Questions

I know there are tens of thousands of books on entrepreneurship. Help me find the best ones :)

I'm sure you'll get all the conventional startup books on this list, so I'll share some of my favourites that might not come up.

I'm a huge fan of the following:

1. How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Yes, this one is old. Yes, it's a thick read. And yes, the principles are more applicable today than ever before. Especially if you want to learn how to work with people and get them to do what you want (the honest and fast way) to get remarkable results.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671723650

2. Sho-Gun and The Noble House by James Clavell

These are 2 amazing books that explore everything you'll experience as a pioneer. The beauty of them is that they're grand adventure stories, which makes for a fun and gripping read. (Because let's face it, sometimes you just need to relax but you still want to expand your mind. This is the perfect book for that mood.)

FYI: There are actually 6 in this saga, but these are the top 2 I'd recommend for anyone who wants to start a business.

http://www.amazon.com/Shogun-James-Clavell/dp/0440178002

3. Marketing Myopia by Theodore Levitt

If you're confused about marketing, read this. It's short (it was actually an HBR article that was turned into a mini-book).

http://hbr.org/2004/07/marketing-myopia/

4. The Corporation by Joel Bakan

If you're an idealist, read this. It explores the dark side of starting a venture, and the real purpose of a business entity. A scary read.

FYI: It excludes the modern "people, planet, profits" concept, which I'm a huge fan of.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Corporation-Pathological-Pursuit-Profit/dp/0743247469

5. ReWork by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson

This one will probably come up, but I want to make sure it does. It provides a great framework to understand what you actually need to do to move the needle. Every page I turned I kept thinking, "Yes!"

Good read, especially if you're coming from a more corporate background. Plus, it's a glorified picture book (you'll see).

http://www.amazon.com/Rework-Jason-Fried/dp/0307463745

6. Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

One of the first "entrepreneur" books I read. Love the stories Dan & Chip showcase, plus they give you a great framework to create sticky ideas.

http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287

7. The New Digital Age by Eric Schmidt & Jared Cohen

This is new in 2013 and a *MUST READ* for anyone doing anything digital.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Digital-Age-Reshaping-Business/dp/1480542288

Best of luck!
A


Answered 10 years ago

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