17 Essential Business Books For Aspiring Entrepreneurs

These days, more and more of us are having the itch to start a business.

Whether it’s because you hate your daily job and you want more flexibility and freedom, or you just know deep inside that you’re meant to be an entrepreneur and yes – it’s absolutely possible!

If you’re serious in starting your own business and want it bad enough for the long term and really make a difference in your life, here are 17 essential know-how to prepare you for the battle ahead.

17 Essential Business Books For Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t – more than three million copies sold and one of the most recommend books by Top CEO’s with 2,070 customer reviews. “Some of the key concepts discerned in the study,” comments Jim Collins, “fly in the face of our modern business culture and will, quite frankly, upset some people.”

He also wrote: Great By Choice , How The Mighty Fall and Built To Last

The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs – in this book, Kevin D distills the most important lessons of entrepreneurship: to achieve unimaginable business success and financial wealth—to reach the upper echelons of entrepreneurs, you have to change the way you think. This is a way of thinking that comes from learning the vital lessons of the best entrepreneurs.

Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion – is the ultimate driver’s manual for modern business. Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. He also wrote: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, Thank You Economy and #AskGaryVee

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking –  Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions.

Contagious: Why Things Catch On – The New York Times bestseller that explains why certain products and ideas become popular. “Jonah Berger knows more about what makes information ‘go viral’ than anyone in the world”

No More Sleepless Nights  – Dr. Hauri’s internationally acclaimed sleep therapy program  offers much more than helpful hints. Entrepreneurs grind all the time but self care, especially sleep is vital.

Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School – brings together some of Richard Bronson’s best advice, distilling the experiences and insights that have made him one of the world’s most recognized and respected business leaders.

Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content – a go-to guide to attracting and retaining customers through stellar online communication, because in our content-driven world, every one of us is, in fact, a writer.

In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs –  chock-full of practical, inspirational advice for those looking to forge their own paths, these interviews detail the keys to success (for example, going with your gut; maintaining meaningful and lasting relationships).

Related Reading: 37 Best Books Every Women Should Read

Thinking Fast And Slow  – Daniel Kahneman, the renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical.

Conscious Capitalism – you’ll better understand how four specific tenets—higher purpose, stakeholder integration, conscious leadership, and conscious culture and management—can help build strong businesses, move capitalism closer to its highest potential, and foster a more positive environment for all of us.

Positive Intelligence  –  in this book have been refined over years of coaching hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams.  Shirzad tells many of their remarkable stories, showing you how you too can take concrete steps to unleash the vast, untapped powers of your mind.

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain – John Ratey, MD embarks upon a fascinating journey through the mind-body connection, illustrating that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to menopause to Alzheimer’s.

Money, A Love Story: Untangle Your Financial Woes and Create the Life You Really Want – Using client stories and her own saga of moving from $20,000 of debt to complete financial freedom by the age of 28, Northrup acts as a guide in your quest for personal financial freedom. 

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World – Adam Grant addresses the challenge of improving the world, but now from the perspective of becoming original: choosing to champion novel ideas and values that go against the grain, battle conformity, and buck outdated traditions. He also wrote: Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success 

Related Reading: 10 Must Read Books For Bloggers

Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives – celebrates the benefits that messiness has in our lives: why it’s important, why we resist it, and why we should embrace it instead. 

Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life – a revolutionary, science-based approach that allows us to navigate life’s twists and turns with self-acceptance, clear-sightedness, and an open mind. Renowned psychologist Susan David developed this concept after studying emotions, happiness, and achievement for more than twenty years.