The 100 Most Recommended Books by CEOs and Leaders
Ranked by the number of distinct entrepreneurs, CEOs and leaders on The CEO Library who recommend each book, with one reason in their own words. See the full study in What Leaders Read.
1. The Lean Startup
by Eric Ries
Provides a great inside look at how the tech industry approaches building products and businesses.
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People
There’s a reason a book older than some of our grandparents still shows up on the best psychology book lists. Dale Carnegie’s tested and proven tactics for developing rock-steady social skills are timeless. If you haven’t read this one yet, make sure you do ASAP, as I definitely recommend this book to read.
3. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
by Tim Ferriss
With this kind of time management and focus on the important things in life, people should be able to get 15 times as much done in a normal work week.
4. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
by Ben Horowitz
Every management guide presumes that all great companies follow a formula. But successful startups don't imitate; they build innovations that can't be copied. Ben Horowitz knows no recipe guarantees success. He has written the first true guide for protecting a startup from self-sabotage.
5. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
Peter Thiel has built multiple breakthrough companies, and Zero to One shows how.
6. Rich Dad Poor Dad
by Robert Kiyosaki, Sharon Lechter
This is a quick read and a good read as an eye-opener.
7. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Both Melinda and I read this one, and it has sparked lots of great conversations at our dinner table. Harari takes on a daunting challenge: to tell the entire history of the human race in just 400 pages. He also writes about our species today… Read the full quote
Both Melinda and I read this one, and it has sparked lots of great conversations at our dinner table. Harari takes on a daunting challenge: to tell the entire history of the human race in just 400 pages. He also writes about our species today and how artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and other technologies will change us in the future. Although I found things to disagree with—especially Harari’s claim that humans were better off before we started farming—I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who’s interested in the history and future of our species.
8. Man’s Search for Meaning – The Classic Tribute to Hope from the Holocaust
Recommended by Tony Robbins on page 215 of Tools of Titans
9. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
by Ashlee Vance
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.
10. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Another self-help classic, this time geared towards productivity and discipline. Timeless.
11. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Robert Cialdini has had a greater impact on my thinking on this topic than any other scientist.
12. Principles: Life and Work
by Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights that are now available to you in Principles.
13. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
by Phil Knight
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… Read the full quote
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 anything. Instead, he accomplishes something better. He tells his story as honestly as he can. It’s an amazing tale.
14. Rework
by Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson
If given a choice between investing in someone who has read Rework or has an MBA, I'm investing in Rework every time. This is a must read for every entrepreneur.
15. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
by Simon Sinek
This book was my very first introduction to Simon and since reading it I’ve had him on the podcast three times, because I can’t get enough.
16. Thinking, Fast and Slow
A few months ago, Mr. Obama read “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” by Daniel Kahneman, about how people make decisions — quick, instinctive thinking versus slower, contemplative deliberation. For Mr. Obama, a deliberator in an instinctive business, this may be as instructive as any political science text.
17. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t
by Jim Collins
"Collins briefed Amazon executives on his seminal management book before its publication. Companies must confront the brutal facts of their business, find out what they are uniquely good at, and master their fly wheel, in which each part of the business reinforces and accelerates the other parts," Stone writes.
18. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
One of the reasons I loved Mindset is because it’s solutions-oriented. In the book’s final chapter, Dweck describes the workshop she and her colleagues have developed to shift students from a fixed to a growth mindset. These workshops demonstrate that ‘just learning about the growth… Read the full quote
One of the reasons I loved Mindset is because it’s solutions-oriented. In the book’s final chapter, Dweck describes the workshop she and her colleagues have developed to shift students from a fixed to a growth mindset. These workshops demonstrate that ‘just learning about the growth mindset can cause a big shift in the way people think about themselves and their lives.
19. The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
Brad Stone's new book, The Everything Store, describes how Bezos developed this strategy after reading another book called The Innovator's Dilemma by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen.
20. The Obstacle is the Way
by Ryan Holiday
I will say this, as with the book The Obstacle Is The Way, and I've touched on this in my book a lot in my own way, look, the need for resistance, the need to choose the right, harder challenge. The need to choose a harder decision for the right reasons.
21. The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho
I love this book. It is a simple but profound story about a shepherd in Spain by the name of Santiago who has this dream and goes on this spiritual quest in search of treasure.
22. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers
by Tim Ferriss
It only came out recently. I had so many questions about it that I flew to California and interviewed him about it for my podcast. It’s the collection of all the knowledge and wisdom he gained from the 100s of people he interviewed. I leave… Read the full quote
It only came out recently. I had so many questions about it that I flew to California and interviewed him about it for my podcast.
It’s the collection of all the knowledge and wisdom he gained from the 100s of people he interviewed.
I leave it out on my floor and read a page or two whenever I pass it.
It’s already filled with 100s of my notes (see below). It’s maybe the one physical book I keep around. The rest, including my own books, I keep on my Kindle.23. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
by Cal Newport
I am a big fan of Cal Newport, who wrote the book "Deep Work." He's also written the excellent book "A World Without Email." I've never met him, but I'm a huge admirer of his work.
24. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Then I read Charles Duhigg’s best-selling book The Power of Habit, which really opened my eyes. I recommend that you read it yourself if your interest in this subject goes deeper than what I’m able to cover here.
25. Steve Jobs
It’s unusual for modern biographies to be this good. It’s especially unusually for the subject of the biography to approach the biographer in the way that Steve Jobs did (thinking that he was the intellectual heir of Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein). But despite those… Read the full quote
It’s unusual for modern biographies to be this good. It’s especially unusually for the subject of the biography to approach the biographer in the way that Steve Jobs did (thinking that he was the intellectual heir of Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein). But despite those two things, this bio is and will likely forever be a classic. It shows Jobs at his best–determined, creative, prophetic–and at his worst–petty, selfish, tyrannical and vicious. You can learn just as much about what kind of leader you probably don’t want to be from this book as you can from anything else. That’s what is so strange about Jobs and this biography. You read it and you’re blown away and impressed but I think very few of us think: yeah, I want to be that guy. I want to treat my kids that way, I want to be obsessed with trivial design things that way, I want to hate that way, and so on. You admire him but you also see him as a tragic figure. That’s how you know that Isaacson did an amazing job with this book.
26. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
After reading The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber and The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch, I decided that extreme questions were the forcing function I needed.
27. Think and Grow Rich
The practical steps in this book for harnessing power are some of the best available. To grow rich, you must continually have positive emotions, rather than allow your mind to dwell on the negative ones. This is a key reason why I have a “no… Read the full quote
The practical steps in this book for harnessing power are some of the best available. To grow rich, you must continually have positive emotions, rather than allow your mind to dwell on the negative ones. This is a key reason why I have a “no negativity allowed” policy in my office and home.
Visualize and have belief in the attainment of your desires. Have faith, love, enthusiasm, and hope—avoid fear, jealousy, hatred, and greed. You have control over your thoughts, and your mind can produce anything. Think and grow rich—and become a multi-millionaire!
28. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
by Nir Eyal
Hooked gives you the blueprint for the next generation of products. Read Hooked or the company that replaces you will.
29. Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life
by Nir Eyal
An essential book for anyone trying to think, work, or live better.
30. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
by Sheryl Sandberg, Nell Scovell
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… Read the full quote
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 words will help all readers - especially men - to become better and more effective leaders.
31. Meditations
According to Holmes, this was one book she read over and over again before she even launched her business.
32. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
by Dan Ariely
I am a believer in gestalt. By reading so many books in so many different genres it helps me get analogies across categories to get a better understanding of how things work. In terms of specifics, I use behavioral economic tricks as presented in books like Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely in product design, negotiations and presentations.
33. The Art of War
by Sun Tzu
Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Art of War (Sun Tsu) [to learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art]. 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.
34. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
by Tony Hsieh
Zappos has always been a huge inspiration for us at Buffer. I clearly remember watching a video interview Tony Hsieh had where he was asked what one thing he would do sooner if he could start Zappos again. He replied "put values in place on… Read the full quote
Zappos has always been a huge inspiration for us at Buffer. I clearly remember watching a video interview Tony Hsieh had where he was asked what one thing he would do sooner if he could start Zappos again. He replied "put values in place on day 1". We had already started Buffer, but we established our values shortly after that when we were 7 people. On top of their focus on culture and values, Zappos has also provided us with inspiration for making half of our vision "to set the bar for great customer support". We have always had a large happiness team compared to the ratios other companies have, and we find great joy in aiming to surprise and wow customers with how quickly and caringly we respond to Tweets and emails
35. Outliers: The Story of Success
Gladwell is not the first person to come up with the 10,000 hour rule. Nor is he the first person to document what it takes to become the best in the world at something. But his stories are so great as he explains these deep… Read the full quote
Gladwell is not the first person to come up with the 10,000 hour rule. Nor is he the first person to document what it takes to become the best in the world at something.
But his stories are so great as he explains these deep concepts.
How did the Beatles become the best? Why are professional hockey players born in January, February and March?
And so on.
36. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
“The War of Art” is my favorite motivational book. It cuts through the bullshit of procrastination and gives you the tools and the inspiration to get moving and to create. I used to keep a stack of them in the studio to hand out to guests.
37. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
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… Read the full quote
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 anyone looking to do the same, and hopefully there will be lessons we can apply to connecting the world!
38. Ego Is the Enemy
by Ryan Holiday
Highlights how we can earn confidence by pursuing something bigger than our own success.
39. Purple Cow
by Seth Godin
Another is Seth Godin, who wrote “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.” The entire Godin experience, his books, videos, podcasts, blogs, is all about making waves. He’s made an extraordinary career for himself telling people to stop being like everyone else. His concepts… Read the full quote
Another is Seth Godin, who wrote “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.” The entire Godin experience, his books, videos, podcasts, blogs, is all about making waves. He’s made an extraordinary career for himself telling people to stop being like everyone else. His concepts are a form of validation for me. Here’s a guy who’s clearly doing well, has an amazing client roster and experience, and he’s saying the same things I’d been thinking for years. It’s like Michael Phelps telling you you’re a good swimmer.
40. The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
[From the book "The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon"]
“The scholar argues that people are wired to see patterns in chaos while remaining blind to unpredictable events, with massive consequences. Experimentation and empiricism trumps the easy and obvious narrative,” Stone writes.
41. 1984
Steve Jobs called this book "one of his favorite" and recommended it to the hires. The book also inspired one the greatest TV ad (made by Jobs)
42. Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
Ryan recommended this earlier, and I had already read Black Swan, so followed up here. I’m of two minds with this book so far. On the one hand, I think Nassim does a great job at taking swings at The Establishment thinking in economics in… Read the full quote
Ryan recommended this earlier, and I had already read Black Swan, so followed up here. I’m of two minds with this book so far. On the one hand, I think Nassim does a great job at taking swings at The Establishment thinking in economics in particular, but on the other hand the tone at times seem needlessly polemic. The irony of me saying that of all people is not lost. Which is perhaps the best take-away from the book so far: That it’s a mirror on how to present arguments in a compelling, believable, punchy fashion, without getting lost swinging at ghosts and straw men.
43. Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers
Crossing the Chasm for enterprise plays you have to read.
44. Everything Is Figureoutable
by Marie Forleo
Millions of young women look to Marie Forleo as their inspiration for empowerment and achievement.
45. Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
Harari’s new book is as challenging and readable as Sapiens. Rather than looking back, as Sapiens does, it looks to the future. I don’t agree with everything the author has to say, but he has written a thoughtful look at what may be in store for humanity.
46. Losing My Virginity
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.
47. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell's breakthrough insight was to focus on the micro-relationships between individuals, which helped organizations realize that it's not about the big ads and the huge charity balls... it's about setting the stage for the buzz to start.
48. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
by James Clear
Because everyone, if they haven't already read "Atomic Habits," they absolutely should and incorporate the tools, but what are you onto now?
49. Blue Ocean Strategy
by W. Chan Kim, Renée Mauborgne
There are the normal ones that everybody loves. There would be "Rich Dad Poor Dad," "Who Moved My Cheese?;" I love all the Dale Carnegie books; "The One Minute Manager." I love newer ones like "Blue Ocean Strategy" and all the "Freaknomics" books.
50. Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box
Rarely has a book had such an immediate and profound impact on the hundreds of CEOs of fast growth firms we work with through our MIT/Inc./EO Executive Program. And it’s one of those rare books that touches both the personal as well as professional lives of these leaders.
51. The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
by Brad Stone
I read 1 year ago The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone and I had just started my own business. Most books you read about American entrepreneurs are so inspirational and it makes it seen so easy to work… Read the full quote
I read 1 year ago The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone and I had just started my own business. Most books you read about American entrepreneurs are so inspirational and it makes it seen so easy to work for a startup. This book shows you however the flaws of the leader, the leader and the business's weak moments, the principles of frugality, the way he celebrated his team but also split with some of them, the tough decisions. Some of these really inspired me on how to move further and I got some nice and highly applicable ideas from the book.
52. The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You
by Julie Zhuo
At startups, individuals asked to manage are rarely set-up for success. Julie Zhuo gives new managers the tools they need to help their people and company win.
53. The Purpose Is Profit: The Truth about Starting and Building Your Own Business
by Ed ''Skip'' McLaughlin, Wyn Lydecker
Unlike so many books on entrepreneurship, 'The Purpose Is Profit' gets at the nub of what it takes to build a successful business. Ed talks the talk, and walks the walk, about the importance of factoring profit into every business decision.
54. Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
by Ryan Holiday
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.
55. AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order
by Kai-Fu Lee
Kai-Fu Lee's smart analysis on human-AI coexistence is clear-eyed and a must-read. We must look deep within ourselves for the values and wisdom to guide AI's development.
56. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
A bunch of my friends recommended this one to me. Carreyrou gives you the definitive insider’s look at the rise and fall of Theranos. The story is even crazier than I expected, and I found myself unable to put it down once I started. This… Read the full quote
A bunch of my friends recommended this one to me. Carreyrou gives you the definitive insider’s look at the rise and fall of Theranos. The story is even crazier than I expected, and I found myself unable to put it down once I started. This book has everything: elaborate scams, corporate intrigue, magazine cover stories, ruined family relationships, and the demise of a company once valued at nearly $10 billion.
57. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
by Greg McKeown
This is a great book. I've read it, I've bought it for a friend.
58. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
I don’t need to say much here. This book invented an entire genre. Economics was never supposed to be this entertaining.
59. Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change
Beth Comstock has written a wonderful book, full of excellent insights and lessons from her hugely successful career. She has recently been elected to the advertising all of fame, and after reading this you will know why. This book is of great value to almost… Read the full quote
Beth Comstock has written a wonderful book, full of excellent insights and lessons from her hugely successful career. She has recently been elected to the advertising all of fame, and after reading this you will know why. This book is of great value to almost virtually any leader and her stories and examples are told in a breezy way that makes it a joy to read.
60. Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success
by Brad Stulberg, Steve Magness
Brad Stulberg is one of my favorite writers about two of my favorite topics: physical and mental performance. This book brings them together.
61. Perennial Seller
by Ryan Holiday
In an era of disposable hot takes, Ryan's writing blends thoughtful and thorough contrarianism with delicious anecdotes to back it up. Perennial Seller continues that tradition.
62. Predictable Revenue: Turn Your Business Into a Sales Machine with the $100 Million Best Practices of Salesforce.com
If you're going into sales I highly recommend Predictable Revenue. It's another easy read but will help you put the right processes in place and ensure you have replaced 'cold calls' with 'warm' ones!
63. Principles for Success
by Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights.
64. So Good They Can’t Ignore You
by Cal Newport
Entrepreneurial professionals must develop a competitive advantage by building valuable skills. This book offers advice based on research and reality--not meaningless platitudes-- on how to invest in yourself in order to stand out from the crowd. An important guide to starting up a remarkable career.
65. Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
by Austin Kleon
Part of ambition is modeling yourself after those you’d like to be like. Austin’s philosophy of ruthlessly stealing and remixing the greats might sound appalling at first but it is actually the essence of art. You learn by stealing, you become creative by stealing, you… Read the full quote
Part of ambition is modeling yourself after those you’d like to be like. Austin’s philosophy of ruthlessly stealing and remixing the greats might sound appalling at first but it is actually the essence of art. You learn by stealing, you become creative by stealing, you push yourself to be better by working with these materials. Austin is a fantastic artist, but most importantly he communicates the essence of writing and creating art better than anyone else I can think of. It is a manifesto for any young, creative person looking to make his mark. Pair up with Show Your Work which is also excellent.
66. Tao Te Ching
by Lao Tzu
Q: What are the books that had a major influence on you? Or simply the ones you like the most.
Jack Dorsey: Tao te Ching, score takes care of itself, between the world and me, the four agreements, the old man and the sea...I love reading!
67. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
by Mark Manson
I loved Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck. There’s a reason this book is blowing up. It’s that good.
68. The Underground Culinary Tour: How the New Metrics of Today’s Top Restaurants Are Transforming How America Eats
by Damian Mogavero, Joseph D'Agnese
Avero has become the go-to tech company for the hospitality industry, but the secret to Damian's success lies in his deeply rooted passion for food.... which The Underground Culinary Tour illustrates brilliantly!
69. Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers
by Gabriel Weinberg, Justin Mares
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.
70. Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
by Steve Krug
Here are some of the books that have been very impactful for me, or taught me a new way of thinking: [...] Don't Make Me Think.
71. Dune
All you need to know about leadership is contained in Dune.
72. Founders At Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days
Now this one is certainly a little less historical than the others, if only because most of the profiles are about companies founded in the last ten years. Written by Jessica Livingston, a founder of YCombinator, the book profiles some of the hottest and most… Read the full quote
Now this one is certainly a little less historical than the others, if only because most of the profiles are about companies founded in the last ten years. Written by Jessica Livingston, a founder of YCombinator, the book profiles some of the hottest and most successful startups in Silicon Valley history. It shows how the founders manage to create massive growth, usually with very few resources. Now I’m not saying that companies like Hot or Not compare with the accomplishments of Pericles or Da Vinci, but you can certainly see how this book captures a moment in time—and its leading men and women—and what that means. This is the most current book on the list (besides mine) but I think many of you will like it. Plus you can learn a lot about the tech scene in one swoop.
73. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
by David Allen
Getting Things Done by David Allen. He recently spoke at our Zappos all-hands meeting and gave me a signed copy of his book.
74. High Output Management
[Andy’s] book played a big role in shaping my management style.
75. Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
by Safi Bahcall
This book has everything: new ideas, bold insights, entertaining history and convincing analysis. Not to be missed by anyone who wants to understand how ideas change the world.
76. One Hundred Years of Solitude
Brace yourselves—One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez is as steamy, dense and sensual as the jungle that surrounds the surreal town of Macondo!
77. Stillness Is the Key
by Ryan Holiday
I read (and then reread) Ryan Holiday’s exceptional book Stillness is the Key (I’ve interviewed Ryan, so look for this podcast soon).
78. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character)
Brin told the Academy of Achievement: "Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broad-minded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo [da Vinci], an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life."
79. The 48 Laws of Power
There is no living writer (or person) who has been more influential to me than Robert Greene. I met him when I was 19 years old and he’s shaped me as a person, as a writer, as a thinker. You MUST read his books. His… Read the full quote
There is no living writer (or person) who has been more influential to me than Robert Greene. I met him when I was 19 years old and he’s shaped me as a person, as a writer, as a thinker. You MUST read his books. His work on power and strategy are critical for anyone trying to accomplish anything. In life, power is force we are constantly bumping up against. People have power of over us, we seek power ourselves that we might be free enough and influential enough to accomplish our goals—so we must understand where power comes from, how it works and how to get it. But pure power is meaningless. It must be joined to mastery and purpose. So read his book Mastery so that you can figure your life’s task and how to dedicate yourself to it.
80. The Foundation
by Isaac Asimov
In terms of sci-fi books, I think Isaac Asimov is really great. I like the Foundation series, probably one of the all-time best.
81. The Fountainhead
by Ayn Rand
I remember reading Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. That's good fodder for a young man. It sets these bold, stark characters - you could even call them Christ figures - and you think to yourself, 'I want to be that'.
82. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
Question: What are the books that had a major influence on you? Or simply the ones you like the most.
Jack Dorsey: Tao te Ching, score takes care of itself, between the world and me, the four agreements, the old man and the sea...I love reading!
83. The Prince
by Machiavelli
Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Prince (Machiavelli) [to learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it]. If you… Read the full quote
Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Prince (Machiavelli) [to learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it]. 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.
84. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
I think every entrepreneur or aspiring entrepreneur should read the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It was written in the 1970s by a guy named Robert Pirsig. It was his first book, it's kind of a hippie philosophy treatised journey. The word… Read the full quote
I think every entrepreneur or aspiring entrepreneur should read the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It was written in the 1970s by a guy named Robert Pirsig. It was his first book, it's kind of a hippie philosophy treatised journey. The word that sort of came out of it was Chautauqua, he's like having a conversation with his son as they do a motorcycle trip across the country, and it's just this incredible treatise on philosophy, product, quality, accomplishing what your goal is, against the backdrop of the narrator, the author, going crazy and having a psychotic break. And so it's this very powerful mix of accessible philosophy, combined with this pretty captivating journey in a book that, again, anybody who builds anything, there's so much in it that's so worth reading and just soaking in. But it's not what you'd expect, it's not a "here's how you do it", you have to read it slowly and think about it. So, it's one of my favorites.
85. Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur
by Derek Sivers
A true manifesto, a guidebook with clear signposts, and a fun ride you'll return to again and again.
86. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong about the World–and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
by Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Ola Rosling
This was a breakthrough to me. The framework Hans enunciates is one that took me decades of working in global development to create for myself, and I could have never expressed it in such a clear way. I’m going to try to use this model moving forward.
87. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
I have recently read a new book twice, which I very seldom do. And that book is "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. And it's a marvelous book. And the way the guy's mind works would be useful in business.
88. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
by Chris Voss, Tahl Raz
A former FBI hostage negotiator distills the heuristics of how to defuse tense negotiations with unstable humans, and proposes that they’re the same for every other form of negotiations. Not a bad premise, and I found several of the techniques compelling and resonant of what… Read the full quote
A former FBI hostage negotiator distills the heuristics of how to defuse tense negotiations with unstable humans, and proposes that they’re the same for every other form of negotiations. Not a bad premise, and I found several of the techniques compelling and resonant of what I’ve read about human biases and flaws from other sources. But the FBI bravado is grating. It’s basically “hey, I just learned this stuff, and I whattadoknow, I become so bad ass that I could beat every Harvard trained negotiator with my sick mind hacks”. Okay dude. Nassim Taleb would be proud though ?.
89. On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft
by Stephen King
I read a bunch of books on writing before I wrote my first book and the two that stuck with me were Stephen King’s book and “On Writing Well” by Zinsser (which is a bit on the technical side).
90. Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company
This book is about one super-important concept. You must learn about Strategic Inflection Points, because sooner or later you are going to live through one.
91. Open: An Autobiography
by Andre Agassi
I’d heard so many good things about the book that I had to give it a read, and it didn’t disappoint. In fact, I’m typing this in a haze because I was up until 4am last night finishing it. It’s really good.
92. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
by Susan Cain
Leaders needn’t be the loudest. Leadership is not about theater. It’s not about dominance. It is about putting the lives of others before any other priority. In Quiet, Cain affirms to a good many of us who are introverts by nature that we needn’t try… Read the full quote
Leaders needn’t be the loudest. Leadership is not about theater. It’s not about dominance. It is about putting the lives of others before any other priority. In Quiet, Cain affirms to a good many of us who are introverts by nature that we needn’t try to be extroverts if we want to lead. Simply being ourselves is more important — and more effective.
93. The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined
Stands out as one of the most important books I've read — not just this year, but ever.
94. The Execution Factor: The One Skill that Drives Success
by Kim Perell
The Execution Factor is for the entrepreneur in all of us, for the person daydreaming about being their own boss while stuck at a nine to five. Kim Perell knows what it takes to execute a vision, no matter how big or small. There isn’t a better book to guide you to turning your ideas into reality.
95. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
I guess when I was around 12 or 15... I had an existential crisis, and I was reading various books on trying to figure out the meaning of life and what does it all mean? It all seemed quite meaningless and then we happened to… Read the full quote
I guess when I was around 12 or 15... I had an existential crisis, and I was reading various books on trying to figure out the meaning of life and what does it all mean? It all seemed quite meaningless and then we happened to have some books by Nietzsche and Schopenhauer in the house, which you should not read at age 14 (laughter). It is bad, it’s really negative. So then I read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy which is quite positive I think and it highlighted an important point which is that a lot of times the question is harder than the answer. And if you can properly phrase the question, then the answer is the easy part. So, to the degree that we can better understand the universe, then we can better know what questions to ask. Then whatever the question is that most approximates: what’s the meaning of life? That’s the question we can ultimately get closer to understanding. And so I thought to the degree that we can expand the scope and scale of consciousness and knowledge, then that would be a good thing.
96. The Lord of the Rings
As a boy in Pretoria, Musk was un dersized and picked upon, a smart-aleck known as Muskrat. In his loneliness, he read a lot of fantasy and science fiction. “The heroes of the books I read, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and the ‘Foundation’ series, always felt a duty to save the world,” he told me.
97. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
[One of the books that had the biggest impact on Roxana Bitoleanu] The power of now, as time is a limited resource and we should spend it as wonderfully as possible.
98. The Road to Character
by David Brooks
The insightful New York Times columnist examines the contrasting values that motivate all of us. He argues that American society does a good job of cultivating the “résumé virtues” (the traits that lead to external success) but not our “eulogy virtues” (the traits that lead… Read the full quote
The insightful New York Times columnist examines the contrasting values that motivate all of us. He argues that American society does a good job of cultivating the “résumé virtues” (the traits that lead to external success) but not our “eulogy virtues” (the traits that lead to internal peace of mind). Brooks profiles various historical figures who were paragons of character. I thought his portrait of World War II General George Marshall was especially enlightening. Even if the distinction between the two types of virtues is not always crystal clear, The Road to Character gave me a lot to think about. It is a thought-provoking look at what it means to live life well.
99. The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career
Being an entrepreneur isn’t really about starting a business. It’s a way of looking at the world: seeing opportunity where others see obstacles, taking risks when others take refuge. Whatever career you’re in or want to be in The Start-Up of You holds lessons for success.
100. The Startup Way
by Eric Ries
Continuous innovation is the key to long-term impact and success. Eric shows how organizations of all kinds—not just startups—can be built to learn and adapt. In the pivot-or-perish networked world of twenty-first-century business, this is mission critical reading.
