10 Books For Entrepreneurs On Success in Business and Life

Another amazing collection of books for entrepreneurs on Everyday Power Blog!

When it comes to success the only thing more important than great mechanics is the proper mindset.

As Brain Tracy always says, “we are what we think about most of the time.”

We hope you enjoy this eclectic mix of books that will help ignite your entrepreneurial spirit and mindset.

Being an entrepreneur is not easy, and this collection of amazing books will help you on your journey!

Inspirational Books For Entrepreneurs

1. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

While entrepreneurism isn’t quite the theme of this book, the lessons of personal sacrifice, survival and resiliency are.

After reading this book your perspective on founding a startup may change because if the main character, Louie Zamperini, overcame the challenges and catastrophes he faced, then so can you.

No wonder this book features number one at Amazon.

Quote from the book: “Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man’s soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it.”
― Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken

2. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries

Quote from the book: “The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.”
― Eric Ries, The Lean Startup

Most startups fail.

But many of those failures are preventable.

The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.

Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty.

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Rather than wasting time creating elaborate business plans, The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs – in companies of all sizes – a way to test their vision continuously, to adapt and adjust before it’s too late.

Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successful startups in a age when companies need to innovate more than ever.

3. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

I dare you to read this and not get a little fired up and action-ready.

The latest edition of this groundbreaker has even more tools and up-to-date content to help you create and automate an income-generator (a.k.a. your “muse”), leaving you free to pursue your passions: other business plans, travel, whatever.

Ferriss blows old assumptions about business wide open, from the basic (the “bank hours” we all tend to keep are not the most productive) to the more intricate (he presents a plan to make an Aston Martin DB9 affordable with his Dream line tool).

Quote from the book: “For all of the most important things, the timing always sucks. Waiting for a good time to quit your job? The stars will never align and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. The universe doesn’t conspire against you, but it doesn’t go out of its way to line up the pins either. Conditions are never perfect. “Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Pro and con lists are just as bad. If it’s important to you and you want to do it “eventually,” just do it and correct course along the way.” ― Timothy Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek

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4. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie 

 This is a classic needs no introduction.

Winning friends in the today’s competitive world is difficult is life’s biggest challenges.

Its an art.

Quote from the book: “It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.” ― Dale Carnegie

5. The Startup Playbook: Secrets of the Fastest-Growing Startups From Their Founding Entrepreneurs by David Kidder

The title says it all.

If you’re looking for a wide array of lessons learned and entrepreneurial experiences, this book is for you.

Sharing insights from 41 different founders, The Startup Playbook covers everything from leadership lessons to finding one’s niche.

Quote from the book: “If we’re not doing something that’s game-changing, then frankly I’m not interested in doing it.” ― David Kidder, The Startup Playbook

6. Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin 

The key to success is to find a way to stand out–to be the purple cow in a field of monochrome Holsteins.

Every one should strive for excellence & try to change the Status Quo.

The Author himself happens to be an example of accomplished speaker , blogger &sought after marketing genius.

Quote from the book: “In your career, even more than for a brand, being safe is risky. The path to lifetime job security is to be remarkable.” ― Seth Godin

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7. Zero to One: Note on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel

The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system.

The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine.

If you are copying these guys, you aren’t learning from them.

It’s easier to copy a model than to make something new: doing what we already know how to do takes the world from 1 to n, adding more of something familiar.

Every new creation goes from 0 to 1.

This book is about how to get there.

“Peter Thiel has built multiple breakthrough companies, and Zero to One shows how”.(Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla).

“This book delivers completely new and refreshing ideas on how to create value in the world”. (Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook).

“When a risk taker writes a book, read it. In the case of Peter Thiel, read it twice. Or, to be safe, three times. This is a classic”. (Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan).

Quote from the book: “Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius.” ― Peter Thiel, Zero to One

 8. The E Myth Revisited  by Michael Gerber Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About it

The E Myth Revisited is an updated edition of the bestseller that dispels the myths about starting your own business.

The main point I got out of this book was the difference between working on your business and working in your business.

Much like Rich Dad Poor Dad, Michael Gerber notes how you must build your company and design it so that it works for you.

Many people start businesses, work themselves to death, micromanage, and essentially create “another job” for themselves.

The goal is to become an owner or investor where you aren’t involved in the day to day operations, and instead are the visionary that looks at the big picture.

Quote from the book: “Contrary to popular belief, my experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren’t so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more.” ― Michael E. Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited

9. The 22 Immutable Laws Of Marketing by Al Ries  & Jack Trout

Al Ries and Jack Trout, two of the world’s most successful marketing strategists, call upon over 40 years of marketing expertise to identify the definitive rules that govern the world of marketing.

Combining a wide-ranging historical overview with a keen eye for the future, the authors bring to light 22 superlative tools and innovative techniques for the international marketplace.

The authors examine marketing campaigns that have succeeded and others that have failed, why good ideas didn’t live up to expectations, and offer their own ideas on what would have worked better.

Quote from the book: “Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products.” ― Al Ries, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

10. Stay Hungry Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal

Success stories of 25 MBA s from IIM who left lucrative jobs to start Entrepreneurial Ventures.

Much like The Start Up play book it inspires one to enjoy the journey of the Road less travelled.

Quote from the book: “Of all the questions we leave unanswered the one that comes back to haunt us the most is :”What if…” What if I’d married my college sweetheart? What if I had the good sense not to? What if I had been born in this job market? What if… What if I’d planned a little less? What if I’d lived a little more? What if I’d chucked it all and started my own company? ‘What ifs’ are never idle fantasy. These are our hopes, dreams and desires” ― Rashmi Bansal, Stay Hungry Stay Foolish

What other books for entrepreneurs would you add to the list?

Check out some more best selling books for entrepreneurs here!