“Leaders are readers.”
Warren Buffett, third richest man in the world who is worth 85.1 billion USD, reads 5 to 6 hours a day. Bill Gates, net worth 96.2 billion USD, reads 50 books a year. Mark Zuckerberg, net worth 58.1 billion USD, reads a book every two weeks.
Reading is a prerequisite for success because it enhances your imagination, train your focus and concentration, improves your memory, helps you in self development. Through books, you are learning from people’s experiences so they lead the way for you and motivate you. You may not be able to spend time with those smart successful people, but you can spend as much time with them as you want by reading material written by them. Also, reading encourages better decision making.
As an entrepreneur, below are the top 9 books for you to read to kick off your entrepreneurship journey:
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
(4.2/5 rating on goodreads – 141,466 votes)
If there was a list of books that would actually change your life, “Think and Grow Rich” would top the list. This book is like the pillar for all business books and it the best choice to kick off the start of your entrepreneurship. This book helps you succeed in any line of work you wish to choose in your life.
The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone
(4.07/5 on good reads – 7,307 votes)
If you are after big goals and you don’t settle for the ordinary then this book is for you! It helps you have the mindset to reach to the next level of business and lifestyle. It removes luck and chance from your business equation, and lock in-massive success.
The ONE Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
(4.16/5 on goodreads – 25,719 votes)
The book discusses the benefits of prioritizing a single task. It is a mixture of self help and motivational book. This book shows you how to make the best of your time and be productive to achieve all your goals in life and how important it is to concentrate on ONE thing at a time.
The Start-Up J Curve: The Six Steps to Entrepreneurial Success by Howard Love
(4.35/5 on goodreads – 184 votes)
This book is essential for entrepreneurs who want to start their own business. It is a comprehensive guide that speaks about a start-up’s evolution and helps readers to know what to do and what not to do, and makes the path to success efficient and smooth. The book is honest, direct, and insightful, and touches on all the topics required when it comes to start-ups.
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
(4.06/5 on goodreads – 60,924 votes)
The book starts with a comparison of the two main ways to influence human behaviour: manipulation and inspiration. Simon Sinek argues that inspiration is the more powerful and sustainable of the two.
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
(3.86/5 on goodreads – 110,432 votes)
If you are one of the entrepreneurs that want to quit the rat race, then this book is for you! This book teaches you how to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want and how to train your boss to value performance over presence, or kill your job (or company) if it’s beyond repair.
Zero to One by Peter Thiel
(4.16/5 on goodreads – 85,792 votes)
This book highlights great points for startups like the importance of having or developing a proprietary technology that outperforms what is currently available and the less competition you have to face, the more likely you are to focus on development instead of marketing wars.
The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
(3.83/5 on goodreads – 37,695 votes)
In The $100 Startup, Chris Guillebeau tells you how to lead of life of adventure, meaning and purpose – and earn a good living. Still in his early 30s, Chris is on the verge of completing a tour of every country on earth – he’s already visited more than 175 countries and yet he’s never held a “real job” or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back.
The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google by Scott Galloway
(3.9/5 on goodreads – 4,410 votes)
Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are the four most influential companies on the planet. Just about everyone thinks they know how they got there. Just about everyone is wrong. For all that’s been written about the Four over the last two decades, no one has captured their power and staggering success as insightfully as Scott Galloway.