The 35 best books for Entrepreneurs
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Whether you are a professional starting a business or a solopreneur trying to scale up, I will give you a list of the best non-fiction books for entrepreneurs. To make this list easier to read, I organized it by subcategory. So, whether you are looking for a self-help book, a marketing book, or a management book, you can click on the links below and head over to the correct section.
Keep in mind that this article is the first of a long series about reading and writing non-fiction books and content creation for entrepreneurs who want to fast-track their lifestyle business. So if you find this article helpful, bookmark it and come back for more posts.
But before we dive in, who am I, and why should you listen to me? (Feel free to skip this part if you already know me)
My name is Deniero Bartolini, and I am a digital marketing agency owner, a coach, a podcast host, and an author. But about ten years ago, I was a stressed-out, burned-out professional with a side hustle. Back then, the only books I owned were a couple of old college textbooks I kept under my bed, but that changed when I came across a personal development book that popped my head open like a nutcracker. Since then, I have read over 300 non-fiction books, scaled my businesses, and helped thousands of entrepreneurs through my podcast (The Remote CEO Show) and my Instagram page (@denierob). If you want to read more about my story, you can click here and tab out the full article for later, but for now, let's go!
Best self-help and personal development books
1. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) by Don Miguel Ruiz
This classic short book sheds light on the four cornerstone habits that everyone should develop to live a happier and more meaningful life. The agreements are a) be Impeccable with your word, b) don't take anything personally, 3) don't make assumptions, 4) always do your best.
2. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams by Deepak Chopra
Whether you consider yourself a spiritual individual, this book will give you a step-by-step process to unlock your potential and get extraordinary results in business and all other areas in life. This is the first self-help book I read and to say that it changed me is an understatement.
3. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
I battled with anxiety, depression, and OCD for a few years, and this book acted as a fire extinguisher for my brain. It completely shut down my inner chatter, helped me become present, and it showed me how to create bliss from within. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to eliminate any inner suffering.
4. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
I devoured this book in one sitting and instantly changed my office setting because of it. If you find it hard to complete good work in a timely manner, this book will show you why. Then it will give you multiple strategies you can apply to your life and business to stand out in a world that celebrates distractions.
5. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza
This book takes an extremely deep dive into epigenetics, the subconscious mind, neuroscience, quantum physics, biology, and chemistry to give you a blueprint for becoming who you want to be. This is not a book for beginners, but if you are ready to read a long book with an open mind, you'll thank yourself later.
Best psychology books
6. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
This instant-classic shows how IQ and favorable circumstances are not enough to ensure lasting success. Instead, if you want to achieve great things in life, you need to learn how to develop Grit. This is another excellent reminder that if you want to improve your results, you need to change yourself first.
7. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
If you struggle with consistently making good decisions, you need to read this book. The author explains that two systems run our thinking: System One: your "autopilot" and System Two: your analytical brain. To make better decisions, you need to train your System Two thinking, and this book will tell you how.
8. The Paradox of Choice – Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz
This mind-blowing read will show you why you need to lean down on the option you give yourself, from what you eat to what you wear and do. The reason is simple: the more options you give yourself, the less you'll be able to commit to one thing once you make up your mind.
9. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
This book goes in tandem with Deep Work by Cal Newport. In fact, Newport mentions Csikszentmihalyi several times in his book. Flow is the ultimate state of mind for productivity and wellbeing. This book will show you what Flow is and how you can achieve it in your everyday life.
10. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck Ph.D.
Have you ever heard of the Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset? This is the book that introduced the concept to the world. Read this book if you feel stuck and need a scientific reminder that you can get better, even when you don't feel like it's possible.
Best sales books
11. Influence - the Psychology of Persuasion Paperback by Robert B. Cialdini
This classic book gives you six great strategies (cognitive biases) you can use on your sales calls, your marketing, and your everyday conversations with family, co-workers, and more. These are not tricks but timeless applied psychological principles.
12. The Challenger Sale: How To Take Control of the Customer Conversation by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
If you're still stuck in the old "pitch-and-close" paradigm, you need to read this book. Prospects have never been more aware of sales tactics, so you are better off asking lots of questions to unveil their real problem and then educating the prospect all the way to the close. This book will show you how.
13. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
This book will give you all the tools you need to become a top negotiator, from closing a deal over Zoom to saving a hostage's life during a bank robbery. The book is also packed with real-life stories that will help you understand how to use these techniques once you're done reading.
14. Sell or Be Sold: How to Get Your Way in Business and in Life by Grant Cardone
Grant Cardone has been a staple in the sales world for years. Although this book is not technical, it gives you the tools and motivation to become a great salesperson or manage a sales team. If you lack the conviction and stamina to close deals, this is the book for you.
Best marketing books
15. This Is Marketing: You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn to See by Seth Godin
Marketing has changed dramatically in the past decade. Consumers are savvier than ever, and if you want to succeed, you need to build a brand and a product that speaks to their needs and wants. So if you are still stuck in the old idea that advertising is the primary tool to grow your business, this book is for you.
16. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
Modern consumers buy from brands that they know, love, and trust. And to make that connection, you need to build a story that speaks to them. This book will give you a framework to capture your audience's attention, keep them hooked more, and eventually buy from you.
17. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
Business growth is not a linear process, just like any idea that spreads and goes viral. Instead, it takes a mix of the right types of people (connectors and mavens) and the right circumstances to make something stick and spread. This book is packed with examples that show you how the process works.
18. Purple Cow : Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin
In a world where everyone tries to copy the few at the top, Seth Godin shows us how true success comes from the ability to stand out from the crowd. Marketing is not only the process of promoting a product, but it starts at the inception of the product itself. So, why not make the product remarkable from the beginning?
19. Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers by Russell Brunson
Russell Brunson will only write about techniques that his team and he perfected over years of trial and error. If you are trying to get more eyes on your products, this is the most comprehensive book about applied marketing. Don't make the mistake of reading it without implementing the strategies!
Best management books
20. The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker
This book is a timeless management masterpiece. If you struggle with managing your time, managing people, making sound decisions, and prioritizing your everyday workload, this book will help you tie all these pieces together. This book is a must-have, and you should keep it in your office as a guide.
21. Managing Oneself by Peter F. Drucker
Another classic management book that you need to review once in a while. In Managing Oneself, Drucker explains how you can take control of your professional life by doubling down on your strengths, managing your weaknesses, and placing yourself in the right work environment.
22. Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere by Tsedal Neeley
We live in a remote-work era, and the only way to ensure lasting success as an entrepreneur is to embrace that change. This book will give you lots of hands-on tools you can apply to hire, manage, motivate (and even fire) your team members to ultimately build a successful remote team.
23. The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
If you struggle with getting your points across with your team or don't know how to motivate your staff, this book will show you why. Instead of telling people what to do, ask more questions, and instead of speaking as a default, listen more and get feedback from your team.
24. Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance by Erica Dawan
Times have changed, and Erica Dawan's book will show you how you can thrive in the digital world. This book is a practical guide to being an effective and pleasant manager, team member, and business owner in a world made of video calls, emails, and instant messages.
25. Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek
This book flips leadership on its back by showing how all influential leaders have a common trait. They sacrifice their time, comfort, and sometimes even well-being to care for those they lead. I highly suggest you read this book before you build your team.
Best business books
26. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
Successful businesses don't just sell products or services. They sell the reason why they do what they do. If you are struggling to find a voice for your brand, find out your Why, articulate it, and share it with your market. Then let your message resonate with and attract those who believe in what you do.
27. Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
If you are intrigued by systems thinking and want to learn how to run a business in the most efficient and effective way, this is the book for you. You can read it all at once or pick from various scenarios and learn as you go.
28. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
If you are a woman trying to make it in business, you'll find this book eye-opening. But even though this is a book about women and leadership, men will greatly benefit from reading it as it shows the many biases (some subtle, some not so much) that are still present in the business world.
29. How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It by Mark Cuban
This book is a collection of blog posts that Mark Cuban put together to show his remarkable ascent in business. It's a short, punchy read that will motivate you and show you how to build a business from scratch without experience and money. All you need is an idea and the will to learn and optimize your work as you go.
30. The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
You don't need to spend years building a product before entering the market. That's an outdated (and dangerous) way to build a business. Instead, this book will show you how to operate more swiftly and incorporate creativity, experimentation, and customer feedback to build a sustainable business better and faster.
Best productivity books
31. The Perfect Day Formula: How to Own the Day And Control Your Life by Craig Ballantyne
If you are stuckling (stuck and struggling, as Craig says), you need to read this book. The author will show you how to make some tweaks to your schedule to unleash your potential and have a perfect day, every single day. This is a book you want to read and apply to your life right away.
32. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
Several productivity apps have used this classic book as the basis for their software. The idea is simple but life-changing. Write everything down, prioritize it, and tackle each item one by one. You must read this book if you feel busy, but don't see any real progress.
33. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
"Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become." This quote from the books sums up why habits are crucial to success. If you don't like your results, don't try to change them. Instead, start with tweaking your habits. This book will give you a phenomenal framework to do just that.
34. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
This is another classic that you can't miss. There's a big difference between being busy and being productive. So if you can't figure out how to get the most out of your schedule, this book will show you how to prioritize and execute your to-do list most effectively.
35. The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
If you've been doing many things at once and getting poor results, this is the book for you. Multitasking is why so many entrepreneurs fail to achieve success, both in the short and long term. This book will show you how to get laser-focused on one thing at a time.
