30 Best Business Books for Entrepreneurs Who Want to Make an Impact

Entrepreneurship is a constant learning process that’s going to be full of both peaks and valleys. Gaining knowledge from the people who have come before you and learning from both their successes and failures is something that every entrepreneur should strive for.

One of the best ways to soak up all that knowledge is by reading, and there’s no shortage of fantastic books out there to learn from. If you’re looking for some fuel to feed your entrepreneurial spirit, here are 25 of the best business books you can pick up.

1. Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie

First off, the founder of TOMS shoes isn’t a guy named Tom, but Blake Mycoskie. In his book Start Something That Matters, Mycoskie details not just how he created a successful company, but one that made a real difference for millions of lives across the world. It’s an inspiring read that’s sure to push entrepreneurs to build something that matters.

2. Will It Fly? by Pat Flynn

Taking a business idea and bringing it to market is a risky endeavor no matter what the business may be. Here in Will It Fly? Flynn doesn’t merely caution readers against moving forward with half-baked ideas but shows them how to separate the good ideas from the bad and offers a roadmap for actually launching a business that has solid wings to fly with.

3. #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso

A true rags-to-riches story that embraces the hustle of the entrepreneurial spirit, Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso’s business memoir is guaranteed to inspire female entrepreneurs for years to come. Amoruso details in #Girlboss how her small eBay business grew into a clothing retailer powerhouse that she never could have imagined. From trusting your instincts to knowing when to break the rules, Amoruso provides both witty and useful business insights.

4. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau

A little motivation can go a long way in helping a business idea get off the ground — even if there’s not a lot of money in the bank. Author Chris Guillebeau lays out a convincing argument in The $100 Startup that it’s not money that determines a business’s chances of success, but something intangible. Guillebeau presents 50 success stories of entrepreneurs who made an impact, even without huge piles of cash.

5. Good to Great by Jim Collins

In Good to Great, Jim Collins takes a look at 28 companies over the last 20 years and what practices they’ve put into place that helped them rise to the top. The book sheds valuable light on management strategy and how to create a business culture that rises above mediocrity and, instead, yields the sort of results that other businesses want to mimic for themselves.

In short, if you want your business to go from just being good to being something truly great, this read is a great tool to help.

6. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

One of the most popular novels with business leaders and CEOs, The Fountainhead is sure to add fuel to the fire for any entrepreneur. First published in 1943, it continues to inspire entrepreneurs who want to forge their own path. Self-made billionaire Mark Cuban said that it should be “required reading” for every entrepreneur.^[1]

7. Rhinoceros Success by Scott Alexander

In order for entrepreneurs to find long-standing success, charging full speed ahead with the power of a rhinoceros is essential. Written in 1980, but still incredibly relevant and inspiring today, Rhinoceros Success looks at how to go about throwing oneself completely into a goal and the reality of what it ultimately takes to build and create a successful business and career.

8. Conscious Capitalism by John Mackey and

Raj Sisodia

John Macky founded Whole Foods and helped redefine what a grocery store could be. Here in Conscious Capitalism, with co-author Raj Sisodia, Mackey looks at how to build a business that aims for a higher purpose than just making a profit. Creating a business where capitalism and values are on the same team isn’t always easy, but as Mackey and Sisodia show, it’s certainly a doable goal worth striving for.

9. The Glitter Plan by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor

Today, Juicy Couture is a million-dollar fashion brand, but it was all started with just $200. Part business memoir and part how-to guide, company founders Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor deliver a highly entertaining and informative read that reveals the story behind their success and lessons learned along the way in The Glitter Plan.

10. The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday

Nobody gets through life without running into obstacles and hardships. While some might falter, others persevere to even greater heights. So what separates these two groups of people? Author Ryan Holiday writes in The Obstacle Is the Way in great detail why the principles of a Roman emperor were so powerful when employed by everyone from John D. Rockefeller and Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant and Steve Jobs when they were faced with adversity.

11. That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph

The Wall Street Journal called That Will Never Work, which details how the idea of Netflix came to change entertainment as we know it, “an engaging read that will engross any would-be entrepreneur.”^[2]

The Netflix co-founder’s read functions as both a highly-entertaining history of Netflix’s creation and a source of advice on how to start what ultimately became a billion-dollar company. From how to move past disappointment to defining success, it’s one of the best business books of the last several years.

12. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

While there’s plenty of business knowledge to be pulled from Gladwell’s book, Outliners: The Story of Success is by no means your standard business how-to book. Gladwell takes a highly fascinating look at everything from the rock stardom of The Beatles to tech giant Bill Gates and how not just the 10,000-hour rule plays a part in success, but how one makes the most of all those hours. No matter what your profession, there are nuggets of insight that all entrepreneurs will find useful within the book’s pages.

13. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

You’d be hard-pressed not to find The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People on a “best of” list for entrepreneurs. It’s a book that every entrepreneur should at least read, if not own. Author Stephen R. Covey lays out a clear pathway for developing the habits that lead to not just success in work, but in creating a life of integrity that makes a lasting impact.

14. Self Made by Nely Galán

In regards to the entertainment industry, Nely Galán has certainly reached the top as the former president of Telemundo. In her memoir, Galán recounts the challenges she faced as a hispanic woman in the television business and how her pull-no-punches attitude helped her create and climb her own career ladder.

Galán doesn’t just write about what she’s accomplished in the book Self Made but offers motivation and advice for every person who wants to create their own self-made path of success.

15. EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey

Money guru Davey Rasey has built his radio show into a financial advice empire and has put the principles he’s used for doing so into this book EntreLeadership. Ramsey lays out not just tips for finding and leading the right people, but how to turn obstacles into advantages as your business grows. In their review, The Simple Dollar called it the “best single book on entrepreneurship” yet.^[3]

16. Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio

With accolades from everyone from Bill Gates to Tony Robbins, Principles examines the code that guides Ray Dalio’s life and how he founded and grew the investment firm Bridgewater Associates. From goal setting to the importance of transparency and honesty, Dalio not only provides a blueprint for his success in business, but evidence of how it’s touched nearly every aspect of his life.

17. Rise and Grind by Daymond John

Daymond John is, of course, no stranger to fans of the hit entrepreneur pitch TV show Shark Tank. Long before John was investing and mentoring young companies, he was carving out his own path with the clothing brand FUBU. The lessons and advice that John doles out in Rise And Grind are just as applicable to today’s entrepreneurs as they were in the 1990s when he launched his brand with a $40 budget.

18. To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink

Even if you’re not technically in sales, having sales skills will always add value to your profession. Author Daniel Pink delivers clear and easy-to-follow advice on how entrepreneurs can use proven sales techniques in both their businesses and lives in To Sell Is Human. Knowing how to utilize the art of persuasion is an invaluable skill for motivation, and Pink’s book offers sound knowledge on the subject.

19. Zero to One by Peter Thiel

An inspiring read for anybody with an entrepreneurial spirit, Zero To One makes Thiel’s case for why now is the best time to be an entrepreneur and how to think like an innovator. The book has been praised for offering both fresh and inspiring ideas by a who’s who of the tech world, including Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

20. Atomic Habits by James Clear

Good habits will help you in business and life, while bad habits can unravel everything you’ve worked for. Good habit formation isn’t easy, but the author of Atomic Habits, James Clear, makes his case for why it’s so essential and provides a proven formula for putting good habits in place while identifying and dropping the bad ones.

21. The Creative Curve by Allen Gannett

Creativity is key for entrepreneurs, but not everyone is creative, or more accurately, not everyone thinks they’re creative.

Allen Gannett believes that everyone can learn to harness the creative spark inside them; it’s all about applying the laws of the creative curve. In The Creative Curve, Gannett combines both real-life stories and how-to advice for entrepreneurs to harness their creative spirit.

22. Success Never Smelled So Sweet by Lisa Pierce and Hilary Beard

Failure is something that every successful entrepreneur is familiar with, and it’s how they learn from it that ultimately leads to fruitful endeavors. Lisa Pierce and Hilary Beard lay out in Success Never Smelled So Sweet a personal story that details not just the setbacks and obstacles she once faced as a black woman who was saddled with debt, but how she learned to tackle each problem and build the L.E. Beauty company.

For those who may be wondering if it’s possible to leave behind the 9-to-5 grind, Pierce and Beard proves that it’s doable and worthwhile.

23. Start by Jon Acuff

According to author Jon Acuff, there are only two paths in life: average and awesome. The average path, of course, is the one of least resistance, but less rewarding. Staying on the awesome path is easier said than done, but Acuff provides a map in Start for how to start down this path, push past the problems that arise, and ultimately create work that matters.

24. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Technology has provided a natural opportunity for legal industry entrepreneurs, and a huge part of that is recognizing how to build good products and services. The Lean Startup does just that, and author Eric Ries provides sound advice on vetting new ideas and products when starting a new company. Entrepreneurs will find Ries’s methods and examples both insightful and, most importantly, practical.

25. Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Bringing about real change is a difficult thing to make happen, and according to Switch, three things must occur: direction, motivation, and shape. Obviously, there’s more to it than that and the Heaths provide plenty of real examples from the business world such as the successful 1 percent milk campaign. There’s a certain psychology to creating change, and Switch helps uncover some of that mystery.

26. The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann

Generosity and business domination aren’t two things that often go hand-in-hand, but The Go-Giver highlights why the old proverb “give and you shall receive” is so meaningful for entrepreneurs. Written as a novel, the book functions as a blueprint for how to create a meaningful business that adds real value to all the lives it impacts.

27. Crushing It! by Gary Vaynerchuk

It goes without saying that social media plays a huge role in the brand identity of today’s businesses. In Crushing It! Gary Vaynerchuk offers entrepreneurs evidence-based examples of how-to and how-not-to use social media platforms to build a framework that creates industry influence. While the world of social media is constantly changing, Vaynerchuk manages to create an effective guide that applies to social media platforms both big and small.

28. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

With a four-star rating and over 48,000 reviews on Good Reads, a lot of people are finding real value in Ben Horowitz’s helpful, but brutally honest advice in The Hard Thing About Hard Things. A must-read for anyone who’s just earned their MBA, Horowitz offers no-nonsense advice for the challenges that you’ll face when starting a business and how to push past them.

29. The Founder’s Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman

This is one of the best business books out there for new entrepreneurs. The Founder’s Dilemmas provides readers with a guide of mistakes that could threaten their business. The most impactful leaders learn to avoid mistakes by watching others, and this read aims to help readers see those hazards and pitfalls coming from a mile away and how to best avoid them.

30. Mistakes I Made at Work by Jessica Bacal

Occasionally screwing up on the job is a part of life, and nobody’s immune to it, whether they’re a CEO, professional athlete, or world-famous rock star. Mistakes I Made at Work isn’t an entrepreneur’s personal memoir, but a collection of the tough lessons learned from a variety of very successful women.

Spanning the tech sector to professional sports, author Jessica Bacal’s interviews provide real insight and valuable lessons that the next generation of successful women can surely find real value in.

Featured photo credit: Sam Williams via unsplash.com