16+ Best Business Books For Entrepreneurs & Bloggers
Reading a few of the best business books can help you learn psychological business concepts that improve leadership skills.
These books can help you learn from other successful individuals in your chosen field to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Business books are great for anyone who wants to enhance their skills.
If you want to create a business plan for a blog, advance your career, launch a business, learn more skills, be more productive, or improve your habits – there is a book for you.
Here, we’ll review the best business books of all time in 2022.
Best Business Books: Best Selling Business Books of All Time (Overview)
We’ve included an overview of our top picks below. For detailed information on each pick, scroll down.
- The 4-Hour Work Week
- Good to Great
- The 4 Disciplines of Execution
- Great By Choice
- Think and Grow Rich
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad
- How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Shoe Dog
- Ideas on Demand
- Generating Product Ideas
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- Outliers
- Your Brain and Business
- 6 Months to 6 Figures
- Zero to One
- The Little Red Book of Selling
- Grit
Do Business Books Really Help?
Reading books can be extremely helpful for bettering your interpersonal, personal, and business skills.
However, of course, you must pay attention to the tips and tricks within the book and apply them to your life.
Business books can help you think more creatively, have a fresh perspective, and avoid making mistakes along the way.
Do Entrepreneurs Read a Lot?
No matter where you’re at in your business journey, there is always information you may not have heard in a book.
You’ll find that successful people often have good reading habits.
Warren Buffet says he reads 5-6 hours daily, and Bill Gates aims to read a book weekly.
If you ask any successful entrepreneur if they read, you’re likely to get the same answer from almost all: “Yes.”
Why You Should Read Business Books
There are several reasons to read business books, especially if you want to increase your revenue.
Here are the main reasons to read the best business books.
1. Learn from Someone’s First-Hand Experience
We can get much farther when we learn from others’ mistakes rather than our own.
Learning from someone’s first-hand experience can cut the time it takes to grow in half.
Even the most successful entrepreneurs didn’t get where they are overnight and have made a handful of mistakes along the way.
2. Get Advice for Growing Your Business
Reading a good business book is like having a coffee chat with someone in the position you want to be in.
Getting first-hand advice from someone who has already taken the journey you’re about to embark on can be beneficial.
3. Find Inspiration
It’s incredibly inspiring to read about successful people.
Typically, authors of the best business books will share their experiences and give you insight into their lives.
When we feel inspired, we’re more likely to take action.
Additionally, inspiration can help us think more creatively and fearlessly.
4. Bring You Fresh Perspective
Have you ever felt your business journey was more like running on a treadmill?
You run yet go nowhere fast. Sometimes, you need a fresh perspective to get things moving again.
Business books can offer different perspectives on challenges and obstacles, making overcoming hurdles more manageable.
What Makes a Good Business Book?
There are hundreds of thousands of business books on the market, but only a few are great.
Look for the following pieces to ensure you’re reading one of the best business books.
1. Personal Experience
The best business books will offer first-hand experience of how they overcame the challenges you currently face.
You can learn a lot by listening to someone’s story and avoiding the mistakes they made.
Additionally, personal experience is vital in proving that they know what they’re talking about.
2. Tips
To get the most out of your reading, you’ll want a book that offers tangible tips you can apply once you read them.
While learning about someone’s personal experience and reading facts is beneficial, tangible advice will help you take action.
The business books outlined below share several tips sprinkled throughout the book so you can improve in the areas where you’re struggling the most.
3. Information Backed by Facts
While personal experience and tips are great, fact-backed information is key to a high-quality learning experience.
Concrete examples with statistics or other information allow you to gain knowledge about your niche.
Although some books are too conceptual, the best business books will have case studies that bring the business plan to life.
4. Inclusivity
Business owners come from all walks of life and are of various races, orientations, shapes, and sizes.
A book with any discrimination or bias can leave out individuals who may be the perfect demographic.
Additionally, in this day and age, it’s simply in bad taste not to offer inclusivity.
Best Business Books: Best Selling Business Books of All Time
Each book below incorporates each piece, making it one of the best business books to read.
Here are the best-selling business books of all time.
The 4-Hour Work Week
Tim Ferriss is an American entrepreneur, podcaster, investor, lifestyle guru, owns one of the best business blogs, and the author of “The 4-Hour Work Week.”
He wrote this book for people who were sick of the long work hours and desired more freedom in their day-to-day lives.
Many dream of retiring with millions of dollars to relax, travel the world, and focus on their hobbies.
According to Ferriss, you don’t have to be a millionaire to achieve these goals, and you don’t have to retire.
Synopsis
In “The 4-Hour Workweek,” Tim Ferriss explains how anyone can bring their retiree millionaire lifestyle to life.
He explains that most people postpone their dream lives, hoping they’ll retire with enough money or have the cash but be too old to enjoy it.
You’ll need to build your own business, automate it, and collect passive income to get a four-hour work week.
Even if you don’t want to own a business, Ferriss suggests creating enough cash flow to quit your day job.
He outlines a few methods to make this happen, though he suggests starting a business (one that you’ll hopefully only need four hours a week to keep running and producing profits.)
Who Should Read It
This book is an excellent read for anyone who wants to create passive income or wants something other than a 9-5 job.
Even if you wish to have a side hustle, “The 4-Hour Work Week” gives tips and advice to build an automated cash-flow system.
Good to Great
Jim Collins is an American author, speaker, researcher, and consultant who helps his clients and readers manage their companies for sustainability and growth.
In his book, “Good to Great,” he offers advice on how to turn an average company into an exceptional one.
“Good To Great” ranked at #5 in Business Management in Audible Books & Originals and books on Amazon.
Synopsis
“Good To Great” examines the steps you’ll need to take to turn an ordinary company into a business that outperforms competitors.
He shares detailed case studies of companies that exceeded the market by 3x and the key factors that make them great.
For example, he states that leadership and disciplined thinking are essential qualities a business owner can possess.
Though Collins shares a slew of advice, the main takeaway is that an outstanding company requires disciplined people, thought, and action.
He shares the power of having “to-do lists” and keeping “stop-doing” lists to stay focused.
Who Should Read It
Whether you own a business or plan to start one, manage a team, or simply want to improve, there are concepts in “Good to Great” that will help you succeed.
While anyone can gain a fresh perspective from this book, it’s best suited for someone managing a team or company.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution
“The 4 Disciplines of Execution” is a book written by three powerhouse authors; Chris McChesney, Jim Huling, and Sean Covey.
Each of these men has an impressive history of managing top-performing companies.
Many want to change, and some even take the time to devise a strategy.
However, the hard part is determining the best way to implement the plan – that’s where this book comes in.
Synopsis
This book focuses on the four disciplines that help individuals and companies implement effective strategies.
The authors discuss applying focus, engagement, leverage, and accountability when carrying out your plan.
When keeping the four disciplines of execution in mind, you’ll successfully execute your strategies and become a better leader in the long run.
Read “The 4 Disciplines of Execution” to understand the disciplines and produce breakthrough results.
Who Should Read It
You should read this if you have a strategy you want to execute.
We’d all be successful if it were as easy as writing a list.
This book has information that can benefit nearly everyone but is especially relevant if you struggle to stay focused when following through on a plan – especially in business.
Great By Choice
“Great By Choice” is another best-selling book by Jim Collins with additional insight by Morten T. Hansen.
Hansen is a Norwegian-American author, motivational speaker, professor, and management theorist.
Together, they created this book jam-packed with insight into why certain companies can thrive in chaos while others crumble under pressure.
Synopsis
If you’ve ever owned a business, you know it can sometimes feel like a roller coaster.
It’s hard to predict challenges that you or your company may face, some of which make or break you.
Even though we all deal with business uncertainty, why can some thrive when dealing with the same circumstances as a failing business?
In “Great By Choice,” the authors use nine years of research and real-world examples to debunk common myths of successful companies.
They share what separates a company that powers through a challenging time from one that doesn’t.
The key message in the book is “luck doesn’t determine your fate; you do.”
You don’t have to be under the thumb of circumstance.
Who Should Read It
If you’re a business owner who struggles with the ups and downs of business, you’ll gain a lot of insight from this book.
However, anyone who manages a team or plans to start their own business will find solid takeaways in “Great By Choice.”
Think and Grow Rich
Napoleon Hill was a self-help author best known for his top 10 best-selling self-help books of all time, “Think and Grow Rich.”
Hill published this book in 1937 after the Great Depression, though many still find value in it.
He believed that passionate expectations are vital if you want to improve your life.
“Think and Grow Rich” was ranked as the sixth best-selling paperback business book in the early 2000s, 70 years after publication, by Business Week magazine.
Additionally, John C. Maxwell added this book to his Lifetime “Must Read” list.
Synopsis
In “Think and Grow Rich,” Hill examines the psychological power of thought over growing your business or career for financial and personal satisfaction.
Although this book emerged in the 1930s, this classic remains a must-read for investors and entrepreneurs.
In 2022, many find the philosophy of positive thoughts and the steps for achieving wealth life-changing.
In this book, Hill explains how ideas become a reality and gives you tools and plan to use your thoughts to get everything you want.
He goes over the power of visualization, affirmations, defining your goals, and creating a solid plan.
Who Should Read It
Anyone who desires more out of life can benefit from this decades-old classic.
No matter what business venture you plan to embark on, the tools and practices outlined in this book remain relevant.
It helps if you have confident, positive thinking for monetary gain and overall life satisfaction.
Aside from that, who doesn’t want to learn how to live more positively?
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
“Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki is one of the best-selling business books.
It sold over 35 million copies, was the 30th best-selling book, and topped USA Today’s best-selling money books list in 2003 and 2004.
Growing up, Kiyosaki had two dads giving him advice.
His dad was a Stanford graduate with a Ph.D. who was traditionally careerwise but financially illiterate.
The other dad, his best friend’s father, was a high-school dropout who built a thriving business empire.
Synopsis
Kiyosaki shares his experience gaining financial and investing advice from two very different types of men.
The poor dad recommends landing a secure job with benefits and a pension.
In contrast, the rich dad suggested amassing assets that earn you passive income, becoming financially literate, and thinking independently.
Although both men shared different viewpoints, they shaped his thoughts regarding money.
In this book, he dispels the myth that you don’t need to earn a significant income to be rich.
In “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” you’ll learn how to be financially independent, understand why having your home be your largest investment is a bad idea, and how to overcome the mental blocks keeping you from becoming wealthy.
Who Should Read It
If you grew up not knowing much about money, this book would help you see with a fresh perspective and teach you about financial literacy.
You should read this book if you want to start your own business or like to learn about investing but don’t know where to start.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
“How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a classic self-help book by Dale Carnegie.
It was published in 1936 and has since sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling published books of all time.
Carnegie used his experience to conduct business education courses in New York in 1912 before writing his top-selling book.
It contains hundreds of tips to interact with others and connect with more individuals.
Synopsis
This self-help and business book contains universal principles of socializing and body language to help you network and generally be more likable.
It isn’t a book about manipulation; instead, it’s about the psychology and tools for approaching people and treating them like they’re essential.
With this book, you’ll learn how to navigate conversing with an opposing viewpoint without being offensive, making others feel important, and being a better conversationalist.
Not only will this book help you network with other people in your industry, but it can help you handle your relationships better.
Who Should Read It
There likely isn’t anyone who wouldn’t benefit from reading this book.
It applies to all people in all industries, regardless of your aspirations.
However, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is especially relevant for those in an industry where you frequently need to talk to clients or customers or spend time at networking events.
Shoe Dog
Nike co-founder Phil Knight wrote “Shoe Dog” to urge young people and aspiring entrepreneurs to follow their calling, even if their goal seems out of reach.
He describes the business path that led him to co-found a billion-dollar company.
This in-depth recounting of being a CEO became a New York Times best-seller.
Additionally, Bill Gates stated that Shoe Dog was one of his top five favorite books of 2016.
Synopsis
In “Shoe Dog,” Phil Knight reveals his struggles, victories, and lessons he learned by taking Nike from a startup to a $30 billion annual grossing company.
His engaging and inspiring stories highlight his life philosophies, which can help aspiring entrepreneurs see the bigger picture of their vision.
He discusses the events that led to the creation of his “crazy idea,” Nike.
Knight also offers insight on why he believes Nike amassed so much success.
For example: creating a brand identity and having a great team surrounding him.
You’ll also get perspectives from other successful entrepreneurs on reaching success and overcoming obstacles.
Who Should Read It
You’ll enjoy this read if you have a business idea but feel unsure if it’s good enough to work.
Knight thought the creation of Nike was a crazy idea, but look where it is now.
Whether you’re new to business or currently in the trenches, the insights from this book will help you on the path to success.
Best Business Books for Beginners
New to starting a business?
The best business books for beginners will help you quickly emerge into the entrepreneurial world and stand out from competitors.
Ideas on Demand
Milind Harrdas is an author and an ophthalmologist in Mangalwari, Nagpur.
He has dedicated a portion of his life to discovering why some businesses struggle, despite working extremely hard.
When working as a marketing head in 1997, he found the importance of thinking creatively.
His book, ideas on demand, teaches you how to think more creatively and conjure more ideas.
Synopsis
“Ideas on Demand” teaches its readers to rewire their brains to become idea machines.
By taking a more creative approach, you can 10x your impact and achieve your goals with ease.
Harradas discusses the six major creativity blocks that keep entrepreneurs stuck and techniques creatives use to connect the dots to produce compelling ideas.
This book teaches you how to make your business or brand stand out, tackle challenges more efficiently, and become the go-to idea person.
Why You Should Read It
Reading this book will help enhance your creative skills to make your brand or business stand out.
If you’re new to the industry, this book will help you have a head-start against your competition.
Creativity doesn’t come naturally to everyone, so “Ideas on Demand” is helpful to view your business with more inventiveness and is one of the best blogger books.
Generating Product Ideas
Aritom Dashinsky is a designer, entrepreneur, and author based in Berlin.
He has led the design of several products at startups, managed an agency, and co-founded a tech startup.
His product ideas have fallen into the hands of world-renowned companies like Netflix, Airbnb, and Google.
While you can find most business skill topics online, there is a gap: generating product ideas.
Synopsis
As the title suggests, this book will help you discover techniques to generate inventive new product ideas.
He gives you 17 methods to help you produce ideas to launch a profitable digital, physical, Saas, or content business from home.
You’ll learn how to identify problems in the industry to develop better products that solve significant issues.
Once you can come up with product ideas, you’ll need to learn how to prioritize them.
So, this book dedicates a section to help you sort the notions that have the most considerable potential to impact your business and help you reach your goals.
Additionally, he gives you over 60 product ideas to help you get started.
Why You Should Read It
“Generating Product Ideas” is a worthwhile read for emerging entrepreneurs, lifestyle businesses, full-time employees seeking a side hustle, freelancers looking to diversify their income, and students who need to generate more ideas for school projects.
This book is for you if you want to start a business or side hustle but don’t know where to start.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey is a well-known New York Times best-seller, with over 40 million copies sold.
It was named the number one most influential business book of the 20th century.
Although this book is decades old, it continues to transform the lives of people of all ages and occupations.
The listed habits still apply in the modern era.
Aptly named, this book reveals the seven habits of highly effective people and gives tips and advice to upgrade your habits.
Synopsis
Covey wrote this book on the belief that the way humans view the world is based on their perceptions.
So, to change any situation, we need to change ourselves; to change ourselves, we must change how we think.
This self-help and business classic takes a principle-centered approach to solving problems of all types.
Not only will this book help you solve professional issues, but the steps will also help you manage personal troubles.
After reading this book, the information equips you with more human dignity, honesty, integrity, and fairness.
These principles allow us to change the way we live for the better and take advantage of opportunities that arise from change.
Why You Should Read It
This book is helpful to everyone, though beginner business owners can significantly benefit from adopting the principles outlined in this book.
It’ll help you be better equipped to solve problems and manage the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
Additionally, the perspective shifts can assist you when networking.
Outliers
Malcolm Gladwell is a best-selling author who started his writing journey as a staff writer at the New Yorker in 1996.
His first five books, including “Outliers”, made it on The New York Times Best Seller list.
In “Outliers: The Story of Success,” Gladwell discusses the world of “outliers,” the most successful, famous, and brightest.
He begs the question, what separates the high-achievers from the rest?
Synopsis
This book is about what makes specific individuals achieve feats that exceed the realm of the ordinary.
He discusses various types of successful people, including business tycoons, geniuses, programmers, and rock stars.
Gladwell reveals the secrets that separate the “outliers” from the rest.
He also argues that the way we as society approaches the concept of success is wildly incorrect.
He discusses how we give our attention to what successful people are like while skimming over where they’re from; their culture, generation, family, and experiences from their upbringing.
During this intellectual journey, Gladwell discusses what it takes to be a top athlete, why the Beatles were the greatest rock band, and other examples.
Why You Should Read It
While most books are searching for the answers to determine why some people are successful, focusing on traits and habits of the 1%, Gladwell takes a different approach.
This book can open you up to a different viewpoint while giving you knowledge of successful people you may not come across anywhere else.
Your Brain and Business
Dr. Srinivasan S. Pillay is a brain science innovator who uses his knowledge for training and research in medicine, psychiatry, and biotechnology.
He works with notable clients, including Pfitzer, Fortune 500 companies, Lockheed Martin, and more.
This Harvard psychiatrist illuminates the links between leadership and neuroscience in his book, “Your Brain and Business.”
Pillay takes his expertise to create an easy-to-understand book to give new entrepreneurs an edge when starting their businesses.
Synopsis
Though it may seem like there isn’t much of a connection between brain science and leadership, there’s more of a link than you may think.
Due to recent advances in neuroscience and neuroimaging, scientists can see how they improve how leaders work with employees and colleagues for successful change.
In “Your Brain and Business,” Pillay uncovers the six ways neuroscience is helpful in today’s executives.
You’ll learn how to use positive approaches that encourage the brain to learn and improve relationships and how anyone can transform into an influential leader.
It also offers new practices for coaches who want to help their clients avoid common leadership issues.
Why You Should Read It
Leadership is essential if you want to be a business owner, especially if you plan to have a team in the future.
This unique book covers topics of the brain that many business books leave out.
Reading this book will give you an edge and help you grow your confidence in leadership.
6 Months to 6 Figures
Peter Voogd is an entrepreneur and author of the best-selling book, “6 Months to 6 Figures.”
He started his first business when he was 15; by 23, he’d made his first six-figure income.
He’d produce over a million dollars 3 ½ years later.
Voogd applied his formula in another industry and became the fastest manager to reach $1,000,000 in annual sales in the company’s 60+ year history.
In “6 Months to 6 Figures, Voogd shares his formula.”
Synopsis
While many business books offer many great things, “6 Months to 6 Figures” gives new entrepreneurs a roadmap to guide them to their first six-figure income.
In his book, you get 14 chapters, each of which is a step for you to take on your entrepreneurial journey.
Voogd skips the fluff and shares fact-based evidence, personal experience, and tangible advice to help you grow your business.
You’ll learn the secrets of the successful, how to stay motivated, and more tips and tricks along the way.
Why You Should Read It
Very few business books offer a step-by-step process that eliminates the complications of an entrepreneurial journey.
“6 Months to 6 Figures” keeps you focused on a simple step in front of you, teaches you how to make a plan, and, more importantly, how to execute your strategy effectively.
Zero to One
Peter Thiel and Blake Masters come together to create an excellent book about being more innovative.
Theil is an entrepreneur and billionaire investor who co-founded the PayPal and Founders Fund.
Masters used the notes he had taken at Stanford Law School in 2012 to help write this book.
In “Zero to One,” Thiel and Masters help readers discover opportunities to progress in an advanced entrepreneurial space.
Synopsis
“Zero To One” takes an inside look at Thiel’s business philosophy and his strategy for having a successful startup.
He uses his learned lessons from founding PayPal, investing in large companies like Facebook, and becoming a billionaire.
The premise begins by explaining that we are in an age of technological stagnation, which may be hard to imagine with the new devices we see on the market.
However, he discusses how anyone can progress, no matter their industry or business area.
All it takes is a defining skill; learning to think for yourself.
He furthers this notion by describing how you add something familiar if you do what someone already knows.
However, by introducing something new, you go from 0 to 1.
Why You Should Read It
This is a great book to read to expand your view of the business world and your potential to make a massive difference.
Additionally, he teaches you his practices and principles to allow you to think outside of the box so you can set yourself up for success.
If you plan on publishing a book, the principles in “Zero to One” may help you stand out and even become a best-selling author on Amazon.
The Little Red Book of Selling
Jeffrey Gitomer is an American professional speaker, business trainer, and author.
He writes lectures on sales, personal development, and customer loyalty that he shares worldwide.
“The Little Red Book of Selling” won the 2009 Audie Award for Business/Educational Audiobook.
In this award-winning book, you’ll discover the philosophy of success.
Success has everything to do with understanding what motivates individuals to buy and ethically building relationships.
Gitomer believes that to be successful, you should be relationship-driven and referral-oriented and avoid sleazy sales tactics or manipulation.
Synopsis
“The Little Red Book of Selling” teaches its readers how to get more sales by getting their customers or sales prospects to value them as people before they value the product or service you offer.
Gitomer teaches you how to sell your most important asset, yourself.
Why people buy is more essential to understand than what you’re selling.
Once you understand this concept on a deeper level, it’ll demystify the process of sales.
Gitomer keeps you entertained throughout the book by incorporating small cartoons on every page.
His enthusiasm for sales keeps you motivated and excited to keep reading.
Why You Should Read It
Gitomer takes a different approach to sales; make people value you, and you’ll have a much easier time making the sale.
Not only will you learn the importance of this concept, but he will also teach you how to bring it to life.
Additionally, you’ll get real conversation examples that can help you the next time you’re talking to a prospect.
Grit
Angela Duckworth is an American psychologist, academic, and science author.
Through her research, Duckworth discovers that achievement isn’t something only talented individuals can experience but for anyone with passion and perseverance.
The New York Times best-seller, “Grit,” discusses what it takes to create outstanding achievements based on science, interviews, and Duckworth’s experience with her education and business venture.
Synopsis
In “Grit,” Duckworth reveals insights from her research, explaining that talent isn’t a guarantor of success.
She reflects on her story as the daughter of a scientist who lamented her lack of smarts.
Other factors, like identifying your passion and staying true to commitments, can be even more crucial.
She dives deeper into her teaching, neuroscience, and business consulting journey.
You’ll get insight from her personal experience, a new perspective on what it takes to be successful, and science and psychology-based facts on what it takes to excel in business (or any area of life.)
Why You Should Read It
This book is a must-listen for anyone with big goals and a desire to succeed.
If you have any limiting beliefs about what success looks like, Duckworth eliminates them.
You can use this fresh perspective and information to explore your passions and embark on a journey you can easily be excited about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most frequently asked questions regarding the best business books.
Is it worth reading business books?
Sales & Marketing Executives International (SMEI) stated that individuals who read at least seven business books yearly earn more money, more than 2.3 times more than those who only read one.
Many successful individuals suggest reading business books to streamline your entrepreneurial journey.
So, it’s safe to say that reading business books is worth it if you aim to be successful in business.
Which one is the best business book?
According to Goodreads, one of the best blogs about books, the best business book is “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel.
However, the book that’s best for you may differ from someone else on a different path with different goals.
Choose a book that aligns with your primary objective and continue reading other business books as you grow.
Wrapping Up
One thing that most successful people agree on is that reading can help you have a more prosperous business.
The best business books will combine personal experience, tips, and information backed by facts and be inclusive.
Reading is great, but real growth comes from action.
As you read, highlight or take notes of passages that stick out to you.
Then, apply what you know as soon as you can.
By reading the above books, you can get advice for growing your business, find inspiration, and see with a fresh perspective.
Have any questions?
Comment below and we’ll get back to you.
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