Books are part of our lives. They contain documentation of the authors’ ideas and philosophies about the subject matter. There are millions of books written by millions of authors, and many of them have shaped our thinking and our worldview. Let us see some must read books for Entrepreneurs.
Must-read books for entrepreneurs
It’s hard to survive in this world without reading a book – at least one. The book you read can either make or break you. There are different books written in different categories, from religious to secular; from business to nonmonetary, and so on. There are millions of books written for people who are entrepreneurs or aspires to become one must read in this category. The titles in this discussion are traced to authors who are best-selling authors on the New York Times ratings. They include Built to Last, From Good to Great, How the Mighty Are Fallen, Managing for Results, The Practice of Management, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and so on.
List Of Must-read books for entrepreneurs
1. The practice of Management:
The book was written by Peter F. Drucker. Drucker was regarded as the father of modern days business management. The Practice of Management was published in the year 1954. In this book, Drucker proved to the world that business management is a practice, not a theory and nobody should descend to that level. It was the first to set out management as a separate entity of an organization. No aspiring entrepreneur should discountenance this book – it’s an all-time classic book. It’s a must-read for everyone who wants to manage a business however small or big.
2. Managing for result:
This book is another book written by Peter F. Drucker. Though, this book was published in the year 1964, yet, it has not lost its relevance. The principles set out in this book by the author are more relevant to the business world today than when it was first published. Managing for the result was the first book to reveal to us the importance of a marketing department to a corporation. According to Drucker, the marketing department is the only revenue center in an organization, every other department is a cost center. He insisted that a business will fail except it give priority to this department. Moreover, Drucker helps business owners to identify different resources within an organization and how to manage them. The most important resource for any business is the people. This book is a must-read.
3. Innovation and entrepreneurship:
Permit me to say this book was also written and published by Peter Ferdinand Drucker. Innovation and entrepreneurship were published in the year 1985. You do not know the real meaning of entrepreneurship until you have read this book. In Innovation and entrepreneurship, Peter Drucker drew on the wisdom of Schumpeter to tell who an entrepreneur is and how important is this man to our society and the economy. Get a copy to your table and you will be glad you do.
4. Built to Last:
If you tell me you have not read ‘Built To Last’ co-authored by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras, I should question which book then have you read. Every business owner must take the time to read this book. If it looks boring first reading, read it again. It is a business book that retells the stories of visionary companies and their counterparts. You will learn the culture that helps businesses survive decades after their formation.
5. Good to Great:
After the success of the first book, Built to Last, Jim Collins single-handedly responded to the requests that he should publish another book that fit small businesses since Built to Last tells the story of a big organization. In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins settled how small businesses are formed and how they can move from Good to become Great organizations hinging his teaching on what he calls “First who, then what?”
6. How the Mighty Fall:
This is also another book written by Jim Collins to tell again a new twist to the first book he co-authored. After many decades of publishing Built to Last, many of the visionary companies have plummeted. How the Mighty Fall was a revelation of the causes of their fall and what we can learn from their mistake.
7. Psychology of Selling:
Selling is an essential part of running a successful business. If you don’t how to sell, your business will fail. This book was written by Brian Tracy. It was published in 1985 proving to the world that selling is nothing but Psychology.
8. Rich Dad, Poor Dad:
This book was written by Robert Kiyosaki, the founder of the Rich dad, Poor dad group. In this book, the author tells us the story of his two dads – one was poor, one was rich. This book was published in 1997 to show the importance of giving training to children about money.
9. Zero to One:
This book was written by Peter Thiel where the author taught business owners how they can move the world from zero to one. This book was published in 2014. It’s a classic book.
10. Start with Why:
In this book, Simon Sinek teaches us to find the driving force for our actions. Until you find out why you should do what you’re doing, you probably will have to do it at all. It was first published in 2009.
11. The 4-Hour Workweek:
This book was written by Tim Ferriss. In this book, the focus of the author was to help readers free from the usual 9 am to 5 pm work culture. He puts much emphasis on effectiveness.
12. The effective executive:
This book was written by Peter F. Drucker to help business managers become more effective in their chosen careers.
13. Awaken the Giant Within:
This book was written by the great American motivational speaker Anthony Robbins. His purpose was to help you tap into your inner power. His principles are relevant to the business world.
14. Think Big and Kick the Ass:
This book was co-authored by the American former president Donald J. Trump and Bill Zanker, the founder of Learning Annex. These two authors explained how you can make things happen in life and business.
15. Why We Want You To Be Rich:
In 2006, Donald J. Trump and Robert Kiyosaki teamed up to write this book. The central idea is to help you set a goal and put things in place in your business. These two successful authors should be read.
16. Rich Dad Before You Quit Your Job:
This book was written in 2005 by Robert Kiyosaki. He discussed 10 lessons every entrepreneur should learn. Read it.
17. The Art of Come Back:
In 1997, Donald J. Trump wrote this book to tell the story of how his business failed and how he came strong from that low end. It’s a must-read.
18. Screw It, Let’s Do It:
This book was written by the British multibillion entrepreneur, Richard Branson. ‘Screw It is a book for entrepreneurs.
19. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:
Written by Stephen Covey in 1989. If you master the principles in this book, you’ll prosper in all areas of life including business.
20. The China Strategy:
This book was published by Edward Tse. In this book, the author painted a Chinese economy clear picture and how anyone can explore this fastest-growing economy.
Conclusion:
The books in our discussion are world-class books. Many of them are written many decades ago as you have seen. Some of the authors are no more alive. Nonetheless, they’re all-time best-selling books. In my opinion, if you’re aspiring to be a successful entrepreneur or you’re one among the established entrepreneurs, these books are a must-read for you.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do I need to read books to be an entrepreneur?
No. But reading books can open your mind to free ideas that help to build your business.
- What makes a successful entrepreneur?
Successful entrepreneurs are those who impact the world and bring changes through their strategic ideas.
- Can I be a successful entrepreneur without formal education?
Yes. You can build a successful business without a formal education if you are resilient.
