What are the best books for entrepreneurs? One of my favorite books for covering the basics of business and entrepreneurship is definitely The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman.
In it, Kaufman recommends a large variety of other works to complement the basic information covered in his broad business book. Education goes far beyond the classroom, and good books are the best place to start.
With that in mind, here I’ll share the best books for entrepreneurs as a frequently updated list that covers all of the major aspects of running a business.
The best entrepreneur books
Business formation books
- Go It Alone by Bruce Judson
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
- The Knack by Norm Brodsky & Bo Burlingham
- Escape from Cubicle Nation by Pamela Slim
- Bankable Business Plans by Edward Rogoff
Value creation books
- Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
- The New Business Road Test by John Mullins
- How to Make Millions with Your Ideas by Dan Kennedy
Marketing books
- All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin
- Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
- The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout
- Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got by Jay Abraham
Sales and pricing books
From pricing strategies to in-person selling, every entrepreneur must know how to sell. I’d argue that every person should be their own ‘Chief Marketing Officer’ (or know how to sell themselves), but that’s a whole other issue. Check out these books for some fascinating takes on sales and pricing.
- The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy
- Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff
- The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
- Value-Based Fees by Alan Weiss
- SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham
Value delivery books
- Indispensable by Joe Calloway
- The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt
Finance and accounting books
- Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs by Karen Berman and Joe Knight
- Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits by Greg Crabtree
- The 1% Windfall by Rafi Mohammed
- Accounting Made Simple by Mike Piper
- How to Read a Financial Report by John A. Tracy
- Venture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson
Psychology and persuasion books
For a more comprehensive list, check out my article on the best psychology books.
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
- The Social Animal by Elliot Aronson
- The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar
- Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
- Brainfluence by Roger Dooley
- Brain Rules by John Medina
- Driven: How Human Nature Shapes Our Choices by Paul Lawrence and Nitin Nohria
Productivity books
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz
- Bit Literacy by Mark Hurst
- 10 Days to Faster Reading by Abby Marks-Beale
Problem-solving books
- The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
- Accidental Genius by Mark Levy
- Learning from the Future by Liam Fahey & Robert Randall
Decision-making books
- The Power of Less by Leo Babauta
- The Path of Least Resistance by Robert Fritz
- Re-Create Your Life by Morty Lefkoe
- Self-Directed Behavior by David L. Watson & Roland G. Tharp
- Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions by Gary Klein
- Smart Choices by John S. Hammond et al
Writing and communication books
- On Writing by Stephen King
- Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds
- Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
- The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly
- Show Me The Numbers by Stephen Few
Negotiation books
- Bargaining For Advantage by G. Richard Shell
- 3-D Negotiation by David A. Lax and James K. Sebenius
- The Partnership Charter by David Gage
Management books
- First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman
- 12: The Elements of Great Managing by Rodd Wagner & James Harter
- Growing Great Employees by Erika Andersen
- The Essential Drucker by Peter F. Drucker
Leadership books
- Tribes by Seth Godin
- Total Leadership by Stewart Friedman
- What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
- The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan by George Bradt et al
- The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig
Project management books
- Making Things Happen by Scott Berkun
- Results Without Authority by Tom Kendrick
Systems-thinking books
- Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows
- Work the System by Sam Carpenter
Analytics and data books
- Turning Numbers Into Knowledge by Jonathan Koomey
- Marketing Metrics by Paul W. Farris et al
- The Economist Numbers Guide by Richard Stuteley
- Thinking Statistically by Uri Bram
- How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff
Corporate skills books
- The Unwritten Laws of Business by W.J. King
- The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
- The Simplicity Survival Handbook by Bill Jensen
- Hire With Your Head by Lou Adler
Corporate strategy books
- Purpose: The Starting Point of Great Companies by Nikos Mourkogiannis
- Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter
- Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
- Seeing What’s Next by Clayton M. Christensen et al
Innovation and creativity books
- The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
- Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter F. Drucker
Design books
- The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman
- Universal Principles of Design by William Lidwell et al
Consulting books
- Getting Started in Consulting by Alan Weiss
- Secrets of Consulting by Gerald M. Weinberg
Personal finance books
- Your Money or Your Life by Joel Dominguez & Vicki Robin
- The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley & William Danko
- I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
- Fail-Safe Investing by Harry Browne
Personal growth books
- Lead the Field by Earl Nightingale
- The Art of Exceptional Living by Jim Rohn
- A Guide to the Good Life by William Braxton Irvine