of the DRC, there are people making out like bandits. There are literal bandits in this book, and there are also politicians who are creaming off an extraordinary amount of money.

Let’s turn to the final book on the 2023 Business Book of the Year shortlist: The Coming Wave: AI, Power and the Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Dilemma  by Mustafa Suleyman with Michael Bhaskar. Tell me about this book.

The Coming Wave is in that category of books I mentioned about technological progress and its consequences. It sets the advances in automation and in synthetic biology (e.g., gene splicing and DNA printing) and in quantum computing —these current waves of technology—in the context of what happened with past waves, including the Industrial Revolution , and the Luddites, who, bizarrely, crop up in three of this year’s longlisted books. (One of the longlisted books that didn’t make the shortlist – Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion against Big Tech , by Brian Merchant – is actually about the Luddites).

In the context of the history of technological advances, it’s asking, ‘What can we expect?’ It poses the question: ‘Can we contain the bad consequences of fast-moving technological advance and if so how?’

The main author, Mustafa Suleyman, who worked with Michael Bhaskar on the book, is a co-founder of DeepMind, which is now owned by Google. Google and DeepMind are at the heart of some of the technologies mentioned here that are being developed.

In the book, he points out that he started out thinking he was going to write a very optimistic book, as a techno optimist himself, and became more pessimistic. It ends with the anguished idea that we’re trying to contain the uncontainable. Suleyman thinks containment is the way to approach this. It can’t be regulated away: there isn’t enough that any individual regulator can do. But he lays out some ways in which he thinks that the potentially lethal consequences of some of these advances might be contained and channelled.

He makes a lot out of the positive aspects as well, all the amazing things that you can do by combining AI, quantum computing, and synthetic biology, in terms of preserving and extending life, and making life better.

But the overall impression I got from the book is that it’s a warning. We’ve got to work now to think about ways in which we can at least impose some guardrails that prevent this becoming a disaster for humanity. And that, as I say, is slightly echoed in some of the other books that made it to the longlist this year.

What is the worst-case scenario, then, if everything goes wrong, and we don’t manage to put in those guardrails?

There are various ways in which he thinks we could get this wrong. In AI, there’s the possibility that you end up with self-generating solutions that turn out not to be beneficial for wider humanity, a race to the bottom between AI-fuelled machines or the risk of weaponisation – it could be literal weaponisation – of these tools to go after somebody else or another state. Part of his warning is that accidents happen when humans are involved in doing this stuff. We do not necessarily get things right all the time, which brings us back to our books on failure.

What he’s suggesting is that you need to have some context around this, involving regulators and governments and some of the private sector actors working together to prevent those things happening, or, at least, to have a game plan for if they do. I didn’t come out of this book whistling a happy tune, but it’s a contribution to the way in which that worst-case scenario can be mitigated or even avoided.

November 30, 2023

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Andrew Hill

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Best Business Biographies for Startup Founders to Read in 2024

| Written by

No matter what startup path you’re walking, there’s a very good chance that someone has forged it, or at least something similar, and succeeded. So who better to learn from than those who’ve already climbed the mountain and conquered it?

Business biographies are fast becoming the go-to content for startup founders and small business owners who want to learn from the best. We’ve sourced the 10 best business biographies for entrepreneurs to read in 2024. Ready to be inspired?

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Best Business Biographies for Entrepreneurs

1. ‘alibaba: the house that jack ma built’ by duncan clark.

After Amazon, Jack Ma’s Alibaba is probably the most famous success story in ecommerce history. In the biography “Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built ” Duncan Clark tells Ma’s story of humble beginnings as an English teacher which culminated in his creation of a company that forever changed the global economy. 

This biography will be particularly beneficial to startup founders in countries where government policy can often be a stumbling point to success. Ma’s home country of China was not always his ally in building Alibaba into a company that currently holds 80% market share, but this unlikely titan of business managed to outwit competitors from all over the world to achieve unimaginable success.

2. ‘Creativity, Inc.’ by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

Any startup founder in a creative space will find the biography of Ed Catmull, founder of animation giant, Pixar, riveting. “Creativity, Inc. ” is written by Catmull with the help of Amy Wallace and details how Catmull brought his college dream of creating the world’s first computer-animated movie to fruition with the release of the smash hit, Toy Story in 1995. Of course, this was simply the first of many successes for Catmull and Pixar, and his unlikely journey from startup to entertainment glory is a must-read for anyone on a similar path. Catmull also now heads up Disney Animation. Additionally, the book provides a few excellent leadership insights, especially where managing creatives is concerned. 

3. ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight

Although this business biography is based around the journey of the creator of sports brand Nike, it holds insights and valuable lessons for all startups and businesses. “Shoe Dog” is written by Phil Knight, the founder of the world-famous brand, and as far as business biographies go, this one, which is also a New York Times bestseller, carves out a new space for the genre. 

Knight walks readers through Nike’s journey from an intrepid startup to an iconic household name. If you’re a startup founder struggling with funding, you’ll definitely want to find out how Knight built Nike with an initial funding of $50 from his dad.

4. ‘Losing My Virginity’ by Richard Branson

Richard Branson’s biography “Losing My Virginity” charts his journey from a young entrepreneur with a dream to create businesses that would make a positive difference in the world, to becoming one of the most well-known and revered business leaders in the world. Branson’s businesses also cross numerous spaces and industries, which just goes to show that strong insights are translatable no matter the subject. 

For startup founders, it can often feel that creating a successful business and having a well-balanced personal life are two completely irreconcilable goals, and this is perhaps one of the most important insights this business biography offers with Branson providing tips on how he learned to manage this aspect as he built Virgin.

5. ‘The Man Who Solved The Market’ by Gregory Zuckerman

Startup founders in the finance or fintech space will find Jim Simons’ story of creating an algorithm-driven approach to investing which would go on to achieve unheard-of market returns, invaluable. The business biography, “The Man Who Solved The Market,” written by Gregory Zuckerman, details Simons’ early years as a mathematician with a dream. 

Simons would go on to found his company, Renaissance Technologies, and change the face of investments forever. Despite the very specific subject matter, the book also holds some valuable general insights into teamwork and collaboration for startup founders in any sector.

6. ‘How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big’ by Scott Adams

Now, Dilbert (yes, the comic book series), is, of course, not technically a company or business, but this list would be incomplete without this contribution from Scott Adams. Adams, the creator of the highly successful comic strip, penned “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big” in which he explains how he managed to take some of his biggest failures and turn them into successes. The book also presents a very interesting management idea called the Dilbert Principle which purports that businesses will systematically shift poorly performing team members to management, as this is the area in which they can do the least damage. If you’re a startup founder building a team from the ground up, you’ll definitely want to consider whether the Dilbert Principle might apply to your team. 

7. ‘Sam Walton: Made In America’ by Sam Walton

“ Sam Walton: Made In America” is a business biography that will undoubtedly inspire any startup founder in the retail space. In the book, Sam Walton, the founder of the retail giant, Walmart, shares his rags-to-riches tale of taking his dream from a single dime store to a massive international chain. Perhaps one of the most unique elements of the book is Walton’s insights on how to pair your own personal values with your business journey and keep a hold on your identity throughout. Walton also shares leadership insights around recognizing and fostering great thinkers within your team. Despite being set in the retail space, Walton’s insights are valuable for entrepreneurs in any industry, especially if they find themselves struggling to maintain their personal values while doing business. 

8. ‘Believe It’ by Jamie Kern Lima

Female startup founders will be motivated and engaged by the business biography of Jamie Kern Lima, who went from serving tables for tips to owning a billion-dollar cosmetic startup. “Believe It ” has been called part biography, part manifesto, and perfectly plots out how some defining moments in Lima’s life contributed to her success despite those events seeming like stumbling blocks when they first occurred. 

The book’s subtitle, “How to Go From Underestimated to Unstoppable,” perfectly sums up the type of motivational read startup founders can expect from this business biography.

9. ‘The Widow Clicquot’ by Tilar Mazzeo

The business biography about one of the world’s most iconic food and beverage brands is a historical tale, but it proves the old adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same, and its insights are just as relevant to modern startup founders. 

“The Widow Clicquot” is certainly a story of female empowerment in the startup space with writer Tillar Mazzeo relating how Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin managed to take control of her late husband’s business and turn it into an empire. All this while living at a time in history when women were not seen as business leaders. This is another biography that will be appreciated by female startup owners who are pushing to smash through those glass ceilings. 

10. ‘Elon Musk’ by Ashlee Vance

This business biography, written by Ashlee Vance, is about such an accomplished entrepreneur that it covers three of the most well-known brands in the world. “Elon Musk,” a book about the businessman of the same name, will inspire and motivate any startup founder who feels their idea is crazy. 

Musk, after all, was told this on several occasions by many different people, from his beginnings in South Africa to his journey through Silicon Valley, but when suddenly, his ideas started to take shape and change the world, those people would eat their words. The book also provides a sneak peek into what we can expect from Musk’s future plans for SpaceX and why he believes that company may just be his biggest yet.

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TRUiC’s team of researchers, writers, and editors dedicate hours to ensure startupsavant.com’s articles are actionable and accessible for both startup founders and startup enthusiasts. From launching a startup to growing your venture, you can trust that our information is an up-to-date and reliable source.

Further Reading

• How to Start a Startup in 10 Steps (2024 Guide) August 29, 2024
• What Is a Startup? July 2, 2024
• 80 Best Startup Ideas to Make Money in 2024 September 10, 2024

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21 best sports books of the 21st century: a comprehensive list

Alan goldsher | sep 9, 2024.

Not only are we sports writers. We’re also sports readers.

Being sports readers, we’re well aware that the vast majority of sports book “best of” lists that populate the interwebs include David Halberstam’s brilliant look at 1970s basketball, The Breaks of the Game ; Jim Bouton’s hilarious insider baseball diary Ball Four , and something like 291 of Roger Angell’s baseball studies, all of which are ridiculously good.

Few of these lists, however, give significant love to books that were published in or after the year 2000. But that ends here.

Since we like numerical symmetry, here are 21 of the finest sports books that dropped in the 21st Century. And as we don’t want to play favorites, the list is alphabetical by author.

Wheelmen: Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France, and the Greatest Sports Conspiracy Ever

Reed albergotti & vanessa o’connell.

Once the whole Lance Armstrong doping mess calmed down, it was inevitable that both dialed-in sportswriters and hardcore investigative reporters would bang out book-length studies of the disgraced cyclist. Former Wall Street Journal sportswriter Albergotti’s and Reuters’ Global Industry editor O’Connell’s version of the Armstrong tale is the most readable and best-sourced of the bunch. In a weird way, they made Armstrong’s rise and fall, well, kinda fun to read about, which is eminently impressive.

Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football

A lovely combination of memoir and historical study, lifelong Bears nut Cohen relates the gripping story of the only Monsters of the Midway squad to win a Super Bowl, while blending in details of his fandom in a manner that makes you want to invite him over to watch Red Zone every Sunday. Props to Rich for landing interviews with numerous members of the team, the most notable being a touching afternoon spent with the Bears’ punky QB, Jim McMahon.

Every Time I Talk to Liston: A Novel

Brian devido.

Most of these sorts of lists have an entry or two where you’re like, “Um, never heard of that one,” and this cool novel is it. The deep cut piece of fiction comes from the pen of a former Virginia Golden Gloves heavyweight champ, so it’s little wonder that DeVido’s debut — the story of a troubled boxer and his up-and-coming manager — feels so damn real. His love for Sonny Liston adds a layer of pathos that one wouldn’t expect from boxing fiction.

Ali: A Life

Jonathan eig.

Joyce Carol Oates is a way better writer than any of us, so we’ll pull some fantastic words from her New York Times review of Eig’s modern classic: “Much in its pages will be familiar to those with some knowledge of boxing but even the familiar may be glimpsed from a new perspective in Eig's fluent prose; for pages in succession its narrative reads like a novel — a suspenseful novel with a cast of vivid characters who prevail through decades and who help to define the singular individual who was both a brilliantly innovative, incomparably charismatic heavyweight boxer and a public figure whose iconic significance shifted radically through the decades as in an unlikely fairy tale in which the most despised athlete in American history becomes, by the 21st century, the most beloved athlete in American history.”

Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging ‘70s

Dan epstein.

In terms of age demographic, our team here is all over the map, so this title from a colorful pop culture writer was fantastic for us in that the depiction of baseball’s 1970’s-era weirdness was a nostalgic look back for the old dudes, and an enriching historical study for the young dudes. The fact that Mark Fidrych is on the cover takes it over the edge.

A Few Seconds of Panic: A Sportswriter Plays in the NFL

Stefan fatsis.

A criminally underknown memoir, Fatsis’ tale of his journey to become a professional NFL kicker at the age of, um, fortysomething is the modern version of George Plimpton’s 1966 football literature classic, Paper Lion . The former Wall Street Journal sports scribe breaks down the kicking process, while bringing us inside the Denver Broncos’ locker room, a locker room that included a snarky Jay Cutler, a boisterous Jake Plummer, and an obnoxious Todd Sauerbrun. Considering the tight-lip-eness of today’s NFL, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more intimate look at The Shield.

K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches

Tyler kepner.

Kepner’s subtitle took cojones . Think about it: Baseball’s century-plus story is so rich and detailed that claiming you can tell its history via sliders and change ups is quite the brag. But the veteran baseball writer — whose work has been seen in the New York Times and The Athletic — pulls it off, utilizing Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, Mariano Rivera, and Clayton Kershaw as case studies. It sounds pedantic. It’s not.

Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times

Mark lebovich.

A political writer by trade, Lebovich gushes about his New England Patriots in a charming manner that would have your prototypical Masshole Pats fan screaming, “Ya too @&%#ing nice, Leebs!!!” But for non-Pats people (which is pretty much every football viewer outside of the Bay State) the 400 pages spent with Tom Brady, Bill Belichik, et al isn’t just tolerable — it’s fun . The fact that Lebovich makes Brady seem like a normal, down-to-earth fella is a feat in and of itself.

Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever

Jack mccallum.

These kinds of books are all about access, and the former Sports Illustrated staffer had plenty of it, landing quality time with most of the 1992 Olympic hoops roster. This allowed him to deliver quality reportage on the team’s off-court fun, the incessant insults (we’re talking to you, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Larry Bird), and the legendary Dream Team intersquad practice tilt that, in terms of actual basketball, was far more interesting than anything we saw at the Games.

Foul Lines: A Pro Basketball Novel

Jack mccallum & jon wertheim.

Sports novels are very hit and very miss; here, McCallum and his former Sports Illustrated partner-in-crime hit, and hit hard. Admittedly, the premise is kind of ridiculous — a veteran All-Star shooting guard from a professional basketball team hides from the law after a hit-and-run car wreck, all while engaging in a will-they-won’t-they dance with a local paper’s new female beat reporter — but the authors brought their knowledge of NBA absurdity to the table, making for a farcical blast.

Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton

Jeff pearlman.

Here, we begin the Jeff Pearlman portion of our program, a portion that would’ve been even larger had this article been, like, eight entries longer. As it is, we’re pulling three titles from Jeff’s impressive canon, this first one being his brilliant look at the legendary Bears’ running back. In this lush biography, Pearlman details Payton’s numerous physical and mental issues, giving us a surprising portrait of a Hall of Famer who many of us thought was nearly perfect.

Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s

If you’re not familiar with Pearlman — but are familiar with the HBO dramedy Winning Time: The Rise of the Laker Dynasty — this is the ideal place to meet this bestselling scribe. The author’s ability to fully depict the diverse, fascinating characters that made the Lake Show of the ‘80s must-see-TV is impressive as hell, and few wordsmiths could pull it off with such aplomb and charm.

Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty

The abovementioned Showtime clocks in at 496 pages. Three-Ring Circus runs 448 pages. Some quick addition tells us that Pearlman needed 944 pages to tell the stories of the mighty modern Lakers. Seems long, right? Okay, 944 pages is long, but it doesn’t feel long — which is why you should read these titles back-to-back, just like we did. (Note: The depiction of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s tumultuous relationship is straight-up gripping.)

Stretch: The Unlikely Making of a Yoga Dude

Neal pollack.

Is yoga a sport? It’s not competitive, but it makes one sweat, so for the sake of this article, sure, let’s go ahead and call it a sport. An acclaimed satirist and novelist, Pollack doesn’t just goof around about his induction into the world of yoga, but he delves into the practice’s history and what the contemporary yoga scene looked like, circa 2010. And the section on “yoga farts” is worth the price of admission.

The Baseball 100

Joe posnanski.

A former senior writer at Sports Illustrated , Posnanski’s epic is simultaneously informative and touching, as he spends a goodly number of pages discussing baseball’s impact on his family. And his in-depth look at the greats of the Negro League is as good as it gets.

The Silver Linings Playbook: A Novel

Matthew quick.

Quick is one of the kings of the feel-good novel, and this story of a troubled high school teacher attempting to navigate his dysfunctional family, a painful divorce, and a mercurial love interest  — all while trying to keep up with his beloved Philadelphia Eagles — begins in a dark place. But come the third act, we defy you to keep your tear ducts under control. And FWIW, the movie version of Silver Linings is pretty darn good.

The Book of Basketball

Bill simmons.

If this list was a best-to-less-best ranking, Simmons’ 700-plus-page door-stopper might be right up top. An insanely detailed book that, believe it or not, is eminently re-readable, Bill’s breakdown of his love for the Celtics, the Bill Russell/Wilt Chamberlain debate, and the NBA’s greatest players is filled with relevant humor, hot takes galore, and awesome footnotes. ESPN Books dropped an updated version a few years after initial publication; it might be time for another.

Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner

There’s something about quality boxing fiction that’s…special. Toole’s astounding short story collection is beyond special — it’s a timeless classic. The pseudonym of former boxer and trainer Jerry Boyd, Toole introduces the reader to heavyweight champs, unscrupulous middleweights, and gun-toting gangsters. But perhaps the most intriguing story is “Million Dollar Baby,” a tragic tale of a gritty female boxer that was adapted into potentially the greates fight movie of all time, Rocky notwithstanding.

The Yankee Years

Joe torre & tom verducci.

Remember when Joe Torre was one of the most beloved managers in baseball? If you don’t, take a gander at his memoir of the memorable New York Yankees squads of the late-’90s and early-’00s. With a cast of characters featuring Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Daryl Strawberry, Torre’s surprisingly honest telling of the team’s tale is fascinating, even for non-Yankee fans…of which there are a whole lot.

Fantasyland: A Season on Baseball’s Lunatic Fringe

Can’t find my copy, but pound-for-pound this is my favorite baseball book ever. And it’s about fantasy baseball. Fantasyland by Sam Walker. pic.twitter.com/vVyx3tjWSK — Brandon Walker (@BFW) March 28, 2023

We’d love to see more titles about fantasy sports on the shelves of our local book-a-torium. Thing is, who wants to read about somebody else’s league? Nobody, that’s who…that is, unless you’re plowing through a tome by a Wall Street Journal senior writer by the name of Sam Walker. In a Quixotic endeavor, Sam hires a young fantasy expert named Nando Di Fino (you might know of him) and a NASA scientist — that’s right, a NASA scientist — to help him win the legendary Tout Wars fantasy baseball league. Spoiler alert: Despite his Moneyball approach to fantasy, Walker didn’t bring home the hardware, but his trip through, yes, fantasyland is both illuminating and uproarious.

ALAN GOLDSHER

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Jason and Travis Kelce’s Biography for Kids Celebrates Family, Football and Taylor Swift (Exclusive)

Story time just became even more fun thanks to Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce .

As excitement builds for the release of The Kelce Brothers: A Little Golden Book Biography , Us Weekly has an exclusive sneak peek at what readers of all ages will enjoy when the book is officially released on October 15.

Young kids will experience a page-turner when they get a preview into Travis’ love story with singer Taylor Swift .

“In 2023, Travis started dating singer-songwriter Taylor Swift,” an excerpt from the book states. “Their fans loved seeing Taylor cheering at Travis’s games alongside his friends and family.”

Related: Taylor Swift's Best Moments With Travis Kelce's Family

One game worth highlighting is the 2024 Super Bowl , when Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs were able to beat the San Francisco 49ers in overtime. As the book tells readers, “Taylor was there to help him celebrate his third championship win!”

Not to be outdone, Jason’s love story with his wife, Kylie Kelce , also gets highlighted in the story.

“Jason loves playing football, but the biggest joy of his life is his family,” an excerpt reads. “He and his wife, Kylie, have been married since 2018. They have three daughters Wyatt, Elliotte, and Bennett. The girls love watching their dad play football and cheering him on. They also cheer for their uncle Travis — when he’s not playing against their dad!”

This NFL season, however, will look and feel a little different for Jason. Instead of playing on the football field with his Philadelphia Eagles teammates, the former NFL center has opted to enjoy retirement life and begin his second act as a sports broadcaster .

In The Kelce Brothers , fans will be able to take a trip down memory lane and relive some of Jason’s biggest moments on the football field.

“In 2023, Jason and Travis made NFL history by becoming the first brothers to play against each other in a Super Bowl!” the book states. “Mama Kelce wore a special Chiefs and Eagles jersey to support both sons. And she baked them cookies, just like she did when they were kids.”

Speaking of Mama Kelce, Donna Kelce also received a special shout-out in the family-friendly read.

In the book written by Apple Jordan , illustrator Macky Pamintuan showcases a younger Travis and Jason gathered around a table enjoying Donna’s cooking.

“Raising two athletes wasn’t easy,” the book states. “There was equipment to buy and schedules to keep track of, but Donna and Ed made it work. Often, one parent would see Jason play while the other would go watch Travis. And they always had to have a fridge full of food because the boys would eat a lot . Sometimes, they would each have an entire chicken as a snack!”

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Related: Eagles' Jason Kelce and Wife Kylie Kelce's Relationship Timeline

Throughout the book, The Kelce Brothers will continue to chronicle Jason and Travis’ unbreakable sibling bond and their rise in the NFL. Readers will follow along on their journey from childhood siblings in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, to being drafted into the sport they love so much.

The Kelce Brothers is available for preorder now before its official release on October 15.

With reporting by Mandie DeCamp

In this article

Jason Kelce

Taylor Swift

Travis Kelce

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A Voyage Around the Queen: 'gloriously bizarre' royal biography

Craig Brown's book paints a 'vivid and remarkably telling' picture of Elizabeth II

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As a "man who supposedly trades in throwaway wisecracks", you wouldn't think the satirist Craig Brown would be the person to "tell us something thought-provoking, perhaps even deep, about monarchy", said Stephen Smith in The Observer . Yet in his glorious new book – a follow-up to similar works about Princess Margaret and the Beatles – that's exactly what he does.

Brown has hoovered up virtually everything ever written about Elizabeth II – decades-old newspaper reports, the "memoirs of courtiers, flunkies and hangers-on" – and out of this material has crafted 112 thematic chapters, focused on everything from the Queen's love of horse racing to the dreams people have had about her. (The oddest belongs to Paul Theroux, who imagined "her nipples cool against my ears".)

It adds up to a "vivid and remarkably telling study of our late head of state". Brown has perhaps only one serious thesis, said Matthew Parris in Literary Review : "almost everyone, he says, goes slightly bonkers" in the Queen's presence. "We gabble, we dry up, we lose our thread, we gawp, we stammer." Kingsley Amis even avoided beans before meeting her, so anxious was he about farting or belching.

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Brown devotes a chapter to the "brisk dispatch with which she would terminate conversations". "How very interesting," she'd intone, before moving on. As much as this "wonderfully readable" book is about the Queen, it is also "about ourselves as a nation, reflected and refracted through our own relationships with one person".

"I enjoyed 'A Voyage Around the Queen ' so much that I wished it were longer than its 672 pages," said Christopher Howse in The Daily Telegraph . We learn that when Mahatma Gandhi sent Elizabeth a hand-woven tablecloth as a wedding gift, her grandmother, Queen Mary, declared it a "horrible thing", having mistaken it for one of his loincloths. When, at the beacon lighting for the Queen's Silver Jubilee, the officer in charge confided that "absolutely everything" had gone wrong, she replied: "Oh good. What fun!"

Brown even has "unmistakably irreverent fun" with the aftermath of her death, said John Banville in The Guardian – noting the battier expressions of mourning, including Norwich Council's decision to close a bike rack as a mark of respect. Funny, clever and "gloriously bizarre", his book is an "astute account of the well-nigh unaccountable public life of an intensely private person".

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17 Office-Friendly Sneakers You Can Add to Your Workwear Rotation

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

If you like to stay comfy on the job (and your office doesn’t require fancy footwear), a good pair of kicks can be the perfect workhorse. When your usual shoe rotation has lost its luster, it’s time to check out the best work sneakers to add to your Monday through Friday wardrobe.

Between SELF staffer favorites, online bestsellers, and even a few Sneaker Award–winners , we’ve assembled quite the list. We’ve found chunky, sporty pairs; practical, supportive walking shoes ; and (of course) plenty of goes-with-everything white sneakers . Come to think of it, you may even want to wear these outside of the workweek too.

Our top picks

• Best Overall: Cole Haan GrandPro Topspin Triple Strap
• Runner-Up: Lululemon Cityverse
• Most Timeless: Adidas Stan Smith
• Most Comfortable: Dr. Scholl’s Time Off Sneaker
• Best Splurge: On Cloudmonster Hyper
• Best Office-to-Gym Option: Athleta Saysh One Sneaker
• Best Samba Dupe: New Balance RC42
• Best for Plantar Fasciitis: Vionic Walk Strider Walking Shoes
• Best Budget: Vans Sport Low Top Sneaker
• Best Sporty: Asics Gel-NYC 2055 Sportstyle Sneakers
• Best High-Top: Nike Blazer Mid ‘77
• Best Colorways: Merrell Alpine 83 Sneaker Recraft
• Best for Standing: Hoka Bondi SR
• Best Slip-On: Gola Coaster Slip-On

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How to choose a cute pair of sneakers for work

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Beyond looking for what works with your particular workplace, there are a couple key things to keep in mind when shopping for your next go-to pair of office-friendly sneakers.

• Support: As SELF has previously reported, your sneakers should match the shape of your foot without allowing your arch to collapse or forcing it into a higher position than is natural. This will make the shoe easier to wear for long periods of time (say, eight hours a day) and prevent you from developing foot pain over time.
• Fit: While we’re on the subject of your foot’s shape, your shoes also need to accommodate the length of your feet. As Denisa Riera, DPM , a podiatry specialist with Hartford HealthCare at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut, previously told SELF, there should be a thumb’s width of extra space at the front of the shoe so your toes can wiggle and spread freely.
• Comfort: Work sneakers should feel as good by the end of the day as they do when you first put them on in the morning, so make sure your pick has enough padding to keep you comfortable. This is mostly a matter of personal preference (some people like the marshmallowy feel of Hokas while others prefer a little less cushioning), but don’t go completely without some kind of shock absorption in your shoes—that’ll just make it unpleasant to walk around on hard surfaces.
• Style: Shop with your favorite colors, trends, and brands in mind to ensure your new shoes mesh well with your existing workwear and feel like your taste. Getting dressed for work isn’t always the most exciting part of the day—but with a cool pair of sneaks, it doesn’t have to be a total drag.

The best work sneakers

Tired of loafers, clogs, and ballet flats? Take your pick from these top-rated, office-ready sneakers, which check our boxes for both form and function.

GrandPro Topspin Triple Strap

• Classic design
• Slight platform
• Easy to tighten to fit your foot
• Available in office-friendly colorways
• Velcro is an acquired taste

Stylish, but far from stuffy, the Sneaker Award–winning GrandPro Topspin Triple Strap sneaker from Cole Haan will elevate your standard 9-to-5 outfits rather than dress them down. “They’re sleek, modern, and look great on my feet,” our tester said. “I think they’re very classy and perfect for when you want to look more polished.”

A slightly lifted heel and unfussy Velcro straps keep these sneakers from looking too basic, while their classic colorways (including black, ivory, and white) are well within work-appropriate bounds. Oh, and did we mention they’re comfortable too? Our testers wore them for hours at a time around the office, on dog walks, and while hanging out with friends without missing a step.

Product specs

Sizes: US 5 to 11 | Widths: Medium and wide | Materials: Leather, synthetic fabric, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU), and rubber

• Streamlined design
• Very comfortable, even for long periods of time
• Might look a little too basic for some

Another Sneaker Award–winner, Lululemon’s Cityverse is the non-flashy shoe your commutes need. We put it to the test on daylong outings, including multiple trips to the office, and were seriously impressed by how comfy they were the entire time. “Somehow Lululemon made cool sneakers that feel just like super-cushiony running shoes,” one tester said. “My feet are just so happy when I wear them!”

These aren’t necessarily the shoes you put on when you want to get noticed, but that’s kind of the point: “I don’t need to think about them at all once they’re on,” another tester wrote in their review. And on especially busy days, who wants to be distracted by their shoes?

Sizes: US 5 to 12 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Synthetic materials, foam, and rubber

• Never going out of style
• Easy to spot-clean
• Not very breathable, according to Zappos reviewers

If you know them, you probably already love them—and if you’ve never tried them, this might be your sign to go for it: The Adidas Stan Smiths, originally a court shoe but now an everything shoe, have become iconic for good reason. “I have ones with the small pop of green, and they practically go with everything I wear,” one tester who reviewed the shoes for SELF tells us. “They’re also really comfortable when commuting and super easy to clean.”

Sizes: US 5 to 11 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Leather, synthetic fabric, and rubber

Dr. Scholl’s Shoes

Time Off Sneaker

Dr. Scholl’s

• Extremely cushy and comfortable
• No break-in period
• Shows dirt easily

Believe the hype—our tester joined the chorus of TikTokers raving about the chunky Time Off Sneakers pretty much as soon as she tried them on: “Right out of the box, these sneakers are unbelievably comfortable—they don’t rub or pinch at all, and I say this as someone who is incredibly blister-prone.” She adds that their thick outsoles are surprisingly flexible and that the footbed has a nice, bouncy feel.

Plus—and most importantly for our purposes here—their simple design makes them totally suitable for the office. “I’ve banished all my other everyday lifestyle sneakers to the back of my closet since I’ve gotten these,” she says. “They’re truly the only pair I want to wear (to work, to the park, out to dinner….)”

Sizes: US 5 to 13 | Widths: Medium and wide | Materials: Synthetic leather, synthetic fabric, or canvas (depending on the specific model); foam, and PU

Cloudmonster Hyper

• Heavily cushioned
• Cool athletic style

Yes, this Sneaker Award–winner is technically a souped up, ultra-cushioned running shoe, but that didn’t stop one of our testers from making it part of her workweek rotation: “On’s sneakers are usually too firm for me, but this actually felt perfect. So much so that I wear these on my walks, to the office—pretty much everywhere I go.” The sole, stacked high with foam, has a forward-rolling design, which makes your foot’s transition from heel to toe easier and your stride more fluid. As a result, your feet will feel cushioned yet energized (you know, on the off chance you’re running late).

When paired with trousers or a midi dress, the Cloudmonster Hyper won’t look so performance-driven—instead it’ll look like the coolest, comfiest shoe in the building.

Sizes: US 5 to 11 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Synthetic fabric, foam, and rubber

Saysh One Sneaker

• Just-right level of cushioning
• Laces tend to tighten and may need loosening throughout the day

If you clock out and head straight to your workout, you can save some room in your gym bag by choosing these sleek sneaks. “I reach for these all the time—they don’t stick out at the office but they’re also easy to wear while walking through Central Park or on the treadmill,” one SELF editor says. “I love that I can wear them directly from work to the gym without having to pack a spare pair of shoes.”

She’s had her pair for over a year and hasn’t noticed much wear or stretching at all. They’re as comfortable as ever (not “too thick or squishy,” she says), and still support her high arches like a dream.

Sizes: US 5.5 to 11 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Synthetic suede, synthetic weave, and EVA

New Balance

Anthropologie

• Comfortable out of the box
• True to size
• Shows stains easily

There’s no denying that Adidas Sambas make great office sneakers, but at this rate, you could be stuck on their waitlist until retirement. Luckily, our commerce writer found a perfect—and far more accessible—alternative in New Balance’s casual-cool RC24 . She describes them as stylish, slim, versatile, and pretty much perfect for her everyday needs: “They’re comfortable for my NYC power walks and instantly elevate the look of my work, weekend, and gym outfits.”

In addition to their simple design, they’re blissfully easy to wear. Our writer reported zero break-in period out of the box and says they’ve only gotten comfier over time: “I can go through my whole work day without any pinching at my toes or rubbing on my ankles.”

Sizes: US 5 to 12 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Suede, mesh, foam, and rubber

Walk Strider Walking Shoes

• Great arch support
• Doesn’t cause blisters or hot spots
• Limited colorways

Podiatrists recommend Vionic shoes for a range of foot issues, including plantar fasciitis (which is most commonly characterized by sharp heel pain). The Walk Strider even has a seal of acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), meaning podiatrists have confirmed that it’s beneficial for foot health. The Strider’s supportive, structured design should help take some pressure off your heels when you walk—and thus alleviate some of your plantar fasciitis pain.

SELF’s commerce director can vouch for how comfy they are firsthand: “I struggle with new shoes creating ‘hot spots’ and blisters by rubbing on my heels and the sides of my feet—I’m known to bust out the Band-Aids at my desk after commuting into the office. But the Vionic Walk Strider didn’t require any breaking-in time,” she says.

Sizes: US 5 to 12 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Leather, synthetic fabric, EVA, and rubber

Sport Low Top Sneaker

Free People

• Tons of color options
• Run slightly small, according to reviewers

You don’t have to spend over $100 on a cute work sneaker. Just look at the Sport Low Top from Vans: It’s simultaneously retro yet polished and comes in over two dozen colorways, including options with black, white, and gum soles. For anyone who loves the classic skater vibe, this shoe has a bunch of Vans’s signature features, like a grippy waffle outsole and the old-school Off The Wall logo on the heel. In true Vans fashion, this shoe transcends one style or mold—it can take you from the weekend straight through to Monday (and beyond).

Sizes: US 5 to 14.5 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Suede, synthetic fabric, and rubber

Gel-NYC 2055 Sportstyle Sneakers

• Trendy design
• Might not be suitable for all offices

The Gel-NYC 2055 lets you dip a toe in the Y2K resurgence without having to embrace low-rise pants or all things velour. Some of its features are pulled straight from 2000s-era Asics, but it also contains the brand’s still-beloved Gel cushioning—because no trend is worth it if you aren’t comfy. While it packs on the turn-of-the-millennium details in its shape, rippled sole, and metallic piping, it maintains a low profile with relatively neutral colorways. If your office skews a little sporty or more casual, you’ll look right at home in these kicks.

Sizes: US 5 to 14.5 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Leather, synthetic leather, synthetic fabric, EVA, and rubber

Blazer Mid ‘77

• Leather and suede design gets comfier with wear
• Nike members can customize their colorway
• Run slightly narrow, according to reviewers

There’s a reason the Nike Blazer ’77 has nearly 50 years of popularity under its belt—namely, it doesn’t really look like much of a throwback at all. It’s just so crisp, clean, and anything but boring. With a colorful swoosh and high-top silhouette, it stands out from other standard white sneakers, but still shares their versatility. Dress this shoe up or down, depending on your plans for your day (or your workplace’s constraints). Either way, the Blazer will add a trendy exclamation point to your outfit.

Sizes: US 5 to 12 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Leather, synthetic fabric, foam, and rubber

Alpine 83 Sneaker Recraft

• Non-boring color combinations
• Insoles are treated for odor control
• Runs small, according to the brand

Want to bring a little gorpcore to your workwear? Merrell is the brand for you. In recent years, it’s added tons of playful styles to its outdoorsy, highly technical line of footwear—including the Alpine 83, which comes in nine punchy colorways. There are pastels, brights, and even some muted earth tones for anyone keeping it simple. And, while it’s by no means a hiking boot, the Alpine 83’s rubber outsole should provide enough traction for damp or slippery sidewalks.

Sizes: US 5 to 11 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Suede leather, synthetic fabric, mesh, EVA, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and rubber

• Extremely cushioned
• Water-resistant
• Cute color options
• A little clunky

If you spend the majority of your workday on your feet , you need a sturdy, supportive, and comfortable pair of shoes (bonus points if they look nice too). That’s where Hoka’s slip-resistant version of its best-selling, APMA-approved Bondi comes in. It has the brand’s signature cloudlike cushioning, a grippy sole, and some surprisingly cute pastel colorways (in addition to classic solid black and white options). “I stand for 12 hours a day. These offer great support and leave me pain free,” wrote one Hoka reviewer.

Sizes: US 5 to 11 | Widths: Medium and wide | Materials: Leather, synthetic fabric, memory foam, EVA, and rubber

Coaster Slip-On

• Easy to wear design
• Tenniscore vibes
• Runs slightly wide, according to Nordstrom reviewers

These tennis shoes are perfect for the days you’re rushing out the door and can’t spare a moment to think about your footwear—just slip the Coasters on and know you’ll look pulled together. They have elastics built into their interior, which stretch when you put them on and help the upper fit closer to your foot. If you’re easing into sneakers for work, the ever-so-slightly sporty Coasters aren’t a huge step out of your loafers.

Sizes: US 5 to 10 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Canvas, synthetic fabric, and rubber

Still searching for your perfect pair? Or maybe you’re amassing a whole work-sneaker wardrobe? There are so many more top-notch options to consider, starting with the picks below.

Chuck Taylor

All Star Platform Sneaker

This version of the Chuck Taylor low-top has a thick platform that gives it a more elevated look (if you’ll excuse the pun). If none of the colorways do it for you, you can create a custom combo on Converse’s site. Just bear in mind that, according to the brand, this style runs a little large.

Sizes: US 5 to 11 | Widths: Medium and wide | Materials: Canvas, EVA, and rubber

Another office-to-studio option, the Impala won a Sneaker Award this year for its flexible sole, stable ride, and whopping 11 colorways. “I could bend them and pop off the balls of my feet easily for dance sequences without having to break them in,” our tester who wore them during a dance cardio class said. “I’d totally wear them after [my class], out to brunch, and shopping during the day.”

Sizes: US 5 to 11 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Mesh, polyester, EVA, TPU, and rubber

One more retro-chic option for the road: The Sneaker Award–winning Puma Easy Rider, which our tester said added a welcome “pop of color” to their otherwise plain outfits. One thing to note: We found that it runs narrow, so consider sizing up if you have wide feet.

Sizes: US 5.5 to 15.5 | Widths: Medium | Materials: Nylon, suede leather, synthetic leather, synthetic fabric, and rubber

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SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.