|

5 Best Entrepreneur Books (100% Honest Reviews & Reader’s Guide)

()

Do you like the sound of being a CEO and founder of your own company? But it seems so hard and don’t know where to start or whom to approach for guidance? If this sounds familiar you are not alone, many aspiring entrepreneurs asked these questions as well.

If you want to start a business and be an entrepreneur, you will definitely need some great advice on where to start and especially what are the pitfalls to anticipate. The best advice you can get are from people who have been through what you are going through right now.

Successful entrepreneurs who have against all odds succeeded in building their empire are the best people to ask.

While some of you may be tempted to pay a huge sum to get an MBA or go for classes and seminars, books are essentially the most easily accessible and affordable way to start learning from some of the greatest entrepreneur mentors in the world.

Why These Entrepreneur Books?

As an entrepreneur and a startup founder you don’t have the luxury of time to start flipping through 100’s of books, reading and figuring out which books you need to read to help you succeed.

In this short article, I’ve made a list of the best entrepreneur books you should read to help you in your road to success. 

As a bonus I have made a simple guide to help in recommending which are some of the books you may want to read first.

“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.”

Wisdom of Jim Rohn

5 Best Entrepreneur Books For Beginners To Start Reading

What follows is a comprehensive review of the few carefully picked best entrepreneur books, selected either because they are the best sellers, or because highly recommended book that have changed my life.

If you don’t want the deep dive and would rather get to the point with some useful takeaways.

Here are the best entrepreneur books you should read:

Title

Image

Description

My Rating

Read

The $100 Startup

Chris Guillebeau

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0307951529&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=0307951529

Best First Book For Aspiring Startup Entrepreneurs

4.5 out of 5.0

Start with Why

Simon Sinek

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1591846447&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=1591846447

Best Kept Secrets Successful Leaders Should Know

4.6 out of 5.0

The Lean Startup

Eric Ries

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0307887898&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=0307887898

Best Lean Guide To Successful Startup

4.7 out of 5.0

Zero to One

Peter Thiel

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0804139296&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=0804139296

Best Step-By-Step Guide to a Powerful Change

4.4 out of 5.0

The Power of Habit

Charles Duhigg

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1400069289&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=1400069289

Best Bedtime Read

4.8 out of 5.0

1. The $100 Startup

By Chris Guillebeau

The best entrepreneur book that tops my list that every aspiring startup should have, I have ‘The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future’ by Chris Guillebeau.

Still, in his thirties, Chris is living the dream life of many not worrying about his finance or being desk-bound by the typical day-to-day job. With his special talent for turning simple ideas into income-generating machines. He helped many others and taught people how to live their dream.

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0307951529&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=0307951529

If you are a fan of 4-hours workweek by Tim Ferriss, this book will definitely be a must-read!

In this book ‘The $100 Startup’, Chris Guillebeau will take you on a 175 countries journey you will never forget.

In his journey, Chris has found 1,500 successful startup founders who have built their businesses with very low startup capital (many whom, $100 or less) and earning $50,000 or more today.

Carefully he has selected the 50 most intriguing case studies where each founder whom were very similar to us but has discovered their way of monetizing their personal passion. And eventually changing their lives in ways that gave them freedom and success.

Lessons that you will learn from this book will guide you in how you approach your journey of entrepreneurship. It will give you great insight into how successful businesses are built.

What you can learn from this book is not only from some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs in the world, but a life-changing lesson you will never forget.

Arguably one of the best entrepreneur books for people who wants to start a business with limited capital.

What I Like

  • Easily digestible content
  • Simple lessons to learn from a diverse group of a startup entrepreneur
  • The book is structured for a great bedtime read as each lesson is taught as a short story.
  • A great insight into how the other startup entrepreneur thinks and what made them successful
  • Lessons that should be taught in business schools

What I Don’t Like

  • Although when I first pick up the book and read it, I find the concept far from conventional, once you start to understand the book, it is absolutely priceless.

My Testimonial 

One of the Best Entrepreneur Books that every startup entrepreneur should read! A book that in my opinion a classic in the future years to come.

2. Start with Why

By Simon Sinek

Why are some businesses such as Apple more profitable than others?

How do I gain the power of loyalty from customers and inspire my employees?

What makes some startups and businesses successful and have repeat business while others don’t?

Do you find yourself asking these questions again and again?

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1591846447&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=1591846447

These are some of the questions all aspiring entrepreneurs are asking and desperately searching for the answers and this book will guide you to answers to some of these critical questions.

Simon Sinek is a renowned TED Talk speaker and business consultant who started a movement to help people become inspired by what they do and how they do it. Which in turn inspires their colleagues and customers.

With more than 28 million who’ve watched his TED Talk based on START WITH WHY, he has inspired millions of entrepreneurs and business leaders.

With the simple yet intriguing concept of START WITH WHY, he explained why people like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers are able to move and influence millions why others don’t.

Simon Sinek leads you with a step-by-step guide on how you can think like these legendary leaders who individually are very much different but think, act, and communicate the same way.

In the list of any best entrepreneur books, START WITH WHY will always be one of the most important books of all.

In this book, Simon will introduce his powerful idea of The Golden Circle, and the blueprint of success in which successful businesses can be built, and people inspired. A blueprint where all START WITH WHY.

What I Like

  • Step-by-step guide on creating your own WHY and foundation of your business success
  • Good case studies of the rise and fall of many companies, and how some rise again to new heights after their fall while others don’t
  • The foundation of a successful company should build on
  • An easily digestible language that showcases the relationship of what, how, and why and its importance to your business
  • A must-read for all entrepreneurs and CEOs who wants to inspire both their employees as well as customers

What I Don’t Like

  • None

My Testimonial 

A life-changing road-map to the Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs, a book that all startups who dream big should read before starting their own company.

3. The Lean Startup

By Eric Ries

Why does most startup fails and some don’t?

What can be done differently so failures are preventable and success is possible?

Ever heard of the concept of Lean? It is the basis of the success of companies such as Toyota and Fort which later was adopted by many.

As a startup entrepreneur, Eric Ries introduces us to the concept of The Lean Startup a new approach adopted across the globe that has changed the way how successful companies are built and new products are launched.

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0307887898&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=0307887898

The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs who are in companies of all sizes various ways to test their vision, adapt to changes, and adjust for success.

Entrepreneurs are people of an organization that is dedicated to creating something new; a brand a product or even a service. Operating under conditions of extreme uncertainty to penetrate a fog of uncertainty in the journey to discover a successful path to a sustainable business.

In this book, Eric Ries gives a different scientific approach to guide in creating and most importantly managing successful startups in these uncertain times where companies are driven for innovation or risk being taken out of business by other companies who are stronger and more powerful.

A concept that big and even small startups can use and benefit from.

What I Like

  • A concept that is absolutely important for aspiring entrepreneurs
  • The one very important difference why some startup entrepreneur succeed and other fails
  • A book that talks about the experience of startups from the viewpoint of an entrepreneur who has tasted both success and failure
  • A refreshing concept where it brings lean manufacturing into the world of startup entrepreneurs

What I Don’t Like

  • Though a great book, it will require more effort for the reader to understand the concept
  • The structure of the book can be made better for the reader to better grasp the flow of the book

My Testimonial 

This an essential book for startup entrepreneurs who want to avoid the many pitfalls that other startups face and have eventually caused their downfall. 

4. Zero to One

By Peter Thiel

Do you want to be the next Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg?

Do you want to progress can be achieved in your industry or area of business?

The answer you are seeking is in this book by Peter Thiel: Zero To One.

Peter Thiel is the co-founder of PayPal together with Elon Musk, Max Levchin, Luke Nosek, and Ken Howery. Thiel is also the founder of Palantir Technologies and Founders Fund. 

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0804139296&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=0804139296

A legendary entrepreneur and investor who will show you how startup entrepreneurs can find ways to create opportunities in business.

Considered one of the most inspiring and best entrepreneur books ever written. Zero To One teaches the most important skill that every leader must master: learning to think for yourself.

To do what someone else already knows only allows you to take the world from 1 to n, simply adding more of something familiar.

To be extraordinary, you do something new, this will bring you from 0 to 1.

Innovation does not limit to silicon valley, the greatest secret of our time is that bringing from 0 to 1 can be done anywhere. There are tonnes of uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create.

The question you should ask is how.

What I Like

  • Easy-to-understand concept and why is it important for aspiring entrepreneurs to know
  • Case studies and examples of why some companies succeed by utilizing the method Zero to One
  • A story of Paypal and Twitter and why they succeed while others fail
  • This an important guide on how you should think in order to build a successful business

What I Don’t Like

  • Great case studies but will prefer an even more in-depth case study of the successful companies so we can learn even more from their success

My Testimonial 

The beautifully articulated concept of Zero To One broadens my thinking and allows me to see the world in a different light from what it has been previously. A book that all startup entrepreneurs should read.

5. The Power of Habit

By Charles Duhigg

How is your New Year’s Resolution, does it looks like the one you had last year?

How long have you been trying to lose weight and are still thinking about it now?

Do you ever have a past where you are so driven to do something but a few days later you just sort of forgot about it?

You are not alone.

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1400069289&Format= SL160 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=incomebuddi00 20&language=en USir?t=incomebuddi00 20&language=en US&l=li2&o=1&a=1400069289

We always procrastinate on many stuff or even goals that we have set but never achieve. We have the tendency of doing something now and forget about it later. Somehow as if by magic, things never get done.

But there is a cure, a simple yet effective cure that will make your business a success as well as change your life.

Read Also: Best Life Changing Books 

The Power of Habit written by Charles Duhigg will call into your very soul and help you change your life.

Only a few books are essential manuals for business and living. And The Power of Habit is one of them. Exceptionally written by Charles Duhigg it not only explains how habits are formed but how to kick bad ones and hang on to the good.

An essential book for startup entrepreneurs, and absolutely the best entrepreneur book that you should have.

Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of why we do what we do, the very human nature, and our potential.

The Power of Habit contains the key to achieving our goals. We all know we exercise regularly to lose weight, be more productive, to achieve success.

But understanding how habits work allows us, to exercise regularly and not stop after just a week, to be more productive and not just for a few days.

Duhigg shows, by harnessing The Power of Habit, we can transform our businesses and even our lives.

A book not only for startup entrepreneurs but for all who want success.

What I Like

  • Easily digestible content, best read in the morning
  • Written in simple language that is straightforward
  • Great books are for achievers who not only want to succeed but sustain
  • Breaks down into the simple concept of why some fail while others succeed
  • Not only explains how habits are formed but how to kick bad ones and hang on to the good

What I Don’t Like

  • None

My Testimonial 

One of the best books to read out there that every entrepreneur should read. An entrepreneur requires dedication and non-wavering passion to succeed in his/her business.

The Power Of Habit might just be the very thing that we all lack in order to achieve what I really wanted. A book that will help us to finally achieve the New Year’s Resolution that we have set 10 years ago.

Reader’s Guide To Choosing The Book To Read

These are just a few best entrepreneur books that every entrepreneur should read.

Books that can change into actionable steps for a startup entrepreneur to take. Concepts that can change the course of history and how business should run.

These books help you to avoid pitfalls and take the proven path that successful entrepreneurs have taken. Some are even life-changing.

Read Also: Best Life Changing Books You Should Be Reading

Reading all of them will take a while and most of us don’t have that much time to spare. We have a business to build, money to earn, or people to inspire.

Why not I suggest you just start with one.

Read the one that interests you most, the one that you feel that is talking closest to your heart. Let your feeling be your guide.

And from there you can check out the second book and maybe a third one.

Click on the questions below will bring you to the book that may be the possible answer to your question. So what questions do you want to answer to guide you in this life-changing experience?

  1. Do you want to build a profitable business you are passionate about with just under $100?
  2. Are you a leader of your own company and will want to learn the secrets of the success of companies such as Apple and Starbucks?
  3. Do you want to understand what are some of the pitfalls that many companies made during their startup and how to avoid them?
  4. Do you simply want to change the world with your business?
  5. Simply the one essential must-have for Entrepreneurs?

There is no absolute right or wrong which to read first. The choice is yours.

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

By Bill Gate.

A good start is your first step to successful entrepreneurship. And a good start can be achieved through knowledge learned from mentors who have to achieve what you are aspiring for.

Here are a few articles that may help!

Check out our Library for the best list of books to read.

Read Also:

Join 900+ BUDDIES who are growing their wealth with our weekly Income Newsletter




How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Want more helpful content like this?

Follow us on social media!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Founder & Financial Writer at Income Buddies | Website | Posts by Author

Antony C. is a dividend investor with over 15+ years of investing experience. He’s also the book author of “Start Small, Dream Big“, certified PMP® holder and founder of IncomeBuddies.com (IB). At IB, he share his personal journey and expertise on growing passive income through dividend investing and building online business. Antony has been featured in global news outlet including Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq and Non Fiction Author Association (NFAA).