Are you searching for the best entrepreneur books to ignite your business journey? Look no further! This guide features a curated list of the best entrepreneur books of all time, including timeless classics and modern must-reads. Whether you’re a budding startup founder or an experienced business leader, these books offer invaluable insights and strategies to help you succeed. Explore top titles like “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries, “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel, and more. Discover the essential reads that can transform your entrepreneurial mindset and drive your success.
Embarking on the entrepreneurial journey demands more than just a business plan; it requires grit, resilience, and the wisdom of those who have paved the way. This collection of the best entrepreneur books of all time is your roadmap to success. Dive into these powerful reads and unlock the secrets of entrepreneurial legends. From the relentless pursuit of innovation in “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries to the game-changing insights of “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel, each book offers a beacon of light to guide you through the darkest challenges and the toughest decisions.
Imagine having the strategies and mindsets of the greatest business minds at your fingertips. These books aren’t just about business—they’re about life, struggle, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Feel the adrenaline as you turn each page, soaking in the lessons that will fortify your resolve and ignite your passion. With these books, you’ll not only learn how to build and sustain a successful business but also how to cultivate the relentless drive needed to overcome any obstacle. Let these entrepreneurial classics be your mentors, inspiring you to dream bigger, work harder, and achieve more than you ever thought possible.
Best Entrepreneur Books Recommended by Successful Entrepreneurs
“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries
Recommended by: Mark Zuckerberg, who has publicly mentioned its influence on how he runs Facebook, emphasizing its approach to continuous innovation and rapid product iteration.
Reading Plan for “The Lean Startup”
- Total Words: Approximately 84,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: 1 week
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future” by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters
Recommended by: Elon Musk praised the book for its approach to innovation, stating, “Peter Thiel has built multiple breakthrough companies, and Zero to One shows how.”
Reading Plan for “Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future”
- Total Words: Approximately 56,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: Approximately 4 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers” by Ben Horowitz
Recommended by: Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Page have both recommended this book for its honest take on entrepreneurship.
Reading Plan for “The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers”
- Total Words: Approximately 76,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 5.6 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger” by Peter D. Kaufman
Recommended by: Warren Buffett, who frequently cites Munger’s wisdom as foundational to his investment strategy, saying, “Charlie Munger is my partner and friend; he’s taught me to be a better person and investor.”
Reading Plan for “Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger”
- Total Words: Approximately 137,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 10.1 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street” by John Brooks
Recommended by: Bill Gates, who called it “the best business book I’ve ever read,” and Warren Buffett, who originally recommended it to Gates.
Reading Plan for “Business Adventures”
- Total Words: Approximately 114,750
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 8.5 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike” by Phil Knight
Recommended by: Bill Gates praised this memoir for its candid and thoughtful narrative about building a company, saying, “A refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like.”
Reading Plan for “Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike”
- Total Words: Approximately 100,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 7.4 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail” by Clayton M. Christensen
Recommended by: Steve Jobs, who noted that it deeply influenced his strategic thinking and decision-making at Apple.
Reading Plan for “The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail”
- Total Words: Approximately 72,000 to 80,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 5.3 to 5.9 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Principles: Life and Work” by Ray Dalio
Recommended by: Tony Robbins and Michael Bloomberg, who appreciate Dalio’s unique perspective on life and management principles.
Reading Plan for “Principles: Life and Work”
- Total Words: Approximately 148,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 11 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham
Recommended by: Warren Buffett considers it “the best book on investing ever written.”
Reading Plan for “The Intelligent Investor”
- Total Words: Approximately 160,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 11.85 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t” by Jim Collins
Recommended by: Jeff Bezos, who has applied its principles at Amazon to focus on long-term health over short-term profitability.
Reading Plan for “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t”
- Total Words: Approximately 100,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 7.4 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman
Recommended by: Bill Gates, who admired its deep insights into the dual-process model of the human mind affecting our decision-making.
Reading Plan for “Thinking, Fast and Slow”
- Total Words: Approximately 124,750
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 9.25 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” by Charles Duhigg
Recommended by: Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera, who has cited its influence on understanding how habits affect performance and leadership.
Reading Plan for “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”
- Total Words: Approximately 100,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 7.4 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future” by Chris Guillebeau
Recommended by: Tim Ferriss, author of “The 4-Hour Workweek,” praises it for its straightforward advice on building a startup with minimal investment.
Reading Plan for “The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future”
- Total Words: Approximately 76,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 5.6 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell
Recommended by: J.K. Rowling and Chris Anderson (TED curator) have both highlighted its thought-provoking nature on what really separates the ‘best’ from the ‘rest.’
Reading Plan for “Outliers: The Story of Success”
- Total Words: Approximately 77,250
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 5.7 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” by Simon Sinek
Recommended by: Tony Robbins and David Meerman Scott, both of whom have cited its profound impact on leadership and marketing strategies.
Reading Plan for “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action”
- Total Words: Approximately 64,500
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 4.8 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It” by Michael E. Gerber
Recommended by: Tom Peters, who emphasizes its importance for anyone starting a business, noting, “Gerber loves to exhort people to develop disciplined freedom.”
Reading Plan for “The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It”
- Total Words: Approximately 72,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 5.3 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel H. Pink
Recommended by: Larry Page has noted its insights into motivation and how these can be applied within corporate environments.
Reading Plan for “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”
- Total Words: Approximately 96,500
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 7.1 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.” by Brené Brown
Recommended by: Sheryl Sandberg and Melinda Gates, both of whom commend Brown for her insights into leadership and emotional intelligence.
Reading Plan for “Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.”
- Total Words: Approximately 84,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 6.2 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Rework” by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Recommended by: Mark Cuban, who found its no-nonsense, straightforward advice on starting and running a business refreshing and practical.
Reading Plan for “Rework”
- Total Words: Approximately 27,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 2 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey
Recommended by: Jim Collins and Oprah Winfrey, who both advocate its principles for personal and professional effectiveness.
Reading Plan for “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
- Total Words: Approximately 144,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 10.7 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
Recommended by: Warren Buffett, who took the Dale Carnegie course and often credits it with transforming his communicative approach.
Reading Plan for “How to Win Friends and Influence People”
- Total Words: Approximately 67,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 4.96 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras
Recommended by: Jeff Bezos and John Doerr, who refer to its concepts in discussions about long-term success and organizational culture.
Reading Plan for “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies”
- Total Words: Approximately 100,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 7.4 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization” by Peter M. Senge
Recommended by: Jeff Immelt and Satya Nadella, who have both highlighted its importance for building responsive and adaptive organizations.
Reading Plan for “The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization”
- Total Words: Approximately 108,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 8 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration” by Ed Catmull
Recommended by: Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook, who appreciate its lessons on fostering creativity within a business context.
Reading Plan for “Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration”
- Total Words: Approximately 92,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 6.8 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products that Win” by Steve Blank
Recommended by: Eric Ries and Marc Andreessen, who recommend it for its methodical approach to customer development and product innovation.
Reading Plan for “The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products that Win”
- Total Words: Approximately 92,500
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 6.8 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter” by Michael D. Watkins
Recommended by: Daniel Pink and Angela Duckworth, who value its advice on transitions and leadership roles.
Reading Plan for “The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter”
- Total Words: Approximately 76,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 5.6 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The Art of War” by Sun Tzu
Recommended by: Larry Ellison, Elon Musk, and many other business leaders for its strategic insights, which are applicable in both military and business contexts.
Reading Plan for “The Art Of War”
- Total Words: Approximately 17,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 1.26 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t” by Verne Harnish
Recommended by: Tobi Lütke and Jack Dorsey, who see its value in providing a framework for growth and scaling effectively.
Reading Plan for “Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t”
- Total Words: Approximately 100,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 7.4 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company” by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf
Recommended by: Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt, who found its detailed approach to building a customer-centric startup invaluable.
Reading Plan for “The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company”
- Total Words: Approximately 152,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 11.3 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose” by Tony Hsieh
Recommended by: Jeff Bezos, who has shared it as an example of creating a company culture that significantly improves customer service.
Reading Plan for “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose”
- Total Words: Approximately 68,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 5 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour
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“The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business” by Patrick Lencioni
Recommended by: Jim Collins and Garry Ridge (CEO of WD-40 Company), who appreciate its focus on organizational health as the ultimate competitive advantage.
Reading Plan for “The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business”
- Total Words: Approximately 60,000
- Reading Speed: Assuming 225 words per minute
- Duration: About 4.4 days
- Daily Reading: 1 hour